Please....I need help for a friend

[Mona]

A friend of mine that lives in Virginia is having some problems this year that she feels may be related to Fescue. She has so far, had 2 mares that foaled, and neither one had milk. The first one, the foal died after attempts to feed it, but it was born alive. However, we thought may it may have been a red bag, as she seemed kind of slow, like she had suffered a lack of oxygen. She didn't seem to know how to stand on her own, and when she would lay down, instead of filding her legs, she would litterally fall right over sideways.

Now another mare has foaled, and she has not milk either, and the foal was dead. She thinks it was a redbag. She said she has some fescue in her pasture, but not much. She took them off the fescue hay 3 weeks ago.

Yet she said some of her other mares are bagging up, so if that is the case, do you still think it is fescue related?

She asked me to ask for advice on here for her. I know she can give Domperidone, but what exactly can she do now to try and save others. Exactly what steps must she take?? When would she start feeding the Domperidone, and why would some mares be bagging and others not if they are all on the same pasture and hay?? If it was fescue related wouldn't they all be affected, rather than just some??

Please offer whatever help and experience you can, so she can try to save her toher foals before they are born. Thank you!

 

[Black Magic]

I am sooo very sorry for your friend. I cannot offer any help, I so wish I had some good news. We are building a new home, and we were discussing the sod that is to be laid around the house, (not even likely that the horses will be in that area). However, my husband was very firm with the builder, and explained to him, that some bahia grass is mixed with fescue, with the fescue being only around 10% or less. He said that Bahia is not as sturdy to draught, so fescue is mixed with the bahia, in trace amounts. He explained to the builder, (who was looking sort of like he thought hubby was buggy)... that some sort of (I think he said) fungus grows on the fescue and causes all sorts of problems. It wasn't the fescue, as much as what grows on it. Near our new house, we had noticed that on part of the property someone before we purchased the place had put down new sod. Hubby had that ripped out, cleared, and is going to have grass seed (of our choosing ) put down, and not be at the mercy of a sod company. He's still talking with the builders, so it's gonna be their heads, if they don't follow up on what hubby was saying, even though, this is in the front of the hosue.

Maybe your friend can keep them from grazing, and give them plenty of hay, (even if it's cheap hay)... so they don't eat anymore, until she can have the problem checked out, by her local county agri... office??? Is that a possibility?

God Bless,

Lynn W

 

[Robin_C]

Endophyte-infected fescue can indeed cause the types of problems your friend is experiencing, Mona. It is best if mares are removed from any fescue hay or pasture 60-90 days before expected foaling date. Though it is too late for the lost foals, your friend could discuss with her vet putting all the remaining expectant mares on domperidone. This helps counteract the bad effects of infected fescue. The earlier she can put the mares on it (before their expected due date), the better the outcome. She does not have to wait until AFTER they foal. My vet told me that there was no down-side to using the domperidone in a late pregnant mare, and it was better to start them on it early than play the wait-and-see game with milk production.

In terms of all-or-nothing scenario, this may not be true of endophyte-infected fescue ingestion. Some mares may be more sensitive to the effects of the fungus than others, thus showing a variety of responses from full blown lack of milk and placenta problems to those mares which may show less severe symptoms.

Good luck to your friend. It's a perplexing issue, especially in the south and southeast where fescue is so abundant in our pastures and hay.

Robin C

 

[Mona]

Thank you so much for your help Robin! I will email her right now! I told her about the Domperidone, but I wasn't sure if it could be given at any time, or it it had to be wihthin just a few days of foaling type thing. Thanks for that info!!

 

[billiethekid40]

Isn't there a thread somewhere about what to do at red bag foalings? I think she needs to do whatever she needs to do to be at all of her next foalings, and read up on red bags so she will hopefully have better luck with her next ones.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

How scary for her. While I also agree with Robin I also think she needs to make sure to be there or have someone there during a foaling so she can see exactly what is going on there as well.

 

[Bess Kelly]

Another issue is that the endophyte can affect the liver of the foals. Thus, even if then get on the ground alive, she needs to watch for problems. It does vary from animal to animal and also the plant itself can be carrying a stronger or weaker amount of the endophyte fungus -- which is actually INSIDE the plant within the cellular structure, cannot be passed to another plant as it only originates within the seed and is contained within the plant that see produces -- Plus, the same field of grass can vary in the strength of the fungus from year to year depending upon growing conditions.

A necropsy can detect the liver damage.

The fescue can affect the mares re-breeding as it impairs the hormones which hold the pregnancy, so they will breed, impregnate, then loose the fetus as it can't properly attach inside uterus. A mare who settles, then rebreeds, then settles, then....get the picture?

In addition to the late term abortions & red bags & dystocias, often they overgestate -- so very oversided foals, long hair coats and so on.

Hey...the husband who is being demanding about seeding......GOOD MAN!! This grass is not something you want your broodmares to have....or have re-seeding.

I'm so very sorry for your friends losses. Was there big time in '95. I feel her pain!!!!!!