New Filly Has Bad Front Legs

[Jill]

Wishing the best for your filly!

 

[Firefall]

Aww, such a cute and precious little girl, keeping good thoughts for her.

 

[ClickMini]

Yes, you guys are right, I mis-remembered about the Tetracycline. Sorry for that. Anytime I have seen a foal like this I have noticed that the vet recommends a small area confinement, so I would definitely agree with that. Has your vet looked at the filly? What did they say?

 

[Mona]

I'm so sorry about your foals legs. I don't know whether it is better to do stall rest or exercise but I do think it will get better with time. Best of luck with your beautiful baby!

 

[hairicane]

I bet she will be just fine with time. Congrats she is very pretty!!! :aktion033:

 

[Marty]

I don't know a thing about this but just sending you best wishes

 

[MysticRider]

Call your Vet asap, the longer you wait there is a chance the legs may not straighten out. She needs an injection or two to lossen things up. Hurry! She is worth saving, she is stunning! Had a friend lose a foal cause she took her good natured time getting the foal help.

 

[angelridge]

We had a filly like that once, not quite as bad, but still looked terrible. My vet had me get some small thin wall PVC pipe and cut it in half, long ways, round off the edges so they were smooth. Use one half for each leg. Then we got some of the quilted leg wraps (you could probably use any kind of thin quilting) and cut them so they were not so bulky and wrapped the leg all the way around and make sure the quilting came above the edges of the pipe half. The pipe fit on the back of the leg, cradleing the leg below the elbow, down and to just above the fetlock. Then we vet wrapped it on and left them on all night, took the off in the morning and left the off all day. My vets theory was, it gave the tendons a chance to "draw up" instead of being stretched out all the time and it worked and she was much better after about a week. Be carefull and watch for pressure or rubbed sores. But you should still consult your vet. This was our experience with it.

 

[swd]

UPDATE ON FILLY WITH BAD FRONT LEGS. Picture taken this afternoon. She has improved since yesterday afternoon when the first picture was taken. She right leg was splinted for part of today (6.5 hours). Left leg was not splinted as it was not as bad. Mom and baby were somewhat confined to a smaller area, but still room to walk around and stretch muscles. This picture was taken right after the splint was removed and they were turned out in a larger area for mom to graze. They will be returned to the smaller area after a while. Some of you asked if this filly was premature. Yes, she is early. Had the mare on our calendar for August 3rd, so she is about a 10-month filly if our calculations are right. Filly is nursing and hopefully tomorrow will bring even more improvement in her front legs.

I want to express my appreciation for ALL the input and advice. Your encouragement has meant a lot to us. I do not post on the forum much but I do read every day. You folks really came through when I needed your input. Some of you personally e-mailed me and told me about your experiences with foals with this problem. I can't thank you all enough for caring.

Mom is my largest mare, a black splash white at 35.5 inches. Bred to our black stallion....... was totally surprised to see this little red filly. But she is a doll and almost got her mom's bald face.

Again, many, many thanks to all who answered.

 

[REO]

Hey she does look much better! It's been nice talking to you

:

Please give her a hug for me! She looks so sweet!

 

[HGFarm]

I think you will see that she gets stronger on a daily basis. It is my understanding that splints or support will not help but are more harm- the body relies on the support and it can actually make things weaker, instead of stronger. The joints will strengthen with full use and I think you will be surprized at what you see.

Just keep her feet trimmed correctly and balanced as she grows too. She is doing better already I see!