Post by Admin on Aug 4, 2005 11:00:48 GMT 1
Subject : COLIC- when do you call vet
From : anon
Date : 18.10.03 1:45:00 PM
recently had a case of colic on the yard and there were so many different opinions about when to call vet in. I personally would phone as soon as the first signs were spotted, what do you all think. e.g. would you observe for a set time before calling vet in case it passed?
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Fidget
Date : 18.10.03 1:58:00 PM
Usually if it is only mild I will ring the vet to let them know that I might need them shortly, if symptoms worsen or no change within an hour I would get the vet anyway.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From :
Date : 18.10.03 2:00:00 PM
straight away
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From :
Date : 18.10.03 2:05:00 PM
If you need to ask when to call the vet in a colic case, you call him straight away.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : anon for Fidget
Date : 18.10.03 2:05:00 PM
How can you tell if it is 'only mild'?
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : JoL
Date : 18.10.03 4:39:00 PM
They can go down very quickly, whereas the injection could have been administered whilst you were deliberating, also the vet will be able to ascertain the cause/type of colic, can you do that? If in doubt call the vet, the consequences are not worth the risk.
Subject :
From :
Date : 19.10.03 2:06:00 PM
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Fidget
Date : 19.10.03 5:21:00 PM
I have witnessed several cases of colic, comes from many years of owning and working with horses, not my bad management by the way! and yes it is easy to spot mild colic from severe, a mild colic will present with slight discomfort, severe cases are in obvious distress.
As I said, I always phone the vet to say I may need them so he is on standby and he is quite happy to leave the decision to me, and I would always call him out if in doubt.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : varkie
Date : 19.10.03 6:48:00 PM
If a colic is very mild, I just get ready to call vet if needed, and observe horse VERY closely until either 20 mins have passed with no change OR horse is worse. If any of these things happen, I call the vet immediately.
I have found in very mild cases that I can often help the symptoms to pass, and don't need the vet.
If symptoms are more than mild, I call the vet straight away.
I second what someone else said, if you have to ask the question, then you should definitely be calling the vet immediately you notice symptoms.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : The Old Grey Mare
Date : 19.10.03 7:54:00 PM
I echo strongly what Fidget said. At the FIRST sign of colic call your vet and put them on standby - they will usually say if there is no improvement by such a time call again and we will attend. This is really important if you first discover the horse say after its evening feed. As a courtesy, if the horse has recovered, then I phone the practice to let them know. Some horses have acompletely diffent pain threshold, and it can be really difficult to tell those with mild colic who are being prima donnas, and those more stoic types who are really quite ill but who put on a brave face. The vet will tell you he would much rather come out to a mild case, than be called when complications have set in.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : sarahlou
Date : 20.10.03 8:01:00 AM
My horse used to get colic like pain almost daily due to bad management (worm damamge) before I got him.
I obviously didn't call the vet every day as I knew how long it would last and this was 'normal' for him. If he acted differently to the usual routine I would have called them immediatley.
Now he is fine so I would call the vet straight away as I would know it was not right.
If in doubt call for advise at least.
Sarah
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Holly
Date : 20.10.03 9:04:00 AM
Straight away!! One type of colic can lead to another ie; spasmodic can lead to twisted gut by way of rolling etc.
When my mare had surgical colic her symtoms weren't the normal ones and the vet was convinced she had hurt her legs instead so gave her painkiller!!
Because of this she got to hospital 14 hours late got toxemia and almost died (she had a tumour which had strangled her intestine)unfortunatly it was before the days I did ac else I wouldn't have waited for the vet as she'd have been in the trailer on the way to hospital already.
Please please for such cases always have an equine specialist, mine had an accident so was in hospital, due to having to have a small animal vet (who was odviously scared of my mares behaviour (keep falling over etc)I nearly lost her. Colic is a killer.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Pickles
Date : 20.10.03 9:32:00 AM
I really think it does depend... I once had a problem - pixie jumps out of her stable! And basically she had knocked the bar down which kept her in... anyway no one at the yard would help me put it back up and i had to leave to get the kids from school - i had no other choice than to put feed bins in the stable at the door... THey were all quite heavy and filled with chaff and one with equilibra...
I got the kids and came straight back - i found one of the girls walking pixie around - the people at teh yard decided she had colic!!! So there was me feeling sooooo guilty... went into the stable and all she'd eaten was probably a few scoops of chaff - hardly a colic case!!! My dad arrived and put the bar back up and i went an reassured everyone that she hadnt had any hard feet as i dont have any, she'd had a bit of equilibra but wasnt that keen on it anyway so hadnt scoffed that - just the chaff.
If they had had it their way they wouldve called the vet - and there was nothing wrong with her at all!!!
I think you know when to call the vet for colic and when you need the vet to come out to prevent colic!
