Impaction Colic...72 hours of hell

calatar · Impaction Colic...72 hours of hell

So we've been in Arizona for 3 weeks now. The horses were slowly transitioned over to their new feeding program (bermuda hay and a handful of timothy/alfalfa hay pellets) and have been on said program for the past week and a half. On Tuesday, we had some storms come through and although we didn't get much rain, the temp dropped over 20 degrees in less than 2 hours. Wednesday, the horses were fine for breakfast and lunch but at dinner (5:00pm) I knew Cal wasn't right as soon as I saw him. I tried to ignore that voice in my head and put out pellets and hay. Cal picked at his pellets and then walked over to Bruiser's bucket. Trying not to think the worst, I told myself that maybe he had finally realized that Bruiser also got rice bran and oil, and that he wanted that too. Bruiser finished his feed and Cal hadn't hardly touched his and when he wasn't interested in hay, I knew he was colicing.

I gave him a dose of banamine, and started walking him. Twenty minutes on and ten minutes off for 90 minutes. He finally started feeling better and seemed interested in food again (I didn't let him eat more than a handful) but I wasn't going to bed until he pooped. After another 30 minutes of walking, I decided to put him on the trailer hoping that would do the trick. He didn't respond to my bluff. So we decided to drive him down the road a bit (and I use the term road loosely as it's dirt and wash boarded). Sure enough, after a 1/2 mile he had pooped, success...or so I thought. The next morning Cal looked miserable again. Even though he pooped when I came out, I knew he was not well. The trailer was still hooked up and we were off to the vet, which happened to be an hour away. We got there and the vet diagnosed him with a large colon impaction. He asked to run blood work to make sure there wasn't something else going on and I agreed. At the age of sixteen, Cal has never had blood work done and I figured it was a good idea. The blood work came back normal and he administered banamine and tubed Cal. He then put him in a stall and gave him a flake of alfafa.

This vet had an "I fixed it" attitude...horse came in colicing and not wanting to eat, now he was enthusiastically eating alfalfa...I wasn't convinced. For one thing, he had felt better after banamine the night before. For another, alfalfa is like candy and of course he's going to like it. The vet advised I take him home because if I left him there, I had a 100% chance of having to return. I agreed but I had a feeling that was going to be the end of it. He also recommended I feed some alfalfa and give him 1g of bute twice a day for the next three days (I wasn't thrilled about this advice and after consulting with other veterinarians, chose not to follow it). After a few hours at home Cal was miserable again. I started walking him but stopped because now I had a new problem, Cal wasn't drinking and it was in the 90s. I called the vet and he said not to walk him and if he didn't improve bring him back the following morning. Sorry but I've got a diagnosed impaction and my GA vet told me she'll tube a horse 2-3 times a day if necessary. I found a new vet, one that was based on the east side of Tucson but lived in my area (north side). She wasn't going to be available until late evening but that was better than the following morning.

The new vet came out and tubed him again. When he was tubed in the morning he hadn't been sedated but was in stocks and it was a struggle. She tried not to sedate him but he came off the ground and wasn't having any part of it. She gave him some banamine and after some drugs, she tried to tube again. Even though he was drunk and unsteady, he fought as soon as the tube came close. I twitched his ear (which the vet tech had done this morning) and she was able to get the tube in to administer water, electrolytes and mineral oil. She said not to feed him until he passed the impaction which would be oily and look more like a normal poop. Over night he passed one pile that was small and compacted, not the impaction. Through this I learned that when horses get impacted, they can have poop on the other side. I always thought that was a horse pooped, they were done colicing but this isn't the case. They can have these small dry poops and it is just clearing out what was on the other side of the impaction.

Cal's attitude was better this morning as was his hydration (even though he still wasn't drinking). I went to work this morning but came home over lunch...still no poop. Although I had been doing well emotionally up until this point, I started getting sick to my stomach. I called the vet again and she would come again in the afternoon. As I was waiting for her he finally passed a big oily poop (around 5:00 pm). I think he's resolved the impaction but I'm still monitoring him closely. Looking back, I suspect that with the cooler temperature on Tuesday, he didn't drink as much and that is what led to the colic. As a precaution, I'm going to put him back on a beet pulp based feed (soaked) and am also going to soak the hay. That poop cost me $650 and a lot of stress that I would be happy to never have to experience again.

misstux

Oh Alayna, how scary. I too can say from experience that they can poop and not be ok. Dusty pooped until all the food was out of his system. He had a blood clot that cut off the blood supply to his colon. I am so glad your boy is better.

Chablis

Oh dear, is he okay now? <hugs>

CoolsLadyInRed

How scarey. That is enough to make you feel sick. Good thing you listened to your gut. The results could have been disastrous. That first vet sure left you in a bind that could have cost you your horse's life. What if you hadn't known any different and trusted what he said???

jackspark

Yup, that little voice that says "this isn't right"......... is always right! So glad that Cal is on the mend. Hope all is going well for you and your new job too!

becdubie

Oh boy....that's a scary thing for sure. Hope you and Cal get some peace and rest this weekend and that the whole ordeal is over.

Vets.........I know what you mean. It took me 3 to finally find one who cared enough to actually help Bubba. Of course the most expensive clinic around here, but whatever....it's only money.

