| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| shah |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 08:20:52 AM
Just wondering about ways of helping the gut function normally and prevent colic (or colic symptoms) where a horse seems prone?
Bran mash was suggested by the vet - and apologies for the very stupid question but I've never fed it before - what do I buy? Is it equine bran or could it be any type of bran?
He doesn't want to eat probiotics so any ideas of how I can get them down him? Or what else to try, yoghurt?
I am trying to warm the water in their buckets but with the coldsnap we're currently having it's really difficult to prevent them eating snow or drinking freezing water! |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tamila |
Posted - 11 Feb 2010 : 07:37:59 AM
I had problems with Tamila in the past and have been feeding Lakota Salts everyday in one feed and have not had a problem since. |
| Ari |
Posted - 10 Feb 2010 : 8:22:29 PM
My old girl has only had colic once aged 25 two winters ago. It was impaction colic during a particularly cold spell. Advice from my vet was that horses do not drink enough in cold weather and older horses in particular miss their natural diet of grass. She now has oil daily in winter together with grass nuts and alpha beet served very sloppy. This provides fibre, calories and adds to fluid intake. She is out in the day so plenty of exercise and in at night. |
| Nerusa |
Posted - 16 Jan 2010 : 9:14:43 PM
What kind of probiotics have you tried to feed before, Shah, that you boy won't touch? Some people swear by live yoghurt but I'm not keen on that for the simple reason that horses don't have the enzymes to digest cow's milk. I swear by Pink Powder and have not heard anything before about probiotics affecting stomach acid production, though I'm open to hearing evidence to the contrary! And I always understood that broad bran (wheat bran) is a bowel irritant unless it is soaked with boiling water to break down the starches in it, otherwise it is difficult for the horse to digest such a harsh carbohydrate.
As for your horse's drinking water, is it possible for you to take a large flask full of boiling water to your yard to top up your water bucket with?
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| shah |
Posted - 16 Jan 2010 : 4:50:48 PM
In all my years of having horses I've never had a colicker either so this is a first for me. I always feed good quality chaff and soak the feed properly, we've been warming the drinking water as well to get them to drink more and Horsequencher works well - can recommend it!
Since the snow has gone and they're back to drinking from their normal trough Mush has been much better (he's out 24/7 and has been in this bad weather too). The water trough is in the other end of the field than the hay so they have to walk a bit to get there, which is good. I've also tried to lunge a bit in the school to get him moving. Plus we're now back to feeding better quality hay - becuase we can now get to it as the barn roof is stable.
The pony in our field however is not very well. I suspect tapeworm but am still awaiting the results from our test. The blood test came back absolutely fine for Mush but we haven't had the tapeworm test back yet.
The pony has started having bold patches where the hair has just fallen out, he's obviously in pain around his bottom and/or back and his coat is very dull. He has put on weight tho. They've deloused him today in case it was lice or fleas but he was clear. Any ideas? |
| Zenitha |
Posted - 16 Jan 2010 : 12:33:17 PM
Ditto what Sue says re water consumption decreasing dramatically during cold weather - interestingly our vet Kieran O'Brien did an article in the Western Morning News this week concerning caring for the horses in bad weather, and mention was made of the decrease in water intake affecting gut function.
As well as the obvious things like sloppy sugar beet, soaking nuts etc, it encourages the horses to drink if the water is tepid rather than cold. Also try feeding haylage, which has a much higher water content than hay. As has been mentioned before, lack of normal excercise is also a key factor - perhaps if you have a horse prone to colic (rather than this being just a blip due to the cold) you could reconsider his management eg more or full time turnout ? Also try NAF Pink powder, which I use - its supposed aid gut function.
Like Sue, I've had horses for 30 odd years without a colic (famous last words - I'll probably get one now)which I attribute to keeping them as naturally as possible.
Good luck, I hope you get your boy sorted.
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| SueB |
Posted - 15 Jan 2010 : 2:02:00 PM
I very rarely look on this forum but today my horses are out and enjoying the wet fields but no snow at long last! I just had to say, over nearly 30 years plus of breeding horses we have never had colic here.
My vet is a youngster and possibly thinks I'm a bit out-dated with my ideas but even he asked me last week what i fed!!! he has been out to so many impactions recently.
We always put a handful of broad bran in all our horses feeds. So twice a day they have a bit of bran added. We never do bran mashes, bran is part of their diet.
It has little value but what it does do is keep the guts working well. You have to balance your diet for pregnant mares or youngsters with more calcium to counteract the 'bran' effect.
We always feed damp feeds and always have a good chaff base too. At the moment we use Dengie HiFi as our chaff base.
During this freezing weather our diets have been soaked sugarbeet, handful of bran and HiFi, plus many carrots. Twice a day. If a horse has hard dung then we add more soaked sugar beet if the horse has loose dung then we dry up the feed slightly.
In the cold weather horses don't drink so much water, don't know why but they reduce their water intake, so you need to increase it!
