Experience with blind or "dummy" foals? Advice needed quickly

[High Meadow Miniatures]

We had a filly born here this morning, and something with her is just not "right". She has the desire to nurse, searching along the walls of the stall, along her dam and suckling on my finger. However, after nearly an hour of trying to guide her to the nipple, she was tiring quickly. So we milked the mare, and the filly did suckle off of a bottle, so she does have a meal in her now at least. She is bright, alert and very healthy. She doesn't seem to be able to find her way around very well, she calls for her dam (in the stall with her), and wanders aimlessly around the stall. She doesn't run into the walls, or anything else. But doesn't appear to have the vision most foals do either. I wave my hand in front of her eyes, half the time she doesn't seem to notice, and the other half of the time, she blinks her eyes as if she can see the movement. I called the vet, but they had a family emergency and are out of town. Has anyone had any experience with a foal like this? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or advice. Prayers are welcome too. Thank you in advance.

 

[Critterhugger]

I had a foal that had what I thought were vision problems after birth. His pupils were dialated for about 4 hours after foaling and he had a very difficult time finding the milk bar. He did the same type of thing your filly is doing.

I don't know if it was the trauma of coming through the birth canal that caused it, but his was temporary.

 

[stormy]

Have had a couple like this, the farm I used to work for called it squeezed foal syndrome. In each case the foals vision improved within a few days, have been told Dex helps but sure would not treat without a vet.

 

[Critterhugger]

The fact that she is up and healthy and trying to find the milk bar is a really good sign. Just keep helping her nurse and see if she improves. I would still have a vet check her out. Forgot to say congratulations on your filly BTW!

 

[High Meadow Miniatures]

Thank you both. I appreciate it! She still refuses to nurse off of the mare, but is getting better about taking the milk from a bottle. She has good sucking reflexes, if she could just find the mare's nipple I think she would nurse. One odd thing, is that she won't lay down. She stands, dozes off and then abruptly wakes up, falls back asleep, etc...but doesn't lay down.

 

[Genie]

We had two dummy foals.

The worst one took 24 hours to figure out the milk bar. She was walking around the stall sucking on everything except her Mum.

We were milking the mare and bottle feeding every 1/2 hour.

After the foal figured out the bottle we started feeding the bottle through between the back legs and putting the nipple of the bottle right were Mumma's faucets were. We also put a dab of molasses on the nipple of the bottle and on Mum's faucets.

At around the 20 hour time frame the foal accidentally got a hold of Mum and if she could have talked I am sure she would have said "oh, this is heaven" because she just closed her eyes and swooned.....so sweet.

Our little foal couldn't figure out "laying down" either. Sometimes she would almost fall down, but could not get how to bend her legs and get down.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

You're doing a great job by staying on this and feeding her so she doesn't go down hill. Try as Genie did and eventually get the bottle between the mares teats and hopefully your filly will figure it out. I had a foal like this in 2007. She too would "walk" the stall walls and suck on everything but mom. She also had impaired vision. Her eye lids were very reddish-pink from being so "tight" during the birth. She did eventually get the hang of it and I hope your little one does too.

In my case, my filly was a double dilute with very light blue eyes. She had issues with bright light until she was about 3 or so. She would walk out of the barn (where it was shaded) and into the bright sun light and just stop in her tracks. She'd stand there for a few seconds until her eyes adjusted, then she was fine. But I always felt she preferred to be in the shade.

 

[tagalong]

She stands, dozes off and then abruptly wakes up, falls back asleep, etc...but doesn't lay down.

This is not that abnormal - and not a sign of a dummy. Some foals simply do not figure out how to fold up and lay down for a while. It was so hard to get up and get those legs moving, after all! At some point she will just fall down and sleep - and after that she will have it figured out. You can smear a lttle milk on the mares udder so the filly can smell it there... that will help her. For slow starters like this I feed them but not enough to make then full... they need to be hungry to keep looking for that udder! And I ALWAYS feed them next to or almost under the mare so mom = food.

A true dummy foal will have little to no sucking reflex and will not be looking for an udder... they just aimlessly wander around bumping into things.

 

[madmax]

I had a foal like this years ago, his birth was quick but believed the cord may have been squeezed or the head compromised, or perhaps the placenta released too soon during the birth. Anyway, the vet said the brain was swollen and causing blindness, he gave DMSO introvenisly to reduce swelling. The blindness was shortlived, but it took huge effort to teach him how to find the udder and suck,kind of like 'patterning' him to walk to the correct spot, then keeping the nipple in his mouth took great patience and seemed forever! My foal was crashing into the walls and I had to sit in there and hold him still for hours, milk the mare, etc., well,you get it I'm sure.

His eyes were dialated, afterwards he was never really 'normal', but he ran and played and lived 10 years seemingly happy. I believe every 'dummy foal' can be unique in its own way, but getting that milk into the foal as you are doing is the major thing. Good luck.

