I’m a vet student at Cornell and my friends on Colic Crew see this all the time. There is no color predisposition and it seems that any horse is at risk but especially geldings over 10. I am so sorry for your losses and it is never pleasant to euthanize them on the table. We all want to see them get better just like you do.
I also lost my 26 year old Paint mare to this. She had never coliced before and she was not overweight. They did an autopsy to confirm as I had trailered her to the vet clinic.
I plan to go to the colic seminar next month at EMC. I’ll ask about research on lipomas and try to post if there’s anything helpful.
I’ve wondered if joint supps could contribute. My guy got all three, in moderate doses. But the three times he mildly colicked came after either Lubrisyn or Conquer.
And Flaggy: I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ve been thru the waiting out colic surgery at EMC, and am eternally grateful my guy made it. But I do worry about lipomas recurring.
[QUOTE=Tutt;3832757]
I plan to go to the colic seminar next month at EMC. I’ll ask about research on lipomas and try to post if there’s anything helpful.
I’ve wondered if joint supps could contribute. My guy got all three, in moderate doses. But the three times he mildly colicked came after either Lubrisyn or Conquer.
And Flaggy: I’m so sorry for your loss. I’ve been thru the waiting out colic surgery at EMC, and am eternally grateful my guy made it. But I do worry about lipomas recurring.[/QUOTE]
Thanks Tutt. I am so grateful that the OR suite with the viewing room was not available at the time. The staff were great. They offered to let me watch the surgery but the room was taken. In retrospect I am so grateful it was. I didn’t want my last vision of Flaggy to be of him cut open on the table…Glad your boy is doing well.
I"m sure glad to have found this page
I have been searching the internet about strangulation lipoma. I lost my long time partner just 3 days ago. He was 29 years old. I’d had him for 21 years and known him for 4 years before that. We have done so much together and seen so much of God’s country together. He was fine one day and in horrible pain the next day. Pain meds did absolutely nothing for him. My vets were wonderful in coming out to try to help. When one of them said to hook up my trailer to take him to a ranch where I work to be put down, I lost it. I have been going over and over in my head about what I could have done. One of my vets that had come out the other day, talked to me today. He feels really confident that it was strangulation lipoma. He said no way to know for sure without a necropsy, but his gut told him that’s what it was. After reading so many of these posts, I think I agree with him. Midnight was always a very healthy horse. Then to be taken down like this and so quickly. I was not ready. Everyone tells me the tears will slow. I look for him everywhere. Going to barn is hard. But I go, because I have others to care for. Thank you all for your experiences you’ve shared.
Ladyqh, so sorry for your loss. I hope you can be consoled by the fact that your horse had a long happy life because you took great care of him. It will get easier with time - but no shame in feeling so much grief right now. <<<<<Hugs>>>>>
Last summer my pasture puff grey Arab 25 yr old mare had to get put down on the surgical table due to multiple lipomas (at least six.) One would have caused about six feet of intestine to be re-sectioned. The bottom line, though, was that one had wrapped around the base of the mesentery. Her colic symptoms started about eight in the evening, and she was gone about two in the morning. She went really fast, but was kept drugged up. Of course still miss her.
I had a 26 year old Thoroughbred mare with strangulation lipoma three years ago (November)…and a 27 year old half Arab earlier that same year (May). For the half Arab, I was very unfamiliar with the diagnosis, and she was in so much pain, that we had her put down.
For the Thoroughbred mare, though…I had done more reading by then, and had a better understanding. We took her to surgery, and she did amazingly well. They showed me the lipoma they took out, and the section of intestine it had wrapped around. They also removed more stalks/lipomas while they were in there. I had been skeptical about surgery for a horse of her age, but she had absolutely no other health issues prior to the colic, and we decided to do it. She has been in perfect health since then. She handled the surgery well. With the half Arab, I had been worried that the surgery would be an ordeal and unfair to her…Going through with it on the second horse made me realize what miracle work they can do for pain control, etc., post-op. I think I made the right call in both instances, but just wanted to let you know that my “fear” of surgery has diminished a bit given the positive experience.
I don’t think there is anything anyone can do to prevent. My 9 yr old TB in great shape died after being rushed into emergency surgery and I had to give permission to have him put down because the vet said his chance of living was about 10% and he would be miserable and sick for a very long time. My trainer though he had colic because it presented itself that way in the beginning. I have searched everywhere for answers and have found none. Just keep going with your horse, loving him, riding him. Be grateful for each day.
