Alex needs some jingles this morning

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

Went out to feed this morning and found Alex acting odd. Somewhat colicky, but not quite. He’s never colicked before, so it’s hard to say if this is normal for him or not. Banamine about 8am, but showing no signs of kicking in yet.

I’m sure it’s just a gas colic - it was 99 degrees yesterday, and dropped to a low of 60 overnight - but the Banamine doesn’t seem to be doing the job quite yet. He pooped, so if it’s impaction, it’s much lower in the colon. He’s not kicking or biting at his abdomen, not sweating, not displaying many signs of distress even except that he prefers to lay down, and his eyes are quite dull.

The vet and I are in contact - his associate is out today and he’s swamped with calls and appointments, but he told me he’ll call me at noon and I know I can call before if I need to. Hoping it all resolves before then.

[EADoug]

Sending jingles for Alex! I hope your Spidey senses were just on overdrive and things resolve by lunch.

[mmeqcenter]

Sending jingles

Have you taken his temperature?
How do the gums look? Skin elasticity?
Did the poop look normal? Size, texture, color, quantity?

[IdahoRider]

Healing vibes coming in strong from Idaho!
Sheilah

[Zu_Zu]

Jingles & AO for Alex ~ hoping the Banamine and some sunshine makes him feel better ~

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

I don’t have a thermometer, so I can’t take his temp; gums look good, he’s hydrated, poop was relatively normal with a little water in it. Not runny, just not firm round balls, either.

[cayuse]

Jingles for Alex!

[trubandloki]

Jingles for Alex.

[JBCool]

JINGLES!!! Update us when you can!

[Jarpur]

@Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom

I don’t have a thermometer, so I can’t take his temp

We’ve done comparisons between using a human forehead thermometer and the rectal digital type on a sick horse, and the forehead one wasn’t that much different than the digital (not that those are that accurate – we’ve compared the readings from as many as three of the latter, and a degree or even bit more seems par for the course).

I’ve still got an ancient mercury livestock thermometer, but it isn’t nearly as convenient or quick as the digital type, and I notice vets use the digital ones nowadays.

[2DogsFarm]

Me too - glass & Mercury with a loop for the baling twine
Thing has to be 20+yo & still works.
I have a digital too, but that quit on me a couple years ago.

How do you use the forehead version on a horse?
Brow or???

@Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom
for Alex!

[skydy]

Hope he’s feeling better…

[beowulf]

Supersized jingles.

[Jarpur]

Under the forelock, on the forehead – the human one we have is the type used close to the forehead of a person (doesn’t touch).

We experimented because we felt we couldn’t trust our digital thermometer, tried a second one for comparison, then bought a third. None of them agreed, there was quite a spread. Finally tried the human forehead one, and it wasn’t really any worse than the digitals. Still prefer taking temp rectally, just putting this out there as a last ditch possibility if someone is in a jam without no rectal thermometer on hand.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

He’s up and clearly feeling at least a little better. He ate a handful of grain, which he wouldn’t do this morning. He just still seems slightly NQR - not quite at home, maybe?

He’s normally quite good about being caught and haltered, but this morning he walked away from me; I was talking to him the entire time, he knew was I there, but when I came up on one side of him and touched his back, he jumped and leapt forward a little like I’d startled him. That’s one reason why I’m not entirely convinced it was colic. His eyes still look a little distant to me. I don’t know. It’s weird.

[Jenerationx]

Jingling for him.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Something is going on. I hope your vet can figure it out. Prayers for Alex.

[candyappy]

I hope the vet can get out to see him.

[cayuse]

Sending more jingles. Do you live in an area with Lyme? I’ve had a couple present with that odd “not quite at home” look and were sensitive to touch and they ended up DX with Lyme.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

I do, but this is such a rapid onset thing I doubt it would be Lyme. He was fine last night.

Vet wants to keep an eye on him and do another dose of Banamine tonight to be on the safe side. (Of course, that’s if he’s still good when I get home tonight.) We have poop and he’s up and moving; Alex does tend to be a drama queen, so I’m hoping it’s just a minor gas colic.