Help, I have an Orphan Foal

[Julie/Azariah]

I received a call from a lady tonight. She bought a mini colt a week or so ago. He was orphaned about 10 days to 2 wks ago.

The breeder had tried to give him a bottle, tried to get another mare to allow him to nurse, but he just isn't getting enough.

She had seen him when she bought him and he was active and doing well. When she went to visit him tonight, lost weight...lethargic and depressed.

The man was not sure what to do. So I put the colt in the back seat of my pick-up with my son and he slept on my son's lap the whole way home.

I mixed up milk replacer and settled him in. He is so thin and weak. I thought I better get some milk in his system to start to help strengthen him, so I put 80ml in his mouth by syringe.

Will continue to do that through the night. I have a bucket there with milk in if he wants to try himself.

He was drinking water from a bucket, so I am hoping that he will go right to the bucket for a week or so til I can get him switched over to the pelleted form.

I did talk with my vet this evening and right now the best thing to do I guess is get some in him.

He is standing and was nibbling grass when I picked him up.

I am going to take pictures of him tomorrow and track his weight gain.

Any pointers anyone can give would be appreciated.

 

[Tucker]

Sure wish you lived closer i have a mare who will let any baby nurse on her she loves babies. shes nurseing 2 foals that are not hers not that they need to they have moms with them crazy.good luck,give him hugs for me.

 

[Little Bits]

Is he actually sucking off the syringe? If he is not there maybe an under lying issue and you may need to get the vet involved. If he is actually nursing on the syringe that you need to get him to nurse off it moving it closer into the bucket each time you feed him. If you understand what I mean. He pick it right up others it takes a little time. But by gradually encouraging him to put his head in the pail with the milk and syringe he may just pick it right up. Good idea leaving the pail with milk in the stall make sure not to leave it in there to long so it doesn't spoil. Good Luck.

 

[kaykay]

I know from friends that they drink easier from a shallow plate then a bucket. But I would bottle feed him until you get his weight up. Was an IGG test ever done???? IF not that would really worry me

 

[Minimor]

Just to clarify, how old is this colt. I couldn't tell from your post if he was orphaned at or shortly after birth, or if he was a few weeks old before he was ophaned?

 

[Julie/Azariah]

The little guy (Doodle) is about 3-4 wks old. The man didn't give me a foaling date. Said the mare has been gone about 10 days to 2 wks and I think he was with the mare about 10 days to 2 wks. So he got his colostrum, but obviously the mare did not have shots... she died of tetanus.

Compared to my 4 wk old filly he is VERY thin. He is bright eyed, vocal, and gives a bit of a fight when I try to get the milk replacer in him.

I am trying a pan for the milk.

Seemed just a little dehydrated this morning, but will keep watching that.

He is urinating and he is making manure, not a lot, but enough that I am comfortable for now.

Keep bugging him and putting the milk in. But don't want him to start getting weaker.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Any more will be appreciated.

 

[~Lisa~]

mares can get tetnus from retaining a peice of placenta it is my understanding that this form of tetnus acn happen even if they are vaccinated but that is just what I have heard

Try a bowl not a bucket like a dog bowl and you might want to PM Jill she just went thru getting a foal to drink from a bowl

 

[Just Us N Texas]

I was just looking at the sale board, and someone has a mare that needs a foal. I don't know if the locale is right, but it is worth a look see!

 

[Jill]

PM Jill she just went thru getting a foal to drink from a bowl

I called Julie when I read her post early this morning

I started to type a reply and then remembered how little I was at the computer when dealing with Trooper's first week or so and figured that would be quicker and maybe get her help sooner. Julie is so nice and this little colt is very lucky to have her helping him out

:yes

It sounds like he's making some good progress and I bet Julie will update here when she has time.

 

[Julie/Azariah]

Thank you ALL for your help. I was so surprised when I got a call from Jill this morning... and she was so helpful, her tips were right on!

I had contacted Gayle about the mare that lost her foal, just in case we had trouble and had to get him on a mare, so we have been in touch.

And Lisa, you are right, the mare must have retained placenta. I talked to the breeder tonight, he is a very nice man, really a very careful breeder, has quality horses and cares for them very well, he just has not had the experience some of us have had. He called tonight very concerned about how the colt was doing and will be visiting and keeping in touch as wants to learn and is just glad that all of us were somehow put together to help little Doodle.

Doodle's new momma and daddy came to visit their boy tonight. He will have a wonderful home. I told her about lilbeginnings and I am sure she will be logging on soon!

Doodle is a little fighter!!!!

Such a sweet boy. After about 5 feedings with a syringe he began brightening up, started going after his hay more eagerly. By this afternoon I helped him slurp his first milk from a bowl.

It is amazing how quickly he is bouncing back. He has a sparkle in his eye and has much more energy to eat. Getting out of the stall is still very wobbly, slow and tiring for him.

He went up the hill to meet some of his new friends and we almost picked him up to carry him back to the barn. It will take time. He has very little flesh on his bones, he was losing ground fast when I picked him up yesterday, But.... I think we are on the way up the ladder now.

He is very vocal and complains when you leave the stall, or says hello when we walk toward the barn.... just a wonderful little colt with a great personality.

His new momma spent quite a while sitting in the stall with him, taking a damp sponge over his body (like a momma licking her foal), combed his mane and tail and helped him eat his dinner, he was so relaxed after all of it, drank 8 oz of milk, ate his alfalfa leaves and a little bit of our mare pellet mix and was sleeping.... until lightning hit nearby and a loud boom, I heard him complaining a bit but is now quietly sleeping again.

He will stay with me a few weeks until he is stronger and settled into his new routine.

Thanks again to all of you.

Sometime I hope to post before and after pix.

 

[iowa]

We had an orphaned foal so have had some experience with one. You might try the Foal-Lac pellets. Ours seemed to like them. They are like pelleted milk replacer with vitamins, etc in them and he really went for it. He was also very particular about his milk bowl. He would only drink out of the blue one. We experimented to see if he would drink from any other color, but he wouldn't. It was fun raising him and he eventually grew up and was trained to pull a cart and now lives with twin 7 year old girls who adore him.