Post by Admin on Aug 4, 2005 11:01:55 GMT 1
Subject : Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Rose B
Date : 28.03.03 8:11:00 AM
My vet came yesterday to administer annual boosters (fortunately nothing more)and was on his way to an emergency colic.
The colic case was 45 minutes away.
If, heaven forbid, it was one of my two which had the colic and I had to wait maybe an hour for him to come (his assistant was no closer to the case)what should I be doing for my horse?
I ask because I'm aware that thinking seems to have changed as regards stopping the horse rolling etc.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Susie
Date : 28.03.03 8:36:00 AM
Hi Rose,
I'm obviously no expert, but - in a past situation like this, I have walked a horse slowly around his paddock. He was in a bad way because each time he had a spasm, his hind legs gave way, which was quite alarming! But three of us took it in turns to walk and comfort him before the vet arrived, and he recovered okay.
I know what you mean about rolling. I think that as long as they're not thrashing around in agony and at risk of damaging themselves, lying down and rolling won't actually cause a "twist" as was previously thought. Must admit I was very nervous about letting the horse roll, old habits die hard don't they!
What does everyone think?
Susie
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Janice
Date : 28.03.03 9:01:00 AM
I have 'taught' my horses to like liquid parafin, so if I have any concern I can give them a bucket of it with a little chaff mixed in, then they will eat/drink it and thus 'self-drench' which lubricates the gut and helps the passage of gut contents.
Do you know your horses normal pulse, temperature, breathing rate and capilary reaction (return of colour to gums - can't remember the correct term)? These can give you a good idea of you horses' condition and from that you can decide what to do.
If you horse wanted to roll around you could build walls of hay/straw bales around his stable so he won't hurt himself. It is no longer though that rolling causes 'twists' and it is also though that walking is not good - see if you want to walk if you've got extreme gut ache!
I have lost a horse to colic, 10 years ago, and it remains one of my biggest fears, but the type of colic will also affect what action you should take.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From :
Date : 28.03.03 4:47:00 PM
I have always been taught (and had to put into practice) that you should NEVER let a horse with suspected colic roll this is the worst thing they can do because they can twist their gut.
I had a horse with colic once and a horse dealer told us to walk her around and around and DO NOT let her roll, this worked and that was a v. bad case of colic.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : KAS
Date : 28.03.03 4:50:00 PM
I suggest you chat to a vet, or maybe one on here can help. I only say this because thinking has changed on this. Certainly, last time I had to deal with colic the vet said it was OK for the horse to lie down - and she did, with her head in my friend's lap! Obviously she wasn't thrashing!
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Floss
Date : 28.03.03 4:57:00 PM
I wasn't aware that it was ok for a horse with colic to roll either!!
I was always taught not to allow the horse to roll, to phone the vet and walk the horse to prevent rolling as much as possible.
Kas you say the vet said it was ok for the horse to lie down, did he mean roll as well or just lie down to rest?
I am not saying this isn't right, just asking.
When i had the RSPCA inspection I was asked various health questions and one was on colic, the RSPCA still have a no rolling poilcy, as did the Equine convelescent hospital where I got millie from.
I always wondered if it was true about rolling causing twisted gut, but I thought the walking was to warm up the horse and reduce the severity of the cramps, get the gut moving as well as to stop the rolling
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Camilla
Date : 28.03.03 5:12:00 PM
If a horse or even a small pony with colic is determined to roll, there is nothing you can do to stop it, believe me!
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Diane
Date : 29.03.03 2:24:00 PM
My mare had colic last jan, the vet came out twice first time he gave her a jab, and I had to walk her around for about ten mins to help the jab to work,
second time he came out as she was no better, she was laid flat out in her stable, he told me laying down was fine, but to try to not let her roll. she was given another jab and the parrafin wash and by morning she was fine, thankfully.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : KAS
Date : 29.03.03 2:38:00 PM
She wasn't trying to roll, so I'm not sure. I just know the thinking has changed a bit, so it might be worth asking a vet (however, even if you have to wait a while for them to get there you can normally get some advice over the phone to keep you going).
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : shelley
Date : 29.03.03 3:49:00 PM
If it's only mild colic then sugarless polo mints (a few) help in some cases. The peppermint helps with digestion, the stuff which makes them sugarless helps as a laxative.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : emw
Date : 29.03.03 3:58:00 PM
EMW Sanctuaries have had a few over the years with colic ( mostly worm damage/ worm infestation as cause).... up till recently the thought was ot to allow them to roll but as someone else said ..you try stopping one when it's determined to roll!!!!... best is to walk and walk and walk ( if you can do it have someone with the poorly horse's friend walking too as it encourages the sick one to keep walking) - especially with spasmodic colic.... small sips of tepid water are allowed........ one factor is to listen for gut noise.. if silent there may be problems ..if you can hear the gut 'working' it usually signifies things are not so bad.. but the vet must be called.....
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From :
Date : 29.03.03 4:45:00 PM
I was taught that it wasn't the rolling that caused the displaced gut, but the pain of the displaced gut causing the rolling.
