Help 4 out of five foals dead

News about mares getting ready to foal, new foals, foal naming, etc.

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karenkarenn
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Help 4 out of five foals dead

Postby karenkarenn » Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:55 pm

Hello,
My friend in Winnemucca, Nv. is having a trying time this year.
In Jan one mare aborted a single foal. Two weeks ago had a live chestnut colt, then three days after that one mare aborted her twins. Two days ago one mare had her filly. Now when my friend came home from town the chestnut colt was found dead.
There wasnt any signs of bruising and mare was okay. She s doing well, except for the fullness in the teats. The last thing my friend saw was the baby licking the salt lick, Could that kill foals?
Karen

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Postby ireneinwa » Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:07 am

I'd check out her feeding program along w/ her vaccines.

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madelyn
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Postby madelyn » Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:29 am

I'd also fire the vet that missed the twins.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....

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karenkarenn
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Postby karenkarenn » Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:12 pm

Both of you thank you good ideas.
Karen

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Postby clh » Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:51 pm

How awful for your friend. My deepest sympathies. Feeding including pasture grass can cause abortions so have her check her paddocks as well as her hay and grain. I have not known my vet to ever miss a twin, but that is not to say it hasn't happened - I have just not heard it from anyone. A live foal one minute, a dead foal the next would be worrisome for me and I would get a necropsy for my own peace of mind - but that is me. Had the foal been sick, running a low grade fever, had any other symptoms of illness? Could it have run into a fence and injured itself? Did it have a halter on that could have gotten hung up on something, etc... Hopefully she'll find some answers.
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karenkarenn
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Postby karenkarenn » Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:49 pm

Its so sad. The vet did a necropsy for the foal and the owner. It was a blow to the chest. So hard it went to an organ. A section of the heart was blue.
Karen

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Postby foothillsequine » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:10 pm

Wow, that is so sad! My condolences to your friend. Were the mare and foal turned out with other horses? Or was she a maiden mare? I ask because other horses can be vicious with babies. Also, maidens can be nasty as well. Twins are never good, and I know of people who have had multiple ultrasounds on mares and still lost twins.

As an aside, a salt lick should not cause death, unless hypernatremia occurs, because it can cause an electrolyte imbalance. I always remove salt licks from stalls with babies as some become fixated on them. With that said, there are many experts on this forum who can answer your questions better than I.

However, none of the above takes away from your friends' loss. Again, my condolences...
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Postby TrueColours » Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:48 am

I am so sorry. That is truly terrible

Condolences to your friend on this awful loss :(
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Postby karenkarenn » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:26 am

You know I want to thank all of you that posted. Its really sad for her( My Friend in Winnemucca, Nv. )
Silent Departure- " Breeze" Nickname, Wasnt a maiden mare and neither was Hub City Dancer " Dancer" who had her baby a couple days after.I believe if I look at PQ that this would be number 5 for her...But this was the first time that Tobie had Dancer Pregnant. Breeze baby was the one that got kicked. They were monitored during the time that they were put together, actaully very closely. The foal that was kicked Eric the Red( Chestnut) was playing with the filly, so its quite possible that Dancer did do it.
The Husband said after they opened him up that the area that was kicked was bruised and the heart was blue on one side.
But as far as the twins----- how in the world can a vet miss that. I know that the vet saw her three times, ( she had three appointments with the vet and mare) and the mare looked HUGE. I mean she was carrying each baby on each side, what was this guy thinking. Ill tell her too to watch that salt lick, Because Eric was really licking it, he reallly became engrossed in it too.

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Postby springboro » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:00 am

I had my vet miss twins this year, but I'm not firing anyone for that kind of mistake. I mean, let's think about how we look for the foals. The vet does a rectal exam with a tiny device that only sees limited areas. While it is frustrating and expensive to miss twins, I think it is forgiveable.

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twins?

Postby Tap The Mint » Sun Aug 09, 2009 11:11 am

Well, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's losses but the subject of the vet missing 'twins' is what I have to comment on. I have been breeding horses for more than 40 years and I have seen twins missed by Ultra Sound more than once. A lot depends on how they are laying at the time of the ultra sound and I wouldn't ever criticise a vet for missing them. I've seen some of the very best equine vets miss twins early in the pregnancy. I have a set of four week old LIVE twins to show for it now. The mare was ultra sounded at 17 days and only showed a perfect 'single' embryo. Of course after delivering these boys we actually believe that the mare ovulated at least six or seven days later and the second egg was fertilized much later than the first. Therefore it didn't show up on the ultra sound. It was an A.I. breeding and I know for a fact that some semen is still viable ten or more days later so that is feasible to us that this one is considerably younger. Had we ultra sounded again a little later we probably would have seen it but as it was we were totally surprised when she delivered the second foal. It was a difficult delivery and a very difficult few weeks but they are both doing well now. I have a photo album from my website if you'd like to see them. I certainly don't recommend having twins but don't criticise the veterinarian for missing them It can happen to the best of them.
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Re: Help 4 out of five foals dead

Postby freshman » Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:43 am

karenkarenn wrote:Now when my friend came home from town the chestnut colt was found dead.


My first thought is to wonder how long your friend was gone and to ask who was caring for the foal in the meantime?
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Postby HeadlessHorseman » Tue Aug 11, 2009 1:22 pm

SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS...

My vet MISSED a SINGLE FOAL...I was just feeding the mare "regular" rations etc....and I noticed that she was getting a little BIG around the middle...had my other vet come out and just do a blood test...4.5 months later I got a lovely colt...BUT I felt horrible since I didn't do THE GOOD PRENATAL NUTRITION Plan for the first 6.5 MONTHS :roll:

I was thinking Fescue Grass...My friend's friend moved from Texas to Virginia and had her pregnant mare on a Fescue pasture in her last few months...BAM...aborted foal... :(

POOR LITTLE FOALS...

HH :cry: