Do you want to see my "twitchy" filly?

[Marnie]

I still just don't know what to think about her, she's not right but I am just praying she will be ok. Here's her pictures, she's only about 3 hours old on these photo's.

My vets coming again Tuesday morning, this time to geld two donkey boys so he can check her again and see what he thinks. It's hard for me to see if improvement is made when I see her constantly.

JoAnne - This is from my first post on this little one -----------

Does any one know why a 4 day old foal would twitch while sleeping. Not just a little bit but a lot. Sometimes it's almost constant for five minutes, sometimes so much twitching she is almost on her back. Then she might get up and nurse a little or just get up and take a few steps and lay back down. Right now she's sleeping almost quietly.

I had my vet here yesterday, he said the babys temp was up one degree, he thought she may be a little septic and gave her some gentimiacin sp?? in the vien and a half cc of penicillan. He told me to do the penicillan today and tomorrow yet. Does this sound right?

I just have never seen a foal twitch so much, I can barely stand to watch her on camera any longer, she's making me crazy with worry. Can anyone offer me any advice?

 

[Joanne]

Marnie, I missed what you think is wrong. You must have posted it elsewhere.

Can you include it in this post please?

 

[hairicane]

Aww what a little doll she is!

Sure hope she is ok.

 

[Marnie]

I just took this picture, I think it's really special, the filly was stretched out sleeping, BeBop laid down by her with her head right up against the baby. She even has her head pulled back in so her head isn't on the baby, it looks like Bebop doesn't have a neck but it's so she's by the baby, not on her. It's just neat how much the mom's love their babies, just like people.

By the way, the baby never twitched while they laid like this for 22 minutes.

 

[ShaunaL]

I hope everything turns out well. She is precious, that last pic is so sweet

 

[eagles ring farm]

Marnie

I hope all is ok with your sweet little girl

she's very pretty

love the last picture

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

The filly is ADORABLE!

And that picture is the sweetest thing I've ever seen! Just pulls at the heartstrings.

And I'm hoping for the best for your little girl.

 

[REO]

She sure is a doll Marnie! I hope she'll be ok!

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Marnie, she is lovely, and I have always loved your BeBop!

Did your vet check your baby's calcium level? Low calcium can cause twitching and even seizures.

So can low blood sugars... Is Bebop making plenty of milk and is the foal nursing like she should?

Praying that everyhthing will be a ll right.

I think that treating the foal for sepsis is smart... but I would add some probiotics to the regimen... antibiotics will kill off the foals nromal flora in her gut and can cause a bad diarrhea.

Robin

 

[Marnie]

The mare doesn't have a lot of milk, the foal nusrse whats their. I"m going down every three hours and giving her some milk. She'll take about 40 to 50 cc's comfortably, I know she should have more but then fights it but she's nursing too so it's hard to tell what she is getting. For the last two days I gave her an enema too, my vet said he's seen foals that have needed one for the first week. I will take her temp again in the morning. When the vet was here it was 101.5, yesterday morning it was 101.3. I did touch base with my vet yesterday morning and told him, he said maybe that's just what her temp is, as he did put the genimiacin in her vein and we gave her half cc of penicillan.

I will mention to him to check those levels, he'll be here tomorrow and Please, if anyone else has any idea's, please let me know. Thanks everyone.

 

[Connie P]

Your filly is adorable Marnie and that photo is just precious.

 

[Genie]

She's very nice

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Marnie, I've had her pic up a while now. Was she a tight fit coming out? I really think it's a wee neuro and she's already outgrowing it. Precious little Hunny.

 

[Marnie]

I wasn't their when she had her. It was the craziest thing! I didn't think she was ready to foal, didn't have her in. I came out in the morning and noticed right away that BeBop was standing on the other side of the white barn and I thought Snow Whites filly was by her. I knew she hadn't stolen it, she's not like that but maybe it just folowed her over their and then noticed Snow White on the other side of the barn and her filly is with her. I about crapped, ran back inside yelled at Nate that she has her baby. I want this baby and BeBop for my petting zoo, even my vet loves her and says she's such a quiet mare. She is, just like a stuffed Teddy bear.

So --- maybe she did have a bit of trouble having it, the babies only about 18 inches tall but BeBops not to big either. I don't miss many foalings but did this one, so you can imagine how thankful I am that the filly even made it out and up ok. She hasn't been twitching so severely the last 12 hours so I'm thinking Deb, maybe you're right about it. Thanks for giving me your imput.

 

[Mona]

She's a cutie Marnie. So glad she is doing a little better now.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Aww Marnie, I may not speak much but when I feel something I try to speak. I do think she'll come round and I'll keep sending for her. Don't they just fill your heart sometimes! My Rosie was like this at first and she came round in about 2 weeks or so and thot she was a cat! Round your legs rubbing then down for a belly rub.

 

[shelly]

:wub

AWWW...SHE IS SUCH A CUTIE PIE!!!!

ray

ray

SENDING PRAYERS!

 

[Bess Kelly]

Low calcium (as Robin said) can cause a "twitch" that looks almost like a hiccup. I've given the mares calcium tabs and dissolved some to syringe into foal. Amazing results.

OK, mare should increase milk productions with the nursing but, if you are feeding the foal, be sure to keep the mare milked or she will slow down -- vet may have some domperidone, that will help her. Added grain will be needed to stimulate/support the need for more milk.

Hope the foal is fine......she's sure a cutie.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Wedgewood will make domperidone. IF you need it, they will take a credit card and can overnight it to you. IT WORKS! I used it on an open mare(non pregnant) that I needed to produce milk for an orphan. It did, the mare accepted the baby right away and all was well. If you need the number, call me. My number is on my web site. www.truejoyminiatures.com

You probably have tried warm wet compresses to the udder, always helps me bring milk in.

Robin

 

[Marnie]

Thanks everyone. Thanks Robin, I wish we'd had more time to chat. I couldn't get a hold of my vet but I have everything written down and when he comes in the morning to do the donkey boys, I'm giving all this to him to call me in a prescription. It'll probably amaze people but vets around here don't use or believe in domperidone. But he'll call it in for me and it may be a needed learning experience for us both or I hope so. If anyone else has had experience with the domperidone, I"d like to know.

I'll ask him about the calcium levels too, I do put calf manna in the mares grain twice a day though. The baby is less twitchy but still is. The morning will bring her fifth day of life, she must have gotten enough colostrum or she'd surely be sick by this time. I've been worried about that too.