“She told me to get Metamucil and give it to her for five days, I have always respected her opinion & did what she said.”…
I have a 2 1/2 yr. old American Paint Horse. Friday night she began showing signs of colic & I called a vet who came out & treated her as much as she could at a home visit & advised me to have her shipped in the following morning if she didn’t improve. She was better the next morning but still showed signs of colic, I contacted a good old friend of mine from Texas who has raised horses for over 30 yrs. She told me to get Metamucil and give it to her for five days, I have always respected her opinion & did what she said. She has completely recovered and is herself again, has had bowel movements etc. She seems fine. My question to you in the event it
should happen to one of my horses in the future have you ever heard of this method. I have some sand also by the barn and I learned that my horses were eating these acorns from an oak tree beside the barn, which is in the sand. Thank you for your respond in this matter.
Dr. Jack Sales’ Answer:
Hi Mimi,
It sounds as if you could have had a colic caused by either a sand impaction or acorn ingestion (acorns are very poorly digested and can cause impactions fairly readily). Metamucil is a psyllium product that can be helpful in correcting a sand impaction or an acorn impaction. It is a laxative. You can and probably should put your horses on a preventative level of psyllium in their diet on a monthly basis as long as they could be exposed to sand accumulation while eating or acorn exposure. Use of Psyllium in the feed for 1 week out of the month is usually helpful to prevent impaction problems in susceptible horses. Psylium can be purchased as a supplement at most feed stores, and you can go by the recommended amount to feed. I hope this helps and good luck.
“I recently moved my two quarter horses from CT to NH…..Last night one of them had colic like symptoms. “…
I recently moved my two quarter horses from CT to NH. They have been there only 2 weeks, and my mother is caring for them. Last night one of them had colic like symptoms. She did call a vet and he said she did the right thing by walking him around and taking out his food and hay from the stall. I was wondering if there is something else we should be doing? What to look for that may have caused his bellyache? Is there a medicine that should be administered? This morning he seemed happy and ready to go, what are the chances it will happen again? Some are saying they should be dewormed again since they moved, some say its from the new pasture, some say grain, hay, water…That its maybe just from moving them? I am a new horse owner and getting too many opinions and not enough answers. I do not want this to happen again. PLEASE HELP
Dr. Kimberly Gryl’s’ Answer:
Chastity:
Colic can arise from a myriad of causes and yes; all of those that you mentioned can cause it. Change in grain, hay, temperature, barometric pressure/weather, and feeding habits/times can all cause colic. Just moving alone, to a new barn/turn-out, having new horsy neighbors, and even new handlers can stress a horse enough to cause colic. Ulcers can arise from any of these stressors in any combination, and ulcers alone can cause terrible colic. My advice is to monitor him, keep him in as much of a routine as possible, and feed electrolytes to ensure he is drinking. Putting electrolytes in the water is not a good idea, as the horse may not drink that water. But feeding them (in a little grain/supplement) will ensure the horse is getting them. Any time he colics, you should call the veterinarian, even to discuss over the phone; he may not necessarily need a visit, but you should have the doctor help you make that decision.
“My 6-month-old filly has been diagnosed w/sand colic (her pen is sandy & so is the round pen & arena) we have seen her eating it on a regular basis…”
The rancher where I board my filly says to give her psyllium for 5 days every month. However, my Vet recommended giving her powder psyllium for 30-45 days to get her cleaned out & then psyllium every other day for the rest of her life. The Vet I used is a novice Vet & I don’t want to overload her with too much psyllium. Please advise. Thank you, in advance, for your prompt response.
Dr. Jack Sales’ Answer:
Hi Sharon,
The recommendation of the Veterinarian is not out of line. Psyllium is not toxic or damaging at all to your horse and if you cannot change the environment, and must keep her in this sandy area, I would follow the guidelines of the Veterinarian.
“Can colic surgery cause more cramping in the mares cycle?”
Can colic surgery cause more cramping in the mares cycle?
Dr. Jack Sales’ Answer:
Hi Morgan. After colic surgery a horse may develop adhesions, which are scar tissue tags that can adhere (attach) to various parts of the internal abdomen. It would be possible that these adhesions could cause the type of cramping that your mare is experiencing. It would be difficult to determine for sure if this was the cause but if the excess cramping is consistent , it may be the only explanation. Banamine could be helpful in alleviating the pain during these times. Talk to your Vet about this possibility.
