Foal Diarrhea

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WLS

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With all these foals arriving; is anyone having problems with the foals developing the diarrhea at about a week old. (some claim to be caused by the foal heat). My vet has told me previously not to worry, it is normal and they will get over it. However, we had one once get dehydrated and ended up on IV at at Hospital, so I DO WORRY.!!

Today, my week old palomino colt developed a bad case of the sours; still nursing and playing like normal. I did bath his tail tonight to clean him up which he actually enjoyed.

Anybody got any old remedies for this problem, other than injections.( I hate giving babies needles). Wendy
 
Wendy --

I had read if you deworm the mares w/ Ivermectin w/in 12 hours after foaling, it can keep it from happening, or greatly reduce it. I don't know if it always works but I did deworm mine w/ Ivermectin right after they delivered and the foals did not get diarrhea.

Jill
 
I just had this discussion with the vet on Tuesday. Her advice, worm approx 1 week before foaling, worm 12 hours after foaling (mare).

The foals are like petri dishes. Foal heat can cause the runs, but so can anything else that ordinarily shouldn't be in a foals stomach, but ends up getting into a foals system.

I posted about two weeks ago, but I will say it again. BIOSPONGE is great. The first foal here this year developed the runs at 2 nweeks. Her tail was soaked. After talking with my vet and plotting a course of action, she was given biosponge 4x's a day, probios paste 2x's a day, pepto every 3-6 hours and electrolites in very small doses, if needed. She started forming solid stools in 6-8 hours and was completely back to normal by the next morning. She only required 2 doses of pepto, I didn't want to over do it.

I was expecting a few days for it to clear up, results were way better than I have ever gotten without the biosponge.

Carolyn
 
We've only had one foal ever get diarrhea, and that was a big horse colt years ago. I don't know if it is because we deworm like Jill does, or not. I just know, it doesn't happen here that often!
 
I find it to be fairly common here about the time the mares come in foal heat. If it doesn't soak the foals rear, I don't become too concerned as long as the foal is nursing, bright and active. I will give the foal around 6cc daily of Probios. If the diarrhea is worse as in soaking the foals rear and tail, then I will give them Spectam, an antibiotic. If the foal becomes lethargic and quits nursing, that is a veterinary emergency and requires vet attention ASAP.
 
I absolutely swear by worming the mare at foaling. When I was a kid we could always tell when a mare was in foal heat because her foal had diarrhea. This year out of the twenty plus foals, one had it and I was out of town when the foal was born and didn't get to worm her at the right time.
 
Diarrhea is very common, but should NEVER be passed off as "normal", even though it really kinda is. Severe diarrhea can pop up and have your foal dead within a day. If it comes around 10 days or so post foaling and is easily controlled I wouldn't worry, but if it comes at a different time and the foal looks depressed, treat it as an emergency and speak to your vet immediately. Usually its not a big deal, but the first time you pass it off as normal will be the emergency time.
 
I have found that one mare here, her foals always get it when she comes in on her foal heat, and I always deworm the mare within 12 hrs of birth. I don't know if something in her milk changes or what, but none of my others have had problems.
 
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It's pretty common around here. I do worm with Ivermectin after foaling, but haven't found it to make a big difference. Have never dewormed before they foal though, will try that too. Usually it's not a big deal. I give probios and biosponge and that generally clears it within a day to day and a half. As Becky said, I don't worry too much about it unless it they soak their tails or get lethargic. 2 of my 3 this year have had it, actually all three but the third filly just had a touch of it, cleared with no problem. The other two took a couple of days but I didn't get the biosponge into them but once the first day. Babies do merit watching closely though, they can go downhill so quickly if they are dehydrated.

Jan
 
Thanks everyone for your advice. I did worm the mare, but not till about four days after foaling, since I forgot to replenish my supply. So maybe it was too late by then.

The colt seems to be acting fine; (but I am worried sick) I am checking him carefully on the monitor throughout the night, and he keeps nursing and running around his stall. Hope tomorrow everything will be fine. Thanks.
 
We are another farm that always worms immediately after foaling. It's not a guarantee that the baby won't get foal scours, but it sure seems to reduce them.

Like Becky posted, if we get them, we clean them up and watch their temp and behavior closely.
 
