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[RC] colic conversation - terre

This will make more sense if you start at the bottom and read up!

Subject: Re: [RC]   ? for the vets
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 20:22:46 -0600

Hi,
You can go ahead a post it to the list.
Becky spoke of this at our convention two years ago.  The best I can tell you is that at home it is usually food related and at a ride it is a metabolic imbalance.
Our horses that died were a father and three sons, all at least 75% Russian.  The other was a totally unrelated Straight Russian mare.  So in the boys' case, gender and genetics may have had a big influence.
Unfortunately as far as  pain goes, it can range from dropping almost immediately (water colic) to a long fairly mild case (toxic reaction), to a severe pain(enterolith).  One thing about ruptured stomachs is that when they do rupture, the horse feels pretty good for a few minutes (the pressure is off) and then they get very bad.  We had taken our stallion to OSU, 2 hours away, and when he got out of the trailer I thought "wow, he doesn't even need to go in, he's doing so well".  Then he got very bad, they did a stomach tap and put him down.
Better? :)
Louise
Louise Burton
Firedance Farms Endurance Arabians
http://pages.prodigy.net/firedancefarms
----- Original Message -----
From: terre
To: LOUISE BURTON
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] ? for the vets

Louise!  You didn't send this to the lists, so I can't quote you!  and I
desperately want to!  This is exactly what I want to discuss...

terre



LOUISE BURTON wrote:

> Terre,
> I've actually had at least four and maybe five die of ruptured
> stomachs (the 5th was not posted).  Every one was for a very different
> reason.  And yes, a necropsy could tell in these situations.
> 1.  Some clover seed produced a toxic reaction and a lot of gas.
> 2.  Drank water and ran around. (the vet witnessed this one)
> 3.  Ate too much new grass at one time.
> 4.  Persimmon pulp made an enterolith and blocked the pyloric sphyncter.
> 5.  too many antibiotics most likely killed the "good bacteria"
> ...probably not a rupture.
> 
> I'm not sure if you are really talking about a blockage, but a shut
> down of the system.
> Becky Brewer, a longtime metabolic endurance vet,
> describes colics at home and colics at rides as being caused by very
> different things, hence the above statement about blockage vs shutdown.
> Hope this helps.