Thanks for the reminder, I've got to get some Bantamine to keep on hand.

calatar

Cal had another oily poop early this am so the impaction is passed but he's still not 100%. The vet said I could give him a few handfuls of hay every few hours. Last night he was eating it but so far no interest in hay this morning so I've been letting him graze for a few minutes every hour on the back lawn. The vet said that the oil can upset their stomach so hopefully that is all it is. He didn't drink any over night but had about a gallon of water after the last grazing session.

ErinR76

That is terrible. I hope you write a long letter to the first vet, not to bitch and complain, but to tell him about your feelings about what your horse needed and why you went to another vet, and then what happened with your horse. Vets are constantly learning through experience, and if nobody gives them the update, they think they are always right even when they weren't.

At my barn we've had three colics in the last two months (some on different diets and kept in different pastures, so no common denominator except no fresh forage) , and the vets said it was due to the horses not having enough moisture moving through their guts (no fresh forage). They have access to clean water all the time but sometimes they just don't drink enough. Last summer this happened to my sister's horse too, and the vet said to wet the hay down and wouldn't hurt to give an electrolyte. I think its a good preventative in the weird weather to do so.

I sure hope your boy makes a full recovery quickly!

bit

I sure hope Cal is feeling better. Nothing worse than your horse or your kid being sick. After Bit almost choked and Shaun almost didn't make it with choke, I soak my pellets in lots of water. Just don't take a chance. Yep, I'm picking up some colic med's and keeping them on hand. Let us know how Cal is doing.

thelmanelle

I am a die hard battery on electrolytes from the old endurance days. They never failed me. I still use them and I have to fill the tanks, so it works for me. Even in heat and drought. Or a cold, humid winter. Electrolytes every day to encourage thirst.

calatar

So...Cal stopped having interest in grass mid day. I called vet #2 and let her know I was probably going to need her to give fluids and we agreed I should give him another dose if banamine. He did not poop all day. She conferred with vet #1 over the phone. I had given vet #1 an update via voice mail yesterday and told him I had another vet out that Thursday night because I didn't think he could wait until the following morning (when he recommended seeing him again). He called me tonight and asked "what's going on" I then proceeded to update him on Cal's condition, when I paused he said accusingly "why is someone else treating my patient?" I wasn't snarky at all, just laid things out as they were, that he was an hour away and that this vet lived where I did. He said "well I would have come there" which may be true but he sure wouldn't have been happy about it because I am so far away and he would have charged $100 call charge. FYI when I first called him he was very short with me and said I'd have to bring Cal to him. Anyhoo, when I told it like it was he got quiet and then asked that I let him know how things went. Vet #2 showed up around six and told me that she didn't have enough fluids so she would show me how to change bags and then she would go to the office to get what she needed. She took his vitals and they were good considering the circumstances. Just as she was about to put the IV in, Cal pooped another oily poop and started nibbling at hay scraps. We agreed to wait on fluids.

lizloveshorses

Alayna, I'm sorry things are so stressful for you right now but you seem to be handling it with remarkable grace. You're getting to the heart of the problem instead of having your emotions cloud it. Sending you and Cal good thoughts!

PasoBaby_CarolU

Scary. One of Glenn's horses colic'd at the show Friday. She was severely dehydrated and we pushed 12 bags of fluid and electrolytes into her before she decided to live again. Sounds like a lot, but that is only 3 gallons...less then 20% of what a horse should drink on a hot day. So, it doesn't take much for a horse to dehydrate in the heat.

I think anymore, when in doubt, run fluids. The worst that will happen is they'll pee a lot.

I hope Cal is OK today. Will be keeping my fingers crossed Alayna. I'm surprised his blood work was normal if he was short on any salts though. You might check on the analysis of the feed and hay. If Potassium is really high, it can tell the body they don't need salt, and the horse doesn't eat salt and doesn't drink enough. It's a fairly common problem here.

thelmanelle

Sometimes, when it got desperate...I poured Gatorade and apple juice in separate buckets diluted and still had an electrolyte bucket and a regular water bucket. Just a thought.

becky b

Oh Alayna my prayers are with you and Cal. I sure hope he is ok now. It is very scary. My horse had a severe impaction colic about 10 years ago. My vet wanted to put him down, I took him to my friends vet who immediately hospitalized him for the next 8 days. Sometimes the best thing to do is change vets. I am glad you did. My poor horse got soaked feed and hay for the longest time after that. I was so afraid he was not drinking enough water on his own. Even now 10 years later if the water trough is too full his dinner gets watered down and his hay gets soaked and salted. You can never be too careful. I know you will watch him closely for the next week or two, keep us posted on how he is doing. I pray he is completely well now.

thebundychick

Thinking of you, just keep swimmin'

xxx

calatar

Thanks guys for all the support. Cal had four poops over night so it looks like he's finally improving.

becdubie

Oh good...you probably feel like you can breathe again.

PasoBaby_CarolU

Awesome!

ErinR76

Yaaaaay poop! Every time I start to dislike poop, I remember what a blessing it is

Clarissa

Alayna I’m thinking of you both. It sure is no fun when your horse gets sick.

I'm hoping this new day with new poops is the corner he is turning around.