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Member:
Parfait

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 1, 2003 - 2:54 am:

DR. O.,

I just brought my mare home (again) from the fairgrounds where she exhibited colic, from impaction--just as she did a month prior when I was at the same venue and the pattern was very similar only this time, I thought I was well prepared. In between she has shown well and dandy at different locations.

On June 6th the weather had turned quite hot (in the 90's) and it had been in the 60's. Within 24 hours on the fairgrounds, her manure was firm, I gave her salt and gatorade (she likes orange) but she never caught up and later that afternoon she was stomping her back feet. It took two rounds of tranqs to make her comfy. Once I got her home she was fine by am.

This time the weather wasn't a factor. I didn't haul my own water as she has been drinking fine at all other shows (and I thought it was the heat). I had however started salting her 1-2 weeks ago to increase her intake as a precaution. I fed her this morning at 6:30. She had emptied 2/3 of each of her 5 gal water buckets over night and I was pleased about that. Took her to the braider, whom she knows and I waited there with her, I put her in the stall, left her for 20 minutes and by the time I got back she was down. It was that quick last time also. And she pops out of it at home.

She is very sensitive, this is her first "real" year showing. I think she is somehow teatering on dehyration always and that vet with the scope wants to scope her (but he wants to scope all my horses). What do you suggest I do as a next step? Last time she had the colic her blood test was all in the normal range except for the whites were a little low and she was mildly dehydrated but still--barely out of the normal ranges. This is the place where they hold the regional championships--I'd like to get this resolved. Good thing she likes another region...sheesh.
Thanks!
Kerry
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 1, 2003 - 9:47 am:

What type salt did you use?
DrO
Member:
Parfait

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 1, 2003 - 10:39 am:

OK, but this isn't the old mare.Her mild colic magically disappeared. She looks like a million bucks.

This is my show mare. She has never coliced except these two episodes at the fairgrounds. I used non Iodized table salt.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003 - 4:54 am:

I apologize the cases sounded related. Iodized salt may increase a horse's drinking but it also causes an increase in water need to excrete out the excess salt: it does not help increase fecal water content. Unless you can see a clear reason for this place to cause your horse distress I believe this was just coincidence.

What type impaction did the veterinarian palpate?
DrO
Member:
Parfait

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003 - 11:01 am:

I know that you have said that forage holds fluid in the bowel. Is that it then? My vet(and Equus)said if I wanted to increase the total water consumption I would have to change to body chemistry so to speak, of the horse and temporarily increase her intake of water so that's what she has been getting. Non Iodized salt, lite salt (3:1 ratio){I've been giving 1 1/2t 2x/day} and some gatorade if its really hot. I have done this for a short duration as I said to get her to this show where I know she doesn't drink(although she *did* drink quite a bit this time). So if this route pulls more fluid out of her bowel, then what's a gal to do?

The show vet, who didn't even have time to tube her, just sedated her, said no bands no twists and said it felt like sawdust. I brought her home and treated her here, at the Ritz. This mare is going to be travelling several thousand miles to a big show and needs to be "show ready". How can I help her?

The funniest part is that last show, I spaced out, forgot ALL her grain and the plethora of suppliments that I give her. The first night, I ended up giving her Rabbit pellets and corn oil that I bought at Safeway in the middle of the night and she was snorty and fine and won her classes. LOL!

Thanks!
Kerry
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jul 3, 2003 - 6:57 am:

Adopting a routine and stablizing the management so that it is the same at home as it is at the show is the best way to prevent traveling colic. Certainly the biggest component of this is for water to be available whenever possible and for the forage amount and quality to be kept as high and steady as your conditioning regimen allow.
DrO

Member:
Parfait

Posted on Thursday, Jul 3, 2003 - 6:03 pm:

Dr. O.
Thanks for your response. I do go to lengths to make the routine and food the same--to the extent of taking her buckets with us so she doesn't change them. I took her back to the fairgrounds again for an overnight to see if she could make her championship class. She had rested at home and was checked out fit and was bucking and feeling good at any rate.

We brought mats, banked her stall, brought our water and had someone sleep with her. By this a.m. she was stressing again. Kicking her back feet and wringing her tail. For some reason she just doesn't like it there. When I first put her in the stall she pinned her ears. Go figure. She is in season but...

Kerry
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