Equine Virus going around!

[Dona]

Haven't been online in a while....We were supposed to be in Vegas this week.....well that plan went down the tubes when ALL of our weanlings and one yearling came down with fevers & not eating (due to VERY sore throats). A couple had dry hacking coughs & all acting VERY lethargic....the colt even stopped nursing which REALLY had me worried. We almost had to have him IV'd from dehydration...but after a day on meds, he started nursing again, thank God. Manure is normal....no diahhrea....and no snotty noses. Acts just like Equine Influenza.....which the yearling has had shots for. That's probably why her case was very mild....just wasn't eating grain, but she wasn't acting sick or lethargic. The oldest weanling has had her shots, but was so recent that maybe she hadn't built up her resistance yet. The youngest two aren't old enough for their shots yet...but their dams had theirs a month before foaling, so their babies "should" have some immunity yet.

So far, everything is looking good. Temps have all come down & have stayed down. (I'm temping EVERYONE in the barn twice a day, so I have a "heads up" if anyone else may be coming down with it.)

Giving Naxel shots to the 4 affected ones....started out twice a day, but just on once a day now til the end of the week.

You can tell they are still not feeling "up to par"......but much better than a few days ago. They are all eating, drinking, pooping....just a bit lethargic yet. (I know how I feel after the flu!).

I'm just at a loss on where they may have picked it up.

It has a very short incubation period (2 - 3 days) and haven't taken any of the horses anywhere in over a month....nor has anyone been in the barn who has been around other horses, except for vet when he came out to do Ins. health checks on the two that are being exported.

We have a neighbor on one side who has Arabians....but there is no common fence between us...about a 20 foot separation. Neighbor on the other side has a pony that DOES share a common fence with us...but don't think the pony has been sick (at least not that I know of) Haven't been able to get ahold of them yet to check.

I have been SO STRESSED....worrying about my babies, watching them like hawks for any signs of a relapse, and overwhelmed with giving shots, taking temps & just plan watching over them for hours. It hurts so much to see them so lethargic & not bouncing around, running & playing like they usually do.

Vet says EVERYONE'S horses seem to be sick right now.....so something is definitely going around!

We were fortunate in that we were able to switch our reservations & flight to Oct 9th thru Oct 15th. (only other week that we would be able to go this fall) Had to pay extra to change the flight, but we thought we'd give it a try. Keeping our fingers crossed that everyone continues to improve each day, as they have been....and we will feel comfortable enough to leave them in someone else's hands by then. If not, we'll just have to "eat" the plane tickets & try again in the Spring. My babies definitely take priority!

 

[Bluebell]

Sorry to hear this but sure appreciate the heads up on this. You never know when it will strike anyone of us.

Hope they get better quick so you can get away. You will need the rest after this.

 

[Frankie]

I am so glad they are doing better. Having one sick baby is tough, can't imagine a number of them.

Hope they continue to improve and you get your vacation.

 

[Getitia]

Thanks for the heads up warning.

A very common way for a "closed herd" to pick up something is when a fly hitches a ride in someones vehicle and then that person comes to visit your horses or your neighbor's horses and unleashes the fly carrier.........................

I hope they get to feeling better and your vacation goes as rescheduled.

Horses sure have a way of changing our plans - that is for sure

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

sorry to hear they are sick at least they are getting better. Sometimes a vet or even going to the feed store can bring in something that you carry on on your shoes or something

 

[Loess Hills]

Dona -

Sorry to hear about your sick babies. Those little guys seem to come down with something so quickly, but can also bounce back just as fast. Hoping that yours will continue to be "upward bound" in their health.

Do you think the dry, dusty weather may have something to do with it? I've noticed that the dry summers and falls seem to make them more susceptible to respiratory illnesses. Anyway, good thoughts going your way for everyone!

 

[Sunny]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it was the vet that carried it in inadvertently. A friend of mine has a very small number of minis that lead a very protected and sheltered life (read that as "the life of Riley"!). When her colt was born in the summer, the vet came out to do the routine checkup, etc., it was very soon after that that her horses developed an illness.

So sorry to hear that your babies are sick, Dona. I hope that they'll all be well again soon and that you'll be able to have your well deserved vacation.

 

[manyhorses]

Dona,

That's really weird... here at my place I have them same sorta thing going on....and like you no one has been anywhere, but I share no common boundry's with anyone. However, I had not thought of the "fly" thing...hmmm! Our's started with an older mare coughing..I attributed it to the VERY dry weather we have had here all summer. But then it seemed to go through the crowd, but as you say..no snotty noses, slight fever's, manure normal, the only horse that went off his feed was my stud colt, and he only went off his grain, kept eating his alfalfa/grassy mix. When it started through the herd we had just got rain, so I thought, well maybe a change in the weather. My donk seems to be one of the few that so far has not had it... now I'm worried, time to call the vet, I've got pregnant mares here! Thanks for the heads up!

Keri

 

[CyndiD]

Everyone here is FAT and sassy..so far, anyway.

I always wondered how bugs like that can pop up when there has been no "outside" contact..and I have to wonder about deer. I see them often and they come down along our south fence to cross at the road, and they are in the big pasture often.....Vet disagrees they carry "bugs"....but I sure wonder...