foal colic no vet availabile

[Vansplic]

2.5 no filly. Was laying and rolling. Passed stool soft half normal amount moist.gave banimine is up and moving. Trying to graze and nurse. Temp 100 degree. Hydration OK. Any help appreciated.

 

[Vansplic]

OK on my computer for a moment. Phone died. 2.5 month old filly was quiet (not at all like her) and rolling a lot. Called vet they will not come out for a mini only advice they gave was to give banimine. She is in a dry lot with very low grass. momma was wormed yesterday (Ivermectin) but no other changes in diet, pasture or anything. She has passed a soft stool about half as much as normal sand tested and do not see any sand but starting sand clear at next feeding as per vet. Banimine seems to be helping but scared it may just be masking a problem. called another vet but he is on vacation until the 17th. vets out here are awful when it comes to minis. Gave enima got more liquid stool. have pepto, enimas and mineral spirits on hand. out of banamine.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

I hope your baby gets better,

I am sorry I wish I could help. Hope fully one of the others can help you.

 

[Vansplic]

I found someone local who was able to see the behaviors and thinks it may not be colic. We have the trailer ready and are keeping watch but she is acting better.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

I hope she gets better. That is so scary for you .

Poor little one

 

[Vansplic]

Thanks. So far so good. fingers crossed!!

 

[bevann]

Keep a close eye on her.Babies that age will eat anything.she may have eaten something you didn't notice that was in her field.I once had a foal colic to the point it was on its back with all 4 legs in the air.Kept watching it and when it finally pooped it had something in the stool.After examination I determined it to be part of a black plastic garbage bag.Several poops later he was fine.Had another 1 eat a dryer sheet that was from road trash.Keep us posted and good luck.

 

[Mona]

I would start by giving her some probiotics. They will sometimes roll when that is needed...can be a sign of tummy upset and/or ulcers. Good luck with your filly.

 

[HGFarm]

The vet refused to come out because it's a Mini?!!!! What kind of vet is that??!!

 

[Vansplic]

The vets here are awful. Had a breeder help out last night who was awesome. She thinks it is/was a pinched nerve mimicking colic. All seems well do far this morning. She is on stall rest and the trailer is ready should anything go south.

 

[AFewSpotsMostlyBlack]

I wonder if you can report those vets to the licensing boards in your state? That's kinda ridiculous that they are not going out just because it's a mini....You're a paying client as any other horse owner and if the animal is in distress...I can see something like a small animal vet not wanting to work on an animal whose functions they're unfamiliar with (dogs vs horses, apples and oranges etc) but you can't tell me that an equine vet hasn't seen a mini or at the very least a pony at least once it his training....

I also second the probiotics in times of any distress...

 

[Vansplic]

Yes, I have had nothing but problems with the vets since I moved out here. Farriers are not much better. Two days before the filly was born momma looked like she swallowed a beach ball and was waxing but they could not confirm she was in foal!!! They left me the wrong dose of Banamine for her (thank god for the message board....). They are a nightmare. Thankfully last week we were able to get a trailer for the minis so I can haul them to a vet if I have to. It is too short for the big girls and the vets are just as bad with them.

VENT:

OK, the vet was shocked that I asked about mineral spirits and/or an enema. She was shocked that I had the horses vitals before I called and had a manure sample settling out to check for sand. The only thing this chick could think of was banamine!!! I can't get over how bad they are! and all the small vets around here merged into one conglomerate and they are just awful! One vet told me my one big horse "may as well go to slaughter because she has bad confirmation and in this market is not worth the hay! I HATE them!!!! They sent a cow vet out to do spring vaccines and he didn't know which ones the horses had to have, should have or only needed for shows and he didn't know the doses for the mini. I brought them out when I rescued the foals mom and all they could tell me was that she was indeed a mini... at 32in... really? I had not gotten there!!! THANK GOD for these forums or I would have been totally lost in this whole process!!!

OK end rant....

