Mini mare unwell

[NoahG]

Hello everyone,
Yesterday while trying to remove a piece of hay from Aggie's eye, she reared so high she fell over backwards and hit the fence. She hopped right back up and we soon got the hay out. Today her eye looks twice as bad, and now she won't stop laying down. She's interested in food but only takes a couple bites of hay before going and laying down. Her breathing is also frighteningly rapid. I'd say nearly 100 breaths a minute. She had been doing so well with her asthma steroid treatments. I have her on nebulizer albutorol right now and the vet is on the way. I don't know why Aggie always has things wrong with her. I'm kinda a mess right now.

 

[NoahG]

To add to this. A month ago Aggie went to San Luis Rey hospital and the CT revealed a severe tooth infection. Tooth was removed and she was given antibiotics for the accompanying sinus infection. Never spiked a temperature and the vet was optimistic we finally found the source of her breathing issues (and it did resolve her nasal stink and drainage.)

 

[LostandFound]

Some of them seem to be walking vet bills. Sounds like it could all be from the eye pain, but I don't know if that would be good or bad. Hoping for the best for you both.

 

[NoahG]

Some of them seem to be walking vet bills. Sounds like it could all be from the eye pain, but I don't know if that would be good or bad. Hoping for the best for you both.

Update. Still waiting on the vet but when I took her out of a stall to see if she wanted to walk she trotted along and seemed to be feeling alright. Can eye pain be that debilitating for them?

 

[LostandFound]

Well that's good news. Without knowing exactly what happened to her eye I couldn't even make a guess. I'd think it would have to be a pretty bad injury though. But some horses are babies about things.

 

[Kelly]

Yikes! Hope she has a speedy recovery

I know they say an eye injury is nothing to mess with. Always get a vet involved as they can quickly take a turn for the worse. Best wishes

 

[MaryFlora]

Poor Aggie. She is a very fortunate mini to have a home with you! Yes, pain for horses can be extraordinarily debilitating.

So glad she perked up for you, but I would still try to keep her very quiet until the vet can come and check things out!

 

[NoahG]

3 inches were left of hay in her eye and I puss came spurting out. As the day has gone on she's laid down less. Looks like it was a tummy ache. Her legs and feet didn't have anything obvious.

 

[HersheyMint]

Wow, what a day for you both. So glad the vet cleaned up her eye. Let's hope she is on the mend from all the set backs. You are doing so well by her. Please come back with another update

 

[Standards Equine]

Jeepers @NoahG What a thing to have to deal with!! Poor little darling. I wonder how long the hay was stuck in her eye. I've scratched my sclera before and remember how incredibly painful that was to deal with.
Is it just me, or does it seem there are more mini horses who have had eyeballs removed than full-grown horses? I've encountered several minis with one eye, we even board one at the farm, and he scarred up his other eye a year and a half ago too! Is it their cranial morphology - like pugs, that their gigantic doe eyes are more protruded in their skulls? I'm grasping here, I really haven't a clue. And maybe it's just coincidence. Regardless, I'm glad your little is on the mend and feeling better!

 

[NoahG]

Jeepers @NoahG What a thing to have to deal with!! Poor little darling. I wonder how long the hay was stuck in her eye. I've scratched my sclera before and remember how incredibly painful that was to deal with.
Is it just me, or does it seem there are more mini horses who have had eyeballs removed than full-grown horses? I've encountered several minis with one eye, we even board one at the farm, and he scarred up his other eye a year and a half ago too! Is it their cranial morphology - like pugs, that their gigantic doe eyes are more protruded in their skulls? I'm grasping here, I really haven't a clue. And maybe it's just coincidence. Regardless, I'm glad your little is on the mend and feeling better!

I was terrified that this might be the case with Aggie. Friend of mine got a brand new horse and after less than 2 weeks of having her had to get the eye pulled. Minis definitely seem to be prone to eye problems.

 

[NoahG]

The vet does want to do a cushings test though. We'll see.

 

[NoahG]

Aggie was good this morning. Hates her new fly boots but the flies are awful in socal right now.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Whew!! What an ordeal. I had a lot of trouble with Dapper Dan's eyes. He seemed to get something in them all the time. Once a vet removed a wheat barb that was stuck on the eyeball. I was usually able to get most out with flushing with the water hose or a baster. Vet said their eyes are so large, so they are more prone to eye injuries.
Interesting about the tooth: just had mine to the vet yesterday to remove a cracked tooth--luckily on the bottom. No infection yet, thank goodness.

 

[NoahG]

Whew!! What an ordeal. I had a lot of trouble with Dapper Dan's eyes. He seemed to get something in them all the time. Once a vet removed a wheat barb that was stuck on the eyeball. I was usually able to get most out with flushing with the water hose or a baster. Vet said their eyes are so large, so they are more prone to eye injuries.
Interesting about the tooth: just had mine to the vet yesterday to remove a cracked tooth--luckily on the bottom. No infection yet, thank goodness.

The root of the tooth was infected so an X-ray couldn't really show it and the outside was fine. Based off the tooth the vet thinks she was dealing with that infection up to a year before I got her. He described it as a rotten egg.

 

[chandab]

I'm on week two of treating an eye ulcer in a 3 year old gelding. He's not a very cooperative patient for eye med administration, every 4 hours (I get most of them in, but have missed a few on busy days). My vet will only do a catheter in clinic, so I'm treating him myself, so I don't have to subject him to 20 miles minimum of gravel roads and dust to haul him to town. He's not overly cooperative, but I'm pretty sure I'm seeing improvement.

 

[HersheyMint]

@NoahG Glad Aggie is feeling better. I had a similar tooth issue with Hershey when I first got him. An infected tooth, the vet said had been like that for a long time. The vet said that is one thing he hates smelling. The smell is so bad. How are your littles doing in this heat?

 

[NoahG]

@NoahG Glad Aggie is feeling better. I had a similar tooth issue with Hershey when I first got him. An infected tooth, the vet said had been like that for a long time. The vet said that is one thing he hates smelling. The smell is so bad. How are your littles doing in this heat?

They're little rockstars. Heat doesn't bother them other than just making them sleepy and not wanting to walk until it cools down in the evening.