Pony belching and looked like she was about to vomit.

[Laurierace]

Did you just have a drop in temps or a soaking rain?

[Jjb]

Was this statement to me? If so, I didn’t say it couldn’t be gas colic.
Mainly my feeling originally was that when two animals get sick at the same time, i am first going to think something contagious or toxic.

yes, the gas colic DX makes sense and realize that it is likely the case …

also, I was considering calling vet last night but Shetlands symptoms did not last long at all. I checked her throughout the night and she was fine. If at any time symptoms returned or worsened I would have called. Upon seeing the other pony was sick … I did call this morning … We were watching and monitoring.

@Simkie

Have you called the vet? Sounds like it’s time to get that person involved. I probably would have called last night!

Gas colic can be caused by anything. Pointing to the grass and saying “she was on lush grass before, can’t be gas colic” is a really odd stand to have and just flat out wrong.

Seriously, call the vet.

[sdlbredfan]

@Kayce

Monitor closely, withold food, water only, and see how she does, call the vet if any declining changes, if it continues, if she has nasal discharge, drooling, or appears to be uncomfortable. It’s possible, probable really considering the symptoms seem to have been short that she almost immediately passed the momentary blockage. If you were still concerned and confortable doing so you could pass a nasogastic tube and give some mineral oiled water. You could also offer her food but in a slurry and see if it passes, if she has a repeat episode, call the vet.

An owner should never pass an NG tube, unless that owner is also a Vet or Vet Tech! There is too much risk involved to have an ‘amateur’ try it. Call the VET!

[sdlbredfan]

@tazycat

Do NOT try to tube your horse yourself have vet come out to do the tubing.

Yes! Whoever advised owner/poster to do it was giving hazardous, irresponsible advice. Edited to add, I just looked up the name of that poster, whose bad advice I also quoted…ignore Kayce’s bad advice.

[sdlbredfan]

@Scribbler

Don’t tube a horse yourself, and a vet won’t tube until he has checked out to see what’s wrong. You don’t want to tube for some kinds of blockages or ruptures, that would make things worse.

This is another voice of wisdom. OP, Ignore the irresponsible advice from Kayce!!!

[Jjb]

Thanks. If you have read the other replies, what are your thoughts now? Have you seen gas colic resemble choke? Again, that pony is perfectly fine now. The other feeling unwell but not the same symptoms as Shetland.

@S1969

Sounds like a mild choke episode; I had a mare that would nearly choke on dry pellets (TC Lite). I just stopped feeding them to her but I suppose you could do different things like add water or feed in a different (large, flat) pan?

How is she this morning.

[Jjb]

We had a drop in temp a few days ago but now warm and a little humid.

@Laurierace

Did you just have a drop in temps or a soaking rain?

[beowulf]

The first thing sounds like a mild choke. Feel the neck for a bolus (it’s too late now, but in the future…). You can feed a slurry of hot water, molasses, and either oats or some other slushy-type grain: hay stretcher soaks up very well and turns light and fluffy, as do timothy/and/or/alfalfa pellets with a handful of sweet feed. Sometimes you can manipulate the bolus without needing to tube, but I agree, don’t tube yourself - have a vet do it. There’s a very big risk of aspiration if someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing tubes the horse. I’ve had very good luck getting horses to drink molasses water and that water softens the bolus enough to manipulate it along/break it down. Invariably I always call the vet and the horse resolves it after a drink as soon as the vet truck pulls up… better safe than sorry…

I will say the day[s] following choke episodes it is not unusual for the horse to be quiet, subdued or sore. In the choke cases I’ve seen/taken care of (including my own) they tend to be very sore on their throat and shoulders. We have also had a mild colic after a choke episode before - the horse was so distressed about choking that he colicked. Lots of banamine & a vet call later (vet tubed & pumped stomach w/ water and oil) he was fine.

I am not certain mushroom toxicity would present that way, but I am far from an expert… and they are strange.

[Jjb]

Thanks.
… Yes … The more I think about it … The less I think toxicity … I have no idea really, but would think there would be loose frequent stools… When in Morgan, there are actually fewer stools.

@beowulf

The first thing sounds like a mild choke. Feel the neck for a bolus (it’s too late now, but in the future…). You can feed a slurry of hot water, molasses, and either oats or some other slushy-type grain: hay stretcher soaks up very well and turns light and fluffy, as do timothy/and/or/alfalfa pellets with a handful of sweet feed. Sometimes you can manipulate the bolus without needing to tube, but I agree, don’t tube yourself - have a vet do it. There’s a very big risk of aspiration if someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing tubes the horse. I’ve had very good luck getting horses to drink molasses water and that water softens the bolus enough to manipulate it along/break it down. Invariably I always call the vet and the horse resolves it after a drink as soon as the vet truck pulls up… better safe than sorry…

I will say the day[s] following choke episodes it is not unusual for the horse to be quiet, subdued or sore. In the choke cases I’ve seen/taken care of (including my own) they tend to be very sore on their throat and shoulders. We have also had a mild colic after a choke episode before - the horse was so distressed about choking that he colicked. Lots of banamine & a vet call later (vet tubed & pumped stomach w/ water and oil) he was fine.

