A1-8595
Article Yvette Villes Photos Tania Hobbs
Our story could so easily have been a tragic ending to a stellar life. Instead Mac is a miracle in his own
right, just for being alive, and to be fit and healthy enough after major surgery eight months ago is
testament to his fortitude. Mac is a colic surgery survivor following only minutes from certain death, to
having a 2.6kg Enterolith removed from his large colon. The rate of survival these days from Enterolith
colic surgery is pretty good, with many horses going on to lead healthy happy lives.
Sadly only six weeks after Mac’s surgery, the pre-eminent Dressage Stallion – Lauries As was also rushed to
surgery and a 5kg Enterolith was found.
Unfortunately ACE as he was known – did not
make it out of surgery, and is a huge loss to the
dressage sport in Australia. Colic continues to be
the leading cause of premature death in horses in
the world.
wonderful support team helped Mac and I get
through the ordeal, with a decision to send him to
Beaudesert hospital for observation after a bout
of colic symptoms. It was the best decision I ever
made. My lovely friends rallied around Mac, and
me and helped us get to the hospital, with Helen
doing the driving and providing moral support.
Upon arrival, Mac looked happy and chirpy, passing
manure and eventually urine. All the tests were
negative, and had the team of vets perplexed. How
could a horse looking and feeling so good be so
sick!
Heart Rate – normal, temperature – normal, and
passing
manure, scans, ultrasounds all normal and were
all good
signs. However I left him in their care overnight
just in case.
A phone call at 11.45pm from Dr Dave with a
request for a
decision, as there was about 10 – 15 minutes to save
him. We had to make a decision quickly as getting a horse onto to surgery table
can take up to 30 minutes, so time was now critical.
A discussion about what was likely to be the problem, what needed to be done,
and what the end results could be, with one of my best friends, Helen, helping
me with all the diagnosis and jargon at a late hour, and me being an emotional
wreck. It was with my husband’s support the decision to operate was made.
I was told, to wait by the phone. I would know within an hour or so what they
found.
To say I was a wreck by 3am was an understatement. Finally at 3.15am a phone
call from a happy vet, with a strange story to tell. I had only heard of an Enterolith
once before in passing. The prognosis was good, as no resection – basically – Mac
had a caesarean and given birth to a 2.6kg rock! And the next 24/48 hours after
surgery was critical with infections and recovery. Apparently their mood contributes
significantly to their recovery, and if that was the case, then we were going to keep
him cheered up. Mac received lots of visitors over the next 10 days in hospital to
keep his spirits up with my friend Kim visiting sometimes twice a day, and I made
the long drive every day to make sure he knew we were supporting him. Ammie
came all the way from Gatton, and Karen and Ellen dropped in for a visit too.
Amazing friends helping a wonder horse to recover – and I am eternally
grateful.
Colic surgery is typically understood to be a twisted gut, or obstruction in
the gut. In south east Queensland there has been a greater occurrence of
Enterolith based colic, where what started out as a foreign object lodged in
the gut, and through a gut reaction begins to form a mineral coating around
the object, similar to the process of a pearl. In most cases these then pass
through the gut. In extreme cases like Mac and Ace the object continues
to be coated with little movement through the gut, and eventually gets
stuck. There are many discussions and armchair experts willing to
provide opinions on the hows and whys this happens. Research even
produces mixed results and ongoing feed programs and treatments
will vary from case to case.
Page 52 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • July • August 2015