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  Discussion on Post Foaling Colic - Prevention?
Author Message
Member:
Kami

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 3:11 am:

I have 2 mares due to foal in a couple months. This is the first foal for one. This is the third foal for the other, but about 10 days after her last foal, she became very colicy. The vet heard a lot of gas and it was resolved with benamine and tubing. That mare had gone from 24/7 turnout to stalled for 20+ hrs at the point that the foal was born (from grass to hay, from routine grain to Omalean 300) so I have always thought the colic was from the rapid change and the birth. Now, on a message board, someone posted of loosing a mare four days post foaling and many others had experienced loosing mares within days of foaling. So I've read all of this section of your site (including the bowel torsion) and am trying to determine what is a good way to try limit the risk of serious colic in the mare after foaling. Emergency vet response to my farm is anywhere from 1-3 hours.

I plan to have the mares vet checked (ideally) within 24 hours of foaling (assuming no obvious problems).. this is an experienced horse vet. Am I correct that they will check for any tears or problems that can be identified in the mare? I had always thought they were checking the foal.

In another thread under this section, you mentioned that mares will 'empty themselves out' prior to foaling... should I feed differently in the last couple days or the first days post foaling to help their system come back 'on-line' without creating excess gas or blockages?

I saw gass as a potential cause of tortion, are there any supplements that can control gassiness in horses?

The mares currently are on 24/7 turnout (@10acre), but I had planned to stall them at night (10x20 stall) and put them in a smaller paddock (1 acre) during the days as they get closer to foaling. This is mostly to give them 'privacy' from the herd, but also because we have coyotes in the area. When I stall any of my horses for more than a couple hours, their first response when going out is to roll (they use a community rolling spot). Now I'm concerned that rolling shortly after foaling could cause a torsion. Should I be overly concerned about them rolling in the first couple days after foaling?

Also, thanks for making this a separate section on your site!

Any advice would be appreciated.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 2:34 pm:

Hello Kami,
Other than good management practices and post foaling exams, no there is nothing in particular you can do to prevent these serious forms of peri-parturient colics from happening. Uterine tears are very difficult to identify so other than looking for early signs (colic, fever, absent bowel sounds) there is no standards check for it. No, you should not be overly concerned about rolling either, how would it help?

Sometimes all we can do is take the best care we know how and realize that most often nature works it out. Worry will not keep some problems from happening but it sure can wreck the best of journeys.
DrO
Member:
Kami

Posted on Sunday, Mar 5, 2006 - 10:42 am:

Thanks for the response. I didn't think that rolling would help her, rather put her at increased risk of twisted bowel.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Mar 5, 2006 - 6:24 pm:

I understood Kami, I was asking how worrying about it would help?
DrO
Member:
Christel

Posted on Sunday, Mar 5, 2006 - 10:18 pm:

Curious- is rolling because of a twisted gut or does rolling cause the twisted gut- I don't think this has ever been proved one way or the other.
I value your opinion DrO and would like you to know what you think.
Thanks,
Chris
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Mar 6, 2006 - 6:19 am:

I think the majority of the time a twisted gut causes rolling.
DrO
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