Sunday, September 23, 2007

Colic Season



This seems to be the time of year. Kola suffered a bout with gas colic Friday morning and I called the vet. She got a few drugs, a quick tube and some oil. Had to fast for the rest of the day which she didn't like but that's what happens. She did this the same time last year. She recovers quickly and does well. The vet balled me out for not having the heaters in my tank yet, but my horses don't like warm water and it's been down to the high 40's and 50's at night and up the high 70's and low 80's during the day. I think it's a bit early for the heater and they both are still drinking allot of water. I fill the trough every other day. I don't know why she does it but you could set a seasonal clock by it. It's just her. Needless to say she's well now, however, I don't think she appreciated the twitch the vet popped on her that I had to hold her with. I think he was light on the sedation simply because it was a pretty hot day on Friday. She seems to have forgiven me today.

7 comments:

Twisted Oaks Quarter Horses said...

Callie,
The Vet was out of line. Horses will colic with the changes of tempature and change of hay. A horse with a touchy system will colic on second and third cutting when introduced. I won't put my heaters in until first ice cover. If it is the water making her colic, how do horses survive in the wild? Besides, gas colic is not from lack of water, impact colic is. Hay is not their natual food nor grain. They normally eat grass, a luxury most of us don't have. Fall has the highest incident of colic, it is the biggest weather change. I know I'm not a vet, I did live with a severely colicky horse for 4 years. She would colic if I changed horses around in the pen next to her. I figure it out too late that her colic was most likely due to ulcers.

Jessie

photogchic said...

Glad she is ok:-)

Rising Rainbow said...

Colic is such a scary thing. I'm glad that's she's ok.

I'm with TOQH on the vet being out of line. With temps like that I wouldn't be warming water either.

Callie said...

Yeah, he was a cowboy, or at least thought he was. Throughout the whole treatment, he never took off his mirrored sunglasses and as much as I tried to engage him in some sort of conversation, he didn't even acknowledge my existence. I am the horse owner afterall. I called for help when I thought she needed it and I pay my bills. My farrier was there at the same time doin' feet for crying out loud. Maybe he hadn't had his morning cup of joe yet.

whitehorsepilgrim said...

I'm glad that she is well again. Here the horses drink from the stream, and when the water freezes, we break the ice to create a drinking hole. (The stream is about a foot deep, there isn't a hazard of horses falling through the ice.) I've never seen a horse colic from cold water. People here are pretty careful not to give cold water to a hot horse though. There is an odd local belief that cobwebs with dew on them are harmful for grazing animals, I'm not sure why, but they keep them in until the dew burns away. People also in all seriousness blame weasels for twisted manes.

Callie said...

Here's the best, to add insult to injury, I just received the $205 dollar bill from the vet for 30 minutes top of crappy attitude. Oh Well!

Twisted Oaks Quarter Horses said...

I still think you should send a letter to the clinic that sent out that vet. A person is already distressed and beating themselves up over their horse being sick or hurt. They do not need a vet fresh out of school beating them up more. He should have asked questions to sort out what possibly caused it. I think it is the fall leaves of your fruit tree. Probiotics are a cheap precaution to have around. That is usually what I use first. If they seem to still have issues I get the banamine out. When that fails I call the vet. I wouldn't recommend that for all horse owners. Everyone has their own comfort level when treating a sick or injured horse. Just having probiotics can give them some relief until the vet gets to your farm. I have owned most of my horses between 5 to 10 years. I know when they are a little off or if I need to call the vet. I would never risk losing one. It's a shame to have to call a vet and request that they don't send out so and so. I think it is in a way a responisibility to yourself and other animal owners to call attention to situations like this. I have requested that a certain vet not be sent, some of those vets were not with the clinic long. Everyone has something that they do well, better then most. Why settle for a "professional" that doesn't act professional? It's ok not to have all the answers as long as you don't use blame to cover it up.