Lost a foal 36 hours after Pneumabort

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I am sick over this. I had not been giving pneumabort for a few years because of bad stuff happening. But last year I bought a mare late in foal that had had her pneumaborts and the foal was vigourous and healthy, so I thought, ok, I will start again this year.

My lovely homozygous tovero blue eyed mare, Misty( who ALWAYS gives me lovely blue eyed pintos) aborted 36 hours after getting her Pneumabort shot. This would have been a homozygous pinto most likely with blue eyes. It was a colt.

I only have one more mare due this year, hopefeully she won't slip her foal too. Dilemma, do I continue the shots or stop?

I would like to look up previous discussions about this, how can I do it?

Thanks,

Robin

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

I found the topic search. Thanks.

Robin

 

[Margaret]

Robin, So sorry for your loss...

I have never used the shots and have never lost a foal either.

Mary

 

[eagles ring farm]

I'm so sorry Robin

you must be heartbroken (((HUGS)))

we have always given Pneumabort K- 3 6 + 9 mos

with no problems related to it although we have had

2 mares abort thru the years none were close

to the time of the shots.

We have also purchased mares in foal that did not get the shots

and had no problems.

We will continue to give them even though it does make me nervous either way

Lori

 

[luv2ridesaddleseat]

I'm so sorry Robin.

I've only bred one mare and she had the shots and was fine. What a heartbreak.

 

[Charlotte]

Robin, I am so sorry. I know the feelings of loss, frustration and even guilt you are experiencing.

May I ask how far along your mare was? I hpe the delivery was not a difficult one for her.

Just from our experience here I will say that we no longer give any vaccinations to pregnant mares unless it's an extreme situation (like late summer and we get a bred mare that has never been vaccinated for sleeping sickness/ tetanus/ WNV. then we feel the risk to the mare is greater than the risk to the fetus). We only vaccinate when mares are open.

Charlotte

 

[kaykay]

Robin I am so sorry for your loss

I have talked about these shots with so many different farms and vets and equine hospitals. They all insist the shot does not cause abortions. They say you usually see it when the horse wasnt vaccinated soon enough. For example someone buys a bred mare that is 6 months along and shes never had the rhino shot. So the new owner gives it and then the mare aborts. She aborts not because of the shot but beause it wasnt given soon enough. Not sure if this is the case with your mare. The other reasoning is the mare aborted for unrelated reasons of which we never know what the cause is.

We had a mare abort on Jan 1. Broke my heart but sometimes you just never know why they abort.

 

[Becky]

Robin,

I am so sorry. I do know how you must feel.

Been through that here.

Like Charlotte, I quit giving any vaccinations of any kind to pregnant mares unless deemed absolutely necessary. Routine, annual vaccinations are given after foaling and before re-breeding mares. Too many bad experiences here in the past.

The vaccine itself may not be the culprit in these cases, but some horses react to the adjuvent in the vaccines causing them to have a fever. A fever can kill a fetus and cause a mare to abort. Hence my no pregnant mare vaccination policy on my farm.

 

[Crabby-Chicken]

I am sorry Robin you lost your colt.

I had almost exactly the same thing happen to us. That was the last shot of that kind I have given and have had no problems. I think ours lost hers with three days of the shot.

-Kim

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Robin,
I am so sorry. I do know how you must feel.

Been through that here.

Like Charlotte, I quit giving any vaccinations of any kind to pregnant mares unless deemed absolutely necessary. Routine, annual vaccinations are given after foaling and before re-breeding mares. Too many bad experiences here in the past.

The vaccine itself may not be the culprit in these cases, but some horses react to the adjuvent in the vaccines causing them to have a fever. A fever can kill a fetus and cause a mare to abort. Hence my no pregnant mare vaccination policy on my farm.

I'm so, so sorry Robin.

It's heartbreaking I know. And although it's unlikely you will ever know for sure what caused this to happen, I can understand your concern about the shot. I'm personally with Charlotte and Becky on this one. After they foal but before I start breeding them again, they get a 5 way. Of course show horses - who are not breeding obviously - get other things like strangles with boosters as needed. My vet recommends the pneumabort shots, but I decline. Just my preference based on what I've heard from other mini breeders.

Hugs to you and your mare.

 

[Matt73]

That's too bad. I'm so sorry

If there are no horses going on and off of the farm and if you are not going to other people's farms very often (or are taking precautions) there is really no reason to give the shots (IMHO). If you can get away with not giving them, I wouldn't. I haven't (with the two foals I've had born here). If I was showing I, of course, would consider it.

 

[Anne]

Awww Gee Robin,

I'm sorry I am anxiously waiting to see Phantom's first foals and I'm guessing this was one.

We quit doing those shots years ago.

Some people will swear by them and do them religiously and vets will tell you they are "safe" but over the years, I have found personally that I have fewer problems without them.

 

[minie812]

Robin, I am so sorry. I know the feelings of loss, frustration and even guilt you are experiencing.
May I ask how far along your mare was? I hpe the delivery was not a difficult one for her.

Just from our experience here I will say that we no longer give any vaccinations to pregnant mares unless it's an extreme situation (like late summer and we get a bred mare that has never been vaccinated for sleeping sickness/ tetanus/ WNV. then we feel the risk to the mare is greater than the risk to the fetus). We only vaccinate when mares are open.

Charlotte

DITTO...on what Charlotte said and so sorry for the loss

 

[weerunner]

Ill weigh in too. My pregnant mares only get tetanus a month before foaling and that is it. They get their 3way just before they are bred. All shots make me nervous, I have personally seen a healthy horse go blind and into shock after a west nile shot and die a few days later. No more of those in my barn ever.

 

[targetsmom]

I am so sorry for your loss and I really feel your pain. I think there needs to be more research in this area, in terms of what the proper dose and timing really is for these shots for minis. In 2008 we lost 2 foals (100%) that might have been due to rhino, so last year we did the shots and got our first live foal. Of course it could have been pure coincidence. I am not sure I did them all last year, and I know we only gave a half dose. For me, this makes one more thing to worry about in terms of foaling.

 

[Allure Ranch]

[SIZE=12pt]I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.... [/SIZE]

This is the first year that I've decided to eliminate that particular vaccine from our routine. I've never personally had any incidents with any of our horses aborting do to a reaction. However, based on other breeders experiences I've joined in on that decision.

 

[albahurst]

Robin- I am sorry to hear of your loss.

I guess one just never knows whether to give shots or not to give.

We personally lost a foal due to Rhino by not giving the shots to pg mares a couple of years ago. So, I will give them starting at the end of 3 months. We have not had any trouble since, so I will continue to give the shots. I have also heard that if one waits til 5 months, it is too late. I guess it is risky either way.

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

Robin ~

So sorry you have to endure this - it's heartbreaking I'm sure. I'm really sorry.

We have never given those shots - have bought many bred mares and none have come on that regime either. Knock on wood, we've never had any foal issues and sure hope our luck doesn't run out.

We do the 5 way between foaling and breeding.

We based on decisions on what other breeders did/didn't do as well.

Hope your mare is okay.

 

[hairicane]

I dont use those shots either based on friends bad experiences and also what an older VERY experienced vet told me years ago(he said DONT give them). Saw a lady follow her vets advice and vaccinate (with the Rhino vaccine) all her very preg. but not due yet mini mares and within a couple days most aborted. Of course mares can lose foals for many reasons but thats just what I do.

 

[Relic]

Haven't used it for a lot of years and have no plans to in the near future. When we did give it for a period of about 4 years it just seemed like it was loss after loss during that time... so we do whats working for us the best by not giving the stuff.