Finding Answers and Comfort
My 30 yr old warm blood cross was the king of quickie colics. Earlier this year he began to drop weight and develop mystery blockages. At one point, he developed colic along with a case of choke. My vet was suspecting with his history of tumors, he might have a lipoma. On December 4, he had a mild bout of colic with a ton of reflux, but he got better. Later in the day, he became painful again and there was a great deal of reflux. I knew what it was, and took him to a surgical clinic for confirmation. By the time we got there he has displaced his gut but not twisted. The vet said he could operate, but at 30, the old guy does not deal well with pain. I allowed them to try and lessen the pressure of the bowel. After some rolling, he looked better, but I told the vet, I thought it was his tumor blocking his intestines. He crashed shortly after. I let him go while he was sedated. I’m glad I didn’t put him through surgery. The onset of this was so quick, he didn’t have to suffer. Reading through these has brought me peace that I let him go with dignity. I promised him he would not have to suffer. I’m seeing his progression in symptoms now make some sense. Thanks for sharing.
Hi. I have read everyone’s posts hoping to find some kind of connection to what causes these lipomas and cant find it. I lost my horse 4 weeks ago and still grieving. I had her since the day she was born and she died at 17 years from a strangulating lipoma. I did everything to prevent obstructive colic so I’m still just devastated she died from a form of colic that I could not prevent. I woke up to her thrashing, laying on her back and side, when she tried to stand she would just throw herself back down on the ground. The vet came out and gave her iv fluids, oil, pain meds everything he could do in the field and nothing could ease her pain. She is worth everything to me so I took her to the closest equine hospital which was an hr and and half away. they took her for surgery and found 30 ft of intestine was dead from being wrapped around this lipoma. only 10% survival rate, I didn’t want my baby to suffer anymore so had to let her go:( I keep searching for answers to the cause of this. I was just talking with my husband and wondering if its something in the feed that could be causing these tumors. my horses mother was a very hard keeper so I fed a her a high carb/starch diet and continue to feed that to my horse since that’s what she was raised on. She was a real easy keeper but I wouldn’t let her get too fat. even though many of you say your horses were never fat. did they happen to eat a feed that is high in carbs or starches. I’m so confused now. I have 2 other horses and don’t want to loose them to this. I don’t want to do any bashing of any feed brans but maybe there is a connection. I recently switch my horse to a low carb feed diet about 2 months before she died from this. I don’t think its that switch bc it would have happen right away but I’m just wondering if the high carb feed had a long lasting effect of making these lipomas? If there was a way to see what feed everyone fed and if there is a connection?
I’m so sorry Rebs, it’s just awful isn’t it 
You never see them coming.
It’s most common in older geldings (like mine) but as you found out, it can happen in mares, as well as younger horses.
It is just something that happens. Lipomas are fairly common, and probably a LOT more common in horses than we know, simply because they don’t usually become a problem, and even when they do, many times the horse is never opened up to see what’s going on. Dogs are pretty “good” at getting lipomas too.
I think the majority of horses have, at one point in their life, often for many years, eaten high NSC feeds, and most live to be old and/or die of something else.
My beloved TB mare died at 31 from a lipoma, also in early November (in 2008). My vet said they develop for no real reason, and sadly there is no way to prevent them.
I found this on webmd, fwiw
[h=3]What causes a lipoma?[/h]The cause of lipomas is not completely understood, but the tendency to develop them is inherited. A minor injury may trigger the growth. Beingoverweight does not cause lipomas.
[QUOTE=JB;8568175]
I found this on webmd, fwiw
[h=3]What causes a lipoma?[/h]The cause of lipomas is not completely understood, but the tendency to develop them is inherited. A minor injury may trigger the growth. Beingoverweight does not cause lipomas.[/QUOTE]
That is interesting about possibly being inherited and overweight is not an issue.
I also lost my beloved trail bud to strangulating lipomas, 18 months ago. He(gelding) had just turned 27 and had been my best bud for 24 years.
My vet also said he sees them more in geldings than mares.
My horse was a very easy keeper that developed Equine Metabolic Syndrome, which was diagnosed in 2007.
He started his first-ever colic episodes in 2012, having nine that year, before they stopped with the help of Succeed.
I stripped his diet even further (he was already on a lite diet for the EMS) and added Succeed. It was the only thing that stopped his colics.
He finally had that one big one, November 2, 2014, from which there was no return. I laid him to rest below the barn so his alpha self can still keep an eye on things.
My vet had told me in 2012, that surgery is possible in some cases but my horse was too old and dealing with other health issues. The closest equine hospital is a 4 hour drive in a car, much less pulling the trailer, and my vet felt that was an added risk.
I feel the Succeed and the rigid diet bought my horse two more years and the vet agreed.
My deepest sympathies to all who have had a horse living with these lipomas.
