Stomach Impaction with Hay Ball

[3rsatsmf]

I'm interested to hear of any similar experiences. It seems to be such an uncommon aliment that most of the available information is anectedotal.

He's been at the clinic for a week now. He'd been showing what we thought were signs of an ulcer and when we went to scope him, it turns out that he has a mass of partially-digested feed (hay) in his stomach which has balled up and is not passing. He also has moderate ulcers.

He's been lavaged with water, mineral oil, electrolytes, and coke. Next is meat tenderizer for the enzymes. He is responding slowly and positively. The mass is getting smaller and softer, and the ulcers are healing.

My vet told me it could take 2-3 weeks to resolve as was the experience of another Friesian in Oregon.

[JB]

Wow, interesting.

Had you been treating him for ulcers prior to finding the hay ball?

The first thing I think of is the horse is either not producing enough acid, or the acid produced isn't acidic enough, therefore not breaking down the food quickly enough.

That is one of the potential issues with feeding enough, for long enough, of something like Tums, which soothes ulcers via reducing acid production.

I would be interested in hearing if a horse can naturally produce too-basic stomach acid, and if so, what can be done to help that.

[Ghazzu]

Had one this past winter in a 21 year old mare.
She responded to fluid therapy, and water lavages, but the coke was the next treatment on the agenda if that hadn't worked.

[3rsatsmf]

It's getting better but *still* there... We tried everything - coke, mineral oil, lavages, even meat tenderizer. So far as I was aware, he had no ulcer history although some moderate ulceration was noticed during his initial gastroscopies. He was 10 days in the clinic and has been home for 2-1/2 weeks. He's on NO hay, turnout in a sand ring (muzzled) and 16 quarts of grain/day.

The best treatment we've found to help it along is during the gastroscopy the vet spends about an hour picking it apart with the biopsy forceps. Good thing he's quiet. He'll stand for it even after the short-acting sedative wears off (he's twitched, but that's it).

[JB]

The best treatment we've found to help it along is during the gastroscopy the vet spends about an hour picking it apart with the biopsy forceps.

:eek: Wow, good pony! Patient vet!

That is so odd. What does your vet think are the chances of finding something solid, around which the hay has balled?

[findeight]

Know of a 4 year old that developed this recently. She was being treated for ulcers, teeth were good, exceptionally good feeding program and monitering...and they found nothing solid inside when they had to surgically go in and remove it. Which was good as they went in expecting a twisted gut.

The clinic did keep the mare there for a few days before surgery trying to get it too pass but went in when it was obvious she was in great pain.

The owner said the clinic vets told her they do see this, not uncommon at all. Once something does not digest and pass into the gut, it acts like a dam. They also said there may be several csauses and they really don't know for sure what triggers this other then undigested food.

Good luck with this one...but don't wait too long trying to get it to pass.

[BornToRide]

what kind of hay was involved in each case?

[Dune]

what kind of hay was involved in each case?

Good question.

[goeslikestink]

I'm interested to hear of any similar experiences. It seems to be such an uncommon aliment that most of the available information is anectedotal.

He's been at the clinic for a week now. He'd been showing what we thought were signs of an ulcer and when we went to scope him, it turns out that he has a mass of partially-digested feed (hay) in his stomach which has balled up and is not passing. He also has moderate ulcers.

He's been lavaged with water, mineral oil, electrolytes, and coke. Next is meat tenderizer for the enzymes. He is responding slowly and positively. The mass is getting smaller and softer, and the ulcers are healing.

My vet told me it could take 2-3 weeks to resolve as was the experience of another Friesian in Oregon.


not so much hay as chaff -- perhaps i have 2 horses that cant eat anything chaffy
as it compacts in there digestive system but i have also know this from early expreinces with trial and error feeding of one horse i have since a foal due to his lost of intestines due to worm damage before i had him,
with that understanding and in those days there wasnt the feeds or the help available with nutritionist etc or a feed made to compensate or make use of
ie feed merchants didnt make a feed then for horses with gut problems as apparantly they only count for 5% of the market place
but nowadays feed merchants have developed more so and have the expertise at hand to offer a correct meal for the horses in work at rest or with problems has come a long way since i was asking
horses with gut problems need slow releases so that they can gain as much as possible form the feedstuffs and also easy to diegest when they have gut issues

chaff or simular products can block the system -
the same to can happen if the horse is still hungry and if on straw for arguement sake will eat his bed if tasty like oat straw or barley wheat will also be ate or if hay or haytype used which arnt easily diagestable ie hay thats rough
good quality hay doesnt normally poss a problem and with horses with gut issues any hay given should be dampened or use haylage which is already moist
none shoud be give if haylage and bag is split or open before usage and should beuse if small bale within 7 days large ones 10 days
hay shouldnt be fed if off mouldy or dusty - as can cuase colic

[findeight]

In my barns case it was the same alfalfa mix 3 times a day plus pasture the other 75 head were getting with no problems. Even the other youngsters or those on ulcer meds. It was out of a delivery at least 4 weeks prior, not new or anything.

The hay, and there was enough of it to get a good idea what was in it in that ball, was dismissed by the clinic vets as a culprit (aka Rood and Riddle).

[greysandbays]

My Grandpa claimed a grass he called "Tickle Grass" would "bind them up" like this if fed as hay -- and even in the desperate drouth conditions of The Great Depression, he would not feed hay from this grass.

"Tickle Grass" can grow in isolated pockets in a field and there might only be a few bales in a field containing it.

ETA: I believe this is what my Grandpa referred to as "Tickle Grass":
http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/tickgrass.html