Help!

[SammyL]

I have a 13 year old mare that is showing me weird signs. I don't know what I am missing.

Her temp is 103.6.

She is off feed, but did eat a very little amount tonight. She is drinking. Not her usual amount, but still drinking.

Her CRT is normal.

Gums are slightly pale, but not horribly so. And they are still moist.

I checked for heat in her joints and hooves because she is prone to laminitis. No heat anywhere.

She is lethargic. And acting a little stiff in her movements. She will move if I ask her too, but I think she would prefer to just stay in the barn.

I am fearing sand colic, and I walked her hoping to get things moving. I gave her Sand-Clear this afternoon.

Also, for the last three months or so, she has some subtle personality changes, and I have been keeping an eye on her. She did not start showing these other symptoms until yesterday.

Being as I just moved to a new area, I am unable to separate her from the other herd members at this time which makes things difficult.

Does anything come to mind as to what is ailing her?

The vet is coming out right away tomorrow morning.

 

[ForeverJit]

Sorry, I am not much of a help, but I just wanted to say good luck and I hope she feels better.

I have a hunch about something, but lemme look something up before telling you about it.

 

[ruffian]

I am NOT a vet, but going on my personal experience. Try to find any way to separate her. Sounds similar to Potomac Horse Fever to me. Even if you have to put a board across the end of an aisleway, I would certainly separate her. Is she acting chilled? If so, blanket her. Good luck with her.

 

[normajeanbaker]

A temp, being lethargic, personality change, and being stiff all point to Lyme Disease.

 

[ForeverJit]

After looking it up, all her symptoms seem to point to Lyme disease

 

[SammyL]

Not acting chilled at all.

She does not have access to natural water, like a pond or creek....I thought they got Potomac Horse Fever from being around water and ingesting flukes or snails? The only water available to them is fresh water in a heated tank for the winter.

I am training to be a CVT currently, and when I brought up the problem to the resident Vet at my college, she thought it might be Lyme's Disease?

Edited to Add: ForeverJit and normajeanbaker, we must have posted at the same time. I was thinking that same thing. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[Reble]

103.6 is high, some type of virus,

I usually try Penicillin till vet can see them.

Just my opinion.

 

[normajeanbaker]

We have treated 2 for Lyme Disease. Both were out on dry lots, both brushed daily, they are sprayed with bug spray that is suppose to be good for ticks too, we are not in a "hot spot" for ticks and I have never plucked a tick off either. But, they both tested positive. Both had temps, were lethargic, off feed, etc. It didn't take long after we started the treatment before they started to feel better. It is definitely easier to treat when you catch it early. One of them had to be treated for Lyme again 2 years after she first got it, but the other horse has had no issues since we treated him.

Good luck. It would be so much easier to figure out what is wrong with them if they could talk!

Jen

 

[Minimor]

Just for the record--apparently PHF can also be transmitted by dragon or damsel flies. Mayflies too I think? I thought it was from snails only, but did some research last summer & found out about the dragonflies. But regardless, this time of year I doubt anyone's horses would be exposed to dragonflies!

Sometimes the symptoms you describe can also be related to a simple case of influenza, even the slight stiffness/reluctance to move.

 

[MyBarakah]

Having minis mares now for a while I think I have run into allot of problems.. I had one do about the same last fall.. Have you checked her for mastitis? See if her bag is swelled up on side worse than other? She could have Rhino or some bug and pray you don't have that. But so far the best drug to kick a temp and get them back on thier feet ASAP is an antibotic called Excenel (which is a cheaper form of Nacxel)... but I like this stuff better because you can keep at room temp and is a little bit cheaper. But you give 1 cc per 100 lbs and you would give this shot once every 3 days. Another reaason I love this drug! Penicilling and Nacxel you have to give every day and penicillin really hurts the horse when you give it, it's got a bit to it ... It works super fast! And this stuff also has a shelf life where most anitbiotics (liquid form) don't.. .I would highly recommend to keep some on hand. I would also highly recommend you also squirt banamine in her mouth to help the temp drop and this is probally going to stress her out and cause ulcer... especially where she's not eating good.. So I highly would recommend giving her Ulcer or Gastro Guard too...

Good luck!

 

[wcr]

Since it is early morning and the vet is coming soon, I would do nothing. Yes she has a temp, which would indicate more of a bacterial rather than viral infection, but she is eating and drinking. If you start dumping a bunch of meds in her it might mask the symptoms the vet might need to diagnose and properly treat what is ailing her.

Hope everything comes out all right.

 

[targetsmom]

Lyme Disease was my first thought too. You might mention it to vet and he/she can always draw blood and have it tested later if the diagnosis is difficult. I have had two horses with Lyme Disease and the symptoms can be all over the place. One time the vet waited to run the test until we exhausted all other possibilities. I had 2 vets and 2 farriers that thought Target had an abcessed foot...but it turned out to be Lyme.

 

[mizbeth]

Good morning,

Yes, the symptoms could mean a number of things and is a good thing you are having the Vet out. I agree at this point to NOT give anything as the vet is coming, unless absolutely necessary to bring the temp down. You can run water on their legs up to their knees if needed to help bring temps down if you don't have banamine, or simply give them pedialite or gatorade, this helps bring the temps down. That is fairly high temp for mini, but horses do have higher temps at night than in the day time.

Usually if they have a temp it is not colic but most likely an infection of some kind. Good luck in any case, I hope she feels better soon.

Beth

 

[wendi leigh]

Glad the vet is coming this morning, and good luck. I agree that I would wait for the vet to do anything. The vet can do a snap test to see if she tests positive for Lymes, and if so, the antibiotic of choice is doxycycline not SMZ or the ones we normally use. Keep us posted.

 

[Reble]

Hope the vet is out soon, keep us posted and what they recommend.

 

[Carolyn R]

I hope you get some answers soon. The clinic my vets work out of ALWAYS runs blood work to try to see what is brewing and know what course of action to take.

To me, it sounds like she caught a bug. It does happen, just as it happens in people.

Keep us posted!

 

[~Lisa~]

her temp is pretty high although I have had horses with over 106 with a bad virus (only saying that part so you do not panic about her temp)

I would think she doesnt want to move and is very quiet due to her fever and not sure I would read more into it then that.

Glad the vet is coming out and once you get her temp down she should feel a lot better try dypyrone for fever rather then banimine it can be made by a compound pharmacy and I have not found anything better for fevers

 

[Marty]

I wouldn't even venture to guess this could be anything from soup to nuts but if by any chance she was left out in the winter blustry wind where she failed to get in shelter she could have easily caught a bug just from that. Hang in there, be strong, possitive thoughts headed your way and wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I don't have any advice, but hoping the vet has been out and you have some news and it's good. Sending positive thoughts and looking forward to an udpate.

 

[SammyL]

Just an update for everyone! Thank you for the replies by the way.

Her fever was 104.6 this morning.

The vet came out, drew blood, and the results should be back within a few hours.

We gave the mare Banamine to bring down her fever, and I have instructions to see if she will eat a small warm, wet meal of mash in about two hours.

I also gave her some electrolytes as instructed by my vet.

The vet was thinking an upper respiratory infection maybe. Or Ehrlichia.

So now it is just a waiting game to see where we go next.