~Bailey isn't feeling well~

[maplegum]

For 24 hours he has not touched his food, although he is picking at hay.

He seems to be drinking ok, but perhaps not as much as usual.

He is very quiet, not himself. Doing lots of resting.

He seems to be yawning LOTS and kind of chewing, or grinding his teeth. I understand that yawning is a sign of pain.

I checked all of his droppings this morning and they seem to be normal.

I watched him take a pee this morning and he seemed to take the 'position' a few times before just a trickle came out. Maybe some kind of infection of the bladder or urinery tract?

He's just not himself. I've got the vet coming out today to check him over. I don't have a thermometer to take his temperature, so I've sent my hubby to buy one.

He is up to date on his worming etc.

Any ideas on why he would act/feel like this?

I'm very worried about my boy. It's his 1st birthday in a few days.

Leonie

 

[Jill]

Leonie --

The trouble peeing makes me wonder if he could have kidney stones? I don't know if that's common / possible in horses? One of my dogs has had problems, so the trying to pee and then when he does, just a trickle, sounds very familiar. We also had a baby goat years ago w/ kidney stones and he would do like you're describing w/ Bailey. If you're not sure he's drinking "enough" and staying hydrated, the trickle could be a sign of dehydration.

Can you pinch up the skin on his neck and see how fast it goes back to flat? And press your thumb on his gums to see how fast that spot you'll make goes back to pink? That can help you guage if he's drinking enough and keeping hydrated.

If not for the trouble peeing, I'd say "colic" since he's off his feed some, but if he's pooping that is a very good sign in that regard (means he's not impacted). Are the droppings you see from the past 24 hours, or previous (meaning do you know he is currently passing poop?). Colic can mean just a stomach ache or gas, on up to the serious stuff we all dread.

How much longer before you expect the vet? I'm thinking it's early morning now in your neck of the woods?

Will be thinking of you and Bailey. I remember the first time I had a sick horse, and how scared for him I was. It was my first mini and he was a yearling. He ended up being fine and I hope the same for Bailey.

Jill

 

[maplegum]

Thanks Jill,

I'm at work but I'll get my hubby to do the neck pinch test and the gum test on him.

I actually ran my fingers along the inside of his gums last night to see if I could feel anything abnormal. It all seemed fine.

The vet will arrive around noon, perhaps a little later. A few hours from now.

I kind of thought 'colic' too, or even ulcers, but he isn't rolling, or even biting at his sides.

The poo I see is fresh, from the last 24 hours. I clean his field on a daily basis so I know which ones are fresh.

It's hard to see him not feeling well. He usually LOVES his breakfast and dinner, but hasn't touched it. I even tried giving him some treats but he just turned away. I put his grain in my hand and he just mouths it and then walks away.

~ poor Bailey ~

Leonie

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I would not rule out colic. It isnt unusual for a horse to pass 4-5 even more piles of manure that are on the other side of the impaction so that isnt always a good sign to go with .

All horses have different pain levels some with the exact same symptoms will be down and thrashing others are more stoic (sp)

This time of year that is always my first thought simply cause so many places are going thru temp changes.

Of course this is also a time of year that viruses run rampant as well...

 

[ruffian]

I would also not rule out worms. I have a regular worming cycle, and had wormed everybody the first of September and First of October, when one of my mares went down to skin and bones in 3 days. I could see ribs, hips and backbone. Vet came out and took blood and stool. Left some antibiotics as a precaution. Said still saw evidence of parasites. I wormed her doubled dose of Ivermectic, and I put her on a daily wormer (strongid C) and am amazed by the difference in just one week. Vet said that parasites can go right through the liver and cause intense pain and put them off feed.

I am NOT a vet and am only saying what I had with my mare.

 

[kaykay]

if hes dehydrated (common with colic) that could be why hes having trouble urinating

 

[DiamondLRanch]

if hes dehydrated (common with colic) that could be why hes having trouble urinating

Any news on your mini?

