Re: Re: Choke/colic -- second opinion?

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

It is an _option_.  Many, many horses do just fine eating unsoaked beet pulp
(including mine on occasion).  A university research herd was fed it on a
regular basis and had no problems.  Purina's Complete Advantage and other
beet-pilp-based feeds are obviously not soaked, although the processing is a
little different so that that form of beet pulp probably doesn't swell and
soak up as much.  Most of the dire warnings you hear about it aren't true,
but it *can* conceivably cause choking in some horses.  Most of them
wouldn't ever have a problem.  Having said that, my advice these days is
that, "99% of horses are able to eat dry beet pulp without choking or
colicking---the other 1% will be your favorite horse."  So it's an informed
decision kind of thing, as is most everything having to do with horses to
one extent or another.

susan g


----- Original Message -----
From: Karen Webb <kwebb@GSSB.com>
To: 'Susan Garlinghouse' <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>;
<tallcarabs@juno.com>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 7:10 AM
Subject: RE: Re: Choke/colic -- second opinion?


> I didn't know that feeding dry beet pulp was even an option!?  As coarse
and
> dry as unsoaked beet pulp is, I could never imagine NOT soaking it before
> offering it to a horse.  Seems like feeding dry beet pulp would just be
> asking for trouble.
>
> - Karen Webb
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Susan Garlinghouse [mailto:suendavid@worldnet.att.net]
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 9:10 PM
> To: tallcarabs@juno.com; ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: RC: Re: Choke/colic -- second opinion?
>
>
> I'll leave interpretation of the meds to Sarah, but if you do add beet
pulp,
> I'd say this colt is a candidate to never get dry unsoaked beet pulp---if
> he's ever choked on feed once, I just wouldn't ever want to chance it.
> Probably went without saying, but worth saying anyway.
>
> And if it were my choice, better an overanxious vet than an underanxious
> one---we had eight severe, surgical colics come into the CSU VTH this past
> weekend, the ones that came in promptly are doing well or on their way
home
> in the next day or two.  Two died, while or before they got to surgery,
> because they didn't come in until they were already crashing.
>
> Good luck with him,
>
> susan g
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <tallcarabs@juno.com>
> To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
> Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 9:24 AM
> Subject: RC: Choke/colic -- second opinion?
>
>
> > Hi, I have a colt that choked, possibly brought on by a mild colic
> > yesterday while I was away on vacation.  The vet was called and I'm a
> > little overwhelmed with all the meds she has prescribed for him for the
> > next week.  Now, this vet, I have always thought she goes a bit
overboard
> > when it comes to colic.  She's very quick to ship a horse up to Texas
> > A&M.  Many times a situation that my old vet would have said -- give
some
> > Banamine and keep a close eye on him and call me back in 30 minutes (99%
> > of the time, the horse would be fine by then.  I've been lucky to catch
> > colics very early)   -- this vet would be there immediately and be
tubing
> > the horse as soon as she arrived.  Not that I'm complaining, much.  I
> > know how serious colic can be and maybe it is better to be safe than
> > sorry, but sometimes I feel she's doing way more than it necessary.  OK,
> > that's the background on the vet and my views.  Here's the findings on
my
> > colt:
> >   Exam:  T=102, P=50, R=20.  MM pink,  CRT ~ 3 sec.
> > Feed matierial coming from both nostrils & mouth
> > Choke was relieved -- passed NG tube.  Airway oscolted with crackles
> > (sp??) - probable aspiration of feed material.  May develop aspiration
> > pneumonia.
> >
> >    Rx: 1. No turn out for 3-5 days
> > 2. No hay or grain first day
> > 3. Day 2 - 10 -- no hay.  Feed small amts of soaked, very wet pellets
> > 3-4 x a day.  add salt and electrolytes
> > 4. Give 20 cc albuterol syrup by mouth am/pm for 5 - 7 days
> > 5. Give 22 cc Penicillin IM for 7 - 10 days
> > 6. Give 20 cc Gentocin IM or IV 1x /day for 5 - 7 days
> > 7. Monitor temp 1x/day,  if >102, call
> > 8. Monitor for depression, off feed, productive cough
> > 9. Give 8 cc Banamine 1x/day for 2 days, IM
> > 10. After 7-10 days, can feed wet hay.
> >
> > Does this seem like an awful lot of meds for a yearling?  Is she
> > overdoing it?  Is this right on target?   General is also skinny right
> > now and I think 10 days on less than half his normal ration will make
him
> > extrememly thin.  Would it hurt to add a handfull or two of beet pulp to
> > his soaked pellets?  #8 is not a problem.  General is very active this
> > morning and extremely ticked off that he didn't get enough to eat and
> > that he had to stay in the barn.
> >
> > Any help would be much appreciated. :o)
> >
> > Rae
> > Tall C Arabians - TX
> >
> >
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