I am not certain mushroom toxicity would present that way, but I am far from an expert… and they are strange.

[Jjb]

To everyone,
Morgan has had BMs, but a lot fewer than her usual … It this typical with a gas colic?

[Simkie]

@Jjb

Was this statement to me? If so, I didn’t say it couldn’t be gas colic.

You said:

@Jjb

The Shetland I can see getting gas colic … The Morgan though came from a property where she was on lush grass 24/7[. She has been with me a little over a month … Maybe she got used to the lesser grass here and the longer grass enough to make her gassy?

There are SO MANY things that can cause a gas colic. Just looking at the grass is way over simplifying it.

Glad to hear you’re working with the vet! Are they going to come out today?

[tazycat]

@Jjb

To everyone,
Morgan has had BMs, but a lot fewer than her usual … It this typical with a gas colic?

Could be the start of impaction colic, call vet don’t mess around with it.

[S1969]

@Jjb

Thanks. If you have read the other replies, what are your thoughts now? Have you seen gas colic resemble choke? Again, that pony is perfectly fine now. The other feeling unwell but not the same symptoms as Shetland.

Well it is possible that the two are entirely unrelated but it does sound like a weird coincidence. When my horse had a mild choke from dry pellets she did a lot of coughing and it was pretty noticeable. It definitely didn’t seem like a colic because of the coughing.

Gas colic or mild colic could be caused by the fungi in the pasture; it’s hard to know because I’m not sure what they are. I agree that most horses won’t eat things like this but if there were a lot they might each have consumed a few and have belly aches as a result.

I think the best thing to do is watch and monitor and/or have the vet come if anything changes.

I’ve never had horses colic with temperature changes but cool temps, rain and a change of grazing could do it.

[Jjb]

OH ok . I see what you mean.
I agree with you. Please give me as much insight as you have. Beside grass, we are also having hay issues … I did change hays due to excess weeds in first batch.
We were advised to get a lower quality hay first cut hay… I just read an article that one way to prevent gas colic is high quality hay

[csaper58]

@Jjb

To everyone,
Morgan has had BMs, but a lot fewer than her usual … It this typical with a gas colic?

Gas colic can lead to or be caused by slower than normal gut motility [movement of gut contents] and can lead to impaction as @tazycat said.

There can also be a die-off of large numbers of gut flora and that can release toxins into the bloodstream.

Keep the vet updated, was any Banamine or Torbagesic given in addition to the Simethicone?

Because this is a Morgan horse I would be checking it’s feet for heat and pulses in addition to monitoring the gut.

[tazycat]

@sdlbredfan

An owner should never pass an NG tube, unless that owner is also a Vet or Vet Tech! There is too much risk involved to have an ‘amateur’ try it. Call the VET!

And she claims to be a trained vet tech. Scary advice given there given by a so called vet tech. Vet tech that works for my current vet ever gave that advice to a horse owner,he’d fire them on the spot!

[csaper58]

@Jjb

OH ok . I see what you mean.
I agree with you. Please give me as much insight as you have. Beside grass, we are also having hay issues … I did change hays due to excess weeds in first batch.
We were advised to get a lower quality hay first cut hay… I just read an article that one way to prevent gas colic is high quality hay

Were you advised to get lower quality hay? Or hay with less sugar, and less nutrient dense as in ‘diet hay’?

To me low quality means poorly made hay, or poorly cured, or weedy hay

Low starch, low sugar or low protein hay must still be good/great quality hay.

[Jjb]

Checked feet this morning. No heat or strong pulses.

@csaper58

Gas colic can lead to or be caused by slower than normal gut motility [movement of gut contents] and can lead to impaction as @tazycat said.

There can also be a die-off of large numbers of gut flora and that can release toxins into the bloodstream.

Keep the vet updated, was any Banamine or Torbagesic given in addition to the Simethicone?

Because this is a Morgan horse I would be checking it’s feet for heat and pulses in addition to monitoring the gut.

[danacat]

[QUOTE=Jjb;n9897561 Have you seen gas colic resemble choke? Morgan has had BMs, but a lot fewer than her usual … It this typical with a gas colic?[/QUOTE]

Choke looks like a choke: Horse will drool and/or have frothy gunk coming out its nose. They will usually not want to eat. They will be subdued. They can posture their neck in a strained position – resembles gag reflex. Chokes are not always in the neck where they can be palpated – they can be deep, close to the stomach where you can’t see them.

Colic looks like colic: So no, I have not personally seen choke resemble colic.

Bowel movements can be typical with different types of colic. As I said earlier it depends on ‘where’ in the intestines the problem is. Poop can be past the problem area …and can continue to pass all the way through with certain types of colic. So bowel movements aren’t a perfect indicator that horse is completely better.

[Jjb]

OH ok . I see what you mean.
I agree with you. Please give me as much insight as you have. Beside grass, we are also having hay issues … I did change hays due to excess weeds in first batch.
We were advised to get a lower quality hay first cut hay… I just read an article that one way to prevent gas colic is high quality hay

@Simkie

You said:

There are SO MANY things that can cause a gas colic. Just looking at the grass is way over simplifying it.

Glad to hear you’re working with the vet! Are they going to come out today?