Also told NOT to walk horse if colic is surgical you can end up with debilitated horse. Only colic for which exercise is beneficial is impaction.
Be interesting to hear what other vets have said
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : PamT
Date : 30.03.03 8:56:00 PM
I lost a horse a year ago yesterday, twisted gut has nothing to do with rolling.
What happens is if there is an impaction in the large gut it begins to fill up with fluid and gas and swells up like a balloon, the 'ballon' then presses on the lower intestines which if there is enough pressure it moves it and it gets trapped and it can cut the blood supply off, that is why you could find yourself having surgery to remove the dead intestine.
The best place to put a horse with severe colic is in the school if you have a sand school as he/she is unlikely to hurt themselves.
Make sure you take any food hay etc out of the stable and do not give your horse a bran mash! If there is an impaction you will just be making things worse!
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Rose B
Date : 31.03.03 10:27:00 AM
Thank you ladies.
I've emailed my vet with the same question and not had a reply yet-but I'll let you know.
I do agree that I'm not going to be able to stop either of my two rolling if they want to.
Seems to me to do what's best you need to know the type of colic you're dealing with-hmmmmm.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Val (Toons&Jaz)
Date : 31.03.03 11:10:00 AM
Same over here! My mare had colic last year. I arrived at the yard at 2pm and she was lying in her field, covered in mud from rolling (YO was having his nap - changed yards since then). I also tried to keep her from rolling and walked her while waiting for nearly an hour for the vet to arrive (I thought she would not make it). In the end, I could just not keep her walking. She'd let herself slip onto the ground, so I found a dryish spot and let her lie. Still tried to stop her from rolling too much but when he arrived, the vet told me that as long as the rolling wasn't too violent and she wasn't throwing herself on the ground, there wasn't much risk of her twisting her gut. By the way, by the time the vet was there her colic was getting much better.
Some people here have ready-made jabs to give their horse known to be prone to colic. I don't know if it's legal in the UK, but in Belgium, only vaccins have to be made by a vet (and some get the vets prescription but do them themselves too). Any other intermuscular and even intravenous shots can be made by anyone who dares to make them as long as they have the vets prescription to get the product.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : lucymj
Date : 31.03.03 11:19:00 AM
my boy is prone to spazmodic colic when there is any change in the grass etc...
i have always been told by vets not to let him roll... this is why you are told to walk them etc, to prevent rolling...
But his colic is always quite mild and i usually know when he is going to get it as he stops being cuddly the day before!
Then its just a case of an injection and a bit of a rest...
From : Rose B
Date : 28.03.03 8:11:00 AM
My vet came yesterday to administer annual boosters (fortunately nothing more)and was on his way to an emergency colic.
The colic case was 45 minutes away.
If, heaven forbid, it was one of my two which had the colic and I had to wait maybe an hour for him to come (his assistant was no closer to the case)what should I be doing for my horse?
I ask because I'm aware that thinking seems to have changed as regards stopping the horse rolling etc.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Susie
Date : 28.03.03 8:36:00 AM
Hi Rose,
I'm obviously no expert, but - in a past situation like this, I have walked a horse slowly around his paddock. He was in a bad way because each time he had a spasm, his hind legs gave way, which was quite alarming! But three of us took it in turns to walk and comfort him before the vet arrived, and he recovered okay.
I know what you mean about rolling. I think that as long as they're not thrashing around in agony and at risk of damaging themselves, lying down and rolling won't actually cause a "twist" as was previously thought. Must admit I was very nervous about letting the horse roll, old habits die hard don't they!
What does everyone think?
Susie
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Janice
Date : 28.03.03 9:01:00 AM
I have 'taught' my horses to like liquid parafin, so if I have any concern I can give them a bucket of it with a little chaff mixed in, then they will eat/drink it and thus 'self-drench' which lubricates the gut and helps the passage of gut contents.
Do you know your horses normal pulse, temperature, breathing rate and capilary reaction (return of colour to gums - can't remember the correct term)? These can give you a good idea of you horses' condition and from that you can decide what to do.
If you horse wanted to roll around you could build walls of hay/straw bales around his stable so he won't hurt himself. It is no longer though that rolling causes 'twists' and it is also though that walking is not good - see if you want to walk if you've got extreme gut ache!
I have lost a horse to colic, 10 years ago, and it remains one of my biggest fears, but the type of colic will also affect what action you should take.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From :
Date : 28.03.03 4:47:00 PM
I have always been taught (and had to put into practice) that you should NEVER let a horse with suspected colic roll this is the worst thing they can do because they can twist their gut.
I had a horse with colic once and a horse dealer told us to walk her around and around and DO NOT let her roll, this worked and that was a v. bad case of colic.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : KAS
Date : 28.03.03 4:50:00 PM
I suggest you chat to a vet, or maybe one on here can help. I only say this because thinking has changed on this. Certainly, last time I had to deal with colic the vet said it was OK for the horse to lie down - and she did, with her head in my friend's lap! Obviously she wasn't thrashing!
