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  Discussion on Painful Gas Colic
Author Message
Member:
Jamied

Posted on Thursday, Mar 2, 2006 - 7:37 pm:

I have a 16 year old gelding who started to have episodes in late October. He is in a pasture full time, and started on hay in October, otherwise on pasture. In the evening he would go lay down, while the other horses ate. I tried to get him up, but he wanted to lay down. The vet came out and did an exam. He had normal respiration, heart rate, and temp. He gave him banamine, and within 10 minutes the horse was up and eating. This happened again on New Year's day, and then again in early February, and again in late February. All in the evening. I don't know how many times it may have occurred, that I didn't see.
I took him to the Iowa State Vet School, where they did urine, blood, abdominal fluid tests. They scoped his stomach, did a rectal exam, and radiographs. They can find nothing wrong with the horse. They suggested he might have a problem with alfalfa hay, and suggested a nutritionist.
This horse is very fussy about grain, and won't eat any type of supplement, not even the "good tasting" ones. He really needs to put on weigh, so I'm at a loss.
What do I do nutritionally to stop this gas, and to help him gain weight.
Jamie
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 6:46 am:

Hello Jamie,
I guess they are correlating the time the colic started with the time you started feeding alfalfa. We need some more information to help:
  1. What is his current condition using the 9 point scale at Care for Horses » Particular Situations & Procedures » Weight, Condition, and Eventual Height Estimation.
  2. What is his current feeding regimen by brand and weight?
  3. Exactly what type supplements have you tried that he will not eat?

DrO
Member:
Jamied

Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 10:21 am:

Thanks for your quick response, Dr. O. I appreciate any feedback.
I would say, based on your condition scale, he's a four. He is just under 16 hands and he weighs 1100lbs.
He suffered a ruptured trachea last summer, so he's been on very light work or turn out since last July. In April 2005, he was a six on the scale and weighed 1125 lbs., He was working heavily, and competing as a barrel horse.
Between four horses, I feed a bale of alfalfa/grass mix hay in the morning and again at night. There is usually hay left from each feeding.
This horse gets his grain alone (the other horses are obese). He gets Empower by Nutrena, 2 quart container, with Safe Choice by Nutrena, 4 quarts, twice a day. If I mix really well, he'll eat about half. If I don't use the Empower, and add more Safe Choice, he'll eat 7/8 of the grain. I have used supplements such as MSM (for joints), Lysine, probiotics, and Healthy Coat. He either nibbles the supplements to the bottom of the feed bucket, or if I use oil or Healthy Coat, he just won't eat at all.
All weights are exact, not estimates. He was weighed at the vet hospital.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 12:22 pm:

How well does he get along with the other horses, where does he sit on the hierarchy scale? Also what is your deworming program like?
DrO
Member:
Jamied

Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 2:36 pm:

He is #2 in the hierarchy, behind my broodmare. He gets along well with the mare, except when she's in heat. Then, she's a little pushier. He tolerates the other horses, gets along fairly well. No fighting, just the regulare pecking order stuff. I worm every other month in the spring and summer, and once in the winter. He was wormed in October, January, and then again at the vet this week.
Member:
Erika

Posted on Friday, Mar 3, 2006 - 4:23 pm:

Just a thought from an amateur, but what if the alfalfa is irritating to his trachea? Would a pelleted complete feed that is soaked possibly be softer? Maybe his throat is still sensitive. It might make me think twice to swallow something stemmy.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 2:21 pm:

Hmmmmm what type of vegetable oils have you tried and have you tried either beet pulp or bran as a feedstuff? Also what brand probiotic were you using? How well does he eat his hay? What type dewormer are you using?
DrO
Member:
Jamied

Posted on Saturday, Mar 4, 2006 - 11:33 pm:

I've only tried corn oil, and the Healthy Coat product. I have not used beet pulp or bran. I'm not sure if it's available where I live. The probiotic is Opti-Zyme. He eats his hay with gusto, whether grass or alfalfa. Dewormer, last one used was Zymectrin.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Mar 5, 2006 - 7:14 pm:

That all seems pretty good. If they feel alfalfa is the problem you could try substituting the combination of bran and beet pulp for the alfalfa and you can order both from any feed store. It is very palatable and energy dense. For more on this combination see the by-product section of Care for Horses » Forages for Horses, an Overview. Of course you should make these changes very slowly.

I would also like you to review Equine Diseases » Colic and GI Diseases » Weight Loss in Horses » Overview of Chronic Weight Loss to see if there are any suggestions you have not had so far.
DrO
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