Case reports for horses, Dr. vet. med. Nicole Herout
1. An e-mail story:
February 2nd 2011
Call from Mrs. B
I was driving down the highway as Mrs. B. contact my by phone for the first time. She was very distressed as her mare C. once again began to colic. She just had her second foal at foot, thus travelling by trailer was a nightmare. Multiple previous hospitalizations showed – beside a short-term pain relief brought by a high dose of painkillers – no improvement in the overall condition of the mare.
The mare was usually standing in group stabling, but due to the circumstances was separated from the other horses in a box with hay ad libitum and no further feeding change or medication. As an emergency measure and interim solution I advised Mrs. B the administration of hay cobs together with linseed soaked in warm water and 1 teaspoon each of cumin and fennel. The mare was suffering from severe bloating and very loud rumbling bowel sounds. As a first acute homeopathic remedy I recommended Lycopodium D12. The addition of 45g MOMO-AKTIV DIGEST (which I sent her the following morning) had to be organized to be ready for posting. In regards to further feeding actions I suggested to give the horse a mixture of 30% good quality straw plus hay in a fine-meshed hay bag and promised a visit in the coming days.
February 3rd 2011
“… First, I want to thank you very much for your help with my mare C. She is really good – She is now much more alert, less bloated, she eats with more appetite and seems better overall. C clearly showed me that she wants to return to her group, so I let her stay with the herd during the day and separated her at night. I have introduced the straw/hay mixture to the entire herd so she gets the same as in her box. At night I will separate her from the other horses. Today she received the hay cob mixture again and seems to tolerate the mixture well. ”
February 6th 2011
“… Unfortunately, the feed did not arrive on Friday as promised- I hope it will arrive on Monday. The mare is doing well so far – but she has diarrhea today. I have not changed the feeding schedule that you provided except that C. received a couple of carrots (ca.0, 5 kg) yesterday after riding.
What I noticed: during brushing she was extremely “bitchy” when I wanted to clean the kidney area / flanks (she even threatened to kick – what she had NEVER done before). I also had the impression that she stepped a little shorter / stiffer on the hind feet. Otherwise, she seems normal (no colic symptoms, etc.) … ”
In this mail I advised Mrs. B to stay calm. I assumed the mare to have a spontaneous heat and promised to have a close look at her by the end of the week.
February 10th 2011 – site visit
The first homeopathic anamnesis revealed:
Colic since the 1st Pregnancy 2 years ago, initially mildly every 4-5 months. First severe colic 2 weeks after weaning, where the mare was pregnant again in the 5th Month. She was very tired and depressed at weaning and had significant difficulties at drying off. Two weeks later she had the first severe colic where the mare was sent to a clinic but was released after a few days without significant findings. In spring she was moved to group housing where a phase of frequent colics began. The situation was kept under control with conventional medicine. In April the mare foaled for the second time and soon after in June the next heavy colic occurred. A gastroscopy showed a moderate gastritis and a severe gastric distension but no other findings. The normal treatment with “GastroGard” / “cimetidine” brought short-term relief but as soon as stopped it went off again. The mare was always dull, intolerable, was constantly restless and very sensitive to touch. During the colic exacerbations the mare had frequent bowel movements, but could not get the gas out. Due to this history I turned to the Homeopathic remedy Ignatia C30. The administration of MOMO-AKTIV was an integral part of the treatment.
February 17th 2011 – email to a mutual acquaintance
“ … I wanted to say thank you referring me to Dr. Herout. Since we emailed the last time C. has begun to colic again – throughout almost 2 weeks (sometimes more, sometimes less). I was really desperate and just slightly ahead of a nervous breakdown! Again, my vet had no other idea than to bring her to the clinic which I rejected as C. would have been stressed even more. Furthermore, it would have had the same outcome as last year where she had been thoroughly checked after a severe colic. In short: I talked to Dr. Herout, she gave me a couple of simple (and completely contrary to traditional medicine) tips. Ever since C. is doing much better! Dr. Herout already visited us. The mare now receives this mineral feed (MOMO-AKTIV) and globules. Let’s see how things evolve – but in the case of C. I’m already more than grateful that she is stable (at least since the last two weeks) and I can work and rest assured.
So, again: MANY MANY THANKS for the brilliant tip!”
February 24th 2011
“….. Yes, C. indeed is doing very well – she is awake again, ‘talks’ to me and is slowly coming back to how she used to be, Since your last visit and your suggested switch in diet she showed no more colic symptoms. The belly looks a little bloated every now and then – but maybe I’m imagining things too (I believe I see ghosts already ….). Also, I have slightly changed the concentrated feed – about 70:30 hay cobs to muesli (in Result: a total mash of about 1.5 liters per meal) – she tolerates this very well and also eats the MOMO-AKTIV powder well.
March 21st 2011
“… I just wanted to report back with a short feedback:
C. (the “old” mare): she is doing excellent – for the past few weeks (since the feed switch and MOMO-AKTIV etc.) there were no further colic symptoms.
April 1st 2011
“C. truly is doing very good – since the change in diet and MOMO-AKTIV she had no more colic symptoms (the belly still looks somewhat bloated, but this could also be my subjective impression). This is really great – thanks again! “
Due to this favorable development the mare can now be changed from MOMO-AKTIV HORSE DIGEST onto MOMO-AKTIV HORSE BALANCE.
2. Warm blood mare J., 12J. With foal at foot
September 19th 2010 Stationary patient
Anamnesis:
Since more than a year the mare J. shows colic symptoms after feed intake. Then, on the advice of the attending veterinarian concentrated feed, mineral mixture and salt should be discontinued. Since three months the mare now always shows colic symptoms after the hay is eaten. She receives lots of hay, eats very greedily, but immediately after the end of the feed intake she shows discomfort by kicking against the abdomen, lying down, and a high degree of sensitivity to touch especially on the flanks. Movement improves abdominal pain. In summer she was taken to a veterinary clinic. The gastroscopy shows a severe gastritis. She receives “GastroGard” for three weeks but the condition worsens as the mare loses weight strongly, is dull and breaks down constantly since the foal is only 5 months old and needs a lot of milk.
Therapy:
From the date of my first visit she receives plenty of hay according to her needs but provided in a fine-meshed hay bag. In addition she also receives ad lib a coarse hay / straw mixture with much arable herbs and thistles. Furthermore, she is offered a mix of mashed hay cobs, linseed meal, corn, rolled barley and MOMO-AKTIV HORSE BALANCE four times daily. She receives Abrotanum D12 once a day as an appropriate homeopathic remedy. I treated her with acupuncture therapy every three days. The condition improved rapidly. On the 3rd and 5th of September she showed slight colic twice but could be regulated with both Colosan and homeopathic remedy Nuxvomica D12. On the 24th the mare received a chiropractic treatment as she had severely tense musculature along her back, probably caused by excessive striking against the wall of her box. From the 25th light exercise on the lunge was introduced.
The last treatment occurred on the 10th of October. On the 23rd she was stable and free of complaints and got released with clear instructions on feeding and husbandry.