Q. concerning foal heat, what if I? would it??

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rockin r

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My 6 day old foal (filly) developed diarreha last night at 10pm Called the vet, she said probably foal heat.. Give Imodiun ad, seems to be better this am. My question is... If I bred back the Dam in her foal heat, would the diarreha stop????

It sorta makes sense to me if she were not in season it would stop. Am I grasping at straws?? Or have I gone tooooo many days with not much sleep?? ( My maiden mare is in her 323 day, so I am also keeping both
new_shocked.gif
eyes on her also )....I don't have enough eyes!! What do you think......Theresa
 
If you bred her, she would still be in heat for a few days and she will not necessarily go out any quicker than if you just let her go by herself. Sorry, it was a good question though.

My foals do not get scours when my mares go in heat. I am not sure why, but I can only tell you what I do and if that is the secret great! I do worm the mare with Zimectrin within 12 hours after foaling. I also keep her bag very clean. I use a very diluted Nolvasan solution, a small squirt in a small bucket of warm water, and wash her bag before the foal ever nurses for the first time. I continue to do this daily until the mare quits discharging after foaling. I watch the bag very closely for the first couple weeks. Sometimes it gets so large that when they urinate or discharge, or lay down or whatever, it gets dirty and that can cause bacteria so I just try to keep it clean.

I do use care as to not dry the bag out though as that can cause irritation as well, I use a very soft rag and wipe gently.

Plus protecting the environment of the foal for a while helps to as they seem to put their mouth on everything and anything. Wash the feedpans, water buckets, etc.

This has just been my routine and I have to think it works as I have never had foal heat scours.
 
The scours the foal get are only coincidental with the foal heat, they are actually caused by changes in the mares milk and micro-organisms in the foals gut- this is why some foals respond badly whilst others sail through unaffected- just like kids with childhood diseases. I have never given anything for foal scours unless thay go on longer than three days (untreated) or the foal is debilitated by them Bunging the foal up will only keep what is causing the scours in the system longer.
 
rockin r said:
My 6 day old foal (filly) developed diarreha last night at 10pm Called the vet, she said probably foal heat.. Give Imodiun ad, seems to be better this am. My question is... If I bred back the Dam in her foal heat, would the diarreha stop????It sorta makes sense to me if she were not in season it would stop. Am I grasping at straws?? Or have I gone tooooo many days with not much sleep?? ( My maiden mare is in her 323 day, so I am also keeping both 
new_shocked.gif
eyes on her also )....I don't have enough eyes!! What do you think......Theresa

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Thanks for the advice... It has been very hot and humid here..Okla... I will clean her bag with the Nolvasan solution and her back area throughly. Her stall is as clean as I can keep it. I literally pick her stall several x a day. And give fresh water 2-3x a day. And I only let them out after 7:30pm when it has cooled down. And I will take your advice on not over doing it. I have only given her 1 imodium ad treatment, and that was at 2:00am this morn. I will consult my vet before I give her another dose. As always you guys are very helpful and informative..Theresa
 
Also, in my opinion, it is not beneficial to the mare to breed her on the foal heat. Usually, the foal heat allows the uterus to contract and regain its old form and the mare uses it to finish "cleaning out".

I've always dealt with the scours by keeping that bag clean!
 

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