[royalrox]

So I've had Royal for almost two years come August and he has never coliced until around November and since then he's coliced about six times, nothing serious, just gas colic that usually works itself out with ten minutes of walking, and he's good to go.

But today I had to call the vet out, I had been walking him for a good half hour 45 minutes and he had passed manure THREE times and instead of getting better kept getting worse, which completely confused me because usually once he passes manure he's set

Anyway my vet checked for any impaction thinking of building up "up there" then tubed some water into his stomach, and syphined(sp) some back out, he said it was just a bad gas colic, but he did feel some solidish stuff up there but mostly lots of gas.

Anyway he came back leter to check on him once he came out of the sedation...he was perfectly fine, but he suggested blood tests to see why they were becoming so frequent, had to leave so didn't explain what that would find...SO what could he find in a blood test that would explain the sudden colic frenzy thanks

[paintedquarters]

How much is your horse drinking? What is he being fed? Does your vet question the feed?

[CJ]

This time of year do you think hes scrounging hard for "grass" and accumulating sand/dirt in the process?
Has he been wormed?
Does he have any jammies/blanket on? Do you think the weather/ changes could be prompting the colics?

[paintedquarters]

Causes of Colic usually are:
dehydration
parasites
sudden feed changes
over-feeding concentrates when horse is not use to them
poor quality hay
over-use of oral painkillers causing stomach damage
plant toxins
sand
stress


Basic Colic prevention is:
worming regularly
Plenty of water if they are not drinking cold than a heated 16 gallon bucket is needed so he will drink more.
Also adding salt to any grain to promote drinking I give 2 ounces of white salt.
change feeds gradually
Plenty of fiber
Quality feed
Not feeding grain to a stressed or very tired horse. You may also want to add soaked whole flaxseed to add oil.

Also when it gets really cold here my vet is on the run from one farm to another because of Colic.
He was out yesterday for shots and he has been so busy with the cold weather we have had.

[royalrox]

ok
-feed-exactly the same as it has been for over a year
he gets fed three times a day with the following (the scoop for pellets is 4 quarts, and bp is 3 quarts):
-1/2 scoop Stretegy pellets
-2 1/2 scoops beet pulp (soaked)
-he also gets Weight Builder and Corta-Flx

-their water troughs have heaters, and he has been drinking a bit less from his stall buckets, but that's just a winter thing, he still drinks about half of each bucket

-yes he is up to date on all worming and shots, etc

-when he's out he has basically unlimited hay, although I'm sure that doesn't stop him from grazing (he's weird about hay lol)...but he never coliced one last winter...

oh and he was clipped back in November but it he had one or two outs before that, and he did wear a shoulder guard (now he has a Bossy Bib) and also wears blankets

I don't really think the weather is effecting it just because there really isn't correlation in when he has the colic as to rises/drops in temp...like the past week has been really consistant tempurature wise...idk though

[paintedquarters]

I seems to me he might be getting to much supplement..?

[royalrox]

he's been getting those for quite awhile and it really isn't that much...

[freedom32]

Not sure exactly where Chester Springs is in PA--but there have been enough barometric and weather swings this year so far that I am sort of waiting for my barometric sensitive miss priss to colic *knock on wood* I have found that a pre/pro biotic suppliment has helped alot, we've not had a colic from her in about a year *knocking on more wood*

[cminor]

Could he possibly have developed ulcers and that is why the sudden onset of frequent colics? Something you might want to discuss with your vet.

[Lindsayanne]

Ulcers come to mind, that's one thing that can cause repeated colics.

That is *scary* and I'm sure is getting expensive. Is your vet an equine specialist? I don't know what your vet situation is there, but here I'd be making an appointment and hauling out to one of the really good equine specialists.



Ask you vet about Gas-X. We were just discussing on the curly email list about colic first aid and one of the gals said her vet had them give Banamine and feed the horse a few Gas-X pills, walk, and wait a half hour to see if the horse improved before doing an emergency vet call. Definitely ask your vet before trying that, though.