1 DAY OLD FOAL WITH DIARREHA

[GMAMINIS]

I HAD A NEW FILLY BORN YESTERDAY MORNING. TODAY MID AFTERNOON SHE STARTED WITH DIARREHA. SHE IS NURSING, URINATING FINE AND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE UNCOMFOTABLE BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD A FOAL HAVE THIS SO QUICK. USUALLY ANY FOALS THAT I HAVE HAD IN THE PAST DID THIS DURING THE MARES FOAL HEAT. IS THIS NORMAL? THERE IS NOT BLOOD, IT IS BRIGHT YELLOW IN COLOR, BUT IT IS ALOT LOOSER THAN A NORMAL FOALS. THE MARE HAS ALOT OF MILK AND ONE ARTICLE I FOUND SAID TO MUCH MILK CAN CAUSE THIS. ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREAT. HER TEMP WAS 100.2. THANKS!!

EDIDTED TO ADD TEMP.

 

[Sue_C.]

I would call the vet, as foals this young can fail so very quickly.

I have given a couple of ccs of kaopectate while waiting for the vet, just to help placate their little bellies. If you have some, ask the vet if that would be okay.

 

[mizbeth]

Hi

I would definately call the VET, this is too young for diareaha. You could give her some probios, that may help, but sill call the vet. She could be alergic to momma milk, I forget what they call that.

Beth

 

[GMAMINIS]

THANKS!! I HAVE A CALL INTO THE VET.

 

[kaykay]

Foals with diarhea this young is usually ecoli bacteria. Sending good thoughts!!

 

[vvf]

Call your vet immediatly.

We had a terrible year this year with some of our foals getting diarreha at 1 to 2 days old.

The first vet i had out told me to put them on the pepto, which i told her didn't work and that i had something more going on. I lost a foal due to that advice.

I had another newborn that had it also and I had our main vet out and he told me to use Tribrissian 400. It is a paste and I gave the filly 1 "click" mark. twice a day. This cleared her up within hours.

I am not saying that your foal has what ours did, In fact we still don't exactly know what we had here... But this worked for us.

I can't stress enough to get your vet out.... The babies can go down so quickly!

 

[Miniv]

I would CALL YOUR VET ASAP......... There are several possibilities......and I'm not even going to go there....... Hopefully all will be fine.

 

[Calekio]

Echo calling the vet asap. I have had a day old foal with diarrehea, my vet said it was a milk overload and told me what to give her and it cleared up... she was watched round the clock and vet said if it didn't clear up she'd have to go on a drop as they can also dehydrate very quickly.

If i had another one still wouldn't hesitate to get the vet as any diarrhea in a young foal is critual (with the except of foal heat)

For foal heat and older foals though i use slippery elm powder mixed into a paste... works well with the little ones to line the stomach, won't cure the problem of why they have it but does treat the symtoms.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

This foal will fail very quickly. Do not waste time, call your vet NOW!

Also... Probiotics, Biosponge and Pepto(paste is best). The foal will need antibiotics also. Plain yogurt is also a help because of the live cultures in it whicj may help, its great for some calories too.

Good Luck,

Robin

 

[mmmorgans]

Any updates on this litte one - praying for the best!!!!

 

[GMAMINIS]

Echo calling the vet asap. I have had a day old foal with diarrehea, my vet said it was a milk overload and told me what to give her and it cleared up... she was watched round the clock and vet said if it didn't clear up she'd have to go on a drop as they can also dehydrate very quickly.If i had another one still wouldn't hesitate to get the vet as any diarrhea in a young foal is critual (with the except of foal heat)

For foal heat and older foals though i use slippery elm powder mixed into a paste... works well with the little ones to line the stomach, won't cure the problem of why they have it but does treat the symtoms.

MY VET THINKS THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY LITTLE FILLY KYA. SHE IS VERY BRIGHT AND ALERT, RUNNING CIRCLES IN THE STALL. SHE STILL DOES NOT HAVE ANY TEMP, SHE HAS GOOD URINARY OUTPUT AND THE DIARREAH HAS SUBSIDED. HE TOLD ME TO GIVE HER PROBIOTICS AND YOGURT. I KNOW I AM NOT OUT OF THE WOODS WITH HER YET BUT SHE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BETTER. I STAYED UP ALL NIGHT WATCHING HER AND HAVE THE DAY OFF TODAY TO BE HOME AND WATCH HER. IT IS SO SCARY WHEN THEY ARE SO LITTLE, THANKS FOR ALL THE IMPUT AND SUGGESTIONS. I WILL UPDATE ANY CHANGES.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Keep watching him closely. I simply do not understand the concept of "milk overload" causing diarrhea. What the heck is that... a full tummy??? I do not agree but I am glad that the foal is still active and looks good.

Robin

 

[albahurst]

We used Lactaid for two weeks- worked great. But, I might add that we had the ecoli covered at birth so knew it wasn't that problem (we gave an E Coli antigen). Best of luck and keep in touch with your vet.

Peggy

 

[GMAMINIS]

Keep watching him closely. I simply do not understand the concept of "milk overload" causing diarrhea. What the heck is that... a full tummy??? I do not agree but I am glad that the foal is still active and looks good.Robin

THANKS ROBIN, I AM WATCHING HER LIKE A HAWK. I HAVE NOT FOUND MUCH ON MILK OVERLOAD ON THE INTERENET BUT I DID FIND THIS ON HORSE MOMS.COM :

Mares must receive correctly balanced mineral, vitamin and essential amino acid intakes, but if the pasture is unusually lush and improved or excessive amounts of starch are fed, they may be at greater risk of running milk and over-producing milk. This can result in loss of colostrum and afterbirth; increase the risk of foal diarrheas. Strong healthy foals may get gastro-intestinal overload, which can lead to diarrhea.

I AM NOT SURE EITHER AND HOPE IT IS NOT SOMETHING SERIOUS, SHE SEMS IN GOOD SPIRITS, PLAYFULL AND LIKE AN ACTIVE FOAL. THERE HAS BEEN NO DIARRHEA SINCE 4AM THIS MORNING SO I HAVE MY FINGERS CROSSED.

 

[tagalong]

If she is active and bouncy and appears normal in every other way, perhaps her system just had to adjust to that rich colostrum-laden milk and slowly everything is getting back into balance. Over the years a few of our foals have had minor cowpies the first day until they adjusted... and they were also bouncy, bratty babies...

I hope your little filly continues to do well!

 

[Calekio]

From what i understand milk overload is just simply the rich colostrum just a little too much on sensitve tummies... my vet did say to me that if it is milk overload then normally it sorts itself out within 24hrs.

Fingers crossed it is just this and once she's adjusted you'll be be fine, another inportant thing to remember is to smoother her bottom in vasaline as foal diarrehea can actually burn the sensitive skin of a foal.