Filly seems just fine today so either it was a minor colic and we caught it fast enough or as the breeder thought it may be a pinched nerve in her back and she got it back in place herself or once she relaxed. Still keeping a careful eye but she is up to her usual no goodness!

 

[chandab]

And, I thought I had bad vets... They've much improved with two new additions to our area in the last 3 years, but each vet is still quite a ways away; one is 50 miles SE of here and the other 65 SW of here, but both are willing to work with my minis and if I can afford the mileage charge, they'll come to the ranch. I do sometimes get the "I'm the vet, so I know more than you about everything" attitude, but I'll deal with that over no vet.

 

[Marty]

I feel your pain. The last vet that was here will never come here again and that's a promise and I reported her actions to the state vet licensing board and I think you have plenty of ammunition to do it too. . Now I've gone from an idiot vet to zero vet. There is no one left so if I have a 911 its load up and haul about 100 miles. That said, I am sick and tired of vets being so hateful and down right nasty and not knowing their profession or caring about it especially when you are an established clientele who paid cash on the barrel as I was. I do understand many do not know of the particulars for minis and may not have small equipment such as a small tube for tubing or smaller float thingys for floating teeth so in one way, its better that you didn't get a vet that had no experience and wanted to practice on your horse. Good luck with your baby. Hugs to you both.

 

[Carolyn R]

Wow, unbelievable! I love the vets I use, there are several of them from the same facility, but all are well versed and capable. With that said, there is a local clinic that I do not think much of, small animal with one vet that will on occasion see equines. Told our neighbor that her horse, which had a huge cresty neck and fat pads on her eye lids, a classic thyroid issue indicator, that her horse had a laminitis flare up due to a slight thrush issue. Thank God she called the vets I use. They pulled blood work and as they had suspected, it was it was her thyroid.

My vets would expect me to have as much info as possible on hand.. Temp, gut motility, gum color, whatever, I could provide them with to give them an accurate description so they could gauge the urgency of the visit. Some facilities do not like clients that have input and may feel that we are stepping on their toes. Very frustrating from a client's point of view.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Wow, I am feeling blessed right now...I have finally found a farrier that does lots of minis and is excellent and my friend's vet, she highly recommends and I have seen him come out and be right there for when she has needed him, for one of her mini's. I am pretty sure the last farrier, just didn't want to waste his time, on a mini. Gee, they could be out of a job, like other's are...would think getting work, and wanting to do a good job, so you are called again, would come into play. Obviously not, in many cases.

 

[wildoak]

Hope your filly is still holding her own, has to be beyond frustrating to have that much trouble with vets. We are so fortunate here, three good horse clinics within about 30 minutes, one equipped for major surgery, plus several mobile vets... And Tx A&M 2 hours out.

Jan

 

[Foxhaven]

Wow, I am feeling blessed right now...I have finally found a farrier that does lots of minis and is excellent and my friend's vet, she highly recommends and I have seen him come out and be right there for when she has needed him, for one of her mini's. I am pretty sure the last farrier, just didn't want to waste his time, on a mini. Gee, they could be out of a job, like other's are...would think getting work, and wanting to do a good job, so you are called again, would come into play. Obviously not, in many cases.

Likewise... though up in the mountains, about 20 minutes away is a GREAT equine vet and surgeon, 24 hour on call too. In fact, I came across minis when a rancher way out in eastern Colorado drove her gelding up there for a locking stifle. We use one of the vet techs as a horsesitter/housesitter (PRCA qualified barrel racer I might add) and CSU is not all that far away...

 

[Vansplic]

Yeh, it is really troubling how bad things have gotten here. I heard this used to be a good area. If I thought they would even try I would buy and keep on hand most of the affordable equipment like the float for mini teeth, tubes what ever. I am OCD about having things on hand anyway. Last time they floated my mini they used a big horse float and cut her all up I was furious!!!

But Topaz is on the up and up and I am feverishly learning more and more so that I can have little dependance on them as possible. We have the trailer now and a good vet reference although she is an hour and a half away.

 

[paintponylvr]

Who does the Mini Breeder you talked about use?