LB's "inconclusive" death results

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LindaL

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I got another email from LB's new owners telling me that the vet did some tests on him, including for salmonella, which all came out "normal" or "inconclusive". Apparantly he had very bad diarrhea all of a sudden and was given pain meds, but died within 4 hours of that onset. So, I guess we will never know exactly why he died
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Can anyone give me any ideas as to what couldve caused a sudden bout with projectile diarrhea and pain, then quick death?
 
I don't have any foundation for an idea, but I wonder if it could be poisoning?

It's so hard no matter what, but this kind of thing is all the harder when you don't know what caused it. I hope some people here will have educated opinions. That will help you with closure.

{{{hugs}}}
 
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This is a long shot, but here I go. My horse Krystle got diarrhea out of the blue, and died within a few weeks (not hours like LB). Her autopsy report was inconclusive, too. They had retained some sample intestinal fluid and ran additional tests on the fluid. It was there that we found that she had intestinal lymphoma.

Again, I am sorry for your loss...
 
Did the vet actually do an autopsy, or just some blood tests? I had a mare two years ago that was fine, then suddenly developed colicky symptoms, and within a half hour had projectile diarreha, and died before the vet even stepped foot on the property, the analysis was she had a blockage that was slow developing, and finally became 'full' (all this happened right after morning feeding), and her intesting had ruptured (projectile diarreha).

Not sure if that's what happened here, but there were some similarities.
 
Hi Linda

I would like to know too what the vet did exactly. I think poisons take a bit longer to kill them unless he had symptom earlier and they missed them.

So sorry tho, in any case and you may never find out either why he died.

B
 
I may be way off base on this, and DON"T want to scare you, but just something to think about..About 5 weeks ago a friend of mine had 4 horses (full size), and a donkey. They were all fine at noon when he went to throw them some hay. He went back at 6pm to feed and 2 of the horses were down with projectile diarreha, and severe pain and a third horse was colicy. He called the vet, the vet was there in 1/2 hr. Took all kinds of blood samples from all the equine. 45 mins later 2 of the 3 horses died. The next day the vet called and said there was Cholostridium (sp) found. He had the pasture dirt checked and it was in the soil. It is a spore that the horses picked up. The vet said it came to the surface because we had terrible rain that brought it up. The 3rd horse died the next day, the donkey was fine, but was treated for it. It scared me sooooo bad that I would not let him come onto our property until I researched it. I was afraid he would bring it here on his shoes...
 
I had a colt die of these symptoms- he was a yearling- just went down with diarrhoea and was dead within four hours- that was Salmonella- the Vet was guessing by the state of his insides and from experience- he said there was no point in doing bloods as Salmonella has a window for diagnosing. There are also a number of different things, all lumped together as Salmonella, apparently. I also had a mare, some years earlier, do almost the same thing, but that was Buttercup poisoning- it builds up then goes into crisis. Once it has done that the animal is dead with five hours- I had her euthanised. The Vet said her insides were jelly!! I am so sorry for your loss, Linda, you must feel so guilty and helpless. Please don't beat yourself up over this, it sounds as if everything that could be done,was, and he was not alone.
 
Linda,

One year ago, my best little mare foaled a little colt. I was very ill at the time, the breeder alert did not go off as the mare labored in the standing position. I was really sick after major surgery, but I went to the barn to check on the horses. It was my first time in the barn since. Found the mare standing with a colt's head sticking out. A leg seemed to be a little stuck and without too much trouble the colt was delivered. It was brutally cold and the colt had a contracted tendon and could not stand. We loaded up the perfectly healthy stable mare in the trailer, my husband bundled me up, pajamas and all, wrapped me and the colt in a blanket and off we went to New Bolten Center.

The colt had a tough time but lived. The perfectly healthy mare died 3 days later( I had her put to sleep, but she was going to die very soon. She developed projectile diarrhea while at New Bolten Center. They worked very hard on her trying to save her, they were very upset, It was very costly too.I was not allowed in her stall as they were worried that it was contagious. NONE of my other horses were sick, no one had diarrhea.

New Bolten closed in May 2005 for a few months to terminally clean the hospital and sterilize as much as they could. That was right after my mare died. Turns out that several horses died due to diarrhea there. It was a drug resistant strain of some weird form of Salmonella or something. Now, my mare was necropsied and "cultured" but nothing was found. I am still very suspicious. MY mare went there fine and died because of complications of this weird diarrhea. She was dehydrated no matter how much fluid they gave her, she developed clotting problemsetc. I had to put her to sleep as she was suffering and there was no way to save her. I REALLY believe she picked up a "BUG" at the hospital, but no one will own up to it. Hey, I wpoildn't sue or anything, they have saved several horses for me and do good works. I need to be able to go there. Still I wish they would tell me what I believe to be the truth.
 
I lost my stallion in Feb. He just stopped eating and the morning of his death he also had the diarrhea. My vet did a autopsy and found nothing. We still do not know what happened. About a month after losing my stallion my one mare got sick and stopped eatting and we took her to a hopital and they think she had a virus(along with other problems). She never got the diarrhea though.
 
I had a big horse die in May of this year with the same symptoms. He got severe diarrhea. My vet also sent blood and fecal samples with no conclusive diagnosis. He lived 48 hours after the onset.

It is so sad to not know what caused this. I had 4 other horses eating the same feed and in the same pasture and none ever showed any signs of sickness.

I am so sorry for your loss and that you had to go through this.
 

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