My Mare is Possibly Pregnant.

[Maryann at MiniV]

Pitter Patter, I do NOT think the powdered colostrum is enough. Either Snickers will provide enough. Or, if not, feed your new foal the powdered until your vet can either locate colostrum from another mare. (Some breeding farms save colostrum from their mares and freeze it.) And the last possible situation is to have your vet give the foal a Plasma Infusion. This provides the newborn with the necessary antibodies immediately as it's given directly into a blood vein.
FINGERS CROSSED that Snickers will come through without a hitch!

 

[Pitter Patter]

Hi all! Been experiencing tech issues in getting pictures of Snicker's underside to load from my phone. So here is one taken 1/31/21. Hopefully this works!
View attachment 42850View attachment 42850View attachment 42850

 

[Pitter Patter]

Hi all! Been experiencing tech issues in getting pictures of Snicker's underside to load from my phone. So here is one taken 1/31/21. Hopefully this works!
View attachment 42850View attachment 42850View attachment 42850

THAT didn't work right at all!! Tried to delete it and messed that up too! Will get kids to help me...Sorry!

 

[Taz]

Well now that's just weird. I'm beyond not good with tech, can crash something by touching it, but one of the pictures worked on my phone but not here. I don't get it at all . Anyway, from the (small) picture I saw it looks like you have some time yet.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Wouldnt let me open anything

 

[Pitter Patter]

Wouldnt let me open anything

Will try again this weekend!

 

[Pitter Patter]

Sorry I have been off line for a bit. It's been a very rough several days. My stallion, Volt, went down and looked like the 25 year old mini mare I lost at the end of October. Despite numerous vet visits and diet changes nothing was working. Vet said should put him down, but he has so much life in his eyes. Some of his decline has been long term diarrhea from acorn toxicity. He remains weak and easily topples over and can't get up on his own. When we get him up and make sure he is steady he treads very slowly and deliberately so as not to fall over. We had a very cold snap here and were worried we would lose him so we brought him into the house. I stayed a few nights with him in the basement. I pulled over a mattress and slept next to him and catered to him. He's back outside with his girls now and we have made a convalescent stall in the walk in shed, which still gives room for the others to get out of the weather. I have ordered Cool Calories Feed per vet's suggestion, free access to hay 24 hrs. The girls were starting to get mean to him and push him around (and over!). We still might lose him and I'm devastated. Since we stayed together in the house, we have really bonded. I learned some new things too. Apparently a horse normally sleeps 2.9 hrs in every 24. So initially, I thought how bad can this be to sleep near him? AHHHH---he's basically a very large toddler and gets into EVERYTHING! But he has no fear of being inside, and in fact, basically potty trained himself to let me know when he needs to go potty and we would go outside. Only a couple messes in the house (we were in the basement). He has a huge heart and huge sense of humor too, which only made me fall more in love with him. So, for now he is relatively stable and back outdoors. Unfortunately, we also found an aborted foal as manure thawed. Might have been about 4 to 4.5 months along. That was heartbreaking, but leads to a mystery that is driving me nuts! I THINK Snickers is still pregnant. Vet said Pepper was not pregnant per palpation. Cottontail was 25 and didn't look pregnant, but at her death she was thin and looked bloated. Her teets were enlarged but we thought was likely due to the acorns and other edema in her body. So, whose baby was this?! Oh and Patches, new girl, didn't have any signs of pregnancy. I feel very responsible with what has been happening as I didn't figure out the acorn thing right away. Vet now feels badly for telling me I worry too much! GRRR...doesn't help my babies now.

 

[Taz]

Oh how awful, I'm so sorry. So hoping Volt pulls through. I can't say enough bad things about your vet. About when do you think the foal was aborted( might give you an idea of who's it was?)? That's all just heartbreaking.... Fingers crossed it wasn't Snickers foal.

 

[MerMaeve]

Oh my gosh, Pitter Patter!! I am so so sorry! Fingers crossed for Volt to pull through!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Oh Pitter Patter , I'm so sorry , how heartbreaking for you. I hope volt continues to improve. Horses are a forever learning lesson, so don't feel bad, you have done everything you can. I really hope this whole saga is over for you soon. I'm sorry for the loss of your foal ( I lost 2 last year )

 

[Pitter Patter]

My family and I have been tossing this around for a couple of days and our best theory is the aborted foal probably came from Pepper as she had a huge belly and it went down pretty fast. Vet palpated her when he checked Snickers as well. He said she wasn't pregnant but she was huge. I then thought, well, maybe she was bloated like Cottontail was but now she is fine. Could the vet have been wrong? Her belly was still big when he palpated her though. This is only a theory-ugh! Could have been Cottontail's as well and maybe the pregnancy pushed over the edge physically. We aren't sure of when the foal aborted and in trying to think back to when I was last able to clean the shed fully due to freezing weather, which would have been sometime in late November I think. I looked back on this thread and it looks like I strongly suspected Pepper of being pregnant in mid to late June. If I recall correctly, vet checked her in late August/early Sept. Volt is in a "convalescent stall" now and being checked at least every 2 hours or more. He is standing on his feet for longer periods of time but still needed to be picked up this morning and was a bit weak. Well, at least now we can be prepared to bring him back inside the house if absolutely necessary!