From : anon
Date : 18.10.03 1:45:00 PM
recently had a case of colic on the yard and there were so many different opinions about when to call vet in. I personally would phone as soon as the first signs were spotted, what do you all think. e.g. would you observe for a set time before calling vet in case it passed?
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Fidget
Date : 18.10.03 1:58:00 PM
Usually if it is only mild I will ring the vet to let them know that I might need them shortly, if symptoms worsen or no change within an hour I would get the vet anyway.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From :
Date : 18.10.03 2:00:00 PM
straight away
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From :
Date : 18.10.03 2:05:00 PM
If you need to ask when to call the vet in a colic case, you call him straight away.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : anon for Fidget
Date : 18.10.03 2:05:00 PM
How can you tell if it is 'only mild'?
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : JoL
Date : 18.10.03 4:39:00 PM
They can go down very quickly, whereas the injection could have been administered whilst you were deliberating, also the vet will be able to ascertain the cause/type of colic, can you do that? If in doubt call the vet, the consequences are not worth the risk.
Subject :
From :
Date : 19.10.03 2:06:00 PM
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Fidget
Date : 19.10.03 5:21:00 PM
I have witnessed several cases of colic, comes from many years of owning and working with horses, not my bad management by the way! and yes it is easy to spot mild colic from severe, a mild colic will present with slight discomfort, severe cases are in obvious distress.
As I said, I always phone the vet to say I may need them so he is on standby and he is quite happy to leave the decision to me, and I would always call him out if in doubt.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : varkie
Date : 19.10.03 6:48:00 PM
If a colic is very mild, I just get ready to call vet if needed, and observe horse VERY closely until either 20 mins have passed with no change OR horse is worse. If any of these things happen, I call the vet immediately.
I have found in very mild cases that I can often help the symptoms to pass, and don't need the vet.
If symptoms are more than mild, I call the vet straight away.
I second what someone else said, if you have to ask the question, then you should definitely be calling the vet immediately you notice symptoms.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : The Old Grey Mare
Date : 19.10.03 7:54:00 PM
I echo strongly what Fidget said. At the FIRST sign of colic call your vet and put them on standby - they will usually say if there is no improvement by such a time call again and we will attend. This is really important if you first discover the horse say after its evening feed. As a courtesy, if the horse has recovered, then I phone the practice to let them know. Some horses have acompletely diffent pain threshold, and it can be really difficult to tell those with mild colic who are being prima donnas, and those more stoic types who are really quite ill but who put on a brave face. The vet will tell you he would much rather come out to a mild case, than be called when complications have set in.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : sarahlou
Date : 20.10.03 8:01:00 AM
My horse used to get colic like pain almost daily due to bad management (worm damamge) before I got him.
I obviously didn't call the vet every day as I knew how long it would last and this was 'normal' for him. If he acted differently to the usual routine I would have called them immediatley.
Now he is fine so I would call the vet straight away as I would know it was not right.
If in doubt call for advise at least.
Sarah
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Holly
Date : 20.10.03 9:04:00 AM
Straight away!! One type of colic can lead to another ie; spasmodic can lead to twisted gut by way of rolling etc.
When my mare had surgical colic her symtoms weren't the normal ones and the vet was convinced she had hurt her legs instead so gave her painkiller!!
Because of this she got to hospital 14 hours late got toxemia and almost died (she had a tumour which had strangled her intestine)unfortunatly it was before the days I did ac else I wouldn't have waited for the vet as she'd have been in the trailer on the way to hospital already.
Please please for such cases always have an equine specialist, mine had an accident so was in hospital, due to having to have a small animal vet (who was odviously scared of my mares behaviour (keep falling over etc)I nearly lost her. Colic is a killer.
Subject : re:- COLIC- when do you call vet
From : Pickles
Date : 20.10.03 9:32:00 AM
I really think it does depend... I once had a problem - pixie jumps out of her stable! And basically she had knocked the bar down which kept her in... anyway no one at the yard would help me put it back up and i had to leave to get the kids from school - i had no other choice than to put feed bins in the stable at the door... THey were all quite heavy and filled with chaff and one with equilibra...
I got the kids and came straight back - i found one of the girls walking pixie around - the people at teh yard decided she had colic!!! So there was me feeling sooooo guilty... went into the stable and all she'd eaten was probably a few scoops of chaff - hardly a colic case!!! My dad arrived and put the bar back up and i went an reassured everyone that she hadnt had any hard feet as i dont have any, she'd had a bit of equilibra but wasnt that keen on it anyway so hadnt scoffed that - just the chaff.
If they had had it their way they wouldve called the vet - and there was nothing wrong with her at all!!!
I think you know when to call the vet for colic and when you need the vet to come out to prevent colic!