Horse People! Any Idea What's Wrong with this Horse?

Yes, this looks like your standard case of colic, and he certainly is suffering from some sort of major stomach ache, but I don't think this is your typical "colic".

This horse does not have a history of colic.


Max is a 20 yr. old American Saddlebred; he's been in my care for 8 yrs. Prior to that, he was a lesson horse at L.A. Equestrian Center (or so I'm told). He's had a nice cushy life with me; I've used him on lazy trail rides, and low key arena work - he's high spirited and an alpha horse. Until recently, he was on Bermuda grass and Creekside Life Stages only. With the coming of Joanna the Holistic Natural Hoof Practitioner, his diet has been modified gradually over time to cut out sugars, and move more towards formulating for specific dietary needs, i.e. still mostly Bermuda grass with a mash of soaked beet pulp, biotin, sea kelp, Red Cell.

It started about three weeks ago...



He was out for a lesson and something just wasn't right - he's a fast, forward moving horse, and that day he was notably slow, sluggish...off!

He was put on paddock rest and observed. He hung his head and licked his lips alot. Doctor called out; vital signs all checked out good.

Within a few days, green snot began running out his left nostril. His stance was odd - he stood with his nose almost on the ground with his head tilted to one side. Doctor called out; again all vital signs checked out good, sinuses not terrible congested; and he was put on sulfur based antibiotic SMZ (Sulfamethoxazole 800 mg and Trimethoprim 160 mg) 16 tablets twice a day. In a few days, the green rheumy nose cleared up, but his stance got worse. His eating was off, he began to go down and lay completely flat several times a day. He was still passing good manure and still eating alittle.

Doctor called out; took a blood sample on June 1st (Max had hepatitis about three years ago with similar symptoms); I'm thinking maybe he has hepatitis again, 'coz he's just not getting any better! We got the results the same day - all blood levels normal! Vital signs still normal; gut sounds still fairly normal - considering he's now not eating and looking very gaunt! Doctor thinks maybe ulcers.

On June 2nd, yesterday, we started dosing Gastroguard. This video was taken today, after a second dose of Gastroguard. No improvement in his condition. He's up and down like this several times an hour; and stands with his head to the ground, tilted to one side. Not eating - no manure at all today.

I gave him Banamine tonight after calling the doctor; tomorrow we will oil him. I'm wondering if there is such a thing as chronic colic and if so, what causes it, or more importantly, how do you control it?

Has anybody had similar symptoms with a horse? And what did you do about it? It doesn't really seem like a standard colic, but what else is there that manifests like this?