imput on what you would do

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ibquackers20

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We have a 3 year old mare that has been sick off and on, vet bills are adding up.pulling my hair out and I am at my wits end.

Seems that over a week ago she was down and rolling and flicking her tail all the time.Called the vet right away and he gave her a needle for pain and mineral oil through a tube.She did much better soon after and her breathing slowed down.Vet said she had good gut sound and her heart rate was normal.

2 days later she was back at it and called the vet down again - same thing mineral oil and a shot for pain,then put her on 1 tbsp powder Macleod Uniprim because she has had so many needler in her neck in the past and this stuff meant no needle.Well had her on it for 10 days and 2 days later she is again holding her tail up a bit and trying to pee , saw her trying 6 times in less then 1/2 hour. She did this before and ended taking her to their office for a week stay to find out bladder infection. So it sounds like that again.

Now I am so frustrated with it all and she is really costing $$$$$$ with all the vet visits not to mention I have to stop training my guys because all my time is spent on her. Question is what would you guys do try to sell her back to the woman who sold me her mom pregnant with this mare or maybe the sad part have her put down,I really hate to see her in pain so much - and with her it is reacurring over and over for the past 2 years.
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Is there anyone who went through the same troubles with a 3 year old mare or any thoughts as to why she is getting this ? I love her to bits but the bills are really adding up and I lose sleep all the time not giving up though.Called vet and she is comming down in a day and will be taking blood work and pee sample plus they will be doing an altersound as well they figure she might have stones ---- I hope if she does it does not need to be operated on and she just needs meds to clear it up/pass them ?
 
Not to be harsh but vet bills are a part of owning horses and sometimes they can run very high. Just the way the cookie crumbles.

I know there are times that putting a animal down is a necssary thing however I am not sure IMO you are anywhere close to that at this point.

I am not sure why she now becomes the sellers issue you purchased the horse therefore she is yours and her health issues are your issues no one elses. You have had this mare for quite some time

In the future since vet bills can equal putting a horse down for you - you might want to look into getting insurance on your horses major medical would have taken care of this.

I totally understand your frustration at her just not seeming to get better but I do think you have not exhausted all your options yet.
 
Have you considered ulcers as possible recurring problem for her? [i realize that bladder infections don't necessarily go along with ulcers, but recurring colic-like symptoms are.] Something to discuss with your vet.

I have a now 3 year old filly, that had recurring ulcer episodes for several months just over a year ago. Once, I figured out what it was (initially I thought she was colicing), I treated her for ulcers and then finally added a little alfalfa to her diet and she hasn't had an episode in months, now. I don't know if the alfalfa helped or she just outgrew it (she seems to be my "sensitive" soul, and worries about stuff, like the tractor driving by, the cows mooing, changes in weather and more; she seems to have gotten over some of these worries and has settled into life here on the ranch with the other girls). [i had read somewhere that alfalfa can help with ulcers, so figured adding a little to her diet couldn't hurt, and it might help. I shake the leaves out of the alfalfa, as ours was put up for cattle its a bit coarse, so I just feed her a scoop of just leaves (my scoop is about 3 cups) once a day. It seems to be working, either that or she outgrew it.]

Good luck figuring out what is wrong with your little girl.
 
Not to be harsh but vet bills are a part of owning horses and sometimes they can run very high. Just the way the cookie crumbles.

I know there are times that putting a animal down is a necssary thing however I am not sure IMO you are anywhere close to that at this point.

I am not sure why she now becomes the sellers issue you purchased the horse therefore she is yours and her health issues are your issues no one elses. You have had this mare for quite some time

In the future since vet bills can equal putting a horse down for you - you might want to look into getting insurance on your horses major medical would have taken care of this.

I totally understand your frustration at her just not seeming to get better but I do think you have not exhausted all your options yet.

I know owning a horse comes at a price but I am willing to do my best with her I have had her since she was born here, she is my baby but it gets so tirieing and painfull seeing her in pain, it takes a lot out of myself and her going through this but no I will try everything to get her over this - reason why the vet is going to come and altersound her,I hope this time it will give us an answer so we can have good times together and not bad times (needles and meds all the time)I am just at my wits end and do not know what to do next but we never did the altersound before.As for the owner who sold me the mother well I figured maybe it is something here causeing it, but when I asked the vet he said no it is not something here. Good so we will take it one day at a time.
 
If you can not afford her. Not to be harsh, but maybe you could give her to someone that can handle the cost. I can not believe that anyone would buy a mare that every 2 days needs a vet. However, maybe you could give her to someone.
 
Have you considered ulcers as possible recurring problem for her? [i realize that bladder infections don't necessarily go along with ulcers, but recurring colic-like symptoms are.] Something to discuss with your vet.

