Colic from frozen grass

[cadeby]

Can someone please explain to me how a Dales pony which is genetically programmed to survive half-way up a mountain in all weathers can put itself near to death's door by eating a little bit of frozen grass?

Yesterday morning at 7.30am we found Becky in an advanced state of colic, thrashing and rolling, biting her flanks, sweating buckets, heart-rate 70-80bpm. The vet came immediately and diagnosed gas colic caused by eating frosty grass. She had to be stomach tubed, sedated, pain-relief and a swimming-pool amount of rehydration therapy and only turned the corner this morning. I'm dreading the bill, but at least we still have our lovely girl!

She is regularly wormed, turned-out 24/7 with company, has a forage-based diet (no concentrates ever) and has had no changes in her routine I can only assume she has Arab blood in her and needs to live in a warm climate

Are some horses more susceptible to frosty grass? ie. is this likely to happen again?

[Debbie]

Cripes how scary!!! I'm only too happy Becky's turned a corner and is on the mend for you ~ what a relief!

As for the frosty grass, I've no idea. I didn't realize they could get gas colic from eating it.

[valerie n scout]

i dont think its too good for them, we used to put hay out if we had a hard frost, my friend always said it gave them tummy ache, gosh just pleased she is improving there such a worry x

[cadeby]

Nov 26, 2008 13:20:52 GMT -1 valerie n scout said:

... we used to put hay out if we had a hard frost....

They've been getting hay for just over a month now, morning and night, but not ad-lib as they are all fairly well-covered and I'm worried they'll balloon if they can eat as much as they want.
However, I suspect they had pigged all the hay well before morning, thus giving Becky an empty stomach which she then proceeded to fill with frosty grass. She's a very typical dales and has to eat for a minimum of 23 hours a day

The vet has told me to feed them all ad-lib hay from now on. I am going to have the fattest ponies ever


This is the miscreant with a sun-halo, looking angelic. I'm very glad it's NOT a RIP Becky photo :

[Anna]

How very scary Cadeby I've heard of colic from frozen grass but it tends to be the domain of ponies in at night really.

If its any consolation, ours are on ad-lib hay and they don't pig out as its always there so once they are full they move off whereas if they were getting a set-amount they would wolf it down for some reason regardless of how much is there.

[cadeby]

Nov 26, 2008 13:37:39 GMT -1 Anna said:

If its any consolation, ours are on ad-lib hay and they don't pig out as its always there so once they are full they move off...

Thanks for that Anna, that's reassuring to know and exactly why I like this forum

Ad-lib hay it is then - we normally feed ad-lib from January onwards. Good job I've gots loads!

Edited for duff typing...

[harleydales]

So glad she is OK now Helen!

I always thought the worry with frozen grass was laminitis - could the colic have been a co-incidence?

I've found that with ad-lib they do tend to eat a lot for the first day, then chill out and wander off.

[PonyGirl]

I am glad she is okay. I have never heard of that.

[cadeby]

Nov 26, 2008 14:17:53 GMT -1 harleydales said:

... could the colic have been a co-incidence?

Possibly, but the vet was pretty certain. Said he'd been to three frozen-grass colics in the space of 24 hours, but Becky was the worst - typical

Can't claim to be an expert on the subject though as this was only our third incidence of colic in twelve years of horse-ownership. The first being when Cadeby (Percheron) bull-dozed her way through the breeze-block wall of the feedroom and ate an entire sack of dried sugar-beet
The second was this year when Fiona retained her placenta and had a very violent colic that thankfully only lasted about half an hour. I guess we've been lucky really....with 12 equines it's not a bad incident rate.

[harveydales]

What a scare! Glad she is OK again. I've also heard of ponies colicing after eating frosted grass or even very wet grass although, like Anna, the ones I know of were stabled nights. I used to wonder why, if frosted gras was such a worry for colic and laminitis how come ponies living out 24/7 were generally OK. Recently I read a good explanation of what and why this happens...........and I've completely forgotten! Probably got it from the Metabolic Horse group website. It wasn't just the fructans thing.

I do think some horses are more susceptible than others to this sort of colic. I had a mare who would colic at the drop of a hat where as, touch wood, no other horse I've had has ever coliced. Hopefully this was just an unfortunate one-off for Becky.

Mine don't pig out on ad-lib hay either. That reminds me - I must start putting more hay out now.

[leannwithconnie]

So glad she is OK..you must have been worried sick. Hope the Ad lib hay theory does the trick..she's lovely.

[greydales]

How worrying for you! It's weird though isn't it, you would think that native ponies should be well used to coping under those circumstances, but maybe it's the type of grass - more rich than they would be getting in their natural habitat?

I've been lucky and only had a couple of mild colic cases with mine (better not speak too soon !). These were both with Dan, who used to hoover up acorns in a field at one previous livery yard.

Hope Becky is on the road to recovery and it doesn't happen again ..

[dollylanedales]

Good to hear Becky is ok now.

My old coloured mare has never had colic - until this time last year. Got to her and it had been very frosty, and she had colic. Vet said he had been to lots of cases, all frost related. He said to put more hay out. But I suppose they eat the hay we leave at night, and then start eating the grass before the morning hay arrives, so not much we can do about that, is there!! Marti has been ok so far this year, although its been more wet than frosty. Hopefully she will not be affected again, and neither will your mare. Like I said, its only happened the once.

[DalesLady]

it is scary, but I am so glad she has come through it for you Helen.

I didn't realise they did this either, we have 6 living out and we have put out haylage for them, but they don't really want it, they are soon off nibbling at the grass again, frozen or not!

[zeldalithgow]

How scary for you Helen, so glad she pulled through. Mine are like Penny's lot off munching frosty grass and not eating much of the hay