Oliver Twist new foal
- Thread starter yellerroseintx
- Start date
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Oh dear, It is so very sad when a little one loses a life that has barely begun. Hugs for your little mare, you did right to let her say her goodbyes.
I would test your mare for LWO+, as it she is you need to know before breeding from her again.
So sorry for your loss.
Anna
I would test your mare for LWO+, as it she is you need to know before breeding from her again.
So sorry for your loss.
Anna
Unfortunately Im dealing with the same situation,I had a lethal white born this morning that looks just like your baby boy.All white with very pink pigmentation.I have been reading all day on lethal whites,they can have some color but mostly all white.I had hope that my baby would be fine because she passed a little yellow fluid from her rectum but tonight as I watch her she is straining and now rolling.Its so very sad.I have never lost a foal nor had one put down,this is tearing me up.Im so sorry for your loss,from what I have read there was NOTHING that could be done.God bless...
dreaminmini
Well-Known Member
I so sorry for your loss.
It brought tears to my eyes with the mare and her foal saying goodbye. I give you both my condolences.
There are a lot of lethal white foals born with some color and they are usually like yours. The extreme pink is usually a clue. I have had friends that have had lethal white foals and one was almost identical to yours. I would for sure test the sire and dam as they both look like they could carry frame. That way you will not have to go through this again. Again Im so sorry and know how heartbroken you must be
Overo Lethal White Syndrome or "O. L. W. S.", is a terminal defect that inevitably kills newborn foals. It is one of many birth defects that trouble breeders. Lethal "white" foals have blue or washed out grayish eyes (not like true albinos who have pink eyes) and generally have no skin pigmentation at all, although in many cases, some foals have a touch of dark coloration here and there on the body. We had one born with a tail that was partially black. Other than the partially pigmented tail, this absolutely gorgeous foal was snow white. Breeders have reported foals born with small dark spots.
The foals initially appear normal except for their unusual coloring. They're usually breathtakingly beautiful and perfectly conformed. The foals stand and nurse and start playing next to their mothers, like any normal foal. Then you notice that they don't have a bowel movement after they nurse or when you give them an enema. Signs of colic, or intestinal cramping generally begin, from one hour to twelve hours following birth, due to the foal's inability to pass feces. The "lethal white" foal has an underdeveloped and contracted intestine. In most cases, the intestine simply stops short of the anal opening so the food cannot pass all the way through the foal's digestive system. This problem is caused by a failure of the embryonic cells that form nerves in the gastrointestinal system, and attempts to surgically bypass the problem have, to date, been unsuccessful.
In most cases, the foal will start to show signs of distress within three to five hours after birth by rolling up on their back repeatedly. However, cases have been reported where foals go up to three days before signs are noticed. Personally, in those cases, I feel that no one has been paying attention to what's really going on. Depending upon the severity of the cramping and intestinal twisting, it can take several days for the foals to die on their own if no one takes pity on them and has them euthanized.
Lethal white foals just can't seem to get comfortable for very long. They toss and turn, consistently showing signs of distress, and get up and down repeatedly. That's not what normal foals do. They suckle and play and then sleep, with the play periods increasing as the days pass and they get stronger. It is not normal for a foal to roll and roll and roll. It's not normal for a foal's rib cage musculature to cramp or for them to bite at their sides.
It's not normal for them to butt their mother underneath repeatedly if they've already suckled or to switch and twitch their tails all the time (unless they're being bitten by flies) or to suck the tail tight against their buttocks. These are signs of stress and pain. It is not normal for a foal to roll high up on it's back, time after time. A twist can develop in horse intestines from repeated rolling. They aren't built like we are inside. It doesn't matter whether your foal is a lethal white or a normal colored baby, this is a warning sign of possible trouble and you should call a veterinarian immediately if you see this behavior pattern developing. Remember that it's repetitive rolling that goes on and on that is indicative of a problem, or repeated cramping along their rib cage.
Overo Lethal White Syndrome or "O. L. W. S.", is a terminal defect that inevitably kills newborn foals. It is one of many birth defects that trouble breeders. Lethal "white" foals have blue or washed out grayish eyes (not like true albinos who have pink eyes) and generally have no skin pigmentation at all, although in many cases, some foals have a touch of dark coloration here and there on the body. We had one born with a tail that was partially black. Other than the partially pigmented tail, this absolutely gorgeous foal was snow white. Breeders have reported foals born with small dark spots.
The foals initially appear normal except for their unusual coloring. They're usually breathtakingly beautiful and perfectly conformed. The foals stand and nurse and start playing next to their mothers, like any normal foal. Then you notice that they don't have a bowel movement after they nurse or when you give them an enema. Signs of colic, or intestinal cramping generally begin, from one hour to twelve hours following birth, due to the foal's inability to pass feces. The "lethal white" foal has an underdeveloped and contracted intestine. In most cases, the intestine simply stops short of the anal opening so the food cannot pass all the way through the foal's digestive system. This problem is caused by a failure of the embryonic cells that form nerves in the gastrointestinal system, and attempts to surgically bypass the problem have, to date, been unsuccessful.
In most cases, the foal will start to show signs of distress within three to five hours after birth by rolling up on their back repeatedly. However, cases have been reported where foals go up to three days before signs are noticed. Personally, in those cases, I feel that no one has been paying attention to what's really going on. Depending upon the severity of the cramping and intestinal twisting, it can take several days for the foals to die on their own if no one takes pity on them and has them euthanized.
Lethal white foals just can't seem to get comfortable for very long. They toss and turn, consistently showing signs of distress, and get up and down repeatedly. That's not what normal foals do. They suckle and play and then sleep, with the play periods increasing as the days pass and they get stronger. It is not normal for a foal to roll and roll and roll. It's not normal for a foal's rib cage musculature to cramp or for them to bite at their sides.
It's not normal for them to butt their mother underneath repeatedly if they've already suckled or to switch and twitch their tails all the time (unless they're being bitten by flies) or to suck the tail tight against their buttocks. These are signs of stress and pain. It is not normal for a foal to roll high up on it's back, time after time. A twist can develop in horse intestines from repeated rolling. They aren't built like we are inside. It doesn't matter whether your foal is a lethal white or a normal colored baby, this is a warning sign of possible trouble and you should call a veterinarian immediately if you see this behavior pattern developing. Remember that it's repetitive rolling that goes on and on that is indicative of a problem, or repeated cramping along their rib cage.
