dwarf baby

[shelia]

You say she has a severe underbite and kind of snort? That may be your biggest long term problem. She may develop complications from that. She may not be able to compete for food as she grows so if i were you I would make sure she is fed separately all of her life.

Her legs are looking much better. You may notice that they will look really good first thing in the morning and as the day wears on you will see they start weakening again. they may bend in one direction one day and a different direction the next until the bones have formed completely.

When she lays down they look straight because the pressure has been tken off of them. She will still move them when she is laying down and that will help strengthen them without damage.

She should not be out with other horses right now because she is just not strong enough to get out of anyones way and she may get hurt.

i do hope you keep us posted on her progress.

 

[wingnut]

In 2009, we put a deposit on a foal at 6 weeks of age. It was only just last winter that I came across this picture of that girl and gasped:

I couldn't believe I had never noticed this before then! She was about 12 weeks old at this point. I can only imagine she was worse before that. We were such newbies that I didn't pay careful enough attention to these kinds of things. Too busy looking at the cute face!

Anyway, by the time we got her home at 4 months old her legs were straight and she was up on her hooves.

What this breeder did specifically about it, I'm not 100% certain. I'm pretty sure she was not confined nor were any measures like splints used. Not saying that's right or wrong, because I don't have the expertise to say. Just wanted to show you that these things do often correct themselves.

 

[AnnaC]

I can also see the improvement in her legs in the past 36 hours - thanks for the pictures.

May I make a couple of suggestions to your friend? Get a load of deep clean bedding down in the stable to allow the little foal to rest comfortably - possibly for longer periods than a normal foal would do. Also to remove the mares headcollar, apart from the fact that it is too low on her nose it is also very loose and there is a danger of the foal when struggling to get up or having a roll anywhere close to the mares head, getting a foot/leg caught through the nose band. Headcollars, especially incorrectly fitted ones, are an accident waiting to happen for a foal when a mare's head is down at ground level either eating food/hay or grazing in the field.

I agree with the others in that the mare and baby should be kept on their own, at least until baby is a lot stronger, and they should have the free choice of being either in or out - the mare needs to graze and the foal needs to choose between playing or resting according to how she feels. Keep those toes trimmed back and I'm sure, given time, your friend will soon be seeing a lot of improvement in those little legs.

Good luck, she is a very sweet little filly.

Anna

 

[rabbitsfizz]

For headcollar read "halter"!

Anna and I and a number of others are from across the pond so there are sometimes language differences.

I disagree about the bedding, deep sawdust/aubiose/woodchip would be fine, but not deep straw, she needs to be able to move freely.

I have had a foal as bad as this, though not a dwarf. She was six weeks premature and it is, I know, really scary, but my Vet had seen it so many times in calf's (that is where "calf knee" comes from) that he just smacked me gently round the ear and told me to stop being silly, the legs would be fine!

Since we do know this baby is a dwarf you might want to get your friend onto Lil Bits Forum, as suggested, and get in touch with Janell about her "Magic Shoes"- your baby may need them, mine did not, within four weeks she was completely normal.

Stall rest is actually contra- indicated in cases like this. It is more than possible that your friends Vet has never seen a foal like this before, and just did what he thought was for the best, but, in this case, he is wrong. The foal needs to be out, on good grass, with plenty of shade and shelter, for as long as possible.

I would recommend bringing her in for the night, just to give the mare a rest and to make sure the baby does not get wet and cold, but she needs to be playing and being a baby. She will lie down when she is tired. She will lie down even if she is playing, or on your lap, or, given half a chance, on your porch. Believe me, lying down is a foals default setting, right after rushing around like a demon on speed and scaring the life out of you!

So turn her out and let her be herself.

As to the future, again, I think you need Janell (Lil Bits) help, as that Forum is the best place to get help finding her a forever home. I commend your friend for knowing when she does not have the knowledge, or even possibly the money, to provide for everything this baby might need, and for putting the baby's needs ahead of everything else- even to the point of starting now at birth, to think of her future, in six months time!

That takes a lot of common sense, and she is obviously a very responsible person.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

You've had some great advice. Get your friend with the dwarf forum (they're is also a Yahoo group I believe).

My understanding with lax tendons is exercise, not rest to help, but talk to the vet. She's a pretty little filly and with proper management will make a wonderful pet in the future. You may want to discuss with your vet a shot of selenium/Vit E, as that can help tighten lax tendons (check if it's needed though).

 

[HGFarm]

Oh I see improvement already too!! She will just keep getting better every day! I also agree with not turning her and mama out with others until she is 'up' and stronger. She is a lovely color by the way!

 

[Relic]

Only going by the pix posted l don't see a problem with the legs that a week or 2 won't fix as they get stronger. First time l saw legs which in all honesty were a lot worse then the one posted as ours was almost on it's knees l freaked and hauled her to the vets turned out just weak tendons..happens and is scary if it's the first time you see them in a new born. Took almost 2 weeks of being out with mom and she was up on all fours normal as could be and we never trimmed anything on her in that time frame just peeled of the soft pads instead of letting them fall of..ours went on to show as a yearling later drove and won all jumping classes and was retired at 8 to be a broodmare...none of her foals have been like her. The one posted seems to have something not right with it's jaw/mouth but certainly not a foal that needs to be kept stalled and away from others for now she has mom to protect her same as any other new foal..a vets advice is the best as seeing in person is a lot different then pictures a lot of times..she's cute

wow and just from reading all the posts hard to say really what to do as many seem to say confine while others say no..l'd get her seen. Where in AB is she?