# Colic Questions



## mysticdragon72 (Nov 1, 2010)

Colic is a VERY serious problem with a horse and something that needs to be managed over time.. not something that can be fixed quickly.. I know when my horse coliced she experienced the same thing your horse did, that is until I walked her.. and walked her... and walked her. All the while I stopped at a bucket of water and let her take some water... then more walking. If your horse is locked in his/her stall then they are just going to keep having problems as your not allowing whatever is blocking him up to move through.

Also, listen to the horses guts.. they should always have sounds coming from their guts, if there's no sounds (like when you have gas bubbles moving in your belly but much louder) then the horse isn't over the colic. Get him/her walking until you notice more gut sounds and make sure you keep him/her drinking. I'd really limit how much they ate until this was taken care of.. especially grain as that can just make it worse. 

Please remember though that I'm not a vet just speaking from personal experience and you should always consult your vet before attempting any self care.


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## Alcatrazjmpr (Sep 3, 2010)

We had him walking all day, should have mentioned that, and he wasn't allowed grain. We offered him water, he just wasn't interested. We would walk him for an hour or more try putting him in his stall to poop, he usually won't outside for some reason, then walk again. We put him on the trailer to see if it would get him to poop and he did, he looked a lot better and ate some grass, still didn't want water, he wouldn't eat his bran mash either. I was wondering if it's normal for them to poop and look better then get blocked up again and be in pain. I don't have much first hand experience with colic thankfully, so I was just wondering. Waiting to hear if he has drank anything or is going to get an IV still.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

How is he doing?

It is not uncommon that some manure might come out but them still have some really dry manure in there causing a problem. Was the manure that came out a full pile worth or just a few balls?

When the vet puts all that moisture into their system via tubing, they frequently do not drink from their bucket for a while. Their bodies have the moisture it thinks it needs.

Wondering, does he willingly eat bran mash when he is feeling well? Some horses do not like it, that is why I ask.


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## Alcatrazjmpr (Sep 3, 2010)

As of last night he was really uncomfortable again, biting at his side and rolling, waiting to hear from my trainer this morning. He had a full manure pile. I have only given him bran mash once and he loved it. He was very back and forth about eating yesterday, which I can understand if his stomach hurt. Thanks for the responses guys!


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Do not feed him mash/grain. Let him eat some grass if he wants or a bit of hay. At least for a couple of days. Do you think he is dehydrated? Grab the skin on his neck and see if it bounces back or if it takes a bit to go back. It is very common that a horse gets that impacted. Thus a reason to not feed them much. Grass is good as it is mostly water and easier to digest. But again don't let him eat a lot! Walking is best gets his system up and working. Chewing also gets his system moving. So walk, let him munch on grass, walk etc... Do you have a salt block for him? Let him lick that or give him some salt from your home. Might encourage him to drink. Good luck and update us.
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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

You need to get some bute!
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## Sophie19 (Apr 13, 2009)

I have a horse who colics all the time. I don't let him eat at all for 12-24 hours after a colic. Sometimes he will feel better but still need some time for his system to clear out. Of course I never with hold water. The next day I put him out in a pasture with no hay, and allow him to eat grass. The day after that we start back on hay, and not till the fourth day does he get grain again.

My during colic routine is fifteen minutes of walking followed by fifteen minutes of stall rest. If he is really thrashing around in the stall then we skip the stall rest. But if he'll stand or lay down quietly then it's good for him to get some rest time. If after two hours of this if he is not looking better I'll call the vet in.

Thats just what I have found works well for my horse. Your horse might be different.


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

First, are you sure it is the tempurature change? And not another type of colic. 20 degrees isnt a massive change. Here in Fl... It can be mid 70s during the day and drop to the 30s and 40s at night.

When I have a horse colic, I pull them off all feed and coastal hay. They get a 10cc does IV of banamine. Then I use an old turkey baster and give them about a gallon of mineral oil (in their mouth like wormer.... takes sometime, but cheaper than a vet). And I walk them till I have stomach noise. They dont get anything to eat till they poop and oil comes out in the poop (that shows that there is no impaction or twist). Then they go on straight alfalfa for about 3 days. Then I gradually start feeding grain again (about a 1/4 of a scoop the first day per feeding, 1/2 scoop the second and so on.) And I keep a very close eye... if I think they may roll they are out walking again.

And before anyone says anything.... if a vet needs called, I will call them. But I have been around plenty colicing horses in my life. And can pull them through most of the time on my own. If I think for one second I cant, they are in the trailer goin to my vet.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

mbender said:


> You need to get some bute!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 Why? To me, bute would aggravate colic.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

If the horse is in pain bute will help with that. A vet will tell you to use it when colic won't go away and pain persists. Pain can cause a horses digestive system to not work properly. It will relax the horse and help make him more comfortable and possibly help him not to roll so much causing a twist.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Most people use banamine when dealing with colic, not bute.

Alcatraz, it sounds like it is time to have the vet do some further examining. There might be more going on here.

Has he ever been checked for ulcers?

The meds given to help with colic and aggravate stomach ulcers.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

mbender said:


> If the horse is in pain bute will help with that. A vet will tell you to use it when colic won't go away and pain persists. Pain can cause a horses digestive system to not work properly. It will relax the horse and help make him more comfortable and possibly help him not to roll so much causing a twist.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


My vet prescribes banamine not bute


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Sophie19 said:


> . I don't let him eat at all for 12-24 hours after a colic. Sometimes he will feel better but still need some time for his system to clear out. Of course I never with hold water. The next day I put him out in a pasture with no hay, and allow him to eat grass. The day after that we start back on hay, and not till the fourth day does he get grain again.
> 
> 
> Thats just what I have found works well for my horse. Your horse might be different.


 
VERY suprised the op's horse was fed hay so soon. If they are impacted it clogs them up more. They still may poop as it can be further down there pipes.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Ok, I just looked it up. Both benemine and bute are closely related. Used in pain and inflamation. Both used for colic. I think it depends on the vet. Used incorrectly or used in a dehydrated horse can cause bad repercussions. Especially if a horse has ulcers. Your best bet is to have this horse thoroughly checked!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

The other thing is if this isn't corrected soon kidney failure can result. I don't mean to scare you but colic can be dangerous and with no real change you need a vet out there!
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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Has the vet been back out to check on your horse? With the relapse you need to have the vet back out. Did they leave you with banamine? You should probably give him some banamine. 

Walking isn't really as neccessary as you would think as long as the horse is quiet, you can even allow him to lay down. Rolling is a big no no, that's where the walking comes in. If he's rolling or thrashing then you need to get him up and get him walking, keeping him moving will keep his feet on the ground. As I said though, if he's quiet then he can stay in his stall or even lay down.

I would not have fed so quickly. Colic is a really funny thing, sometimes they bounce right back and other times it takes months for them to really get back on track. With impaction colics sometimes the vet will actually allow them to eat hay because it helps push the poop through, but you need to really listen to your vet and as someone else stated, there are other types of colic so if it's not an impaction colic, the treatment may vary.

The temperature change and the drop in barometric preassure can cause a horse to colic. I have one that colics quite often. It started with sand colic and now as he gets older, it's almost a yearly thing. It can be very serious and very scary. One suggestion that really helps with my horse is to give him warm water (like room temperature). horses don't drink as much when the water is cold and you want your horse to drink.

I would suggest calling the vet back out though.

good luck.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

mbender said:


> Ok, I just looked it up. Both benemine and bute are closely related. Used in pain and inflamation. Both used for colic. I think it depends on the vet. Used incorrectly or used in a dehydrated horse can cause bad repercussions. Especially if a horse has ulcers. Your best bet is to have this horse thoroughly checked!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


No. I'm sorry I don't like to be argumentative but bute is an analgesic (relieves pain) and anti-inflammatory medication, commonly used for the treatment of lameness in horses. Banamine is for the alleviation of inflammation and pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders in the horse.


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## equinesmitten (Sep 5, 2010)

My horse coliced right before I got him and then had a few relapses for about a month. None so bad that he went to the vet but enough to scare me especially since I didn't know him very well yet. Anytime he layed down, I'd freak out.  I changed his diet, took away rich stuff and added some bran, sand clear, wormer, etc. (Not all at the same time, lol) I haven't had a problem since and that was almost 2 yrs ago.


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## Alcatrazjmpr (Sep 3, 2010)

He was given banamine when he first started colicing, when that didn't work we called the vet. He was allowed to eat, because thats what the vet said to do. We did call the vet out again when he relapsed, he is currently at the clinic because he still won't drink anything and is uncomfortable. I'm going to see him later, I had exams today so this is just from playing phone tag. We think it was the temperature, not positive, but thats the only thing that has changed, except for his neighbor, thats the only other thing I can think that may have stressed him to cause him to colic. Going to check on him later at the clinic, thaks so much for all of your responses!


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## Trisha Payne (Oct 27, 2010)

Hi, I know that I just posted in this forum, so nobody knows me but I'm currently doing research about horse colic. Just from my grandmother's experience though, she has a horse who colics every now and then but now her horse is fine for about 6 months now. She used this product, i think that was abprazole or Abactive by Abler. mmm... is it okay to share links here? here's their direct manufacturer website:www.abler.com you might want to check them out.


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