Lost only foal of the yr

[Alisha514]

I am so devistated right now. Went out to feed horses and my only mare in foal for the yr aborted a beautiful palomino colt. I had the feeling something wasnt right since sunday. She was asking very tired and uncomfortable but she was HUGE so figured it may be normal. But I also started to notice she was developing a small udder. This reminded me of when Bahama lost her colt 2 yrs ago. She was at 264 days. I just dont know what I'm doing wrong. It looks to be another red bag. Sunny has had 2 pervious foals but I havent had any from her. I was really looking forward to this baby. She is 9 this yr and she seemed to take loosing this foal pretty good. It makes me wonder if this has happened to her before. I have had 5 foals so far, 3 fillies and 2 colts, and i havent had one live colt yet. Its funny while everyone else is wanting fillies.. I was hoping this little one was a colt. Go Figure I actually get what I want and it doesnt make it.

Well here are pics of him and the placenta. He is very dirty thats why he looks so dark but he hd a white main and tail and a small white hairs on his forehead. Also am I right that this was a red bag delivery? If she Sunny knew how to get him out because he was out of the sack and Im pretty sure he was born alive.

PS nothing looks wrong with him does it?

Thanks,

Alisha

Updated: Had the vet out this morning and he took blood samples from Sunny and took tissue samples from the foal and placenta. Hes sending them out to see if there was anything wrong. She is on antibiotics and before I breed her back we are going to get a culture done on her. He did say the placenta was a little to thick and didnt look right. And the foal and an enlarged liver so he could of had a developmental problem going on but not sure till results are back.

 

[MBhorses]

my heart goes out to you and your mare. I am so sorry you lost your palomino colt. We had a year we lost four foals to mares that abort at 3 mos, 5 mos and 7 mos and 9 mos

 

[HGFarm]

Oh no, I am so sorry about you losing your colt. The mare may have been ok because she might have had time with it to realize it was not live and has accepted that, not that she had done this before. I hear about 8 to 9 months along is a high risk time if mares are going to abort.. not sure why.

I am also not sure how you would tell if it was a red bag, since the foal was too early and already out anyhow....

I would have your mare flushed and on antibiotics before breeding her again, just to make sure she is clean. I am sure others here will have input about mares developing an udder and then aborting.... I have heard them speak of this before on here and it is crucial that immediate vet care be obtained to hopefully keep the mare from losing the fetus. I forget the technical name for the whole thing......

I am so sorry, the colt looks normal to me. Hugs to you and to the little mare- that is always so heartbreaking.

 

[tagalong]

You said the mare was huge.... I am wondering if this could have been hydrops.

Sometimes, you never know what went wrong...

 

[Watcheye]

aww thats devastating. Im so sorry.

 

[Miniv]

I am so so very very sorry......

At this stage of the gestation, it technically wouldn't be considered a Red Bag. If it's not too late, I'd have your vet check the placenta. From your photos, I thought there may be some evidence of stress to it. (Your colt looks normal and probably would have been one heck of a driver! Sorry....you probably didn't need to hear that.)

I agree with HG Farm.....Your little mare should be flushed AND probably infused with antibiotic. It's a very simple procedure, but you should have it done either now before her cervix closes or during her next heat cycle.

Please don't lose hope. Your girl sounds like a great mare and from the looks of the colt is potentially a great producer!

PS: Forgot to say -- we've also had mares develop bags when they aborted. And regarding her size - you said she was huge? Did it seem as if she lost an enormous amount of fluid? If you felt she did, I would share that with the vet.

 

[minie812]

well i am so sorry to see the loss of that colt. It sure hurts when it happens...been there too

 

[Leeana]

I'm so sorry Alisha

 

[sedeh]

I'm so sorry that you lost your colt.

We wait so long with so much anticipation that it's such a kick in the teeth when something like this happens. The colt looked normal to me for his gestation. I'm glad the mare is doing okay.

 

[Royal Crescent]

I am so sorry for your loss. I don't have much experience with foals, but I don't think he had hydrops. Hydrops babies have a huge amount of fluid in their tissues in humans and I would assume the horses would also. He looks pretty normal to me. So very sorry

Barb

 

[twister]

So very sorry for your loss

Yvonne

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

Im so sorry for your loss! I actually had a mare abort at 264 days this year also, when I asked for advise about her bagging and stuff I was told she probably had placentitis. So I would also recommend having her flushed out really good and maybe even cultured before breeding again.

 

[Joanne]

First I am so sorry for your loss.

For some reason there seems to be a critical time period where minis can loose their foals and your colt was in that critical zone.

So what to do next time. Some breeders would put this mare on a drug called Regumate during her next pregnancy. And they would give it for the intire pregnancy.

It is so hard to have a mare carry a pregnancy this long and then loose it. The only thing you can be greatful for is that she was able to abort on her own without veterinary assistance.

Mares that bag up early and give you signs that they may abort can sometimes go onto have live foals when they are given antibiotics and Regumate.

I think these losses can be hard on the Mare too.

Again I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[DianeT]

I am so very sorry for your loss. It just makes you feel so helpless and so sad.

I agree with the flushing and antibotics.

 

[Alisha514]

Thanks for all your kind words and support. I am calling the vet out tomorrow morning as it was to late tonite and she seemed to be doing ok. She has been stalled all winter along. We were able to let them out over the weekend. She ran like the rest of them. I tried letting the others get some running out before letting her out with them. But she still ran a bit. Could of letting her out and run since she wasnt used to it cause stress with the baby and that could of caused it? Do you think that mares have a harder time carring colts then they do fillies? Just seems funny that both times it has been a colt that I have lost.

Alisha

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

So sorry for your loss

 

[lilnickers]

I am so sorry you lost your long awaited colt

I also had a mare abort this year. She was at 8 months gestation. I went to the barn to turn everyone out, and there lay the foal in the center of the stall. This was my first aborted foal here. It fills your head with so many questions. The vet told me that sometimes these things just happen. Hang in there

 

[ShaunaL]

I'm so sorry for your loss, he looked like a beautiful little colt

You may have seen my other posts about my mare Whitney last year and again this year. Whitney does this also, for some reason, but the last two years we have so far been able to keep her from aborting with Regumate, SMZs and Banamine. We still lost last year's colt, born at 282 days, but she carried longer than the year before. Medication might be something to consider if you breed your mare again.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

The foal doesn't look unusual to me and sadly you may never know why this happened. I personally don't think you did anything wrong with letting her out. She knows if she can run or not and if she was stressing, she would have just stood around or acted odd when you let her out and not had the urge to run and play.

I agree with the others - a flush and antibiotics. I also agree you shouldn't give up on her and I personally would do regumate next year and I'd do it starting as early (or earlier) as 100 days or so along. Just what I would do.

Hugs to you.

 

[REO]

Aw no!

I'm SO sorry!!

I've lost my share over the years and I know how it hurts.

{{{Hugs}}} to you and your mare.