Hi WLS
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We also De Worm in less than 24 hours after foaling and do notice that the "foal heat" scours subsided and /or if the foal did get the scours it was very minimal.
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However, we noticed last year that a few of our foals got it but they were older (ranging from 1 week old to 2 months old)
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Had the vet out and he was having a tough time figuring it out what was causing it too.
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But, they did not have it really bad nor were they dehydrated because we caght them early and had them stalled for observation and it cleared up.
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So when we let them out after 48 hours we watched them go right up to the mineral block outside and start licking it like there was no tommorrow!
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:DOH! Then after that started drinking alot of water shortly there after.....
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We called the vet after that and he said to pull the salt/ mineral block out of the paddock and stalls (which there was not any in the stalls the babies were in during treatment for the scours) and in the mean time give them some Probios and Pepto Bismol in case they got the scours again which they did shortly after going to the Mineral Block.
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Needless to say we no longer keep mineral blocks out there when the foals are under 3 months.
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We have never had a problem with foal scours since.
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Just thought I would share what happened to us..
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Jeri
 
Hi WLS
default_biggrin.png


We also De Worm in less than 24 hours after foaling and do notice that the "foal heat" scours subsided and /or if the foal did get the scours it was very minimal.
default_yes.gif


However, we noticed last year that a few of our foals got it but they were older (ranging from 1 week old to 2 months old)
default_new_shocked.gif
Had the vet out and he was having a tough time figuring it out what was causing it too.
default_wacko.png
But, they did not have it really bad nor were they dehydrated because we caght them early and had them stalled for observation and it cleared up.
default_unsure.png


So when we let them out after 48 hours we watched them go right up to the mineral block outside and start licking it like there was no tommorrow!
default_new_shocked.gif
:DOH! Then after that started drinking alot of water shortly there after.....
default_yes.gif
We called the vet after that and he said to pull the salt/ mineral block out of the paddock and stalls (which there was not any in the stalls the babies were in during treatment for the scours) and in the mean time give them some Probios and Pepto Bismol in case they got the scours again which they did shortly after going to the Mineral Block.
default_wacko.png


Needless to say we no longer keep mineral blocks out there when the foals are under 3 months.
default_biggrin.png
We have never had a problem with foal scours since.
default_wink.png


Just thought I would share what happened to us..
default_biggrin.png


Jeri

Thanks Jeri. Palomino boy (no name at nine days old) still has the diarrhea on Day Two. Started him on injections as prescribed by Vet. But interesting theory about the mineral blocks. My horses have them free choice outside. And foals would have access them them. Thanks for the heads up. There is always something new to learn about the care of these guys. Wendy
 
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Thanks Jeri. Palomino boy (no name at nine days old) still has the diarrhea on Day Two. Started him on injections as prescribed by Vet. But interesting theory about the mineral blocks. My horses have them free choice outside. And foals would have access them them. Thanks for the heads up. There is always something new to learn about the care of these guys. Wendy

What kind of injections? Your foal shouldn't need any antibiotics, as foal heat diarrhea is very normal and can be cleared up with Bio-Sponge and/or Pepto Bismol. I like to mix 5cc of Bio-Sponge to 5cc of Pepto when I see one with the runs and give it twice a day. It usually clears up in a day or two and I continue with Bio-Sponge for a couple of days afterword.

Most of my foals get diarrhea at about 1 to 1 1/2 weeks of age, it is caused by a bactera bloom in their gut that coincedes with but is not caused by foal heat. I worm the mares within 12 hrs of birth, give Pro-Bios at birth and again at day 4, give E-Colicin at birth and keep very clean stalls with outside pasture time every day; and I still get foals with diarrhea.

Rick
 
I'm also curious as to what injections were prescribed by the vet........
 
My vet had us put our filly on Lactaid and it has worked like a charm! We dissolved one tablet morning and night and syringed it into her mouth. We also gave her 2 gm ProBios at the same time. She is down to one Lactaid a day now and when she is two weeks old we will stop that, too, unless for some reason we would need to continue. It has worked like a charm!

Peggy
 
I almost never get foal scours here. Once in a while - every few years one might get it. I am careful to keep my mares on wormer rotation throughout the year, worm them after foaling and also add red cell to their feed for a few days after.

If I get it, and I think one did last year, I use probios on the foal (and pepto if it continues more than a day). If it is real watery I will give them gatorade as well. I also give the mare probios. It usually stops it in one day.

Good luck, but if they do get it always be careful and watch them. They can go downhill very quickly and if you are like a lot of us that work during the day may not see how much fluid, water they are losing.
 

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