Not eating or drinking

[TxMissy]

We're worried about our little mini mare. Since it is warming up in south Texas, my dh put her out for an hour to eat green grass (I didn't know). I don't know if she ate something weird or just ate too much green grass for a first time of the season, but she did not eat last night or this morning, nor drink any water, and seems lethargic. I think she may have overeaten the grass. The vet is going to come by and take a look in the morning. Anything else we can do or look out for, as far as symptoms?
Thanks for your thoughts on this.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Do you have any paste banamine on hand? You might try a dose of that. Is it time for her to cycle? If she starts to roll, call the vet right away, don't wait till morning.
Sometimes mine will do that, not often but it is always worrisome.

 

[Cayuse]

Ditto the banamine. Also, has she passed any manure lately? If not, I would get the vet out sooner as she may have an impaction brewing.

 

[TxMissy]

Do you have any paste banamine on hand? You might try a dose of that. Is it time for her to cycle? If she starts to roll, call the vet right away, don't wait till morning.
Sometimes mine will do that, not often but it is always worrisome.

No, unfortunately no banamine. We have never had this problem before, so we were not prepared with any meds.
She has just stood in a corner of her corral all day. No rolling or anything, but she usually walks around a lot and she is staying very still today.

 

[TxMissy]

Ditto the banamine. Also, has she passed any manure lately? If not, I would get the vet out sooner as she may have an impaction brewing.

I will have to check with my dh on the most recent manure and see if there is any from today. The vet is scheduled for 9:30 am tomorrow morning.

 

[TxMissy]

Ditto the banamine. Also, has she passed any manure lately? If not, I would get the vet out sooner as she may have an impaction brewing.

No, he says she has not passed any manure today. None since last night.

 

[Cayuse]

I would have the vet out now, tonight, since she has passed no manure.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

Check her hooves for heat as she could founder if she ate too much grass too. Any heat in them and you def want to get the vet right away for that too. I wouldn't wait too long if not eating and drinking anyways. Can try to get her to drink some Gatorade for the electrolytes to encourage her to at least drink.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

What is the news today about your mare?

 

[TxMissy]

Sadly, our little girl passed away last night. No symptoms at all except not eating and lethargic. The vet thinks she may have gotten into a poisonous plant, and we do have oleander nearby. He said if she even had one leaf of it that blew around, it could have done this, so that is his best guess. He just didn't see any signs pointing to anything else.

We are devastated and will be cutting down the oleanders so there is never a chance of any other animal or person at any risk.

 

[TxMissy]

What is the news today about your mare?

See above

 

[chandab]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[HYmoonMinis]

So sorry for your loss

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I had an oleander that I carried around for about 20 years, a start from a friend's trip to the Caribbean. When I got miniature horses, I got rid of it. What a shocking thing.

 

[TxMissy]

Now it is getting weirder. Our vet called and just had a second mini die suddenly today, just like ours did, only about 8 miles away. He is starting to wonder if something is going on in the area.

 

[Willow Flats]

So sorry to hear this sad news.

 

[Cayuse]

I am sorry for your loss. I lost a gelding many years (40) ago and the vet thought he had gotten into something toxic. We were never able to figure out what it might have been though, he had been on the same feed and pasture for two years without a problem.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[chandab]

Now it is getting weirder. Our vet called and just had a second mini die suddenly today, just like ours did, only about 8 miles away. He is starting to wonder if something is going on in the area.

Hopefully, he's investigating if the horses had feeds in common or pasture weeds or plants (such as the Oleander) in common. Again, very sorry for your loss.

 

[TxMissy]

I am sorry for your loss. I lost a gelding many years (40) ago and the vet thought he had gotten into something toxic. We were never able to figure out what it might have been though, he had been on the same feed and pasture for two years without a problem.

I am sorry. Now we know just how painful it is, and especially unexpected and not knowing why. And we know the other people who lost theirs today.

If our vet is ever able to pinpoint it, or something is going around, I will post it here so people in our region can be aware. My best guess is they may have both eaten some spring weed that is poisonous and happens to be blooming out right now. The vet has not been able to find a plant we both have in common so far. He just finds it odd to have two unexplained sudden mini deaths within 24 hours and geographically close together.