Kidney failure in my mare

[MountainMeadows]

Hi All

I have a young mare (only 5) who foaled a beautiful filly 3 months ago and all seemed well until a few days ago when she started acting slightly depressed, kind of went off her feed. I was not terribly worried, a lot of mares get kind of pulled down at this stage when nursing a robust foal. She was still eating sporadically and drinking a lot of water, but she wasn't really chowing down like a nursing mare usually does, sometimes at her grain, sometimes just picked at it, sometimes ate all her meals, sometimes just picked at it - anyone who knows me, knows that I "overfeed" my horses to the point of them often leaving hay because they have had an abundance to choose from. Over the past couple of days she has acted more & more depressed - lethargic, still drinking a lot, slightly crampy acting. I had thought that perhaps she was having a tough ovulation cycle (that does happen with her) with an enlarged folicle (she is NOT rebred). Anyway, long story short, I tried ulcer meds for a couple of days, a couple of 2 cc doses of banamine orally and SMZ's since she had a low temp of 98%.

Took her to the clinic last night because I was worried that she might have hyperlipemia or was headed that way. The blood work shows that she does not have that but is in acute kidney failure with elevated calcium and creatinine levels.

They are giving me very little hope at this time - it is so shocking, I would never have dreamed that something so acute could hit so fast and me not notice it. I pulled the foal last night since she was getting nothing from mom - she was pretty much totally dried up anyway.

Do any of you have any experience with this sort of situation - any suggestions will be greatly appreciated - right now they are IV's fluids into her with the hope that her levels return to normal, but they are also worried that the situation may return once the IV's are removed -

Stacy

 

[Genie]

Sorry I have no help to offer, only to say I am so sorry your mare is having these problems.

Hopefully the vets can help and you will have a good news story

 

[Miniv]

Stac,

I don't have any magical suggestion......

....... I'm so sorry. We've never experienced this with our horses, but unfortunately when we've had one of our dogs and a cat diagnosed with kidney failure, it meant making that sad decision.

What shocks me is that your mare is so young! It makes me wonder if she didn't get into something that was toxic? If so, the flushing of her system may be her only hope.......Just a thought without personal experience to back it up.

Sending prayers and Light.

 

[End Level Farms]

No help here either other than Prayers and best wishes.

 

[Reble]

coming your way, hope this helps.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Stacy,

I'm so sorry your mare is going through this. I'm also shocked at her young age and this happening. I would personally look at the toxin possibility just to make sure your other horses aren't at risk. I'm afraid it doesn't sound good, but her young age may actually benefit her here. If they can get her system flushed and the kidney isn't too damaged, maybe there is some hope she will pull out of it. Right now, I think you are doing all you can. The IV fluids are probably the only thing that can help her right now.

She will be in my prayers. Hugs to you Stacy.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Prayers said for your little mare.

Is there a chance she ingested some red maple leaves?

Robin

 

[MountainMeadows]

Thanks all - we aren't ruling out poisoning of some kind, but it is hard to identify if that is what it is. The vet's have indicated that kidney failure is generally due to bute or banamine toxicity from prolonged use - the plant toxins are generally found in the liver and that is not what the signs are telling us. Of course she did have 2 doses of banamine, but only a total of 4 cc over 2 days, so not much - and she has had no bute at all. We have a lot of maples, but no red maple - we are completely at a loss as to why this has happened.

The hardest part about this for me is that Sonata is Summer Rose's only foal - Rose was a World Grand in Open Single Pleasure driving and a couple of years after retiring from the show ring, dislocated her hip and we did surgery to save her, she is fat and sassy now, but carrying a foal could prove life threatening, so this happening to Sonata is really hitting me hard.

Stac

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Stacy, I'm so sorry!! Sending prayers and white light for Sonata and her baby.

Leia

 

[Karen S]

Stacy,

Did they check your mare's calcium levels? I had a mare that did the same thing with her three month old filly. The mare is over producing milk for the foal causing her body to pull the reserves from her bones. I immediately pulled the filly off of the mare and vet started her on the calcium drip with DMSO to re-hydrate her. Like your mare she kept acting like she was drinking but in reality she wasn't. If they haven't checked her for this I certainly would ask. It takes a couple of days upon administering the calcium before you will see any changes in her. She will be thin, but it won't be long before her weight comes back up.