 

[ClickMini]

When my Thoroughbred gelding colicked, the "taking the position" to pee and then nothing coming out was THE big sign he was in trouble. I hope little Bailey is OK!!! Glad the vet is coming.

 

[Connie Ballard]

We had a gelding that did that once. I kept thinking he had one of those 'beans' that builds up in the end of the penis at the tip of the uretha....just a build up of gunk. The vet thought colic...I said he hasent been rolling or any other colic symptoms...but would get in position...hardly pee at all...and was acting off like you described. Vet said I hate to give shot to get him to drop his penis down to clean/check for the 'bean' if he's colicy....I said no lets do it...so he did, cleared out a large bean.....left the gelding stand in round pen while I paid the vet and we chatted watching him. The gelding walked over to where we were....stretched out and pee'd a ton and took a deep breath like MAN...I needed to do that sooooooo bad!!!! The vet and I just laughed and told him what a good boy he was!!! God love him...he must have felt so relieved getting that cleared out so he could actually urinate. Some horses never have this happen...others they say should be checked yearly. Wonder if Bailey is having this problem?

 

[miniaddiction]

Hey Leonie how is little Bailey now?

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

Any update on him yet? Please let it be something simple

:

 

[rockin r]

I was thinking a bean also. A friend had trouble with them. He had 2 that were this size of kidney beans and smaller one around them. They were pinching his uretha so he could not go like he should. He would try to pee and it would squirt at a 45 degree angle. We saturated around the uretha with mineral oil and kept massaging the area till we could break them up and get them out. It took a few days to do it because we did not want to make him sore. Hopefully it is something minor...Keep us updated please....Theresa

 

[maplegum]

Still waiting on the vet to arrive. Should be here within the next 30 minutes or so.

I'm at work so I have left instructions with my husband on what to tell the vet.

He is still acting the same. Picking at some hay, but not touching anything else. Drinking small amounts of water, which I'm happy about.

My hubby hasn't noticed him doing a pee at all, but there are a few wet spots around his field, so he must be going. Fresh poop too.

He has spent lots of time sleeping in his stable today, which isn't like him. That little horse would sleep out in a storm rather than us his shelter.

I'll get my husband to ask about him having a bean.

Thanks for caring everyone.

Leonie

 

[maplegum]

UPDATE*

Vet just left.

Bailey does have a slight temperature.

I had recently changed his feed. I usually mix his grain with chopped hay/chaff. This time I bought chopped lucerne, which most of you guys know as 'alphalfa' i think. It's the nice green stuff.

Anyway, I didn't bother introducing it slowly as he also gets it daily from a bale, when I mix it with his grass hay. The vet seems to think that I set his enzymes off balance by having too much rich feed. Whoops!

He said he is getting 'too much of the good stuff' and needs to have some more plain feed. His little system is overloaded with trying to adjust to such rich feed.

Now he wants me to buy some regular chopped hay/chaff and mix it with his chopped lucerne to 'dilute' it down a little.

He said most people don't realise how sensitive their little systems are. I should have known better as I always introduce new things slowly, but figured I didn't need to because he gets it in a baled form.

Anyway, he's not concerned about him peeing. He said there are many wet spots around his field which means he is using his bladder.

He gave him a shot to bring down his temperature and said that he didn't think he needed to draw blood for testing. If he is no better in 2 days, he will come back and take blood. He seemed pretty confident that Bailey's little system was struggling from so much rich food.

Aghhhh, I thought I was doing the right thing! I'm so glad it's nothing terribly serious though. I need to go home and give him a HUG.

 

[Jill]

Well, it sounds like it may be an "easy" fix then. Some horses are more sensitive than others to rapid changes in diet and it's always best to go slow. Keep us updated! He's got lots of people thinking good thoughts for him

:

 

[Charlene]

glad to hear it's "minor" although NOTHING is minor when our furkids are uncomfortable.