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Floss
Date : 28.03.03 4:57:00 PM
I wasn't aware that it was ok for a horse with colic to roll either!!
I was always taught not to allow the horse to roll, to phone the vet and walk the horse to prevent rolling as much as possible.
Kas you say the vet said it was ok for the horse to lie down, did he mean roll as well or just lie down to rest?
I am not saying this isn't right, just asking.
When i had the RSPCA inspection I was asked various health questions and one was on colic, the RSPCA still have a no rolling poilcy, as did the Equine convelescent hospital where I got millie from.
I always wondered if it was true about rolling causing twisted gut, but I thought the walking was to warm up the horse and reduce the severity of the cramps, get the gut moving as well as to stop the rolling
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Camilla
Date : 28.03.03 5:12:00 PM
If a horse or even a small pony with colic is determined to roll, there is nothing you can do to stop it, believe me!
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Diane
Date : 29.03.03 2:24:00 PM
My mare had colic last jan, the vet came out twice first time he gave her a jab, and I had to walk her around for about ten mins to help the jab to work,
second time he came out as she was no better, she was laid flat out in her stable, he told me laying down was fine, but to try to not let her roll. she was given another jab and the parrafin wash and by morning she was fine, thankfully.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : KAS
Date : 29.03.03 2:38:00 PM
She wasn't trying to roll, so I'm not sure. I just know the thinking has changed a bit, so it might be worth asking a vet (however, even if you have to wait a while for them to get there you can normally get some advice over the phone to keep you going).
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : shelley
Date : 29.03.03 3:49:00 PM
If it's only mild colic then sugarless polo mints (a few) help in some cases. The peppermint helps with digestion, the stuff which makes them sugarless helps as a laxative.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : emw
Date : 29.03.03 3:58:00 PM
EMW Sanctuaries have had a few over the years with colic ( mostly worm damage/ worm infestation as cause).... up till recently the thought was ot to allow them to roll but as someone else said ..you try stopping one when it's determined to roll!!!!... best is to walk and walk and walk ( if you can do it have someone with the poorly horse's friend walking too as it encourages the sick one to keep walking) - especially with spasmodic colic.... small sips of tepid water are allowed........ one factor is to listen for gut noise.. if silent there may be problems ..if you can hear the gut 'working' it usually signifies things are not so bad.. but the vet must be called.....
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From :
Date : 29.03.03 4:45:00 PM
I was taught that it wasn't the rolling that caused the displaced gut, but the pain of the displaced gut causing the rolling.
Also told NOT to walk horse if colic is surgical you can end up with debilitated horse. Only colic for which exercise is beneficial is impaction.
Be interesting to hear what other vets have said
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : PamT
Date : 30.03.03 8:56:00 PM
I lost a horse a year ago yesterday, twisted gut has nothing to do with rolling.
What happens is if there is an impaction in the large gut it begins to fill up with fluid and gas and swells up like a balloon, the 'ballon' then presses on the lower intestines which if there is enough pressure it moves it and it gets trapped and it can cut the blood supply off, that is why you could find yourself having surgery to remove the dead intestine.
The best place to put a horse with severe colic is in the school if you have a sand school as he/she is unlikely to hurt themselves.
Make sure you take any food hay etc out of the stable and do not give your horse a bran mash! If there is an impaction you will just be making things worse!
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Rose B
Date : 31.03.03 10:27:00 AM
Thank you ladies.
I've emailed my vet with the same question and not had a reply yet-but I'll let you know.
I do agree that I'm not going to be able to stop either of my two rolling if they want to.
Seems to me to do what's best you need to know the type of colic you're dealing with-hmmmmm.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : Val (Toons&Jaz)
Date : 31.03.03 11:10:00 AM
Same over here! My mare had colic last year. I arrived at the yard at 2pm and she was lying in her field, covered in mud from rolling (YO was having his nap - changed yards since then). I also tried to keep her from rolling and walked her while waiting for nearly an hour for the vet to arrive (I thought she would not make it). In the end, I could just not keep her walking. She'd let herself slip onto the ground, so I found a dryish spot and let her lie. Still tried to stop her from rolling too much but when he arrived, the vet told me that as long as the rolling wasn't too violent and she wasn't throwing herself on the ground, there wasn't much risk of her twisting her gut. By the way, by the time the vet was there her colic was getting much better.
Some people here have ready-made jabs to give their horse known to be prone to colic. I don't know if it's legal in the UK, but in Belgium, only vaccins have to be made by a vet (and some get the vets prescription but do them themselves too). Any other intermuscular and even intravenous shots can be made by anyone who dares to make them as long as they have the vets prescription to get the product.
Subject : re:- Colic-first action; thoughts please
From : lucymj
Date : 31.03.03 11:19:00 AM
my boy is prone to spazmodic colic when there is any change in the grass etc...
i have always been told by vets not to let him roll... this is why you are told to walk them etc, to prevent rolling...
But his colic is always quite mild and i usually know when he is going to get it as he stops being cuddly the day before!
Then its just a case of an injection and a bit of a rest...