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T O P I C R E V I E W
Kelly
Posted - 16 Oct 2010 : 9:38:57 PM My friends horse, who I used to ride before Jack was backed, has been rushed to horspital this afternoon with colic.
She went suddenly lame on a ride this morning, and was walked home. As soon as she got into her stable she went down, tack and all and ended up getting cast. They got her up and took her tack off, and turned her out to see if she'd walk it off, wasn't really aware at this point that it was colic. She spent an hour rolling, and they called the vet.
Rectal exam showed that the small intestine could be felt, though vet said it could just be swollen due to gas.
Took her to the vets and some clear liquid was removed, which makes the vet think it might be displaced, not actually twisted. They are operating as we speak..... please pray for her. She's only 17.
This is the second horse in our field to have colic in 2-3 weeks. The first was an elderly gent of 27, but now I'm worrying that there's something in the field.....
25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Mrs DJ
Posted - 29 Oct 2010 : 7:25:38 PM Sorry to hear about this, Kelly. Life's a real pain at times . Hope Fe continues to improve - keep your chin up, girl.
Kelly
Posted - 29 Oct 2010 : 7:15:47 PM Hi Alison. The other three are still doing fine, thanks. Fe's wound got infected and the antibiotics didn't work, she was resistant, so they've put her on some little used ones which should do the trick. She's also tested positive for cushings so they've started her on medication for that. There is no set date yet for homecoming, but we imagine it will be when her wound scabs over properly.
I thought the same about the frosts and toxins.
ella
Posted - 29 Oct 2010 : 12:20:05 PM Hi Kelly, hope Jack, Sky & Phoebe are still doing well. Hopefully the frosts have put an end to toxin multiplication.
Any news on Fe's condition & when she will come home?
barbara.gregory
Posted - 26 Oct 2010 : 9:34:32 PM So sorry to hear your news. Someone I know had several horses go down with grass sickness after moving. Two horses died and three pulled through with nursing and vets care. He has never had a recurrence. He was told to put hay out so that the horses were not solely on grass and not to put youngsters on that field. All his other fields seem to be fine. It is a very strange disease with no apparent reason why some horses get it and others on the same pasture don't, possibly a genetic susepatibilty?
Your horse seems to be doing well to have grass sickness so hopefully she will pull through.
Barbara
kath
Posted - 26 Oct 2010 : 3:50:48 PM I'd not worry too much if it is/isnt EGS, it surely wont make a difference? What matters is the fact that she seems to be making progress. There is no definitive treatment for EGS apart from nursing care, which will be what Fe is getting now Hoping for you that she continues to get better :-)
ella
Posted - 26 Oct 2010 : 1:04:05 PM Bad news Kelly , you're going to be so worried now.
I'm sure you've done loads of research - is it possible that having mild exposure to the grass sickness toxins is protective against further challenge?
Fingers crossed that you never see it again. Xx
Kelly
Posted - 26 Oct 2010 : 12:33:35 PM The second test has also come back positive.
We are struggling desperately to think if there were any signs we didn't pick up on over the last few weeks. The only thing we can think of is that a couple of times when eating grass, she was heard to do a tiny cough..... Not much to do on!
However, I believe the test literally just checks whether the neurons are alive or dead - so is it possible that it is something ELSE that has killed them....?
I don't know which is worse and I'm afraid we'll never know, and just have to keep plodding on with it hanging over our heads!
At least Fe is making progress and (touch wood) the rest seem ok.
xsara
Posted - 23 Oct 2010 : 10:25:01 PM I hope she continues to improve and hope the retest shows better news
kath
Posted - 23 Oct 2010 : 8:54:15 PM Poor mare, sounds nasty whatever it is.
Believe me we see a LOT of EGS up in my area - a good friend of mine sadly lost her mare to it recently after she fought for a long time against it. It came on over a day or two, and though the Dick Vet managed to keep her going for over 8 weeks, she sadly lost her battle, despite looking like she was well on the road to recovery at one point.