Karen

 

[MountainMeadows]

Hi Karen,

Actually her calcium levels are too high since her kidneys aren't flushing at all. She is being hydrated and we will try a course of doxycylene to attempt to hit any possible forms of leptospirosis. The vet's do not believe this to be plant related at all. It is very scary and her prognosis is very poor -perhaps a 25% chance of making it thru this and then pins & needles on whether or not it reoccurs and what to do then if it does. We don't know how badly scarred her kidneys are at this point so the damage may be irreversible.

The frightening thing about this is that you would never have really thought that this was a life & death situation. She was a young, happy, healthy mare ut until a couple of days ago. She was drinking a lot of water - but then she was a nursing mare and they DO drink a lot. She had lost some weight - but again, nursing mares with 3 mo foals can get pulled down. She had a brite eye and a good appetite up until a couple of days ago - then became lethargic and uninterested in much food intermittently.

We are on a waiting game here, we will recheck her levels again this evening and again tomorrow morning - if no change, then I suspect the vet's will recommend putting her down.

I have learned a big lesson and that is to watch water intake very closely and to NOT necessarily believe that drinking a lot of water is a good thing - it can be a sign of problems, especially when coupled with lethargy and loss of appetite. Somtimes it seems like you just can't win - don't drink enough and they colic, drink too much and you might have something even more serious going on.

Needlesstosay, I am just torn to pieces over the thought of losing her.

Stacy

 

[AppyLover2]

Saying prayers for your girl. Please keep us updated.

 

[weerunner]

This must be so scary for you. I'm praying that your little mare fights the odds and is at home with you as soon as possible. You are doing everything you can. If she doesn't win the fight, take comfort in knowing you fought hard for her. Major warmth and prayers sent your way.

 

[Horse Feathers]

This is just a shot in the dark, how is her sugar levels? In humans when your sugar is off it can affect your kidneys. Good Luck

 

[Miniequine]

Stacy,

I am so sorry. My first thought is Red Maple or Tick bourne illness.

Not a horse, but Saturday, my brite young (3 yr) male westie suddenly

was not eating/drinking and would not get up and go play.

Sunday, I took him to the hospital.. dehydrated and a high temp.

Despite neg tests for everything under the sun,, he immediately

responded to doxycyline. Although all the tick tests were neg.

Hopefully, your mare will respond too. I had no idea that these

deseases can hit so fast.

I will keep your mare and you in my Best thoughts.

((((hugs))))

~Sandy

 

[kaykay]

Stacy

I know it seems odd but I had a friend whose mare was the same and showed high calcium level. They went ahead and infused her with calcium anyway as she was at her last straw and for some odd reason it worked. If it comes down to it I would maybe give it a try??? I cant remember all the details as it was some years ago.

Also had a friend with another mare like yours that OSU insisted was not fatty liver/hyperlipemia. (sick wouldnt eat, stumbling etc when her foal was a few days old) Finally after 3 days we got them to treat her for it anyway and sure enough that was the problem even though it wasnt showing up on blood tests. Fortunately after that treatment and hand walking on green grass she made a turn around

Sending prayers for your special girl

Kay

 

[Magic]

Oh Stacy, I'm so sorry to hear this.

Sending prayers and good thoughts for Sonata.

 

[Barbie]

Stacy-

Prayers being said for your precious Sonata and for you too. She is so young. It's hard any time to have a horse sick, but when it's your Rose's only daughter that makes it even worse. I have a good idea from experience what you went through with Rose and I too was afraid to breed my girl. I'm hoping Sonata has a strong will to live and praying for her to recover.

((((HUGS))))

Barbie

 

[mizbeth]

Oh gosh Stacy

I am so sorry to hear this. I am praying for you little mare.

Beth

 

[Margo_C-T]

Stacy, I am so very sorry about your dear little mare; sending up prayers, and the sincerest of hopes for her to pull though this and recover. You are sadly so right about the terrible 'you can't seem to win for losing' irony of water intake...

With a warm hug,

Margo