# Fast heart rate, near death need help!



## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

Heart reate (bpm) : 120-130 AT REST
Temp; 101.5
Breath per minute: 25
Swollen abdomen filled with fluid
Gut sounds
Capilary refil is fine, color is fine
easily out of breathe
weak
sheath swollen/tendon swollen
no bite marks
laying down
kicking feet
depresses
stopped eating/drinking

Please help! My friends horse became really sick in the past week and the vet has no idea what is going on! The horse is lethargic an they can see the heart beat in his neck! Please help! Thank you!


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

Get another vet.


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## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

They might take him to UC Davis if he lasts that long. Their vet has called numerous other people and they dont know what it is. No one has a clue. Could is be that everything is happening in the abdomen and the breathing and heart rate are due to stress???


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

get anouther vet! Sorry but The horse is in pain that much is obvious. If your vet doesnt have a clue then get anouther one.

Horses can actualy have colic and still have gut sounds.


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## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

Yah, if it were me the horse would be at davis, problem is they cant get another vet out there because they board on an air force base, that vets the only one that can get on.


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

The horse needs to be seen by another vet, whatever that takes. If it has been sick for a week already your friend and her horse are in big trouble and there is nothing that any of us on the forum can do to help.


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## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

im thinking severe colic... that would explain the laying down, kicking, and abdominal fluid. what about the heart rate that high, they could see the pulse through the neck. Breathing is probably because the heart it beating so fast... i would say something ruptured, or bleeding out but the gums showed no sign of blood loss.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Stress and pain send a horses heart rate and blood pressure through the roof. 
If you cant get a vet to the horse then get the horse to the vet!


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## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

thats what i told her but they dont even know if the horse can handle the stress of the trailers. Idk how they would even get him to davis. (30 minutes away) Im trying the best i can for her and this horse... Hell im up at 4:00 in the moring researching stuff. What kind of colic could cause this stuff?


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Spasmodic colic, Ruptured abcess (leads to blood poisoning), gripey tummy.

I've got a pony who the second he gets a slightly gripey tummy he panics and stresses himself so badly that you think he is dieing. Vet come up, sedates him and he is fine.
I've got anouther who generaly the first signs that something is wrong is when it is very very wrong normaly neccessitating tubing him or a trip to leahurst (an hour and 15 mins away!)
TBH, the horse MAY die on the way to the vet hospital, the horse WILL die if they don't get him there!


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## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

Yahh..... ill tell her that... thanks for all of your advice!


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

How's he doing?


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## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

His pulse has lowered a but but his blood work came back clean...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mapleridgefarm (Sep 20, 2010)

swollen abdomen filled with fluid.. i am assuming the vet is sending out some of the fluid??? What is the horses bp? Did they ultra sound the abdomen? Tell the vet he can go on the veterinary information network for ideas from other vets... i wish i had more specifics i would talk to the vet i work with...


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## Bandera (Jul 31, 2010)

Bp is 120-130, they didnt take any fluid or didnt ultrasound... I think it might be right heart failure. The soonest the vet will come out is next wednesday.


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## spanish2speaker (Dec 23, 2010)

omg i feel soo bad but i agree with everyone get another vet so you can get a second oppinion


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Any news??

Is this horse still alive? How old is this horse?

My guess would be congestive heart failure. Are the legs stocked up. Is the fluid in the belly inside the abdomen or is it ventral edema outside of the belly muscles? If it is ventral edema [that pits upon pressure with a finger], then I am betting on congestive heart failure. If it is, then there is not much you can do. We have put a couple of older horses down when that was the case.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Vet won't come out until next wed? What kind of vets do you have out there? If I call with an emergency my vet comes out that same day. It may be a couple hours later if he is on another critical call or in the middle of surgery but he gets out there. He's even come out late at night. 

I hope she can find out what is wrong.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

I called my vet at 9pm on a thursday evening and he was here 30 mins later (not sure how as it is a 40 min drive)

I've called him out for colics on a saturday night at 11pm and I called him out when stan came in lame on a friday night at 7pm. On the Sat night he was with me within an hour, on the friday night he was a couple of hours as he was out on a colic call.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Any chance he ate something poisonous? Some poisonous plants can affect the heart rhythm and cause heart failure?


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