Let me start at the beginning. Last Sunday, the 16th I think, our last mare foaled. A gorgeous silver colt with a huge white blaze, he was perfect. He was up a sucking in no time and just a fireball once he figured out how to use those lonnngg legs of his.
:
: He did fine until Sunday.
I went out to do chores and noticed that he wasn't very active, but thought it was just the heat. I was gone for a few hours to pick up my son and when I came back, he really looked bad. Just laying in the shade, breathing hard, very lethargic. So I scooped him up and took him into the barn and started cooling him down. I thought he had sun stroke. After a bit he seemed to a bit brighter and got up and nursed and then layed down again. I thought he was just drained from getting too hot so I left him to rest and watched him on the camera.
The next morning, again he looks pathetic, walking behind his mamma with his head dragging, the bit of weight he had gained in the week after his birth was gone...just little bony hips sticking out. And I noticed he was drinking tonnes of water. I ran to the house to call a vet that knows a fair bit about minis and they said get him in here or he won't make the day. We were expecting another heat wave. So my husband loaded him and mamma and off they went. He was assessed at the clinic, his temp was 42 degrees :new_shocked: , and they got straight to work. They put in a shunt to mainline meds, and started cooling him down again. His temp did drop one degree throughout the day. I called the clinic when I got home from work and they said that he seemed a bit brighter and was nursing frequently. I took that to be a good sign so I said that I would come and see him today. Well, I went today and he looks absolutely pathetic. Just so skinny and very lethargic. I did see him nurse, but he is still drinking a tonne of water.And he has this big water belly on him.
What is up with that???? It is not normal for a 9 day old foal to drink so much water is it?? The vet says he has a severe pneumonia and that he sounded very congested yesterday but not really snarlly sounding today. Does anyone know have suggestions of what other tests the vet could run to rule out other problems he may be facing? His kidney function is fine and he is passing stools. I have a bad feeling about this one. I dont see a spark in his eye at all.
Please if you guys could include him on your prayer list I would sure appreciate it. His name is WindyRivers Feel the Thunder, but we just call him Thunder. Thanks
I went out to do chores and noticed that he wasn't very active, but thought it was just the heat. I was gone for a few hours to pick up my son and when I came back, he really looked bad. Just laying in the shade, breathing hard, very lethargic. So I scooped him up and took him into the barn and started cooling him down. I thought he had sun stroke. After a bit he seemed to a bit brighter and got up and nursed and then layed down again. I thought he was just drained from getting too hot so I left him to rest and watched him on the camera.
The next morning, again he looks pathetic, walking behind his mamma with his head dragging, the bit of weight he had gained in the week after his birth was gone...just little bony hips sticking out. And I noticed he was drinking tonnes of water. I ran to the house to call a vet that knows a fair bit about minis and they said get him in here or he won't make the day. We were expecting another heat wave. So my husband loaded him and mamma and off they went. He was assessed at the clinic, his temp was 42 degrees :new_shocked: , and they got straight to work. They put in a shunt to mainline meds, and started cooling him down again. His temp did drop one degree throughout the day. I called the clinic when I got home from work and they said that he seemed a bit brighter and was nursing frequently. I took that to be a good sign so I said that I would come and see him today. Well, I went today and he looks absolutely pathetic. Just so skinny and very lethargic. I did see him nurse, but he is still drinking a tonne of water.And he has this big water belly on him.
What is up with that???? It is not normal for a 9 day old foal to drink so much water is it?? The vet says he has a severe pneumonia and that he sounded very congested yesterday but not really snarlly sounding today. Does anyone know have suggestions of what other tests the vet could run to rule out other problems he may be facing? His kidney function is fine and he is passing stools. I have a bad feeling about this one. I dont see a spark in his eye at all.
Please if you guys could include him on your prayer list I would sure appreciate it. His name is WindyRivers Feel the Thunder, but we just call him Thunder. Thanks