HELP!!!!AUTUMN IS REJECTING HER

[wishful]

Autumn came about 2 hours ago, I took spirit with me to pick her up. they both seemed glad to see each other when i loaded her on the trailer, they talked to each other and she let him nurse.. 3 hours later we arrive back home and she seems to want to reject him, when he nurses she is biting hard at him, turning away and popping her back feet. she has never acted like this before. I am at a complete loss. why is she acting this way and what can i do?

 

[wishful]

forgot to mention spirit is only 15 days old and refuses the bottle.

 

[littlesteppers]

Does she have enough milk to nurse??

 

[mizbeth]

I would put in a call to your vet! Ask him/her what is going on and what to do about it.

You can tie her, hold her etc., tie her and milk her and feed him, but maybe your vet has a better solution? That baby HAS TO EAT and it has been two days now since this has happened to him.

Good luck!

Beth

 

[wishful]

Yes, she has milk. She had a nice full bag, but not bulging tight, when I picked her up. I checked her again when I unloaded her and she still prety white milk. She is being really nasty. Biting at him really hard and even bit ME, she isnt normally a biter. I have to either hold her or tie her for the baby to nurse , all the while she has her ears laid back and she means business.

 

[bluejett]

Is she only kicking whenever the foal tries to nurse or all the time?

 

[wishful]

she wont even let the baby stand with her. how often does a 15 day old foal need to eat.. I am waiting for my vet to call me back now.

 

[wishful]

she only kicks when he trys to nurse.

 

[Marty]

I am putting myself in her place.

She has just been through an ordeal. She's been sick, hurting, transported, poked and plunged at.

I think she is MAD at the world right now. She probably still has pain from her trauma.

I think that given time to unwind, and realize she is home now, she will settle back down in her own sweet time (unfortunately) on her schedule, not yours.

I would ask your vet about a pain killer for her, maybe some banamine.

I know I am no help. Just trying though.

 

[~Palomino~]

Maybe there is something hurting her !!! I am not sure but could she be in heat? Maybe she feels like he needs to be weaned!! I am not a breeder so i am totally guessing!! I just though of those things!!

-Gage-

PS: GOOD LUCK!!

 

[virginia]

She may be sore around her nipples. She's been through a lot. I'd give her some Banamine for the pain and gently with a warm cloth clean and massage her nipples. She will settle down and let him nurse eventually. Especially when her bag fills.

Ginny StP

 

[hairicane]

Im so sorry to hear u are having to deal with this now!! Im no expert in this but would sure hold/tie squeeze chute type thing what ever it takes to let baby nurse. Best of luck. Hope vet can help!

 

[midnight star stables]

hairicane i aggre,

I too am so sorry to hear that you are having to deal with this now!!!!

I too would hold/tie her.. what ever it takes to let baby nurse

she could be grumpy& mad at the world, too, just like what others have said!!!

hope it works out!

desiree

 

[wishful]

I just came in after tyring several things to calm autumn. When tied she will still move around and try to kick him. When loose she will not only kick but bit him. I tried putting (Magic/a mare) in there with her and that seemed to calm her a little bit but she still doesnt really want anything to do with him.

She is in foal heat but has always been quite the lady and silent heater.

Your right Jennifer, nearly five years without problems and now that I dont waht to raise anymore babies I'm hit with a double whammy!

should I separate them to where she can see him but not kick or bit him? and go out and hold her for him to nurse every two hours?

Banaminie,Banamine, where art thou Banaminie.....drugs just might work.

 

[hhpminis]

I too would say she may be sore and Banamine may just take the edge off of her. I think if the foal and you are persistent you will prevail. Please let us know what the vet suggests.

He may suggest a supplement to the foal as well. What has he been eating the last 2 days?

 

[hhpminis]

Will he drink from a bucket? You could milk the mare and feed it from a bucket to him

 

[wishful]

Just came in from giving autumn the recommended dose of banamine. We tried faol lac replacer but he refused the bottle so we had to go with pellets, so he has been eating pellets and drinking water on his own.

 

[mizbeth]

You might need help to hold her to feed the baby. I would feed him each ONE HOUR tho, since he has not had much of anything to eat for a couple of days.

One can hold her head and the other her tail. Hold her tail up, so she cannot move around. Do this with her against a wall or gate. See if she will let the baby eat without kicking. If she tries to kick, tie her tight at the head, then push her against the wall with your body, shoulder and hold her there. Have someone else hold her back leg so she will not kick.........let the baby eat.

Or milk the mare and feed the baby via syringe. Be careful to hold his head level and steady so that the milk does not go down the wrong way. That would be a whole 'nother set of problems........phenomonia.

Good luck,

Beth

 

[wishful]

Oh Beth, lets pray I dont have to go to that extreme with her...it would absolutely break my heart to have to do that to her. She is doing ok right now being held or tied to let him nurse, the banamine didnt hurt either. I hope she continues to calm down but til then i will go out and check on her ever hour on the hour..

as if this wasnt enough, they said to watch for a relasp, doesnt mean she will have one but she could.

 

[minimule]

My first mule was rejected by his momma. Long story there but we had to give her a dose of Ace to get her to hold still long enough for him to nurse. We only had to dose her once. The rest of the first day, we haltered her every hour and held her so the foal could nurse. Part of her problem was she was full and tight and it hurt for him to nurse. They push on the bag to get milk down. By the end of the day, 5ish, she would stand for him to nurse. We never had to halter her for him again.

When he was 3 days old, he had a heat stroke and we had to put a tube in his nose. We had to milk the mare and feed him through his tube every hour. She kicked just about every time we milked her out because she was full and tight.

I'm sure your mare is a little sore from not having the foal nurse from her. Maybe the vet can give her something to sedate her so the foal can nurse and relieve some of that pressure on her.

Sure hope everything works out for you and your "kids". You've had enough stuff to deal with this week!