Dummy foal, anyone had one?

[whirlwindhorses]

Not my foal but someone i know, so i can only tell you the bits i know. Filly, dummy foal, week old and still can't suckle. Had a feed tube in place till yesterday when it was removed. Foal been fed by drip today, fighting all attempts to feed her, is nosing around mares front legs but won't try by teats and again fights any attempts to get her on teat, but she still doesn't have suckle reflex anyway. Is lively otherwise. Vet been in touch with Newmarket who have said put the feed tube back in and carry on. Has anyone else on here had a dummy foal? How bad and how long till it started suckling? Thanks for any replies.

 

[Spring Feather]

Not one of my own but I foaled out a mare belonging to a friend of mine. Tbh it was a nightmare waiting to happen as my friends didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. They phoned me late at night and said she was foaling and asked if I could come over and help. I got myself ready and headed over in the car. On my way over (about a 15 min drive) they called again and said that the bubble was being sucked in and out. I have to say I was very worried just on the short drive over. Anyway, I arrived and still the bubble was being sucked in and out. I went in to feel for presentation and it was okay, not perfect but a bit of twiddling had the foal correct. I did ask if they minded me intervening and the owners were fine with that so I pulled the foal out along with the mares contractions, which by this stage were few and far between as she was shattered. When the foal came out it was clear it was dummy. I propped it up, cleaned it off and waited to see what it would/could do. It did eventually get up, just as I was planning to milk the mare for colostrum and after a lot of toing and froing did manage to finally get it to suckle. Every feeding from then on had to be assisted for about 4 or 5 days but in the end the foal did manage to become coherent and now he's a nice, normal 2 year old. Had an even worse foaling the following year with that mare, and after me delivering a dead foal for her, I strongly urged the owner never to breed from the mare again. TBH I have enough on my plate at home with my own mares foaling to be having to trundle over to someone else's in the middle of the night to foal out difficult birthers.

 

[Jools2345]

never experienced it with foals as not had much at all to do with breeding horses, but had 4 dummy calves in the time we lived on a beef farm non of them made it as they never became strong enough to get up and/or suckle alone

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Not sure either were true dummys, but have had two very weak foals, one was mine, one a friends.

First one mare had placentitis (sp) the foal really should have been an aborted foal, but was born alive (early, around day 315) he had no inclination to stand & could not support himself at all when lifted to feet. His suckle reflex was very poor, we bottle fed him but he did no survive

Second,

 

[ElleSkywalker]

Silly phone,

Second one, again not sure if was a true dummy. He was well cooked, 361 but tiny, really weeny. He couldn't stand, but when helped to his feet he could totter about. Bottle fed him at first but he was a determined bright little fellow & once up could totter to milkybar & slurp away. Had to be picked up hourly for first few days then worked out how to do it himself.

He is now 9 months old & fine & dandy, perhaps still a little cow hocked, but exceptionally handsome & little Prince of the herd

Hope this helps x

 

[JanetGeorge]

I had a Dummy - must be a 6 year old now! He spent 7 days trying very hard to die - didn'ty suckle at all, didn't stand up at all! I was trying to bottle him every hour: had to hold him up on his brisket and slap his chest furiously for several minutes first just to wake him up. If I stepped away, he collapsed on his side virtually unconscious! We left him in with his Mum who was a maiden mare - but very calm and concerned - milked her out every 4 hours! He was stomach-tuned or iv dripped at least once a day to boost his intake - which was never more than 250 ml, in one feed from a bottle!

At 8 days he stood up, found the teat - and never looked back. He was the easiest horse ever backed here - and has been Mr. Perfect for his owner who bought him as a backed and ridden away 3 year old.

Sounds like this filly IS on the mend but hasn't learned to suck because of the feeding tube! I would get her on a bottle to develop the suck reflex and NOT go back to the tube! If she doesn't take enough, bump it up with a few more iv's! Once she'll accept the bottle and suck, use the bottle to get her in the right place - plaster the mare's teats with milk and pull bottle away when it's sucking and close to a teat.

 

[Maesfen]

Sounds like this filly IS on the mend but hasn't learned to suck because of the feeding tube! I would get her on a bottle to develop the suck reflex and NOT go back to the tube! If she doesn't take enough, bump it up with a few more iv's! Once she'll accept the bottle and suck, use the bottle to get her in the right place - plaster the mare's teats with milk and pull bottle away when it's sucking and close to a teat.

That's exactly what I would try too. You could also try a large syringe if she doesn't get the idea of a bottle at least just to get something down her and used to using the swallow reflex.
Let us know how it goes.