I'd not worry about the actual classification of the diseease - if its EGS it doesnt matter, what matters is the intensive nursing it takes to get them through it. The most important thing is to keep them eating & drinking, and if she is doing that its looking positive
And re keeping horses in/'grass sickness land' - what can you do? There is no link definitively to the land causing the disease, and i've known horses on NO TURNOUT AT ALL to get it. It can affect one horse, on one patch of land, and no others, ever.
Kelly
Posted - 23 Oct 2010 : 7:09:48 PM Thanks guys, and yes, that she's getting better is the main thing.
We really didn't want 'grass sickness land' hanging over our heads though!
Jane, if I understand correctly the reason that they can only normally test post mortem for GS is because it requires a biopsy of actual internal tissue. As they were already in her gut operating for the colic, they were able to get some tissue for testing.
I just don't get it. I don't see how it can be 'chronic' when the onset was so sudden and she's had no symptoms since and is eating fine, no reflux. And I don't see how it could be acute or sub acute, because she's still with us and having no symptoms.....
Zenitha
Posted - 23 Oct 2010 : 6:43:25 PM My God, that is bizarre ! What test is it that they are actually doing ? When I spoke to my vets about it in the summer, I was told that the ONLY way of positively identifying grass sickness was through post mortem so I really am intrigued as to how and where these tests are done (and how accurate they are) ?????
In any case, it is fantastic that she is continuing to improve, what a relief but no doubt you are still concerned because of this test result - but it really does sound doubtful that its correct doesn't it ? Fingers crossed she continues to improve, and your nightmare will soon be over
honey
Posted - 23 Oct 2010 : 2:22:03 PM at least shes on the mend, Horses can heal from grasss sickness,maybe it was and that she was caught and treated early enough why shes doing so well. fingers crossed she makes a full recovery and the next result is negative for your own peace of mind.
Kelly
Posted - 23 Oct 2010 : 2:13:18 PM Well, Fe continues to improve, eating hay and grass, weeing and pooing normally, wound healing well, having walks around the yard.
Which makes it all the more gob smacking that the test for grass sickness has come back POSITIVE!!!!
The vets think it's a false positive and are sending it off elsewhere to be tested again.
Who the heck knows?!
Callisto
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 1:47:58 PM That is good news, hope she makes a full recovery asap.
Kelly
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 12:13:24 PM As of yesterday, Fe was much brighter, had drunk a bucket of water, eating some more, and has been taken off the IV.
The test results aren't back yet, but we are all fairly confident that it's not grass sickness, as she hasn't had a relapse and all appears to be working ok.....fingers crossed.
Zenitha
Posted - 20 Oct 2010 : 11:30:46 AM Just wondering if there is any news yet ?
saddlebred
Posted - 19 Oct 2010 : 9:23:10 PM Keeping everything crossed for you and Fe, Kelly. Lots of positive vibes to help her get better. Debs x
Kelly
Posted - 19 Oct 2010 : 12:16:49 PM Thanks guys! The only extra thing I could be doing right now is keeping them all in, which I am still not sure I'm doing the right thing by not doing so...
xsara
Posted - 18 Oct 2010 : 10:04:08 PM poor fe I am glad she is doing better and hope she pulls through this awful ordeal. Fingers crossed the tests have good results for you on wednesday and I dont think you could do anything else for the other horses
Zenitha
Posted - 18 Oct 2010 : 7:08:20 PM Oh Kelly, you have my sympathy !
