# help, horse not eating



## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

my horse didnt want to eat his grain this morning, he took on little bite and walked away.I got a new bale of hay yesterday and before I could get the netting off of it, he took a bite and swallowed a piece of the netting about 6in.I don't know if thats why he's not eating today or not, the hay I bought was very fresh with no mold.Please help, what do I do? I dont know if it would be colic


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## toosleepy (Jan 14, 2009)

Is he laying down, kicking at his sides, looking at his sides, nose flared, sweating? if so then i'd think colic. can you put your ear to his side and hear gutt sounds? if so check both sides.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Is he taking hay, drinking, making manure? If none of the above, or you are not sure, I'd call a vet just for some advise.


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

No he's not laying down, kicking at his sides, looking at his sides, nose flared, sweating, just standing around, just didnt want nothing to do with his grain, thats just not like him,lol. I listened for the gut noises and didnt hear nothing,I was out there for almost a hour.So I guess for now I will just watch him.


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

iridehorses:as of the last 2 hours, no not eating hay,water, or manure.I will go out now and walk him around to listen for the gut sounds and see if he will eat or drink.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Nancy, I would not waste time but would call the vet - even if it turns out to be nothing. Not taking food, water, or making manure is not a good thing even if you don't hear anything.


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## toosleepy (Jan 14, 2009)

if you don't hear gutt sounds and he's not making manure i'd get a vet out to check on him. if its a simple thing now you don't want it to become a big issue later. Do you have a vet kit with banamine?


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

ok,I will call the vet, I do have a vet kit but do not have banamine.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Incidentally, to stimulate a horse to make manure, I've had good luck by just putting him on a trailer and driving around the block. Have you ever noticed that your horse will make manure as soon as he gets on the trailer?


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

iridehorses: I have no trailer, looking for one though


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## toosleepy (Jan 14, 2009)

have you checked his temp? just an idea


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

no fever, and while out walking him I heard gut noises. I called the vet and he wont be able to come out til tomorrow.


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## toosleepy (Jan 14, 2009)

If your horse condition worsens will the vet come out today?


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## manhirwen (Jul 2, 2008)

Is he choking? I've read that they can be choking on food but still breath.


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

nldiaz66 said:


> no fever, and while out walking him I heard gut noises. I called the vet and he wont be able to come out til tomorrow.


Is there not another vet in your area? 

Keep him moving if you can, don't offer any grain, limit the amount of hay you give him until you start to see some poops. Continue to monitor all four quadrants for gut sounds. If his water intake is down make up some sloppy mash and/or soak his hay first.


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

well he is now eating hay and drinking water and I also saw him poop,and he gut is making noises,but my concern is the string he swallowed, will he pass it, I havent seen it yet.Yes


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

well he is now eating hay and drinking water and I also saw him poop,and he gut is making noises,but my concern is the string he swallowed, will he pass it, I havent seen it yet.Yes the vet will try to come out today if he has the time if not tomorrow morning for sure.I dont want to call another vet out inless I really have to, I like to stay with the same vet.


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

Sounds like he's improving. I'd keep an eye out for the string, kind of gross I know but keep checking those road apples......


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

nldiaz66 said:


> but my concern is the string he swallowed, will he pass it, I havent seen it yet.


Start to finish is about 12 hours.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Nancy, if he is now eating, drinking, and making manure I think he'll be OK. I would call the vet and tell him what's going on - you can probably save a vet call.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Not all colics are like ones described above.
If there are no gut sounds, the horse is passing dry manure, or none at all, the horse is not interested in food and is listless and disinterested, it could be an impaction.
Impaction colic happens when the horse's manure becomes too hard to pass, or there is something blocking the digestion system. Isolate the horse in an un bedded stall and watch for manure. Do not offer the horse any food, only water. Try to get as much water and mineral oil in him as possible. Fill up a large syringe with mineral oil and water and give it to him like you would give wormer. Call a vet. If the horse swallowed the netting, I would assume he will need surgery to remove it. The vet can better assess the situation than I can over the internet, but your horse is probably in grave danger.
A word of advice to everyone on this site. Instead of hopping on the internet to tell us what happened to your horse and ask a bunch of un educated people who may not have ever even ridden a horse, let alone treated one for colic/laminitis/other life threatening diseases, what you should do, call the vet and get your horse treated properly, and THEN come on the internet if you feel the need to. 

Good luck!


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

anebel, your advise is good but if you read through the thread, her horse is now eating, drinking and making manure - and most posters have already advised her to call her vet. Incidentally, her vet didn't think it was of too much concern since he wasn't planning on going out until tomorrow. 

Lastly, a 6" piece of netting would most likely not need surgery and the assumption that most of the people who respond to her are ignorant is a very irresponsible accusation to make. There are many responsible member here who do not know what do to in every case and the reason they get on is for the advise. If someone were to call a vet each and every time something went wrong, then most horse owners would go broke. The forum is a good medium for education.


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

~*~anebel~*~ said:


> A word of advice to everyone on this site. Instead of hopping on the internet to tell us what happened to your horse and ask a bunch of un educated people who may not have ever even ridden a horse, let alone treated one for colic/laminitis/other life threatening diseases, what you should do, call the vet and get your horse treated properly, and THEN come on the internet if you feel the need to.
> 
> Good luck!


While I agree with the last comment, your delivery needs work. Secondly, do you know me and what level of experience I or anyone else has? Or better yet do we know what experience YOU have. 

Please try to be a bit more tactful .......


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

G and K's Mom said:


> While I agree with the last comment, your delivery needs work. Secondly, do you know me and what level of experience I or anyone else has? Or better yet do we know what experience YOU have.
> 
> Please try to be a bit more tactful .......


I second that motion!

All in favor . . .


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

yuo have a horse you think might be colicing and your vet is putting you off?? Time for a new vet tomorrow is TOO LATE if he is colicing!!!


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

first off peggysue, no its not time for a new vet,I kept him updated all day yesterday and if he needed to come out he would have, by mid day yesterday he had ate, passed manure and was drinking water, and no fever. 
Today is a new day and he is doing the same has yeaterday morning, not eating this morning,not interested in it at all, so I will let ya'll know what the vet says when he comes out.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

N66 -- I hope the vet can help. Please let us know what happens. Maybe he will oil him lots and that will help pass the string faster. I have also seen people give their horses lots of corn oil and it can make their manure quite runny -- ask your vet if you should do that.


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

mls said:


> I second that motion!
> 
> All in favor . . .


Here here... 

Anabel, you do seem to have a lot of valuable information, but your posts tend to come off as highly critical making the recipient perhaps feel like you are accusing them of being voluntarily ignorant. And I have noticed a few times before where you have posted without apparently reading the previous posts. If you don't have time to read the full thread, it helps to tell the OP that so you advice is taken more in context.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

northernmama said:


> Maybe he will oil him lots and that will help pass the string faster. I have also seen people give their horses lots of corn oil and it can make their manure quite runny -- ask your vet if you should do that.


Funny - I was thinking about this thread this morning when I was cleaning stalls. The radio folks were talking about things people and critters have eaten and had to wait to pass - money, engagement rings, etc.

It's never bad for your vet to oil. The oil takes 12-16 hours to pass through the system. If the horse is passing manure, the time the oil shows up will help determine how the intestine is working (slow, etc),


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## Peggysue (Mar 29, 2008)

maybe ask your vet about ulcers many horses with them will ingorne thier grain because it bothers their tummy!!!


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

the vet said it is colic, gave him some banamine paste,he's not too concerned about the netting said he should pass it.Also said to add mineral oil to his feed to help pass it faster.


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

What other instructions did the vet give you? 

How is he doing after having the banamine?


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## nldiaz66 (Jul 27, 2008)

well the banamine worked for about a hour,so I called the vet out and they hosed his belly out and a rectal exam:shock: gave him half a gallon of mineral oil,and said to give him bran mash tomorrow and then Saturday start him back on hay slowly,soaked in water.


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

Hope he's feeling better. I'd be adding more minerial oil to his mash as well, at least for the interm, dump a cup or two in. Minerial oil is the only oil that is not absorbed by the body, it goes straight through. I would of asked for that the whole gallon go into him. 

Lots of hand walking will help speed things along inside.


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