Terrible disease from colt I bought last fall.

[Adela]

I am so upset right now that I don't know what to do, but you really need to read this if you are planning to purchase a foal from the state of Arkansas.

I purchased a little colt from a BIG name farm in Arkansas last fall with the intent of breeding him to my smaller mares in a few years. I got him Sept 16th and he died October 1st, just a few weeks after I got him. He was transported from AMHR Nationals by some ladies coming back to Utah. It was apparent when I first saw him that he was thin with a bloated belly and definitely not breeding quality due to his back legs twisting when he walked, but this was the least of my worries. Something just wasn't right with him and I called my vet on a Monday to make an appointment to have him looked at after he developed what appeared to be a hernia which was allowing fluid to leak along the underside of his belly. They couldn't see him until 2 days later on Wednesday at 1:00 P.M. Unfortunately he was dead that morning when I went to feed. What I have been told by another forum member whose name I will keep confidential, is that she too got 2 weanling colts from this same farm and they were both dead within a month of her getting them. She took them to her vet and what she found out is horrifying. Both the colts had Rhodococcus Pneumonia . This is a deadly disease which once it is in your soil, you can't get rid of it. (Go read the link). Anyway, I am sure that this is what my little colt that I bought also died from. Now if I want to ensure that none of my foals get this, I will have to do a plasma transfer on each foal costing about $400 a foal. I can't even begin to tell you what a nightmare this has been for the gal that got the 2 colts from this farm. I just found out today through emailing her about her colt, that this had happened and that now my farm is more than likely going to be infected too. Please email me if you have any further questions about this at [email protected] This breeder knows she has a problem and is selling her foals to unsuspecting buyers like myself who don't have a clue about the disease coming along with the foal. This is just not right and she needs to be stopped!

 

[Margo_C-T]

What a horrifying story!

My heart goes out to you, Adela, and to anyone else who has had this experience...

Margo

 

[Keri]

That is just downright scary!!! I sure hope this breeder will stop selling babies and affecting the other unsuspecting farms.

Good luck to you in trying to get this out of your farm. I know how much you guys love the babies!

 

[~Lisa~]

This is a horrible illness that can cause problems for quite sometime after the young foals have died. I have not had it here thank goodness but do know of others who have had to deal with it. It is heartbreaking and can really have long lasting financial effects for years to come.

I have wondered what if any effects it has on older horses who were exposed to this illness and survive. I wonder if they to will become carriers and can infect showgrounds and others farms? Does anyone know?

I am very sorry for the loss of your colt

 

[Jill]

I will chime in and let you all know I am the person who also got two colts from this farm, and they both died w/in a month. One was terribly underweight and sick. The other was too thin but didn't appear sick initially. Both had this disease, rhodococcus pneumonia, which foals can only get up until they are about 12wks old - 16wks old (in other words, it could only come from the breeder's farm).

One colt died on a Saturday, the other died Monday morning, prior to a scheduled vet appt to follow up on him. We were treating them with special, and very expensive, antibiotics because untreated, rhodococcus pneumonia has only a 20% survival rate. It only responds to a limited handful of antibiotics, and must be used as a dual combination (must use 2 of them). However, the treatment can also be rough on the animals. Necropsy on the second foal to die at the State Lab revealed he had rhodococcus pneumonia so it's beyond debate that those colts had it, and brought it to me.

These two colts would be why you see each of my 2009 fillies got to / gets to sport a bandage. They are being transfused to protect them and insure they do not become ill or carry the disease to anyone else. It may be over kill based on the length of time the colts were alive here, how clean we kept their paddock, and the time of year (cold / damp). But, my vet has recommended this if I want to be sure my foals remain heathy and I want to be sure they do. It's scary because w/o the vet diagnosing what you think is a mild cough, you'd have no idea how sick your foal is (mild cough, no temp., eating well and gaining weight...). Anyway, we will now transfuse them all soon after birth for as long as we live here. It is not something that is dangerous to horses beyond the age of 12-16wks. Once they are that old, unless already infected with it, exposure to it causes no harm so at least none of my horses on the farm last fall were in danger.

PS PLEASE note, the AR farm in question is NOT the AR farm most of you know I'm "close" to in terms of purchases and friendship.

 

[Matt73]

That is horrible. I had heard about this too (from the other forum member). Just awful. I'd be so mad

 

[shelly]

:No-Sad OMG...I'm so sorry that you both had to go thru something as horrible as this! That breeder needs to be stopped right QUICK!!!!!!! :arg!

 

[~Lisa~]

Very sad situation and I am so sorry you both had to go thru losses of your new purchases.

Not only is it a horrible thing for a buyer to have to go thru but so sad for the horses to be sick and seemingly no way to stop it from happening on the orginal farm short of the expensive treatment Jill is seeking for her foals to prevent it. Obviously this is not happening on the original farm.

Obviously a farm credit would not be asked for so I hope you both were able to at least get your money back. It does not replace the emotional toll taken when you lose a horse or the finanacial toll taken in treating any new foals on your property for years to come but it would be something at least.

 

[Filipowicz Farm]

Thanks for the information. Sorry that this happened to the both of you.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I'm sorry for both of your losses.

My heart goes out to you. My understanding is this is a nasty thing to get on one's farm. I'm sorry you're both dealing with it and undoubtedly others are as well.

 

[Magic]

Oh Adela, what a nightmare!

I'm so sorry that you had to go through this, and for the ramifications it will bring to you and your horses for the future.

I had no idea about this disease, it's very good of you to let people know about it. I'm going to read up on it now. My condolences! {{{HUGS}}}

 

[eagles ring farm]

I feel so sad for your losses Adela and Jill

So sorry you got caught up in such a sad situation

honesty is our responsibility as a seller a sale is certainly

not worth all the sadness and losses and expense you have both had to endure

 

[srpwildrose]

Oh my.

That is such a terrible story.

Sooo sorry for you losses.

Thank You so much for letting us forum members know.

 

[jleonard]

That is aweful! Thank you for sharing your stories so that others can learn. What a scary disease and an unfortunate situation

 

[midnight star stables]

Oh Adela, what a nightmare!

I'm so sorry that you had to go through this, and for the ramifications it will bring to you and your horses for the future.

I had no idea about this disease, it's very good of you to let people know about it. I'm going to read up on it now. My condolences! {{{HUGS}}}

Ditto!

I'm So Sorry for both your losses

, but thank you for sharing with us!

I'm sure many here, my self included, have never heard of that!

 

[AppyLover2]

This truly sounds like a potential nightmare. While the loss of your purchases is obviously bad enough it sounds like that loss is only the tip of the iceburg. I wish you both the very best.

 

[MinisOutWest]

when we got into minis at the beginning 4 years ago, a big breeder sent us 2 babies with it and infected all the babies we had. had to spray the barn 8 times with bleach/ solvent mixture, remove 3 inches of the dirt in the barn and out side in the dry lot where they were, it gets in the ground and when a baby walks by and kicks up the dust, it breathes it in and WHOOPPEE they catch it. about 7500 dollars later, IV's hanging from the ceiling , oxygen tubes sewn up in the nose and sewn to their heads not to come out , stayed like that for 6 days. IT IS A NIGHTMARE>>>>>>

 

[Teresa]

My heart goes out to both of you. Although I do have a farm in Arkansas.....I am not a BIG farm and I haven't sold any colts. If a breeder knows of this....isn't it a REAL crime to sell the animals and infect others?

 

[REO]

What a sad, horrifying, hurtful nightmare! I'm SO sorry!! Both for you and for you Jill.

I pray that it does not affect any of your other horses or future foals.

{{{{Hugs}}}}

I also hadn't heard of that before. SCARY!!

 

[mama 'n me minis]

Adela,

I am so sorry to hear of your troubles and loss. It seems we have been hearing a few stories here lately about breeders not being honest. When will they realize that repeat customers and word of mouth is so important ? I can only wonder if the breeder had been honest and had treated the foal early if it would have lived. I can understand your anger. Thank you for sharing this with us. Keeping each other educated helps keep our horses safer.

Rebecca Williams www.cedarcreekminiatures.com