Yes, mine was 20, was on the operating table when they found the X’ of already dead intestine. They were open to ressecting, but said in their experience it was a 20% chance of quality of life. At his age I was not about to put him through possible adhesion issues and who knows what other management nightmares he’d have to endure, assume he even survived the first few weeks after, so I told them to just not wake him up sob Of course I’ve always thought about “what if he was in the 20%”…
[QUOTE=Rebs;8567906]
Hi. I have read everyone’s posts hoping to find some kind of connection to what causes these lipomas and cant find it. I lost my horse 4 weeks ago and still grieving. I had her since the day she was born and she died at 17 years from a strangulating lipoma. I did everything to prevent obstructive colic so I’m still just devastated she died from a form of colic that I could not prevent. I woke up to her trashing, laying on her back and side, and would not get up. vet came out and gave her iv fluids, oil, pain meds everything he could do in the field and nothing could ease her pain. she is worth everything to me so I took her to the closest equine hospital which was an hr and and half away. they took her for surgery and found 30 ft of intestine was dead from being wrapped around this lipoma. only 10% survival rate, I didn’t want my baby to suffer anymore so had to let her go:( I keep searching for answers to the cause of this. I was just talking with my husband and wondering if its something in the feed that could be causing these tumors. my horses mother was a very hard keeper so I fed a her a high carb/starch diet and continue to feed that to my horse since that’s what she was raised on. She was a real easy keeper but I wouldn’t let her get too fat. even though many of you say your horses were never fat. did they happen to eat a feed that is high in carbs or starches. I’m so confused now. I have 2 other horses and don’t want to loose them to this. I don’t want to do any bashing of any feed brans but maybe there is a connection. I recently switch my horse to a low carb feed diet about 2 months before she died from this. I don’t think its that switch bc it would have happen right away but I’m just wondering if the high carb feed had a long lasting effect of making these lipomas? If there was a way to see what feed everyone fed and if there is a connection?[/QUOTE]
Had a 3 year old gelding i lost back in 2005 to a violent colic was from lipomas. He was in extreme pain thrashing violently and nothing we did could get him to stay on his feet.
Had vet out tubed him gave banamine & rumpun only to take a little of the pain away,for a short time. I was up with horse all night had vet out 4 times in the course of the night. Horse became so violent at 4 am he went crashing through fence throwing himself down in pain.
When vet came back at 4.30am the horse was drenched in sweat shaking violently rolling getting up only to go down and roll violently around. Vet checked vitals and heart rate was really high and his gums had turned blue.
I did what was best for horse and had vet put him down,even doing that was a not so pretty deal. Was all vet could do to get vein and tranq him so he could end his suffering. He thrashed around groaning in pain,finally vet was able to tranq him and give the killing drug and patch was finally relieved of his pain.
As i type this tears are running just like that early morning, when my sweet boy had to be PTS. He opened him up after to find that a good section of intestines were strangled by lipomas. Even had he been taken to a vet hospital for surgery his survival rate, would of been less the 50 percent.
I know they say there’s no real cause but has anyone really researched a connection with what all these horses with lipomas are eating? The reason my hubby and I think there might be a link is bc when he was growing up he had two dogs at different times, not related, die from cancer tumors. His mom fed the same dog food to them. There next dog they switched dog food and the dog is living a long time and at this point no tumors. I just wish someone that does research would contact everyone with a horse that died from a strangulating lipoma and see what they were all feeding. I know if this was done it could possibly ruin a feed brands reputation, but at least our babies wouldn’t have to suffer from this horrible thing:( I wouldn’t want any horse to ever go through what mine went through! And not sure what to feed my other horses now.??
Feed a healthy diet - as low NSC as you can, as high as his energy demands require. As much forage as he can safely eat.
This isn’t about a brand of feed. Is it a higher NSC diet fed long-term? Maybe, but considering how many horses don’t die of this, that doesn’t seem to be a cause. Maybe it is a trigger for the theoretical hereditary component, who knows.
Feed the healthiest diet you can, and that’s all you can do.
There isn’t going to be any money put into this sort of research, unfortunately. If anything, it would have been done in dogs, but it’s so common in dogs and hardly ever a problem.
I lost a 19 year old to stangulating lipoma as well. Our horses have always been well fed, as both my husband and I work in the feed industry. It happened very suddenly and unexpectedly and Gaby had never been sick in the ten years I owned him until the day it happened.
Working in the equine nutrition industry, I was taught that lipomas that just occur, there is no way to prevent them. I assumed colic immediately when my horse presented with severe pain and had the vet out immediately. For various reason, we chose not to do surgery and know that other than surgery, there was nothing else we could do.
When this happened to me, it drove home a couple points I had been preaching to customers for years. 1) Know your horse, and what is normal behavior for that particular horse. 2) Keep up a good relationship with your vet. 3) There are things we cannot prevent from happening in this world. Try as we might, death is a reality for any living being, so it is best to appreciate the time we do have with them!
