Bonnie's Vet Experience - Gripe

[LLStar117]

OK vet came out at 4:30 pm yesterday. I met him at the driveway before he got out of the truck he was saying COLIC COLIC. Bonnie at the time was just laying down and looking at him.

I was instantly upset that he charged me $40 for an exam from his truck at that distance!

He brings out the things to tube her to get fluids in her belly. He mixed the stuff in the bucket and Bonnie drank half of it. He then tubed the rest of it in her.

I had told him about her trip down from MI and how much she drank and ate on the trailer ride.

He then told me that this cold snap we are having probably caused the colic. I said they came from -6 to this 30 at night temps. I don't think it was the cold that caused it. He said well a lot of horses around here are colicing due to the cold weather.

I mentioned how Bonnie was just playing with the water when I lead her to the tank, she'd stick her head in down to her eye balls and flip her head out. He said that is a sign of colic too, which I disgree cuz the horse does it whenever she goes to the lake. Does that mean she's colicing then? She also does it when I clean out her tank and refill it, does that cause her to colic too?

Oh and the big kicker that really got me, was the vet actually got upset with me for giving the horse Banamine for showing colic symptoms. He also got mad when I told him that I give the mare Bute and Banamine together to snap her out of a founder attack. Omg he really started to howl at that. Said never ever use those together, that it causes ulcers if used too long. I said I only do it for 3 days. He said Never ever do that again! - This my vet in MI told me was ok to use, and yes it works.

I'm not liking the vet here. Was I wrong?

Also, vet didn't tell me to walk the horse, said to just let her lay down as long as she wants.

Vet was practically begging me to take her to the clinic that evening for care. So they could tube fluids down her every 2 hours. That would of been $800 once I showed up , plus any additional expences. I told him as much as this horse means to me, I cannot afford that.

OH and he told me he could not do a rectal exam unless I took her to the clinic!

Oh and Bonnie's signs of colic were laying down and grunting. NO biting or kicking the belly. NO sweating. No aggressive rolling, nothing worse than an itchy horse that was shedding in the spring.

But after getting the fluids into Bonnie, she did pass some very dry poopers. So it was a mild case of Colic.

[chambe94]

I dont disagree with anything your new vet said, but I think he lacks some serious "Stall-side manner".

I was thinking colic 100% based on your description of her symptoms earlier. Dunking thier had in water CAN be a sign of colic (but obvioulsy not always, like you said).

My guess is she got a little dehydrated on the trip down (even though she drank, its' REALLY common for them to get dehydrated on that long of a trip). Plus going for -3 to 30+ is hard on them too, that alone could cause a colic.

When a horse gets dehydrated the most common type of colic is an impaction (remeber colic isn't a specific thing, it just means "belly pain"). So that's probably why he wanted her to go to the clinic (some bad impactions can take a few days of being tubes 4-6 times a day to break them loose). Most veterinary liability insurnace compaines are now telling vets they should NEVER rectal a horse without a set of stocks. Most vets just ignore that because it's not practical, but if this new vet has ever torn a rectum when a horse jumped around he might be extra paranoid.

Technically speaking, Banamine IS a prescription drug, so using it without direct veterinary instructions is illegal. That said, I think everybody has some on hand to treat a mild colic. The important thing is that if a single dose of Banaime doesn't make them 100% better (eating and everything) in a an hour or two you should probably have the horse checked out ASAP.

It is actually very hard on a horse to use Bute and Banamine together. A lot of older vets still receommend it, but you can really nuke thier kidneys that way. I would only ever use it as a last ditch thing (but it sounds like you didn't give them at the exact same time, ideally you want to wait 24-48hours, but even waiting 12-24hrs probably helps if she hadn't been on the bute for very long).

If a horse is laying down quietly I usually let them. Just get them up and make them walk for 5-10 minutes every so often to encourage things to "move along". A lot of people get WAY too agressive about walking horses and I think they tire them out which doesn't help when they are already sick and dehydrated (NOT saying this was what you did, I just mean some people in general).


Sounds like this vet knows his stuff, he's just a bit lacking in the social skills department!!

[chambe94]

Also, RE: the bute and banamine together: They are especially dangrous if a horse is dehydrated. Sounds like Bonnie was already rehydrating herself by then, so I doubt it was a big deal for her, but maybe that's why the vet was extra worked up?!?