 

[Taz]

I've been trying to do the math, and failing. If your vet checked them in Aug/early Sept and said Snickers was about 5 months then it can't be hers. We all thought he had the age wrong though with the timing for when you got them and when Volt went in with them. Didn't we think she was more like 3/4 months? That would still make the foal not as far along as she was.....I think. If Pepper was 2/3 month along even your useless vet should have found that. I think they only miss it when palpating if the mare is very early, like in the first couple weeks? Could be she caught later and lost it from complications from the acorns? If it was Cottontails it could have been too much for her if the timing works. Ugh is right! Does Snickers still have a big belly? Is it getting bigger? I really want her to still be in foal and have a beautiful healthy baby, you need something good to happen. I can't tell you how amazing it is to me that you took Volt into your house and are doing what you are for him. I have a farm full of rescues that have been neglected and/or mistreated then thrown away, they deserve so much better and you're doing it. And yes, there is NOTHING restful about sleeping with a horse, haha. Please keep us posted as you can on how everyone's doing.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Ive been trying to do the math too ( my worst subject at school by far ). I reckon Taz is right in saying it could have been peppers. I dont think it would have been cottontails, even though some mares can cycle well into their 20s. Just hoping it wasn't snickers.

Mares can abort foals for many reasons, toxicity being one of them. I had one mare abort last year with 4 weeks to go until her due date. It was her last foal at 19yo. Apart from being in her senior years , she was generally very healthy. Pitter Patter you are a true horse mother, Bringing volt into your house. Theres been many nights ive slept out in stables, pastures etc, waiting for a mare to foal, sick horse etc.

Hope you are able to post some pics of snickers soon

Taz - "I can't tell you how amazing it is to me that you took Volt into your house and are doing what you are for him. I have a farm full of rescues that have been neglected and/or mistreated then thrown away, they deserve so much better and you're doing it" THIS WARMS MY HEART

 

[Pitter Patter]

Thanks for everyone's kind words. Yes, I think we are probably leaning towards it being Pepper's foal we lost. I really believe Snickers is still pregnant. I can put my hands on her belly now. Yesterday evening I am very sure I felt the little bugger kicking where my hand was! She is getting bigger as I had to loosen up her blanket to adjust for a bigger tummy! So excited! I don't know why my pictures keep being saved to Paint and totally messes things up with the pixels. So, hopefully very soon I can get more pics loaded (and hopefully not the mess of tons of pics like I usually end up posting!).Volt is still weak. Had to put him back to his feet again this morning. He is now getting free choice hay, water. He is also getting a local feed here for hard keepers called Fat and Fiber. Vet told me to use Cool Calories 100 and just started that yesterday evening. I know it adds calories but not sure how when he gets just 1 oz per day at first. Is it an appetite stimulant or actual calories? Anyone familiar with this product? I think it was from MannaPro?

 

[Cayuse]

I think Cool Calories is almost 100% fat so that's why it has a high calorie content. Sometimes it does not take much volume wise to pack a punch, my minis gained weight on the two tablespoonfuls of flax oil I give for skin conditions

 

[Pitter Patter]

That's incredible to me that a powder will do this. Does the 100 mean calories per serving? I sure hope something helps. It's heartbreaking to have to go pick him up off the ground or the floor. He's standing for longer periods and I wanted to walk him a little last night but everything is so slick right now I didn't want to risk an injury on top of illness recovery (or my own clutziness on ice--If I fell on him he wouldn't stand a chance, poor guy!). If anyone is the praying type, I would appreciate prayers for Volt. He's a stallion, but the sweetest little guy ever. I now hope to use him as a therapy animal if he improves.

 

[Taz]

I wouldn't rush to ask him to do anything, even walk around a bit. Wait till he's steady on his feet and then let him out to wander around at his speed and choice. You could even start by letting him have more room in the shelter for short periods of time, but not yet, it sounds like he needs more time. That's exciting about Snickers, I so hope she is!!!! Sending prayers your way. Hang in there Volt, you can get through this.

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

Sending Healing Light to Volt..... He's a fighter, isn't he. He still has that Light of Life in his eyes?
Needing to loosen up Snicker's blanket sure speaks volumes!

 

[MerMaeve]

Praying for Volt! ❤

 

[Pitter Patter]

Thank you for the kind words and help! Volt was still standing from last night (or he was able to get himself up if he did lay down)! He is getting stronger but it's a long battle. He's outside with the girls for a couple of hours this morning. The last couple of days have been sunny and over 30F. He still wears a blanket. I took blankets off all the girls except Patches and I'm still gaining enough trust to get hers off. Snickers is growing. Can see baby kicking and moving. She now lets me feel. In fact, my ornry girl is much more lovable, to a point. Reminds me of a cat personality! Yesterday she wanted her bum scratched--a lot and even backed up to me and straddled my leg so she could get as close as possible. Last fall she would kicked me repeatedly to be that close. I even got to scratch her inner thighs and could feel her udder. Udder is not filled yet.