The worst possible news - Lady is worse

[JWC sr.]

Several years ago we had a Rio daughter that lost her foal and then developed it. Very hard delivery with the vet having to pull the baby etc. The mare went down and we thought she was going die, even after the best efforts of Texas A & M.

We brought her home to die and one of our workers here took real interest in her and started hand feeding her every 15 minutes or so. Just a bite here and a bite there. In any case she picked up a little but was still doing badly. We put another mare in the next stall to her with a baby and she seemed to perk up. After talking to our vet, we started giving her about 5 minutes with this new foal three times a day.

The turn around was unreal to say the least, it was almost like she started looking forward to the foal visits and would eat a fairly good amount right before each scheduled visit.

Today she is doing fine, but has developed one bad habity, when in a pen with other mares with foals she constantly tries to steal the foals. Which drives the mama's crazy. OH!

So there is hope,

 

[Hosscrazy]

Ditto - my Cody did not make it either - it was one of several problems that came on all at once, with literally no warning, no signs whatsoever.

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers---

Liz R.

 

[Magic]

I have no experience with it with any of my horses, though a good friend has a pregnant mare that died of it. It CAN be beaten though, as many have said. I will be praying for your mare's recovery!!

 

[nightflight]

We've had a horse recover from it with daily trips to the vet for IV dextrose and intensive home care. Might ask about heparin. Keeping the foal on the mare will only make it harder for her to recover at this point. Keep the foal where she can see and touch it, but do not allow it to nurse. She doesn't need the added stress of removing the foal. Hand feed her hay, sweet feed or anything you can get down her at this point, and good luck!

Edit Add: Our was not mare w/ foal.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Just an update

I spoke to the vet again last night and we decided to start Lady on beatpulp to see if she would be enticed by that. This morning I talked to the clinic staff and Lady managed to stop her fluids last night so they needed to be restarted this morning and has only gotten about 2 liters (um a liter is similar to a quart for those who think Imperial measures)but has been drinking again so hydration is not a big concern right now. The hopeful news is she has started to nibble at her hay and has eaten some beat pulp!

Go Lady Go!! If we can get her eating again I know we'll stand a chance. Vet doesn't intend to redo the liver panels until tomorrow to see if her liver enzymes are dropping again. I hope to make the drive ( over an hour) in to see her this afternoon. I hope that a familiar face will give her a boost. On a side note Dyna has got the run of the place and has the staff their all wrapped around her little hoof. lol. She has become quite the little social butterfly and flits from visiting one person to another. She has not missed a beat and has no worries about being in a strange place at all.

I'll post another update after I talk to the vet again today. I had told her I was going to ask for input on this forum and she was very open to suggestions. Said as I recall it "as long as it is scientifically sound I'll try anything" I love an open mind! I will be passing on all your suggestions to her and hopefully we can work out a course of treatment that will see us thro this.

 

[barnbum]

Ahh--good news.

 

[Suzie]

Thanks for the update. We will all be praying for her and waiting on more good news!

 

[Miniv]

Sounds like she may be turning the corner! Thank you for updating.

 

[Keri]

Good news!! I hope she pulls through! Great the baby is doing so well too!!

 

[Kendra]

I'm so glad to hear a positive update!! I hope things keep looking up for Lady!

 

[Jill]

That is good news!!! I hope the good news keeps on coming in

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I'm off to see her this afternoon and take the vet some milk replacer for Dyna. "sigh' poor little mite is so young and carefree and has no idea she is about to be faced with a big change. I'll let you all know how she seems to me after I get home.

 

[hairicane]

Best wishes for all of you! Sure hope she pulls through.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I'm back from my visit with Lady and Dyna and I am feeling much more positive. Altho Lady is still not eating hay and showed no real interest in the beat pulp she had available she nickered hello when she saw me and was alert and enjoyed the grooming I gave her. She is aware of where Dyna is again too and called out to her in concern if she was out of site. We took them (my son came with me) out onto the front lawn where the barest bit of green is beginning to show and Lady ate what she could find with real enthusiasm while Dyna raced around (followed by my, fortunately young, long legged, son at the end of the lead. LOL It was quite amusing to see a 19" 20lb foal apparently dragging a 6' young man at a dead run up and down that lawn. Traffic kept slowing down and a couple made several passes back and forth to see better. I had an older couple approach ever so carefully and politely ask if they could look at them (? look? of course) after a bit, as the woman sat about 3 feet from Dyna and watched her sleep, I told her she really was allowed to touch and you'd have thought I had offered her the world. She said she didn't want to impose so hadn't tried to touch. Dyna has decided people are safe and enjoys the interaction. This woman spent about 10 minutes just stroking her.

Glad she enjoyed the foal, I love to watch people with the minis. Anyway, Lady ate like she was starving, which she is, her back bone can be felt when you run your hand along her back, and only a few days ago she was round and well padded even over weight altho I would not have said obese. It is disturbing to see how quickly she has lost weight.On a negative note, Dyna has VERY runny bright yellow diarrhea that I asked the tech to point out to the vet. Hopefully that is just a result of Mom starting her foal heat altho it could be from the sugars in the IV Lady is getting. So thats the update for now, I'll know more after another set of panels are run tomorrow afternoon.

 

[HGFarm]

I sure hope she improves! I think the visit did you BOTH good! Keep us posted, sending prayers your way!!

 

[bevann]

If you know or see any fields of alfalfa growing stop and cut some to give to her.Most horses will knock you down for the fresh stuff and it is very nutritious.Even if it is covered with snow you can dig it out and still feed it.I have used it before on horses who would eat nothing and they just gobbled it down..Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

HG I know the visit did ME good and I hope it was a comfort for Lady too. She nickered a greeting when I first walked in and then she tried to follow me when I left. Poor girl isn't ever really happy about being confined to a bard and now she is in this big empty, windowless room with no on around but little Dyna. I talked to the clinic staff this morning and Lady has eaten more of her beat pulp and Dyna took to the bottle well so now I must wait with crossed fingers for this afternoons blood test results. Maybe Lady will be one of the survivors and come home soon.

bevann, thanks for your suggestion, The only alfalfa growers in this area are about 2 hours west of me but if she doesn't keep eating her beet pulp today (and eat more) I will see if I can find some one west of me to try to find some to temp her with. Thanks for the suggestion.

Vet noted the diarrhea that I pointed out and says she believes it is stress related and not a worry at this point so thats good.

 

[Bonny]

Such good news ! Hope she continues to do well!