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I am so glad you got him. He will have a happy and loving home. That is what all pets deserve…I am a sucker for cute face and a sad story…I think I have Sucker written on my forehead.
But, then again, there is a special place in heaven for animal lovers and people who help out God’s creatures!
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them allCongratulations!!!!!
🙁 Hey there horse people, advice please. I am heart sore; we’ve only had Tem a little over a month, and I think he may be dying. He’s normally so happy & loving, and I’ve already walked him through one colic sesion and this is totally different. The vet came out on Tuesday and said it’s not colic, but that he probably has a tumor or stone (fecalstone?) in his gut and that it shifts, causing him bouts of pain that come & go. I called the vet when I thought he had colic and he kept laying down while I was walking him (which he has not done before…he’s normally so willing to do what you ask of him) until I finally couldn’t get him up again. Today, he gets up whenever he sees me come out and he walks over to greet me, but every time I look out there, he’s laying down, and not always in the sun. (This is not normal behavior for him, this is totally new as of Tues afternoon and today is the day he’s been constantly laying down.) He is still interested in food and you can hear his gut making noises without even laying your head on his side. The vet says to let him lay down and not walk him around. Vet also gave me some pain meds (in a paste) for when he’s really bad. Vet says my options are mineral oil down the throat, something else, or surgery. Surgery is $5000 and no guarantee of success; also, vet says he’s much closer to 25 years old.
🙁 🙁 🙁 What else can I do? Has anyone ever had to deal with this? Is there something that will help? Some different diet? (He’s on hay, senior feed & rice bran, as he still has to put on more weight.) If this laying down is just the next stage and is more comfortable for him but he’s not dying, then I would be totally fine with that. I’m just sick to my stomach with worry and so want to have him not be dying yet.Can you get a second opinion? Ususally the alfalfa stones are a recurring problem.
What type of hay do you have him on compared to what feed he was on. Dietary changes are really hard on horses. If he was being starved, the extra food could have shocked his system. As big and strong as horses are, it’s amazing how weak their digestive systems are.
Surgery on a 25 yo horse wouldn’t be an option I would consider. Just because realistically it’s just not worth it. Sorry, no matter how much I love my ponies, at 25, I wouldn’t be able to justify the dollars.
If you could afford a more in depth exam, that may help you make a decision.Do you think the horse is in chronic pain? If so, it may be kinder to put him down. Just as a warning, putting a horse down is not like putting a cat/dog to sleep. There is usually some struggling and not something you would want your little ones to watch.
Sorry I can’t be of more help, but without actually knowing what the vet said and standing in your shoes, only you can make the decision that is right for you.
Did you ask the vet what his recommendations were? Keep that in mind and then get a second opinion and go from there.
I really hope he’ll get over this.Is he laying prone or with his feet tucked in and head up. If he is not prone, I wouldn’t worry as much if he is still eating drinking and passing normaly. I fed my old horse A&M freely to put weight on her. I hope he gets better. Horses in alot of pain lose interest in eating.
He is laying both prone (full flat out) and tucked up w/head up, it just varies. (Mostly not prone) He rolls occassionally, but not much or long, and not thrashing.
He was in temporary lodging for a few months where a lot of the weight was put back on him, and I’ve kept his diet the same except for adding in the senior feed, and that’s been consistent for the last month. How quickly can hay affect him? Except for the first 2 bales (week 1), all the hay has been from the same source…which I will gladly change if necessary.
His lower lip is just hanging down 🙁 but at least he keeps getting up to see me when I come out.I totally trust my vet (I am way hard on vets…very picky… same w/pediatricians… overly protective of all my babies) but he got an emergency call while dealing w/my emergency call, so I didn’t feel like I could keep him here talking when there was not much more he could do for Tem. Consequently, I feel like I still have so many questions and uncertainties. And no, surgery is not an option, not at his age & with that price. But he is still eating, so I guess that’s a good thing, I’m just stewing over this.
Phoenix, should I try different hay? Or cutting out the senior feed? The only thing that was new was that we put lime & straw down in his stall on Sat, so yesterday I raked it all out.
Any thoughts on a horse blanket? We have one, and I was going to put it on him as the nights are starting to hit freezing, but I’d hate for him to roll in it and get tangled… or do they just break off? (If he had a thicker coat or more meat on him I wouldn’t worry)
On the up front, he’s up and whickering to the neighbor’s horse.boskydragon wrote:He is laying both prone (full flat out) and tucked up w/head up, it just varies. (Mostly not prone) He rolls occassionally, but not much or long, and not thrashing.