Dunno, guess I'm just tyring to cut him some slack! When you go to the 4H metting (can't remember if you already did), ask who everybody else is happy with (or maybe this guy was just having a bad day?). You certainly don't want a vet that tries to make you feel like an idiot every time they come out.

[LLStar117]

Thanks for the input. He is the 4h recommended vet. The 4h leader was the first person I called about which vet to use. Could be he was just tired from the long day. It was probably his last stop for the day. First impressions aren't everything.

I'm a bit aggitated too with everything thats gone on, and the spike of stress. I guess there is new ways vets do things and I probably still used the old fashion vets in MI.

[Lonestarchickypoo]

ok dont bash me for this.. just wanting some imput here... I have never ever in my life with horses heard that banamine was a prescription drug... an if it is.. an its illegal to use it without the vets ok.. then why o why does most vets.. actually ALL that I have used.. and thats about five or six different vets let me come there and buy it freely without a paper stating I can take it home to use it when I deem fit on my horses for various reasons.. only reason im asking is bc I never knew or heard of it being illegal to use bc if I see my horses that have maybe one comes up with a abcess or something I will give them some banamine or one thats showing signs of colic way before I call my vet... and ask him what i should do.. I have had a few times in the spring my one horse belly ache a little go out an give them some and then call my vet ... first thing outta his mouth was ... did you give them banamine... lol

[SunshineAcres]

Horses can also colic going from cold weather to warm weather. We lost a horse a few weeks ago when it reached almost 60 degrees. It was too much for her!

[horsecrazymom]

While I do not know much about colic I do know that it can be triggered by stress (she had just trailered a long time and into a different climate) and dehydration since horses traveling do not drink as much as they would at home.

I have heard that bute is rx only, but almost every horse person I have ever known always keeps it on hand just in case a starting case of colic happens. I have never used it myself, as I do not feel comfortable doing anything to my horses but IM shots of antiobiotics (I am uber paranoid).

I do not think he should have acted the way he did toward you. You PAY HIS BILL, he should at least be a little more polite. Different vets have completely different treatments for colic. And the treatments and advice 100% change especially if you have been in Michigan and are now several states away. I see a huge difference in vet advice even in dog and cat medicine just 400 miles away from where I grew up in Michigan.

I am really sorry for your loss of Bonnie I know it does not make much of a difference to some, but I personally would be talking to different vets in the area to find one with at least better "bedside manner" when you are in such a sad situation as dealing with a colicy horse! COMPASSION is not too much to ask for in a vet..

[ukrhyslop]

Bute u can buy off the shelves at farm supplies stores. Banamine is sold thru catalogs and require a prescription from the vet to get that way. A vet don't need to hand u a script when they sell it to you from the office or truck cause it is being verbally instructed to you and also put on record in the office. hope this clears things up

[ukrhyslop]

oh forgot to mention. bute used long term will cause ulcers. bute is equal to asprin we use, just bigger pills. u can buy it in powder form too. banamine does work faster if you use the injectable kind. but u must be careful using that kind. i know some one that had a prego mare go into labor, and she thought the mare was colicing. hit the mare with a injectable shot she ran and got from vet (told vet it was colic, not mentioned her being in foal). after giving the shot the mare died within 1 hour, she couldnt push the foal out. so the lady lost both mare and foal. it was sad, and she even tried to blame the vet for the deaths!!!

[renegadespiritcat]

Bute u can buy off the shelves at farm supplies stores

Not hereabouts in WI you can't....... Only in Vets offices may you find that...
You CAN however buy aspirin boluses for cattle and cut the dose down for use in equines. You also can buy the Equiprin crumbles but not Bute itself.
Another thing you used to be able to buy from the vet and can no longer get without the vet knowing you and what you need it for is Equihist granules. apparently the druggy retards got wind of it being able to be used for making some dam fabricated hallucinogenic drug instead of them buying tons of antihistamine from wally world etc. (when those stores began making you limited on what you could buy OTC at one time without a prescription) Makes me wonder why it is the idiots and dirt balls of this world always have to screw up life for us and OUR horses comfort and health... Grrrrrr I think folks who do drugs, sell drugs and make them should all be given an OD and put out of everyone else's misery!!!!
I have No tolerance for drunks nor drug users PERIOD
JMHO
~Cat~

[jmk]

Bute is RX only anywhere in MI..you can buy what is called Bute-less in stores or thru the catalogs without a script.
Appy Trails
Jan