Hi

My horse recently had emergency surgery to remove an enterolith. (about a 5lb calcium/mineral "rock" formed around twine)  Has anyone gone thru a similar (scary) experience?  Max seems to be doing well.  We are slowly transitioning him from a diet of mash and alfalfa mix hay.  In 2 weeks, he'll be back to normal diet.  Also, not riding him for 1 month, tho walking alot!

I'm still nervous!  This was a frightening experience and I hear rather rare.  Can I really expect a complete recovery, anything to be nervous about?  Max didn't have a colon resection, just a slit to lift out the "rock".  Of course, no insurance!!!

thanks

Your horse should recoop fine. Even though this was a major surgery, the fact that they didn't have to remove any intestine is good, less chance for infection and scarring issues down the road. Just keep to what your veterinary hospital directed you to do and take it slow with him. If your horse was in good health and condition before the surgery chances are he will recover quicker.

Which veterinary hospital did your horse's surgery?  Did they know going into the surgery that he had an entrolith? Did they let you keep his prize? LOL!

We took him down to Rood+Riddle in Lexington.  They were great and what a facility!!!

Actually, the surgeon didn't know going in.  He couldn't feel it on rectal exam (must have move up on the 3hr ride down).  However, at 6am the next day, he called me and said "we're going in!"

The rock is huge!  No wonder I was having trouble moving his hind quarters! I kept the rock for a week as show and tell, then gave it to my vet here to use in his vet talks!

ps- I'm selling shares in Max's future or private viewing of the rock...need to pay off that HUGE bill! 

About 16 years ago my gelding had surgery for a bladder stone. The stone was almost as big as a softball. They did the proceedure by laying him on his back and opening his underside and then his bladder to take it out. The other way was to blast it into tiny pieces and then hopefully getting all the little pieces out. But if you leave 1 little granual behind, it could grow into what we had. He went down the day before the sugery and since he was doing so good afterwards, we were able to take him home 7 days after the surgery. He was stalled day/night for a month, then could get out on short walks. Took 3-4 months before I could ride him. He healed just fine and never had another one. He was also on a strict diet to prevent another one up til about 6 years ago. Due to his age, I could no longer keep it that restrictive. He is still going strong and still goes trail riding and packs out elk at the young age of 29.

My vet wanted to keep the stone since he has never seen anything so big before. I told him for $400 he could keep it. He said No thanks. My total bill 16 years ago was about $2000 and worth every penny of it. And I still have the stone!

Who are you talking to?

I had him on a diet of rolled oats, grass hay and pasture only. Corn and barley were also okay to give him. Vet told be to stay away from molasses and oils. No alfalfa. No limestone and phosphates. Try and find a salt block. I did find a place that could make them for me that was about 1 hour away from me and about 3 times the cost. Bladder stones are calcium deposits. You want your diet with as little or no calcium as possible. The longer you stay away from calcium, the better the chance of not developing another one increases. When Pryde started getting older, he needed more. He was on this strict diet for about 10 years after his surgery. Then I had no choice but to feed a senior horse what he needs. It's been almost 6 years and so far so good.

Magnesium ammonium phosphate stones account for only 10-15% of all urinary tract stones. Most are calcium oxalate crystals, which is what my horse had in his bladder. With the size and how fast the stone grew and the diet he was on, the vet hospital told me that my horses chances of developing another one were very high. He told me to cut out or drastically lower the calcium in his diet. My vet must knew what he was talking about, because with his restrictions, he NEVER did develop another one. I am not saying to lower a horses calcium intake. But if they have ever had a bladder stone or are suseptable to one, that is how you prevent them. Five years after his surgery I had the Ph tested in his urine. He was still suseptable to the stones. Unless there is a medical reason to omit certain minerals to your horses diet, don't do it.

Such fragile animals!  Fortunately, Max is now back on normal diet.  The mineral "rock" in his colon was very rare for an older horse according to the surgeon.  Later I learned most older horses die or are put down because of surgery cost!

The stone did form around some sort of string or twine that he probably ate years ago.  The surgeon cracked open the stone and we could actually see the string. Bizarre!

Max was on a rigid diet of bran mash with corn oil, salt and Karo syrup and mostly alfalfa hay mix with regular hay.  Over 1 week, we gradually transitioned him back to normal diet, incorporating grain and less alfalfa.

Its now been almost 1 month. I can ride him at 1 month (tho we will take this VERY easy).  His incision site is healing very well, his belly is still bare like a baby's, and he is feeling great. He's so ansy to run and buck, but we'll ease into that next week. 

"I was rich till I bought my horse" but I'm very grateful!
Susan