Help!! Poorly mare.

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navaho

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My little Highland mare is very poorly, my vets are at a loss as to whats wrong. My partner is on the way as we speak to our nearest Equine Hospital with blood samples to see if they can find anything. Stressed is not the word. We cant get her to the Equine Vets as she is too unstable to travel. Ive just come in for a couple of mins to post this in the hope that someone may have had something similar with their horse.
She was off her food & laying down quite a bit last night, she kept looking at her stomach, she didnt seem in any pain just a bit of discomfort (colic has been ruled out), she is in foal but not due till Feb, so we stayed up all night with her, checking her every half hour. This morning she is now very unstable on her & she seems to be having waves of pain coming over her, as she panics & almost runs into the stable walls, she also has her mouth open when she does this, if she was a person i would almost say she was screaming with pain. Vets have given her pain killers & antibiotics & now we are waiting on the blood results.
In all honesty i think we will loose her, i cant stand seeing her in so much pain & i cant do anything to help.
 
I have no suggestions, but will keep fingers crossed for her. Sounds terribly distressing for her and you :( I know nothing about breeding at all......
 
So sorry, the symptoms could be so many things, hopefully the vets will get some information from the bloods. Fingers crossed for you and your mare.
 
Not seen it in horses but have seen what nightbc says in a sheep, lost both as found out too late. Has vet scanned knowing she's in foal? If not I'd be requesting they come out and scan asap.
 
As has already been suggested my first instinct would be to check that the foal is still alive because if not, and being so close to term, she could may well be experiencing the effects of the foal having died and beginning to decompose within her - I personally wouldn't be happy for the vet just to have a feel I would be looking at getting her scanned to be sure. The probability is that this would show up as massive infection in her bloods but that's by no means a definite. I would also be looking at the possibility of whether something had ruptured within her reproductive system, or is the foal trying to come early (if she's due the beginning of Feb she may only be 5 or 6 weeks early and stranger things have happened). Whichever way, heart goes out to you and fingers crossed, keep us informed as and when you can xx
 
Is it possible to give her painkillers and put her into a sleep? I have no idea in terms I effect on foal. The deeper sleep can give an animal chance to fight off whatever it is without having to deal with the pain.

I hope she comes through this okay.
 
No idea, but didn't want to read and run.
Poor HiPo :( must be really upsetting for you both. Can she be sedated to help her cope with the pain or anything. Hope your vet thinks of something.
 
Having had a mare who had matritis, laminitis and mastitis, post partum, I can understand how worried you must be. The good news is that although we lost the foal at a month old we still have his Mum, twenty odd years on. I hope all works out ok for your mare.
 
Sorry ive not replied sooner, ive been whizzing in & out & not had much time to reply.
She is still very poorly, & its horrible seeing her so unsteady on her feet & hitting herself on the walls, but the vets have diagnosed EHM, so it seems to be a waiting game now, shes got to have steroid injections for the next few days & hopefully she will make a full recovery. The only sad thing is she will probably loose the foal, but in all honesty my priority is the mare & as sad as it is i would rather loose the foal than her.
Thankyou for all your kind words.
 
Just a quick update, she is much more stable on her feet today & is eating her haylage & had a little bit of some sloppy sugarbeet. She hasnt eaten properly since Christmas day morning, so im feeling quite happy at the moment, obviously its still early days but im hoping this is a good sign.
 
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