HELP!

[Reijel's Mom]

Hi everyone -

I just arrived home from work to find that my 2 minis and shetland had broken one of my lock latches and gotten into a 40 lb unopened bag of sweet feed!

It appears to me that about 1/2 is gone. The 2 minis were standing nearby while the shetland had her nose in it. Based on the fact that the shetland is bottom of the herd hierarchy, I assume that the mini mare and mini gelding already had their fill

Right now they are acting just fine. . . but I know it's too early to tell yet. Advice? I'm of course going to keep a close eye on them, and I was thinking a dose of probiotics, no more food tonight, and keeping them turned out in the bigger pasture which is snow covered right now and the grass underneath is done for. They tend to stay pretty active out there.

Also, the mini mare is mostly likely bred for a late April baby

. And, this feed is not what they are used to, I bought it for an experiment with my aged riding horse who was being finicky. The minis and shetland are on Safe Choice right now, and not a lot, probably about 2 cups a piece at night along with hay.

UGH - I never had problems like this with the bigs, they just never cared about locks, doors, etc.!

Thanks for any advice!!

 

[wwminis]

Reijel's Mom,

Depending on the protein level of the feed, I'd say your horses will be just fine! Make sure they have plenty of water and just give them hay for the next 24 hours! Keep an eye on them just to be safe and watch for signs of colic, but there probably OK! These little guys are always into something! OH!

Bill

 

[muffntuf]

Just keep an eye on them! If you figure 20 lbs gone between three of them that's like 6 lbs a piece - give them a little bit of hay so they stay warm and make sure water is available. I will keep you in my thoughts as I go out to do my chores. Mine have been in for the 2nd day. They don't like being 2 days in a row, but we had such cold yesterday and wind today! (from the looks of everything that got snow blown in, it was really windy up here!)

 

[shelia]

I would say call the vet ASAP!!! I would think they need to be oiled so all of that doesn't aborb into there system!

Shelia B.

 

[Bonny]

I also second a call into your vet. I wouldnt assume its 6 lbs a pony, one could have had ten and another less.

I would be up all night watching for signs of colic. I had my standard size mare do that to me one time. she broke a lock to get in.

she was fine, but It sacred the bazooka out of me!

 

[Suzie]

I would call the vet myself. We had a stallion do that a couple years back. Next day, he was colicked up. The vet came out and oiled him up and then banamine for 3 days. He did okay but scared us to death. I know that there is some point in late pregnancy that my vet won't give banamine but not sure when. I would see what the vet's advice is over the phone at least. Now we store all food in a locked top plastic tub behind locked doors! It would take Houdini to get in it now.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I considered the call to the vet but I know him pretty well - and I'm pretty sure he would say "watch 'em close and call me if there are problems". . .Before anyone tells me I should fire him then, I'm pretty sure ALL of the vets in my area would tell me that based on prior experience. I switched to this guy because he was equine only.

And you can bet I will be getting up at least once in the middle of the night tonight to check things out. The good thing is my husband will be home around 12:30AM so I'll do a last check before bed, then he'll check when he gets home, then I can check in the middle of the night, and again at 6AM, and he can check then check on them throughout the day tomorrow.

Aside from oiling, which I wouldn't endeavor to attempt myself, any other ideas for me to be proactive?

I've had animals all my life and I must say I spend as much time worrying over them as I do enjoying them!

 

[Dream]

There are 2 big concerns when horses get into the feed room...colic and founder. When I get a call like this I oil and start them on a few days of low dose Banamine. The low dose Banamine is for the toxins that are produced when the carbs in the grain are broken down. You can wait for it to happen or you can call your vet now. You can take the wait and see approach on colic in this case but founder is a different story. I would be proactive if I were you. At least get your vet's advice over the phone.

 

[MyBarakah]

I agree that to be on the safe side to get them some banamine ASAP... I once had a welsh pony for the kids and he figured out how to unlatch the gait and PIGGED out...... I got banamine to him ASAP..... and SO LUCKY he did not founder! But I know banamine really aids in that.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Do you have a large dose syringe? You can orally dose the horses with mineral oil to block the protein absorbtion. I would call the vet for sure, and make him come out and oil the horses.

Robin

 

[R3]

I would worry about the carbohydrate overload causing Laminitis/Founder as much or more that I would worry about colic. If they, or just one of them, overloaded then they can founder. I think you want them to metabolize as little of the feed as possible, not enhance the digestion with a Probios type of product, but you should probably ask your vet to be sure. I had my mares get into feed one time and my vet suggested activated charcoal to try to absorb as much of any extra toxins produced as possible and standing them in ice water to reduce the damage to the laminae.