I have a now 3 year old filly, that had recurring ulcer episodes for several months just over a year ago. Once, I figured out what it was (initially I thought she was colicing), I treated her for ulcers and then finally added a little alfalfa to her diet and she hasn't had an episode in months, now. I don't know if the alfalfa helped or she just outgrew it (she seems to be my "sensitive" soul, and worries about stuff, like the tractor driving by, the cows mooing, changes in weather and more; she seems to have gotten over some of these worries and has settled into life here on the ranch with the other girls). [i had read somewhere that alfalfa can help with ulcers, so figured adding a little to her diet couldn't hurt, and it might help. I shake the leaves out of the alfalfa, as ours was put up for cattle its a bit coarse, so I just feed her a scoop of just leaves (my scoop is about 3 cups) once a day. It seems to be working, either that or she outgrew it.]

Good luck figuring out what is wrong with your little girl.
The vet checked her for ulcers and came up no - but if the altersound comes up nothing there well ?
 
You've had her 3 years and she's had 2 colics and a bladder infection, and now sounds like maybe anothe bladder infection starting? That's not so bad, really, in the big picture of what some people have for vet expenses for some horses. Believe me, it could be much, much worse!

With these two colics occurring 2 days apart I would suggest that whatever caused her to colic the first time didn't actually resolve itself and her pain returned--just one issue, not two, and I'm sorry to say that multiple vet calls for one problems aren't so uncommon!

May I ask why you'd give Uniprim (antibiotic) for colic?? And why for 10 days? According to my vet, maximum is 7 days on Uniprim, longer than that you risk side effects, possibly serious ones. After 10 days on Uniprim this mare shouldn't be starting a bladder infection--the Uniprim should have actually warded that off!

I suppose that selling her is one of your options; I'm not sure why you would say sell her back specifically to the person you bought her dam from, unless just because you think she might be the person who would most want to buy her. It's in no way that seller's responsibility that this mare is having these health issues, but perhaps that isn't how you meant that. I would hope that you give full disclosure to any potential buyers about the health problems and your reasons for selling, and price the mare accordingly. Or perhaps just offer her free to a good home that will guarantee good care for her & her ailments

If it were me I would try to figure out what caused her to colic, and take steps to avoid that in future. I guess if she is now getting a bladder infection I would try to figure out what is wrong that she is having this problem--ultrasound for stones, if the vet thinks that is the issue.
 
If you can not afford her. Not to be harsh, but maybe you could give her to someone that can handle the cost. I can not believe that anyone would buy a mare that every 2 days needs a vet. However, maybe you could give her to someone.

I could not just give her to someone knowing her past,I did not buy her from someone she was born here.I will keep getting the vet here till we find the root of the problem, sorry but I also have to deal with right now with the death of our favorite cat that passed away at the vets today so I am being over welmed with troubles - my cat has been at the vets for 3 days and as of this morning passed away there in his sleep,vet said his amune system was fighting against him and they could not get his cell count up.It seems that when it rains here it pours and I am over welmed. To many things at once
 
I didn't mean to give her to someone and don't tell them her past. But, there are good people out there that can and will take on a project like your mare. I ment this rather then put her down. It is just an option.
 
well I figured maybe it is something here causeing it, but when I asked the vet he said no it is not something here.
With all due respect, if your vet cannot say what IS causing the problems then he can't quite say for sure what isn't causing them.
Colic, for instance, can be caused by so many things....something the horse ate....can your vet say for sure that your mare didn't eat something that is still in there, causing a partial impaction & colic???

Worms--do you know 100% for sure that your deworming program is effective, that in spite of what you are giving however often for worms, that there isn't a parasite problem in spite of it. Have you done fecal counts?

Did your vet scope her to rule out ulcers? If not, what was the basis for his assurance that she doesn't have ulcers?
 
You've had her 3 years and she's had 2 colics and a bladder infection, and now sounds like maybe anothe bladder infection starting? That's not so bad, really, in the big picture of what some people have for vet expenses for some horses. Believe me, it could be much, much worse!

With these two colics occurring 2 days apart I would suggest that whatever caused her to colic the first time didn't actually resolve itself and her pain returned--just one issue, not two, and I'm sorry to say that multiple vet calls for one problems aren't so uncommon!

May I ask why you'd give Uniprim (antibiotic) for colic?? And why for 10 days? According to my vet, maximum is 7 days on Uniprim, longer than that you risk side effects, possibly serious ones. After 10 days on Uniprim this mare shouldn't be starting a bladder infection--the Uniprim should have actually warded that off!

