This AM as soon as I pulled up beside the pasture I knew something was
wrong. She had not eaten all her hay from the night before. She is
having a bout of colic and we are hoping it has been caught early
enough. I had the doctor come out because I didn’t want to try to
handle this myself. She did a palpation and didn’t feel any
obstruction but there is still a lot of intestine in there that can’t
be felt. Her heart rate was not accelerated which was good, showing
not a lot of pain. She was laying down in the stall, though, and
started thrashing – we got her up and walked them. She was interested
in a bit of grass, not her usual zest, and she pooped a big diarrhea
plop.

The doc had me give her a soupy bran mash w/mineral oil, which she
drank up for me. She is also getting an antibiotic and she got a
banamine shot. She pulled blood, too. It was scary seeing my girl feel
bad. As soon as I saw her face I knew. I had to make the decision to
put them back out in the pasture despite the baby not doing so well
with the heat. We had reversed their times out because of the heat and
during the day they’ve been in the stall under a fan. Well, Ms.
Cassidy has been bored out of her mind, starving and eating her
shavings. Not good. They have a big tent in the pasture and I know
momma will stay under it. I just hope the baby will stay by her. I
have several people going by today to check on them.

Please say some prayers for my special girls – momma’s no good for
baby if she’s sick.

It’s 9:30 and we’ve just been home about an hour. I’ve been at the
barn on & off all day. Rebecca was very hot out in the pasture but she
managed ok. We have a storm coming in around us tonight so it is real
cool for them now. Cassidy is still not good but she’s holding her
own. She is now having massive liquid diarrhea. It may be more than
colic. She is on the antibiotic and the vet had me give her something
called BioSponge this evening because of the diarrhea. Her temp has
been ok and she’s been letting me take it. She was allowed to eat a
bran mash and a bit of hay and she was happy to do it. She has also
drank some gatorade. We will see what tomorrow holds. My vet has been
wonderful. Our friend, Jeff, went and checked on her several times
throughout the day as he lives right around the corner. She wasn’t
ever alone for very long.

I don’t know that the shavings eating is the cause of this but it
certainly can’t be good for her. She has a real liking for pine wood –
she ate half the barn when she first came here. I also noticed her
eating pine needles out in her pasture so I don’t know what to do.
Maybe she’s not getting enough to eat? We have just worked her up to
half a scoop of Safe Choice (14%) twice a day and she gets 4 flakes of
T/A hay daily. This is all per the vet, she was very afraid of her
foundering while pregnant. Her weight is perfect right now. Maybe
she’s bored to tears in the stall during the day – she wasn’t eating
the shavings at night when we had the camera on her. I just don’t know
the answer.