Chronic colic, any vets that specialize? UPDATE post 29

This link below may be some help - and then grabbing a free account (if they still do that!) on Feed XL and entering every last item your horse eats/you are thinking of adding can be helpful in finding any problems or potential problems with diet.

As for feeding oil, I’ve been doing that for about 30 years to various horses in various amounts from 1/2 - 3 cups daily. I have not had issues with rancidity in summer since going away from Costco bucket or grocery store jug containers. Keep it in closed, dark containers out of sunlight (not by a window - under a table or on a lower shelf, etc) and preferably use a container that doesn’t need the top taken off - think Cardbordeaux or pump jug type dispensers. The only times I’ve had issues with rancidity were when I was using large buckets and took the lids off daily. Even then, it’s about palatability more than making a horse ill. That said, chucking out expensive oil because it tastes bad is frustrating.

If you’re really worried, keep it at home and measure out daily servings into dark, individual sized containers and take those to the barn as frequently as possible.

I am all for adding calories through oil. Like I said - 30 years of adding significant amounts and I don’t see that changing. I like that way I can adjust calories without messing with nutrition , and can very easily adjust seasonally to decrease calories when pasture is good and increase when pasture is nonexistent.

I don’t want to assume. Is this seven pounds dry weight or soaked weight? I still don’t think that’s a lot either way and he can handle more, plus you can use another hay pellet or cube if you don’t want to add more alfalfa, such as timothy.

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I definitely agree with the suggestion of adding alfalfa. I have had luck with both baled alfalfa as well as the pelleted form.

Well it appears that I spoke too soon.

Got a call this afternoon that he was acting colicky. Seems to have resolved with banamine and hand walking, but it was the usual hypermotile gassy instance.

To add to the list he also seems to have something going on left hind as he came out fairly lame yesterday. Worked out of it for the most part, but not a great sign for a 5 year old.

And he is sooo spooky and twitchy and jumpy. It’s not his fault. He’s 5 it’s freezing cold and he’s coming back into work after an extended period of time off following a life altering near death experience. He’s trying his best. And all things considered he has actually been very well behaved. But I’m starting to get this anxious frustration that is out of character for me from being so stressed about him, all the time. Like I’m not actually mad at him for spooking. I’m mad and sad I can’t figure out how to make things better for him.

I just broke down and cried in the barn when the BM asked me if we had talked about tweaking something in his feed. Because what haven’t we talked about tweaking at this point? I never stop thinking about this horse. I literally go home and stay up until 1am reading about different possibilities and diet changes and management changes and I still can’t figure out how to get him healthy.

Sorry for the rambling. I’m just at a loss and I’m so mentally fried over this entire ordeal.

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I have hesitated to comment but if you’re truly interested in a consult with a vet who specializes in colic, PM me and I’ll share details.

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We’ve spoken before, was it the internist based in Maryland that you used?

Yes.

Have you looked into possible food allergies? My guys test just came back and he’s allergic to wheat, soy, peas and oats. We switched to Coolstance and Vermont Minerals. Seems to be tolerating well.

Just a thought!

FeedXL is my absolute go to! It’s worth paying for a month to figure out a diet. The free version is limited.

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I didn’t read the whole thread, so I’m not sure if any of this has been suggested. One of my horses had been doing something similar - acting colicky, but all vitals normal and vet confirmed no impaction or lipomas evident on exam. He typically responded quite well to banamine and our best guess is that he was gassy.

I’ve done the following:

  1. cleaned his sheath
  2. did a powerpak (fecal was normal, but vet recommended we do it to cover all bases)
  3. add soaked alfalfa cubes for increased water intake

He’s responded well so far but I do not want to jinx anything.

ETA: horse is 24 and metabolic on top of all this. Also not a big gain of grain, so he only gets about a handful or so.

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For what it’s worth, when I put my jumper on proelite (topline advantage pellets) he immediately became colicky. Took him off everything and introduced things back one at a time and as soon as I reintroduced the proelite, colicky symptoms again. This is a horse with a finicky hind gut, so it might just be a coincidence but I am of the opinion that there’s something proelite use that set sensitive horses off. He has been fine ever since.
Also, I second whoever recommended Dr Martha Faraday. She is exceptional when dealing with such situations.

I can’t remember if I mentioned this before…my neighbor has a mate who had colic surgery and has a chronic hind gut problem. Her very good internal medicine DVM recommended Triple Crown Senior ACTIVE. The only place to purchase it is Tractor Supply.
It is extruded. The nutritionist at Triple Crown is very helpful.