July 17, 2020

Colic

When I walked into the barn at feeding time last night, Connor didn't fling his head up and nicker at me when he heard my voice. "That's weird," I said out loud, "He never doesn't nicker at me." The barn staff said "Oh it's just because he's eating dinner." But even dinner doesn't usually keep him from greeting me. Stranger still, when I went to my tack locker (where his peppermints are kept) he didn't even look up.


When I walked in his stall a couple minutes later it was very clear that he was colicking. His normally pristine stall was trashed from rolling, and he had abrasions on his face from rubbing his head into the floor. He was sweaty all over even though the high was only in the 70s yesterday, standing with his head low, nostrils flared, his ears out to the sides, knees forward like they would buckle at any moment, and he would pick at his grain and then roll.


I got him out into the indoor, told my trainer, called the vet and started walking him, which was not easy because he tried to roll every time I even thought about stopping.

Ten minutes after my trainer dosed him with oral banamine, he passed a tiny amount of very soft poop. 20 minutes after banamine, I put him back in his stall to chill. He rolled once, laid flat out for a few minutes, and then quietly laid sternally for a long time while I sat on a stool next to him.


Slowly, maybe 30 minutes after banamine, his expression started to perk up and he started to notice the barn activity around him a little more. The next time I went to my tack locker for something, he stood up and nickered, and then went over to try to eat what was left of his dinner, which I pulled.


I stayed with him for a long time after he seemed to recover, during which he fell asleep on my head. He didn't even wake up when his face slid off my head and I ducked under to get back under his chin.


He was totally normal when I came back out late at night and again first thing in the morning (living 7 minutes from the barn is still SO amazing), although he still hasn't had a good poop. Gut sounds are super loud though, and he passed gas a couple times last night, so I'm not too concerned yet, it's likely just a side effect of not having eaten very much in 22 hours.

Fingers crossed that he has some nice big poops later today and we can totally put my first colic experience as a horse owner behind us!

15 comments:

  1. Colic is the worst! I've been through too many and any time one of my guys paws unnaturally or does anything out of sorts (not eating or stall trashing unfortunately aren't too strange), I have a little PTSD. That said, I hope for lots of poop today and a bright and happy Connor! I find that extra fluid post colic really seems to help (so if he'll eat anything soaked --hay, grain, etc. for a few days, that's perfect)--but even extra grazing or grass time is good to get the gut moving again. Crossing my fingers that once you check this box it is one and done!

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  2. Ughhh definitely sounds like a gas colic. Horses man!

    So glad it sounds like he recovered quickly. Might not hurt to think about treating for ulcers.

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  3. It's so scary. Glad he's on the mend -- fingers crossed for a big poop!

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  4. That's so scary! Glad to hear he's feeling better today!

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  5. Colic is terrifying. Glad it seems to have been a mild case and that he's feeling more himself this morning!

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  6. I am glad he seems okay. Poor Connor. How scary!! Agree with Sarah lots of soup in his future (grain soup, hay soup you name it :))

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  7. Ugh, so scary! I hope he gives you a giant poop pile soon (if he hasn't by now)! Feel better buddy!

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  8. I hope he's feeling better. I'm a little displeased with your barn staff for not noticing though, thank goodness you went out and caught it early!

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    1. Thanks! They noticed quicker than I did after I made the comment about him not nickering, I won't throw them under the bus. They had just gotten there for evening feed, it's not like they had been at the barn all afternoon.

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  9. Ugh Connor no more this year! Glad he is doing better. Having lost two of our own and two friends horses to colic, it is so scary.

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  10. Poor you and poor Connor! Glad he pulled through!

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  11. Poor guy, glad he's feeling better!

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  12. Fingers crossed he continues in the right direction. Colic is so scary, and he looks extra pathetic. Poor guy.

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  13. Prayers for you and your horse. I have had far more encounters with colic than I ever wanted to have. It is a scary experience at best.

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