I suppose that selling her is one of your options; I'm not sure why you would say sell her back specifically to the person you bought her dam from, unless just because you think she might be the person who would most want to buy her. It's in no way that seller's responsibility that this mare is having these health issues, but perhaps that isn't how you meant that. I would hope that you give full disclosure to any potential buyers about the health problems and your reasons for selling, and price the mare accordingly. Or perhaps just offer her free to a good home that will guarantee good care for her & her ailments

If it were me I would try to figure out what caused her to colic, and take steps to avoid that in future. I guess if she is now getting a bladder infection I would try to figure out what is wrong that she is having this problem--ultrasound for stones, if the vet thinks that is the issue.
she has only had 2 cases of colic in 2 years, it is her bladder infections that we can not explain.As for selling her or giving her away well that was said in the heat of the moment I could never do that ,just frustrated on trying to figure out whats wrong.I hope the altersound will tell all.I would never sell a horse and hide nothing, She is the remaing 1 of 3 other minis, a few years ago some one snuck into my yard letting 4 out and 3 hit and killed by a car - we now have locks on all our gates and security cameras.She just puzzles us and the vet said he will find out why this is happening --- and yes a heat could be why she is peeing so much but I want to make sure after the last colic that she is not getting the bladder infection back. She just shows the signs like before.
 
I understand your frustration but you need another vet.

I had a vet here years ago insisted treating my horse for colic for four stupid days when I tried to tell him it was ulcers but he would not listen. He didn't have a clue about ulcers let alone know how to dose a miniature for anything. Thank goodness I finally found a vet who was right on target. Not saying your horse has ulcers I have no idea but I feel your vet is not getting down to the core of the problems with your mare the way they keep re-occuring. I would run, not walk to get another vet involved quickly.

Wishing you best of luck and soon.
 
It sounds to me like there is a lot more investigation to be done to rule out what it isn't before you decide on such drastic measures.

For example: poisonous plants in the area (even a leaf from some plants blown into a paddock can cause problems even though the tree itself is not near), her diet (is there some mineral imbalance?), parasites (not all wormers get every parasite, and you may review your plan with your vet), allergies...impaction...gas...mild infection, etc. etc.

Try to approach things calmly and in an organized manner. Make a list of things to ask your vet.

The vet will want to know what she's been eating, what her general demeanor is and if it changes at certain times or in response to certain activities, etc. You are the best way to help resolve this (as in you spend the most time with her so you know what she does and doesn't do/act).

I wish you luck. I know how hard it can be sometimes (had a mare with allergies) when you don't know what's going on.

Keep us posted....

Liz
 
I am being over welmed with troubles - my cat has been at the vets for 3 days and as of this morning passed away there in his sleep,vet said his amune system was fighting against him and they could not get his cell count up.It seems that when it rains here it pours and I am over welmed. To many things at once

I do understand feeling totally overwhelmed and I am sorry for the loss of your pet.
 
So sorry you are having problems, you came to the right place to ask.

Sometimes we can run into situations that vets can help and figure out what is causing the problem, and other times, they have no ideal what is causing the problem, just need to ask like you are doing and maybe someone can help. Thinking of you and your filly to help her in this situation.
 
thanks guys I am making a list of things I want her tested for

- partial impact

- worms all though she was given a month ago ivermectin

- scoup for ulcers

- fecal counts

will get them to do it all weather they say she needs it or not,just for my piece of mind

asnything else you think she should be tested for while they are here ?
 
I have been in the situation before with big horse and a lab we had. It is very hard and you just want the animal pain-free. If it suddenly came up and the horse was healthy other wise the last few years, maybe try another vet -

You still have to be able to live and though this may sound harsh to some people, does your horse pay the bills?

Put a cap on what you are going to spend and tell the vet, if you are still unsure, ask your vet flat out what they think. I am lucky and have a wonderful vet who will tell you what they think and in my best interest.

Good luck with your decision, it is a hard one.
 
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I don't have any advice just wanted to say hang in there!! Its good that the vet is doing the ultra sound to check for stones!! Those would be quite painful and I am pretty sure they can be treated. I know how anxious you are to get to the root of the problem and find a solution. I am so sorry about your cat, it sure is hard to deal when you get hit from more than one side!! Sounds like you are doing everything possible for your little mare!
 
If it is ulcers I have used Aloe Vera juice on mine with stomach problems.It is cheap and usually Walmart has it in with the vitamins.It won't hurt them and may be soothing to a sore tummy.I used 6 cc in the mouth twice daily.I am not a vet just someone with lots of Mini doctoring experience.Good luck.Hang in there.
 
ya it just seems endless here, a jerk opened our gate and 3 minis hit and killed by a car, Had to put our old dog down a while back then another dog that was old had a heart attack,then our cat before died of an anurisum (sp) to the brain.Then we got another cat who was a great mouser inside our home and he was the one that just passed on, all this in the past 3 years. I say enough but I keep going on.
 

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