I’m not sure if I would worry too much about his laying down. Some horses just like laying down. I have a draft cross at my barn that eats laying down. It’s jus the way he is. I’m not sure how long you’ve known your guy to know what he prefers? If he’s in pain, I would expect you would hear an almost moaning/grunting sound from him. Also at his age, I’ve seen a ton of horses who’s lower lip hangs.
He was in temporary lodging for a few months where a lot of the weight was put back on him, and I’ve kept his diet the same except for adding in the senior feed, and that’s been consistent for the last month. How quickly can hay affect him? Except for the first 2 bales (week 1), all the hay has been from the same source…which I will gladly change if necessary.
A horse will digest his stomach contents and pass within 24 hours I think. Be careful with the senior feed as it’s concentrated. I think I read someplace, one scoop would replace half the horse’s normal daily intake. Maybe look into SafeChoice. It’s a pellet and pretty benign and safe to feed as a suppliment.If you confirm he has the alfalfa stones, you would want to quit feeding alfalfa hay if doing so.
His lower lip is just hanging down 🙁 but at least he keeps getting up to see me when I come out.I totally trust my vet (I am way hard on vets…very picky… same w/pediatricians… overly protective of all my babies) but he got an emergency call while dealing w/my emergency call, so I didn’t feel like I could keep him here talking when there was not much more he could do for Tem. Consequently, I feel like I still have so many questions and uncertainties. And no, surgery is not an option, not at his age & with that price. But he is still eating, so I guess that’s a good thing, I’m just stewing over this.
Oh, I’m not saying switch vets. I’m like you, I trust mine 100%, but would always get a second opinion for something like this. Two heads are better than one. Did your vet run a blood panel for anything that might be making him thin or anemic? [/]Phoenix, should I try different hay? Or cutting out the senior feed? The only thing that was new was that we put lime & straw down in his stall on Sat, so yesterday I raked it all out.
I’m not sure what type of hay you are feeding. I may have missed it? Are you feeding alfalfa, grass, oat… See above for the senior feed comment.
Have you had him wormed? Also, if he doesn’t seem in pain, have you had his feet checked or maybe his back?
Is lime safe for horses to ingest? I’ve never heard of putting it in a stall. What does it do? Just curious.Thanks Ski. And thanks for the advice Phoenix, Wolflodge & PT! Being around horses & riding them is very different from owning one, and it’s good to have a sounding board!
So, he’s on alfalfa w/a bit of grass (not the best horse hay, but close).
He’d been here a month and has only laid down the last few days, so he may be getting really comfortable, but the not wanting to get up was bad. And he was in pain, but he has been doing much better since yesterday afternoon, he has not been laying down and the lip is back in. (He doesn’t normally let it hang like that, though I have seen older horses that do). He had been wormed and was due again, so I wormed him on Thursday (it was good practice for giving the pain paste if I need to).SO, still concerned about what was going on, but I’m hoping he continues better today. He was certainly peppy this morning. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, I’ll cut back on the senior feed. What about the blanket?
And lime in the stall helps keep the flies down & counteracts the acid in the urine, but I don’t know that I liked the straw at all, as it kept the stall much wetter (from dew in the morning).
A blanket will certainly help him keep his weight during the winter. Just be sure you can be there to take it off if the temperature goes above 60. Otherwise he’ll sweat off the weight.
He shouldn’t get tangled up if the straps are adjusted correctly. You want them just loose enough that when he walks it won’t shift the blanket, but tight enough he won’t put his leg through if he starts messing around in a turnout. I think a blanket would be a good idea especially if he doesn’t get a good winter coat. All my ponies look like yaks right now, so they don’t really need blankets. The first night you put it on him, go out in the middle of the night and feel around his shoulders/girth area to make sure he’s not sweating. If he is, get a lighter blanket. If you don’t get snow, you probably won’t need much more than a light weight anyway.Yeah, straw is a pain. If you can afford it, get him the pine shavings. I use them in the winter only so the ponies can snuggle up when they get cold. Shavings are a lot easier to clean as well and not slippery like straw.
Talk to your vet about the grass and alfalfa. I think the best bet would be grass and oat hay, with maybe a little alfalfa for taste. You can really feed a lot of grass and oat without too much trouble, but if you overdo the alfalfa you can get into trouble.
I’m glad he’s doing better.
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