Mare have Colic or just in season Gas?

[RockyMountainMare]

Hi all,

How do you know if it’s colic or just gas? Tonight my mare had massive belly rumbling that you could hear just standing by her without even putting an ear to her belly. She also was tightening her belly muscles and would move away when I put a hand on it. She was leaning her weight side to side as well and had labored breathing, seemed dull in her eye and when I pulled her out she didn’t walk with the same gusto she usually does. She had poop in her stall, that at least occurred within the last 3 hours, though didn’t seem to have much of an appetite and hardly ate her hay. I walked her around, she nibbled on some grass, took a few treats from my hand but still seemed uncomfortable. Took her temp, it was normal for her (she’s always around 99.5) and I lifted up her back leg and got a fart out of her (lol I know but it usually works) and after that she seemed to relax a little.
i turned her out with a buddy to see how she’d act and she definitely started moving around and while she didn’t poop again, she did trot a little, squeal, and eventually started doing mare stuff like winking and squirting and peeing. After about half an hour of constantly moving, some grooming, and socializing she seemed to brighten up and her gut was no longer tense. She stopped shifting her weight, and let me touch her belly. She was searching my pockets for treats, ears forward, and happy. When I put her back she began eating her hay, though I ended up making her a sloppy bucket with lots of water instead and pulled her hay out so she wouldn’t have any more in case it was colic.

i didn’t give her any pain meds, and she seemed like her normal self when i left. She usually does have some bloating when she’s in season, but I’ve never seen her this uncomfortable before, usually she’s just slightly more crabby. I left a message for my vet, and she will be checked on around midnight, and I’ll check her poop tomorrow morning, but I wanted to see if anyone else had a horse with a sensitive gut like this? Or if it is indicative of something more serious?

[candyappy]

Sounds like it might have been some thing with both gas colic and maybe heat related all rolled into one. I did have a mare who was experiencing colic while passing manure and the only sign she showed was she was out on grass and just walking with her head down and NOT eating.

Manure output was less and they were not eating all the hay in the dry lot as usual ( she is in with another horse) but that is hard to know when they aren’t alone. Vet came and upon internal inspection did indeed find impaction.

I would continue to watch her, just in case something is brewing. This time of the year , especially if the grass is getting dry is a prime time for it to happen.

[RockyMountainMare]

Good to know! I’m definitely keeping an eye on her.
She’s doing better this morning, I have a hand walker in the morning really give her a good walk to get her moving, and she had 3 poop piles in her stall this morning which i think is what she usually does. She was happily eating her breakfast hay as well and her gut noises have quieted as well. I’ll be checking on her myself this afternoon, and she’s getting a sloppy bucket again instead of hay for dinner. I’m hoping whatever it was it worked itself out with her walking and passing gas. Her water consumption has been great so I’m hoping it’s not an impaction, but maybe a little mineral oil in her bucket might slick things along?

its so hard to tell when it’s mild like this but she’s so stoic so I imagine I’ll leave to really keep a keen eye out for any changes to her normal patterns.