Droopy Filly

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wildoak

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This filly was born March 27th, and nicknamed Spitfire, she's been so full of herself. She broke with diarrhea a couple of nights ago, so we loaded up & hauled to the vet Monday morning. Diarrhea is gone (Biosponge & Probios), she's never gone over 101 degrees, but she is just listless. She's nursing fairly well still, gum color is good... He did suggest I deworm her, which I did (mom was dewormed when she foaled & is on daily StrongidC). They pulled blood yesterday and her white blood cell count was low. Today it was lower. Still no other symptoms though and vet did not want to jump in with antibiotics just yet. He did give her a pretty good dose of B12/B complex today. I don't know where to go with this one, since she's not showing anything else we can pinpoint. She just stands around with her head hanging.

Looking for clues....any suggestions?? Thanks,

Jan
 
Do you think it could be an ulcer? I hear babies get them. I don't know what low white count is, high is infection?

Good luck with her, hope you find what is wrong? Can you call another vet?

B
 
Just a shot in the dark Jan but how about removing the daily Strongid from mama?

And I always think the "U" word first too.
 
I did pick up some Gastroguard today for her, thought I'd give it a try....sure won't hurt and ulcers are always a possibility even if that isn't the primary diagnosis. She's not rolling, grinding her teeth or anything Hadn't thought about removing the Strongid?

Jan
 
Jan, I've got the EXACT same thing going on here. Two of the older foals broke with nasty diarrhea on Sunday. I started treatment for that. One seems fine now. The other, dull and listless. Either just laying around or standing with his head down. Wasn't nursing yesterday. I started him on Ranitidine yesterday and tonight I added Ulcer Guard to the mix. I feel sure it's ulcer related.
 
Becky, it's aggravating just watching them and not knowing what to do. I started mine on Gastroguard tonight - am sure hoping I see a difference tomorrow. I put them back out thinking she might perk up outside, since there was a nice breeze earlier, but she just stood or kind of shuffled around. Now we are expecting bad weather so they come in regardless. Let me know if the Ulcer Guard works for you - I agree,it's about the only thing that makes sense. Do you know whether the low white cell count is consistent with ulcers?

Jan
 
Do you know whether the low white cell count is consistent with ulcers?
I really don't know the answer to that, but it might be a possibility? The one foal is fine, at least as far as the diarrhea goes. He did something to his eye in all of this and now he and his dam are stalled in the day and I'm treating him for a corneal ulcer. Good grief!

The other colt still has diarrhea I discovered and he's the one that is dull and listless. He is apparantly nursing his dam which is good, but not doing much of anything else. I'm going to step up the diarrhea treatment and keep him on ranitidine and Ulcer Guard and hopefully get him back to normal. BTW, these foals were just dewormed with Strongid about a week ago, so I don't think a heavy worm load would be involved.

Let us know how your filly does.
 
Sure hope you are able to find out what is wrong with your little one and that she starts feeling better soon! Good Luck with her!
 
EXTRA strength Pepto Bismal. 20cc every 2 hours until the stool firms. Once the stool firms kaolin 20 cc twice a day for 30 days. Worked for me and other forum members.
 
Jan,

How is your filly this AM? I hope much better.

Sorry to hear of your little one that is not doing well yet Becky. I hope for a speedy recovery for both of you.

Beth
 
This is just an 'instinctive' feeling; I can offer NO scientific 'back up', only my literal 57 years of daily care for horses--but if it were me, I would take the mare off the daily dewormer....as Marty has also suggested.

I would add--is there a compelling reason to give ranitidine and Ulcergard both at the same time? I genuinely wonder; is this something your vet(s) have suggested? I have never heard of this as a treatment strategy, but would like to know if it has been verified by a qualified equine veterinarian? Every valid bit of information in one's arsenal of knowledge about dealing w/ equine ulcers is appreciated, I think, by everyone here... Please know--I am NOT trying to criticize, but I am genuinely concerned about whether there are 'newbies' reading here who might take this kind of treatment strategy and move on to the 'if a little is good, more must be better' -- which as we all must know, is often NOT effective, nor even SAFE.

Margo
 
Margo, I agree with you 100% that one should take the information posted here and assimilate it carefully. I am not a vet nor claim to be and I strongly recommend that anyone looking for veterinary advice contact a veterinarian!

My information is deemed from veterniarians and personal use. Normally, I use one product or the other when it comes to acid reducers. Horses are very prone to ulcers when stressed, as you know, and when it comes to healing ulcers, I use whichever product works and in the case of severe ulcers, it takes both.

I am trying a product I picked up from one of the vet hospitals today on my colt. DiaGel. This colt is still acting depressed and not eating much, but at least he is nursing now. He still had diarrhea last night. Sure hope I can get him turned around and hoping for the best with Jan's filly too!
 
Update on my filly - nothing much has changed today. She is still lethargic, nursing some but not enough, no fever. She looked a little brighter this morning, I thought maybe the Gastroguard had helped, but she's very puny again this afternoon. Vet was out to see about another horse and he went ahead and started her on Naxcel since nothing else seems to be getting a response. Between that, the Gastroguard and Probios, I sure hope she comes around soon.

I will take the mares off StrongidC - have always used it with no problem, and I mix it in so it's unlikely baby would have gotten more than a few little pellets, but stranger things have happened I suppose.

Becky, sounds like you are still in the same boat too, plus the diarrhea. I haven't used DiaGel, but have heard good things about it. Have you tried BioSponge on him?

Jan
 
Just to clarify my feelings on stopping the use of the daily dewormer...since it is accepted that nursing human mothers need to avoid intake of certain things because they can 'come through' to,and affect, the babe via her milk, it seems reasonable to me to assume that the same thing could happen with a nursing foal....I had not even considered the foal ingesting the pellets directly--though I'd imagine that would not be a good thing, either-so wise to remove all possible access to it by the foal.

As I said before, I can offer NO scientific proof to back up my position; just my 'gut' feeling.

Sending my sincere wishes that the foals mentioned in this thread recover and thrive!

Margo
 
[SIZE=12pt]Just a suggestion....... Along with the Gastro Guard use some Tucaprim as well. Gastro Guard and anti acid drugs are great but without the antibiotics the bug won't go away. Just what I've discovered working with large show horses (with severe ulcers) and mini's too
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Joy
 
Me too, hope your babies are doing well this AM, Jan and Becky. Please update with good news.

Oh I did remember something on low white count. Low white count, (among other things) can mean a virus infection. (Rather than bacerial infectons that antibiotics will work on)?

Beth
 
Beth reminds me... When one of my foals was born this year, we had to do plasma transfusions due to low IgG and her white blood cell count was extremely low. We did her a course of Naxcel and it brought her up to a great level in that department and she's really been full steam ahead since she was 2-3 days old
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I hope your baby girl will improve as quickly, too!
 
Jan & Becky, I sure hope these babies come around quickly for both of you.

I do know from experience and vet information that Ranitidine gives very quick but short lived relief from ulcers so must be given 2/3 times per day whereas Gastroguard/Ulcerguard (same drug, different concentrations) take longer to be effective.

Charlotte
 

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