Sweetie Colicked - again...

What was I saying about these episodes happening maybe once a year? Again, yesterday morning, approximately 1hr after breakfast I found Sweetie in a sweat in her stall, pawing, anxious. So I took her out to the yard again to let her walk around and see how she was doing. This time it was clear the colic was a little more serious than Sunday's, so I did give her 6cc of Banamine (I know the full dose is 10cc, but I only have 6cc syringes on hand right now, and if it didn't help, we would be looking at more serious stuff anyways). I even gave her the IV shot while she was laying down, in the shade, thankfully. And also, thankfully, about 20 minutes later, she was back to her normal self, grazing as if nothing had happened.

So - I started to go through what might be causing this. Someone recently suggested ulcers - and although it is possible, I doubt it due to the way the horses are managed. They are out on pasture 24/7, always with something in front of them, and they are only in the barn for about an hour, twice a day, for feeding times. What bothered me about it was that the colic both days was exactly 1 hr after feeding. So, it made me look to the feed. Sweetie has been on Aussie Logic's "Kool & Kalm" for about a year now. This was her first colic since being on that grain - she gets one 3lb coffee can at each meal, which is the approximate volume she has been receiving for the last 19 years in my care. Kool & Kalm is an extruded feed, primarily made from alfalfa, but low in starches, and it actually looks like dog food. It is however, what the local holistic vet highly recommends, and up until this point, I would have too. My horses have looked great on this feed, but they have also looked great on others.

Recently, dealing with Arthur's facial paralysis, I have begun to wonder more about the feed. When it gets moist, it becomes a gritty mash - and when Arthur is done, the dribbles and drools on his bucket turn into a very hard, rough surface. It does come off pretty easily in water, but I've never had a grain that was quite that consistency - kindof reminded me of cement (yikes!) So for dinner last night and breakfast this morning, Sweetie ate a handful of Manna Pro apple treats for her meals, followed by a flake of hay, and both times she was completely fine. I can't say for sure that it was the grain, or possibly the last bag I opened, but either of those is NOT okay by me - and Sweetie, my precious 1st horse, is also my most sensitive digestive system, so if she says something is wrong, I will go by that.

I used the end of my Kool & Kalm this morning, (timing is everything!) and this afternoon purchased Purina Equine Senior for Sweetie, (and Arthur will probably get a tiny bit) and then Nutrena's SafeChoice for everybody else. Man, the horses were delighted! Arthur kept licking his bowl long after his tiny 1/2 lb was gone - everyone else was happy, too. I know to start switching everyone over slowly, of course, but for 3 or 4 of them, the 1/2 lb is all they are getting anyways (the piggies :) ) And we will slowly get up to where we should be for Sweetie and Arwen.

I also dosed Sweetie with half a tube of Probios and started her week of Sand Clear. So hopefully, we won't have any more of the episodes any time soon. Fingers crossed!