We have poop!

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
We've been watching difficult child's horse all afternoon. When I came in a bit ago and posted for prayers, I really thought it was a last ditch effort. And perhaps it was.

However, board strength comes shining thru! Or something. She just pooped!

To explain, colic is when a horse's gut shuts down, generally because it becomes twisted and shuts itself off. Horses can't throw up, so there is no place for the contents of their stomache to empty. Unlike people, their gut is always in "process" mode, so they are putting bile into their gut all the time, not just when they eat, and with no outlet, well, you can imagine. Its like constipation that can't go away.

husband was working outside and noticed the old horse getting up and down a lot, so he called me out. She had no gut sounds (gurgling sounds a horse's belly makes as it digests) whatsoever. I called a friend over and asked her to listen, also, and she couldn't hear any gut sounds, either. We gave her some enzymes and hooked up the truck and trailer and put the vet on standby to put her down, if needed.

Three hours later, we have a big pile of hard poop and a more comfortable horse. She's not out of the woods, but her situation isn't quite as dire as it was.

Thank you.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Having a difficult child with Crohn's, I can TOTALLY relate the importance of poop!:tongue:

What a moving experience it must have been. :laugh:
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
Shari,

I had a couple of horses a few years back and one got colic. We nearly went round the clock walking her. That was the vets best advice. That poor horse was so tired she was pooped. (Ok...had to insert the pun.)

Abbey
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
Thanks for the laughs!
***
difficult child was angry with us for keeping him "out of the loop". We didn't clue him in to the seriousness of her condition until we were breathing a bit easier about it and enjoying our own round of poop jokes. When we told him how serious it was, he was MAD at us. Wow.
***
The antiquer had a light breakfast (only 5 pounds of pre-chewed old horse food instead of 7.5) this morning and is free-ranging the yard (greener grass, lots of clover and other "juicy" stuff - don't worry, she can't eat too much, she only has about 1/3 of her teeth left). She's still terribly thin, so now we'll walk the fine line of feeding her to the max without clogging her up. I'll probably keep her in the yard and try to split her feedings into at least 3 (4 would be better) instead of 2.
***
She's obviously feeling much better. She's still old - her time will come. I just hope it comes peacefully as she naps in the sun some summer afternoon.
***
But for now, she's doing what horses do - in one end and out the other!
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
I've been armpit deep in horse butt - so I know how awful this can be for them. Then keeping them up and running/walking. Wears you out.

My first thought was to say "And you wanted MORE poop in your life?"

But been there done that - a pile of processed oats can be a lovely thing.
 
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