A close call with equine colic

Last night was scary.

My wife, Susan, got home from the Jonquil Hills Stables in south Salem around suppertime after tending to her Thoroughbred horse, Fiero.

No sooner had Susan changed her clothes then the stable owners called with alarming news. Fiero was "colicking" and if you know anything at all about horses, that brings on panic mode in the owner. She left for the stables in a rush, tears streaming.

Not knowing much about it, I Googled "horse colic" to learn more. I learned that equine colic is the number one cause of premature death of horses. Colic can range from gas (serious but readily treatable) to a ruptured stomach or twisted or intestine. Horses can't really vomit or belch, so gas buildup can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. Serious gas can rupture a horse's stomach. When a horse has colic, it often rolls -- sometimes violently -- in an effort to ease the pain. This rolling can lead to a twisted or ruptured intestine, with serious complications. If surgery is called for, horses that survive are lucky; most either die from the surgery or don't live beyond four or five months after. Sobering news.

When Susan arrived at Jonquil Hill Stables, owners Heather and Jeff told her that Fiero had been rolling and screaming in pain--the worst case of colic they had ever seen. Heather managed to get Fiero to stand and walk, with considerable effort on her part.

The vet was called while Susan continued to walk Fiero in the arena and keep him calm. This seemed to help and Fiero was in less pain.

When "Dr. Mike" arrived from Silverton (about 45 minutes away from the stables), he examined the horse and diagnosed "simple colic," or basically stomach gas, and gave him an injection to ease the pain. In awhile, Fiero's symptoms abated and his appetite returned, but he could have no feed for the rest of the night and Susan had to stay with him until he moved his bowels, indicating a return to normal GI function.

After all seemed well, Susan returned home about 9:30 p.m., grabbed a bite to eat and zipped back to the stable around 11 p.m. to double-check on Fiero's condition.

A quick trip to the stable this morning by Susan found Fiero behaving normally. So all seems well.

A close call for sure, but everyone is very relieved that all turned out well.

Thank You Heather and Jeff Kline of Jonquil Hills Stables. Without your quick action, I would be writing a very different story.

And Thank You Michael A. Stewart, DMV of Silver Creek Animal Clinic, for providing fine emergency care.