Symptoms of postpartum depression are similar to what happens normally following childbirth. They include difficulty sleeping, appetite changes, excessive fatigue, decreased libido, and frequent mood changes.
If your horse needs a topical medication along with a pain reliever, your veterinarian may have you apply a dimethyl sulfoxide, or DMSO, solution. DMSO is quickly absorbed through the skin and is especially good at relieving swelling, as it pulls moisture from tissues.
Short-term pain relief can be effectively provided by administration of a2-agonists (e.g., xylazine, detomidine). Of primary importance in horses with right dorsal colitis is dietary modification to reduce the amount of colonic fill and thereby facilitate mucosal healing. Recommendations include elimination of long-stem roughage from the diet to reduce the physiologic load on the colon.