I went through something like this in the Summer when they thought one of my mares had Acute Grass Sickness - its not just the terrible worry for one horse, but for all the other horses too, plus the fact that your land is then effectively 'blacklisted' as being a place where horses have contracted grass sickness Happily for me, my vets got it totally wrong - she had had something wedged in her throat which left her so swollen she couldn't swallow. That said, I have had a taste of the terrible worry you are now going through - I assume your vets are talking about Chronic rather than Acute grass sickness (she would be looking very sick if it was Acute) - if this is the case then there is hope, but as I understand it its a long haul. With regard to your vets comments regarding the risk to the other horses, I am sure he is right and that there are many isolated cases of grass sickness, but unfortunately there are also cases that have affected whole groups of horses - Avanti who posts on here tragically lost a number of hers to this horrible disease I hate to add to your worries but I always think if you know what you are up against you can fight it.
It does sound as if your mare is doing well after the surgery, thank goodness. Plus if she is regularly passing dung thats a good sign - one of the more obvious symptoms of grass sickness is that the bowels stop moving, so it is sounding hopeful !
Do keep us informed, I've got everything crossed for you for Wednesday, when hopefully you will be breathing a big sigh of relief, just as I did. All being well, she will improve a little with each day. Sending you loads of good wishes and positive vibes xx
Kelly
Posted - 18 Oct 2010 : 6:50:11 PM UPDATE - Fe is brighter today, stood up, passing droppings and urinating fine, and eating a bit of hay. Wound healing nicely. She's still dehydrated so on an IV though.
Apparently the reason they tested for EGS was because when the distended gut was flicked, it didn't contract as much as it 'should', which could indicate partial paralysis. However, it could've just been that it was full of fluid, so physically couldn't contract.
The vet has also said that if they were much later in operating she wouldn't have survived, as the gut would have 'flopped over' and torsion and death of the intestinal tissue occured.
Obviously she's not out of the woods yet, test results not back and we are still worried about the others (even if it's just colic, why 2 in 3 weeks when none in 6 years?)
Thank you all for your good wishes and support.
Kelly
Posted - 17 Oct 2010 : 7:01:07 PM Fe was quite bright at the vets today, came to the door to see her visitors, and *****ed up her ears when she saw a haynet coming - sadly for her, it was for someone else! She's passed some droppings, which is obviously a good sign, but still has an increased heart rate and is on a IV as she's not drinking. She's also cut from sternum to belly
But, no more colic symptoms.
Test results should take a couple of days, so we should hopefully know by wednesday. The vet is telling us not to panic, and that in 30 years, they've never had a 'repeat' case of grass sickness where more than one horse in the field got it. Not that they're even sure that's what it is.
We've put the remaining 3 horses on the adjoining field, which is effectively the same land, but has more grass cover so hopefully ok. I wanted to leave them in, but the youngster would be unhandlable..... And she can't be out alone so it would've meant leaving Jack IN alone. I hope I've done the right thing.
Stuck all three of NAF pink powder concentrated dose as well. Can't hurt!
numbbum
Posted - 17 Oct 2010 : 5:04:33 PM Hope all is going well. xxx
Fee
Posted - 16 Oct 2010 : 11:13:38 PM Hi Kelly, glad to hear Fe has came through surgery and they managed to put the intestines back and not need to remove any phew!
No you're not selfish now worrying about Jack, we'd all be the same. Not sure how long the test for grass sickness takes but I do know the worry of waiting. We recently had a land scare and had to await soil testing. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to panic or worry too much the test results come back. But I know you will
Fee
Kelly
Posted - 16 Oct 2010 : 10:42:55 PM Thank you all for your good wishes.
Fe has come through the surgery and is standing up. A large part of her large intestine was displaced, and has now been put back.
The vet has mentioned grass sickness, and is doing a test.
I am happy she's stood up, but, perhaps selfishly, now terrified about my boy.
I've been researching, but there doesn't seem to be much that you can do to really reduce the risk. If it's 'in the land', it's not as simple as 'moving yards' - it's my own land...... I know there is no guarantee of other horses being affected, but it is known....
Anyone know how long the results take to come back, so I know when I should really start panicking or not?
. Hope Fe continues to improve - keep your chin up, girl. 
, you're going to be so worried now.
so it would've meant leaving Jack IN alone. I hope I've done the right thing.