Here are a couple of quotes out of a December article in 'The Horse' that talk about the process of laminitis following an overeating episode:

"Once a horse has received an overdose of carbohydrate (starch), whether from getting in the feed room, pigging out on rich pasture he isn't used to, or receiving an intentional overdose in the laboratory, laminitis is almost inevitable. Ice water baths have been shown to be effective, but keeping a horse standing in a tub for two to three days is challenging, to say the least..."

"...When a horse gets an overload of carbohydrate, the acidity in his gut increases dramatically due to fermentation of the carbohydrate, and his gut becomes more permeable. This allows toxic laminitis triggering factors to get into the bloodstream. From there, they reach the feet, increasing the activity of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases, or MMPs.

When MMPs are too active in the feet, they break down a layer of connective tissue called the basement membrane. This membrane normally helps anchor the hoof to the coffin bone; breakdown of the BM is a significant part of the laminitis process. (For more information, see www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=10856.) ..."

 

[Dream]

Be careful giving mineral oil by syringe. It is very easy for them to aspirate oil into their lungs and then you have a big problem.

Also keep the Banamine dose low so as to only get the anti-endotoxin effects and not mask a developing colic. This is where your vet's participation is critical...Don't assume he wouldn't come out, talk to him.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

Update: I have a message in with my vet, hopefully he'll call back soon. He's always answered right away before, perhaps he's already on a call. Would be great if he's already close by - he travels quite a bit.

At this point I've done nothing. . .I do have banamine here, I do have oil, I do have large syringes, but haven't administered anything yet.

They are turned out in snow so I suppose that might be good, nature's ice pack.

I went out and swept up all the feed and weighed it, I was hopeful because it appeared there was so much left, but my initial guess of about 20lbs gone was accurate

 

[Reijel's Mom]

My vet called back, he'd have liked to have come out (you all were right to tell me that I should at least try)but he has an emergency with a client's mare at his house. He was out caucusing like all good Iowans should be and just got home, which was why he didn't get my call earlier

He is concerned and would have liked to have oiled and given bute. I let him know that I have both banamine and bute here and he wanted me to go with bute (I know mini people don't like bute with good reason but I didn't think I'd get into a lecture with my vet about it at this particular time). I just followed orders and gave the bute.

I or my husband is supposed to call him in the AM, he may come out early in the AM yet.

Please keep my littles in your prayers tonight.

Thanks for everyone's responses, much appreciated!

 

[Miniv]

I agree with everyone who said to "oil" them........If you don't know how to do it, please ask your vet to advise you or show you.......I can guarantee that you will need to know how at some point again.

Hope your little ones will be okay.....

 

[Devon]

How are they all doing Today

 

[Jill]

I hope they are doing well this morning!

Just for anyone reading this, eating that much sweet feed between two minis, imo, is an emergency situation. Like others have said, I'd be very concerned about colic and founder.

In addition to wanting my vet out, I'd keep such an extremely close eye the next 48 hours on them and keep a really close touch with their feet to be sure they're not getting hot. May need to be iced.

Getting into that much sweet feed is a world appart from getting into a lot of hay (or even really a good amount of complete pellets, though that would be scary, too).

 

[wildoak]

Just read this, hope your guys are doing okay this morning. I have done the oiling myself with a big syringe, definitely slower and messier than the vet passing a tube but better than nothing in a pinch. Glad you were able to at least talk with your vet and get some bute into them, did he want you to repeat that this morning? I think you are right, turnout in the snow is probably a great thing - next best to icing.

Let us know how they are doing,

Jan

 

[Reijel's Mom]

As of 7AM everyone was still normal, they moved around as usual and were eager for their b'fast (grass hay only!). Their hooves did not feel hot to the touch and they were not moving gingerly. I did give another dose of bute to each of them.

I'm at work, my husband will be checking them again at 10AM and he'll be home with them until about 2:30pm. He is supposed to call the vet regardless of how they are doing (per the vet). If they are having problems I will go home and the vet will come out.

I know we aren't out of the woods yet. At 7AM we were about 13.5 hours from when they last would have had access to the sweet feed.

I must learn to oil! I never thought I'd have this issue - my tack/feed room is behind triple solid locks because I learned early on how curious/smart these little ones were. But I had just recently gotten the sweet feed and stored it in an alleyway (behind a SINGLE locked door) because there wasn't room in my metal cans in the feed room for it.

Lesson learned. I only pray that none of my littles pay the price for it.

 

[wildoak]

Sounds like you may have lucked out

Hope they all continue to do well and have no ill effects from their mis-adventure!

Jan