fever, high resp rate, (also in vet section)....

[[59668]]

(Also in vet section)
Hello Hive Mind!

6 days ago my horse came down with a suspected viral infection. No idea how, or what it was, and the other 3 horses on the yard are fine.
She had a high temp, resps 38, was very quiet, no appetite etc
Vet came out as an emergency and gave her some injections (antibiotics and something to bring temp down), and the following morning she was much brighter, eating more hay, with a resp rate of 12-15 (normal for her is around 10-12)
She has finished a 5 days course of antibiotics, and 3 days of bute, and is much brighter in herself. She's actually bored I think! She is going out as normal for about 16 hours a day (overnight) and is in during the day.
But her appetite hasn't really returned, and she isn't drinking much. I have messaged the vet, but thought I would consult the hive mind on here too!
I was thinking that maybe she is getting a lot of moisture from the grass overnight at the moment, and also isn't working so isn't as hungry/thirsty. She was in work 6 days a week before. vet has said a week off, but it will actually be 2 as I am off on holiday next week. She shows no signs of dehydration

I have NO experience of anything like this. It seems so weird that she went downhill so fast, we have no idea where she caught this and all the other horses are ok. Which makes me worry it's not a virus and is something else. Hence worrying about her appetite and drinking habits.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[outdoor girl]

Sounds scary, especially when they go downhill so quickly. Really glad she's feeling so much better. Have you tried giving her some carrots? Lots of water content and may tempt her to start eating as well.

 

[[59668]]

Sounds scary, especially when they go downhill so quickly. Really glad she's feeling so much better. Have you tried giving her some carrots? Lots of water content and may tempt her to start eating as well.

that's actually a really good idea! maybe I could put some in her water too.....

 

[outdoor girl]

Carrot dunking!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Maybe some sort of really wet mash or grass nuts while she is recovering, that way it's a bit of extra food and water.

 

[SEL]

Its a few years back that mine had a reaction to a procedure and went off her food and water (trust me - this horse going off her food was a definite emergency!)

In order to get her drinking again I had buckets of flavoured water around. One had the electrolyte sachets the vet had provided, another had blackcurrant squash and another orange squash. Quite sweet blackcurrant did it for her. I was a bit paranoid about sugar content (she has PSSM) but gave myself a bit of a kick because she really did need to drink and to h*ll with the sugar.

Apple bobbing was also recommended but she wasn't into that.

Good luck!

 

[PapaverFollis]

I don't know about anyone else but the grass is really coming through here. Mine are drinking less and slightly less enthused by their buckets over just the past few days. Obviously keep talking to your vet and try and get her to take in some more fluids, electrolytes too possibly, but it might be as simple as just a touch more grass coming through.

 

[southerncomfort]

After one of mine had a really nasty virus i gave her Global Herbs Restore which is anexcellent tonic. Little mare recovered and got her appetite back very quickly.

 

[[59668]]

Maybe some sort of really wet mash or grass nuts while she is recovering, that way it's a bit of extra food and water.

Good idea thank you!

 

[[59668]]

Its a few years back that mine had a reaction to a procedure and went off her food and water (trust me - this horse going off her food was a definite emergency!)

In order to get her drinking again I had buckets of flavoured water around. One had the electrolyte sachets the vet had provided, another had blackcurrant squash and another orange squash. Quite sweet blackcurrant did it for her. I was a bit paranoid about sugar content (she has PSSM) but gave myself a bit of a kick because she really did need to drink and to h*ll with the sugar.

Apple bobbing was also recommended but she wasn't into that.

Good luck!

I like the flavoured water idea. I know she is a fan of Ribena as that was the only way I could get her drugs in her!

 

[PapaverFollis]

Saracens recovery mash might be worth a try to get liquid into her.

 

[Shilasdair]

The old fashioned (and still very effective) way to get a horse to drink is to make sugar beet juice. If you pick the unmolassed stuff, and soak it in disproportionate amounts of water (warm is best) most horses will drink it. You could also feed the soaked beet, with any supplements (powders stick to it well).

 

[[59668]]

Some great ideas here thanks everyone

 

[Marigold4]

https://www.evetdrug.co.uk/supplements/electrolytes/horse-quencher

 

[Kahlua]

A friend of mine had a horse (in Australia) present with very similar symptoms, although she did also colic and it turned out to be a mild peritonitis. They treated the same with antibiotics at first, then the horse relapsed and so they went down this road. She made a full recovery and all is well now. So hard when you can’t get to the bottom of these things at first!!