 

[Carolyn R]

We had two dummy foals.

The worst one took 24 hours to figure out the milk bar. She was walking around the stall sucking on everything except her Mum.

We were milking the mare and bottle feeding every 1/2 hour.

After the foal figured out the bottle we started feeding the bottle through between the back legs and putting the nipple of the bottle right were Mumma's faucets were. We also put a dab of molasses on the nipple of the bottle and on Mum's faucets.

At around the 20 hour time frame the foal accidentally got a hold of Mum and if she could have talked I am sure she would have said "oh, this is heaven" because she just closed her eyes and swooned.....so sweet.

Our little foal couldn't figure out "laying down" either. Sometimes she would almost fall down, but could

not get how to bend her legs and get down.

Absolutely wonderful advice. We had one here when I was breeding. Took her about 6 hours to figure out the milk bar, iGg was in the 400-800 range and totally rebounded by twenty four hours. I can't

remember, it may have been Dex my vet left in case it happened again with amines foal, but she is a happy healthy 4 year old now. Lives not far from here, love to see her play in the pasture

 

[High Meadow Miniatures]

Thank you all for your wonderful advice and comments, it is greatly appreciated! I trailered her and her dam down to the Equince clinic to have them take a look, for my peace of mind and precautionary measures. She was still not nursing at that time, and still acting blind. They drew blood, it came back all normal. She spent the day down there, and finally after bottle feeding her for the fifth or sixth time, she figured it out on her own. She is still getting the hang of lying down, but does get up and nurse, no problems as of now. She isn't blind, the vet's opinion is that she isn't a true dummy foal (as Tagalong pointed out) because she did have a sucking reflex. Her awareness and eyesight is improving, she stays closer to her dam now and doesn't wander so much. She isn't out of the woods yet, the next 48 hours are critical to make sure she is still nursing, etc...But the vet is hopeful

Again, thank you all for your help!

 

[Charlotte]

You are doing everything right so just stick with it. This isn't all that uncommon...foals that are slow to nurse to one degree or another. And also don't seem to see well. Usually it has to do with a bit of oxygen deprivation during birth. We just got a colt out of the hospital who showed the same symptoms only more extreme.

Our colt had no suck reflex for over 24 hours. He was in hospital for 4 days of round the clock tube feeding every 2, then every 4 hours. The big thing with these foals is simply support. Feeding them enough so that they gain strength and recieve the colostrum they need, paying attention to keeping them warm (a cold foal will behave the same way), and giving any other support they need. In a few hours to a few days someone hooks up the wiring in their little brain and they are suddenly nursing. Any I've had or known of have been perfectly normal after getting off to a slow start.

So just stick with feeding your filly. Everyone here has given good suggestions and she will get where she needs to be in a little while.

Oh, I forgot to mention, our colt had something I had never seen before. When he was born I said "This is the ugliest foal I've ever seen!". It tirned out he was SWOLEN! All over, but showed up mostly on his head. He must have been really squeezed in there. I'm wondering if his dam had been up and down for a while before she set the pager off.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

We had a big horse Appaloosa colt born once to a maiden mare. She went into labor in the pasture. He acted blind for the first week or so, and the vet thought it was probably due to being such a tight fit and the mare having some trouble delivering him. He eventually was able to see just fine. We just kept them in a small area together for a while.

 

[mdegner]

Thank you both. I appreciate it! She still refuses to nurse off of the mare, but is getting better about taking the milk from a bottle. She has good sucking reflexes, if she could just find the mare's nipple I think she would nurse. One odd thing, is that she won't lay down. She stands, dozes off and then abruptly wakes up, falls back asleep, etc...but doesn't lay down.

Our dummy did the same thing. She refused to lay down and we had to "teach" her how to do it. Ours wouldn't take a bottle, only a bucket for 4 days and stumbled around the first couple of days. Ours was definitely squeezed as I had to help her out of her mother. 4 days after birth, she was completely normal, drinking, running and yes, she had figured out how to lay down on her own. She is now a beautiful, healthy 2 year old pocket pony.

Hang in there with her, if she is looking for the milk bar and taking milk from you that is a great sign! It just takes them a little while. Not sure where you live but we put ours outside with her mama during the day away from other horses. Big believer in fresh air, sunshine (light) and area to move around in.

 

[High Meadow Miniatures]

Good morning everyone, just an update on the filly. As of this morning, she is still going strong. Nursing fine, bucking and playing in her stall. She has stopped wandering, and is acting like a normal foal now. Thank you all for your comments and advice

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Glad things are improving! You did all the right things.

 

[horsehug]

Autumn, I never saw this post until today. I am SOOOOO glad to hear that she is now doing well. You did all the right things!

Susan O.

 

[High Meadow Miniatures]

Thank you Susan and Parmela

She has improved greatly, and is acting just like any other normal, healthy foal now, thank the Lord

 

[REO]

I'm SO happy to hear the good news! Whew!