Winters Classic Horse Abortions

[Field-of-Dreams]

Our boys have stopped coughing and it did not pass onto any of the others.... whew!

Lucy

 

[mizbeth]

I am reactivating this thread. One week ago Sat., I took two of my horses to the vets office for coggins. Monday (two days later) one of the colts had a temp of 104.00 a dry unproductive cough and was off his feed. Then the other one I took started coughing the next day. By Wed five of them were effected including one bred mare due to foal who was over 350 feet from the other sickies. They go off their feed, some severe and some not, have temps that banamine brings down and usually keeps down with one dose. The coughing is the worst part, mostly dry and then later some are getting snotty noses without the fever, the ones with the lose coughs have the snotty noses, and no temps. Various combos of symptoms at different times. I am writing it all down. I have seven in one paddock, all but two are starting their coughs. Others in close proximity to the majority of the sickness are showing no signs as yet and have been exposed for over one week.

I believe this to be an airborn disease as it travels too quickly and incubation time seems to be 1-3 + days?

The mare that was bred had a red bag on Sat., morning. We could not save the filly although we were there at the onsought of labor. She was the most effected with the cough and had temp of 103.8 the night before. She was treated with banamine. No ventupulim to be found in any vets office here, only some allergy type meds, Tri Hist.

They do eat, some are picky and they seem to like the sweet feed, alfalfa rather than pellets and coastal. The first colt that got sick seems to be okay now, I hear no cough from him now, he is eating good and prancing around his stall.

How did others of you fair from the Fort Worth sickness that was going around? Do you think this is the same thing? Finally moved to South Texas?

Beth

** meant to say that prior to taking horses to vets for coggins, my horses have been nowhere since well before Thanksgiving. No new ones in either.

 

[albahurst]

I just wanted to comment on the Tri-Hist. My understanding is Tri Hist should not be given to pg mares.

I hope your herd gets well soon!

Peggy

 

[mizbeth]

Thank you the information about Tri Hist.

As it turns out I did not give it to the bred mare.

Beth

 

[Charlotte]

Oh no Beth! That sure sounds like the same thing. We did put all with symptoms on SMZ. 10 days. Some 'might' have thrown it off on their own, but the few I tried to just ride it out got worse and it took longer to get them over it once they were on SMZ. We had a couple of the client show horses (including the one who brought it in) with pneumonia (probably secondary bacterial infection) on penn for 4 days as well as the 10 day SMZ. Any with fever we had on Banamine as needed and watched the temps on the preg mares like a hawk.

Frank and I feel it started with a very contagious airborn virus because like you it spread in just a day or 2-3. Then many of them got the secondary bacterial.

Mooney was one of our sickest preg mares. She had a live, healthy filly 2 weeks ago and so far so good. Lace just foaled last night and we are watching this filly closely as she has a bit of loose bowel. Don't know if that would be the same thing or not. Just praying a lot. But we haven't had any abortions and I hope we don't!

From what we have heard this stuff is all over the country...or at least sounds like the same thing.

I'll sure have my fingers crossed for you!

Charlotte

 

[MBhorses]

HEY

I wanted to know how the horses and foals are doing from this abortions and sickness? Would love to see update photos and information. Those who had all the problems with the sick horses are the horses doing better. I have a question the horses that were sick how long does it stay in their system? How long does the issues live with in the horse system?If a horse was sick that was brought in 2008 be okay to add to someone herd today?

I really like one of the horses that was at this sell that is for sale now.

Thanks

 

[mizbeth]

I believe you would be safe in adding a horse that came from this sale - at this time. But of course they could be sick with something else again by now.

This was first posted over 1.5 years ago. The symptoms/illness my horses had, took only a couple of weeks to get over. Mares foaled that year and were fine, babies fine. We lost the one that year - the ve said it had nothing to do with the flu, but he did not see her cough. When she coughed - her entire body coughed with her. It was horrible and nothing to give her since her baby was due in a few days at the time. She had a red bag.

B

 

[MBhorses]

I believe you would be safe in adding a horse that came from this sale - at this time. But of course they could be sick with something else again by now.
This was first posted over 1.5 years ago. The symptoms/illness my horses had, took only a couple of weeks to get over. Mares foaled that year and were fine, babies fine. We lost the one that year - the ve said it had nothing to do with the flu, but he did not see her cough. When she coughed - her entire body coughed with her. It was horrible and nothing to give her since her baby was due in a few days at the time. She had a red bag.

B

thanks for the information

i am glad your horses are okay

 

[valshingle]

I bought two at that sale and both became ill. They have both shown sucessfuly since and haven't been sick since. One even won four Top Tens at the 2009 AMHA World Show. Both are now coming three and have about reached their mature height. No stunting or anything. Here they are: