Post by Lannie on Dec 1, 2008 17:22:31 GMT -5
I hope this is resolved, but I'm still kind of panicked about it. I've been outside ALL DAY LONG, since 8:00 this morning, walking my old mare Aiesha, who's having a bout of colic. I think. I've never dealt with colic that lasted this long before. She seemed to get worse after a couple of hours, and was knocking me around trying to throw herself to the ground. Unfortunately, she knocked Rich around, too.
After I'd been walking her for 2 hours straight, I was ready to drop, my feet were beyond hurting and my legs were numb. Even Aiesha was starting to stumble and stagger, she was so tired. But every time I stopped, she tried to get on the ground and roll again. I called the vet (Rich was walking her while I did and that's when he got hurt) and he couldn't come out today but told me to give her 2 grams of Bute, which I did, at 10:00. Finally, at about 1:00 she seemed to settle down and was walking normally (not jerking and pulling and trying to go down).
Meanwhile, the guy with the bull showed up to get Bandit and Cricket. They don't know him, so I had to hand Aiesha over to Rich again to get their leads on and while I was in the cow barn with Craig, Aiesha dragged Rich into the garden and threw herself down in a snow drift. I couldn't get her up, I slapped, I kicked, I yelled, but no go. So I came inside and called the vet again. He said I HAD to get her up before she twisted her bowel (duh!) and asked if we could get any Banamine. I figured maybe Rich could drive to the Faith vet (over an hour round trip), then thought I should ask Craig. They've got a big Angus operation, so they should have Banamine around somewhere.
We got Bandit and Cricket loaded (Rich handed Aiesha back off to me and he went and helped Craig) and then Craig took them back to his place and said he'd be back with Banamine if they had any. Meanwhile, Aiesha and I kept walking. Craig showed up 15 minutes later with a great big syringe with 30cc of Banamine in it and offered to help me give her the first shot. After having given Bandit the Estrumate this morning, I wasn't real confident, seeing as how this syringe was 10 times bigger, and the needle was very much longer. So he showed me how to rub her neck hard, then tap it sharply, then jab that needle in. I couldn't believe she didn't even flinch. I was even able to LOOK at what I was doing and only give her the 10cc dose.
Right now she's resting and seems to be in no pain, and actually a few minutes ago, I saw her out eating some hay. I'd like to think this is all over, but I'm worried it's just the Bute and Banamine doping her and making her feel no pain.
I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight for worrying about her. The Banamine should start wearing off about 5:00 tonight, according the the vet, and then diminish until by 2:00 am it should be completely out of her system. He said not to give her another shot unless she tries to go down again.
Oh, the other thing is when I was walking her around 8:00 this morning, she pooped normally, which I thought was good, and she was OK when we stopped a couple times, so I came in to warm up and get coffee, but when I went back out half an hour later, she was down again, flat out on her side, with her upper hind leg off the ground, in obvious pain. I got her up and that's when the marathon began. During the second 3-hour walking stint, she pooped 4 more times, all normal, and yet was still trying to throw herself to the ground. And she sniffed everything, herself, the ground, poop piles, whatever, and did that Flehman thing with her lip every time. Lots of whinnying, as well as pawing the ground.
Does this sound like normal colic? Since the pain meds kicked in, she's stopped pawing the ground and lifting her lip, and like I said, at least she's eating some hay. My first sign something was wrong this morning was when she wouldn't eat her breakfast at 7:00, then it went downhill from there.
Anybody have any experience with this kind of thing and can give me some advice?
~Lannie
After I'd been walking her for 2 hours straight, I was ready to drop, my feet were beyond hurting and my legs were numb. Even Aiesha was starting to stumble and stagger, she was so tired. But every time I stopped, she tried to get on the ground and roll again. I called the vet (Rich was walking her while I did and that's when he got hurt) and he couldn't come out today but told me to give her 2 grams of Bute, which I did, at 10:00. Finally, at about 1:00 she seemed to settle down and was walking normally (not jerking and pulling and trying to go down).
Meanwhile, the guy with the bull showed up to get Bandit and Cricket. They don't know him, so I had to hand Aiesha over to Rich again to get their leads on and while I was in the cow barn with Craig, Aiesha dragged Rich into the garden and threw herself down in a snow drift. I couldn't get her up, I slapped, I kicked, I yelled, but no go. So I came inside and called the vet again. He said I HAD to get her up before she twisted her bowel (duh!) and asked if we could get any Banamine. I figured maybe Rich could drive to the Faith vet (over an hour round trip), then thought I should ask Craig. They've got a big Angus operation, so they should have Banamine around somewhere.
We got Bandit and Cricket loaded (Rich handed Aiesha back off to me and he went and helped Craig) and then Craig took them back to his place and said he'd be back with Banamine if they had any. Meanwhile, Aiesha and I kept walking. Craig showed up 15 minutes later with a great big syringe with 30cc of Banamine in it and offered to help me give her the first shot. After having given Bandit the Estrumate this morning, I wasn't real confident, seeing as how this syringe was 10 times bigger, and the needle was very much longer. So he showed me how to rub her neck hard, then tap it sharply, then jab that needle in. I couldn't believe she didn't even flinch. I was even able to LOOK at what I was doing and only give her the 10cc dose.
Right now she's resting and seems to be in no pain, and actually a few minutes ago, I saw her out eating some hay. I'd like to think this is all over, but I'm worried it's just the Bute and Banamine doping her and making her feel no pain.
I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight for worrying about her. The Banamine should start wearing off about 5:00 tonight, according the the vet, and then diminish until by 2:00 am it should be completely out of her system. He said not to give her another shot unless she tries to go down again.
Oh, the other thing is when I was walking her around 8:00 this morning, she pooped normally, which I thought was good, and she was OK when we stopped a couple times, so I came in to warm up and get coffee, but when I went back out half an hour later, she was down again, flat out on her side, with her upper hind leg off the ground, in obvious pain. I got her up and that's when the marathon began. During the second 3-hour walking stint, she pooped 4 more times, all normal, and yet was still trying to throw herself to the ground. And she sniffed everything, herself, the ground, poop piles, whatever, and did that Flehman thing with her lip every time. Lots of whinnying, as well as pawing the ground.
Does this sound like normal colic? Since the pain meds kicked in, she's stopped pawing the ground and lifting her lip, and like I said, at least she's eating some hay. My first sign something was wrong this morning was when she wouldn't eat her breakfast at 7:00, then it went downhill from there.
Anybody have any experience with this kind of thing and can give me some advice?
~Lannie