Hope this might help you. |
| shah |
Posted - 13 Jan 2010 : 08:07:21 AM
Oh Caryn, well done for managing it so well. My boy came down with spasmodic colic over Christmas - due to a large hematoma on his belly which came after he fell over in the mud - and the vet was wonderful even though it was christmas eve. He had the same as yours and recovered very well after a starvation night.
But this weather has brought on some smaller bouts and the vet has taken a blood sample to check for tapeworm and other infections just to be on the safe side.
Will have a look at the Coligone products in case it continues.
Thanks for all the tips. I've been bringing a flask with hot water out for his feed every day so he gets warm soaked nuts. We can't soak the hay as it's fed adlib to all three in the field but yes we have switched from one hay to another due to problems on the yard so this could be a reason. I've also just received the Horsequencher today so will try that as well. |
| geegee |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 9:03:10 PM
I know somebody whose horse has had 5 bouts of colic since 1st Jan and nothing has changed in her horses routine.
She has been using the following product recently and says that her horse hasn't had colic since....
http://www.hbradshaws.co.uk/products.php
Might be worth a look..... |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 8:45:22 PM
This is a timely discussion - Kharidian (Roger) had mild colic last night (he's not prone to it). He lives out 24/7, well rugged, in a herd of about 20 geldings on 15 acres, good hedges on all sides for wind breaks. YO has been putting approx 12 bales of good hay per day in big hayracks, so everybody can get access to virtually ad-lib hay and, due to the numnber of horses around the water trough, they have NEVER been without water.....
I went down to feed last evening, he was waiting as usual, ate half his feed then wandered off and lay down (not rolling), so I immediately walked him to the yard where he was walked until a bay in the barn had a straw bed removed and a chip bed put down (massive thanks to everyone who helped me). By this time he was threatening to buckle at the knees, very distended nostrils and respiratory rate of 50-60, passed dung x2. Vet attended in 45 minutes, when Rog was just laying in the barn, not rolling or especially distressed. HR nice and low, good colour to mucous membranes and gut sounds ++. He had IV Buscopan, IV Bute and a mild sedative so he could be examined PR where the Vet found a gassy colon. I stayed with him all the time I knew the meds were wearing off but he showed no signs of colicking again (and then on & off through the night - as did my wonderful YOs).
He was starved overnight, had a wet breakfast this morning and small nets of wet hay put in at regular intervals throughout the day.....and has shown no signs of recurrence. I plan to turn him out on the home paddocks tomorrow where he can be monitored, in the barn overnight and turn him out Wednesday (my Vet approves the plan).
I had been very worried as another horse from the herd had colicked badly Friday night, and referred to RVC at South Mimms where he is currently in isolation as they don't know the cause of his inflammed colon - and are tentatively querying salmonella - hence my panic at Roger's colic 48 hours later! Fortunately it appears that it was a coincidence.
So, even with optimal care, many horses are going down with colic - my Vet said he's done nothing but colic callouts all weekend!
Caryn |
| Pasha |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 12:11:55 PM
I assume it's impaction colic as the vet suggested bran mash? Personally I wouldn't ever feed bran as I think it causes more harm than good.
I agree with soaking the nuts - in fact you can pour boiling water on the whole feed to soften it down and then just wait for it to cool.
Soaking the hay is also good, but if out in the field with others. maybe a bit hard.
Definately try and get him walking about to keep everything moving - due to snow, hay on ground (not foraging as such) they probably are spending more time just standing around, so if you can, walk him for 10 mins at least twice a day which should help.
You could also add hot water to their drinking water to make it lukewarm - he might be more likely to drink it then? |
| fi |
Posted - 11 Jan 2010 : 11:11:30 AM
Hello Shah,
Are you feeding dry hay? If so (and you are able despite weather) try soaking it. I have had the same problem in the past and this really helped with hydration and keeping the gut moving!
Fi |
| shah |
Posted - 10 Jan 2010 : 09:25:57 AM
Yep, I feed cubes and always soak them for a few minutes in warm water in the winter so they get some extra water inside them. He's a fussy eater so I'd worry about him eating the bran like yours Janet...
Will try and walk him in the snowy and frozen school today as he really needs some exercise.
Have also ordered a small bucket of Horsequencher to see if it will help him drink some more water as I suspect he's dehydrated.
Am having to pop a sachet of bute in his food every other day (checked with vet this is ok) and hoping this snow will go away soon!! |
| Kazzy |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 1:19:33 PM
Also if possible keep them moving around if you can. Walking about
keeps the hindgut moving.
My gelding is prone to spasmodic colic in winter time and he wont and refuses point blank to eat a hot bran mash!! I feed him High fibre cubes and they are great for putting hot water on because the swell up and turn into mush and he eats that!!
Janet |
| geegee |
Posted - 09 Jan 2010 : 12:04:52 PM
Yea Sacc is good for stabilising the hind gut and reducing acidity....
I'm not a fan of probiotics for horses as they tend to increase acidity, which isn't good. There isn't enough evidence, for me, to prove that they even work.
Adding a little salt to the drinking water, especially in this weather, will increase intake. Certainly won't do any harm.
Good luck. |
