scouring diarrhoea

[lucysnapshot]

I brought my mare and foal home from stud yesterday foal is 13days old today and foal has been scouring since sunday pm, the stud told me this was because mare is in season. however iv read up and most books say not the case must call a vet asap! he hasnt been wormed at all. he isnt de-hydrated (sp) as iv pinched his neck he is full of beans, eating hay, drinking milk and water he is his normal self. so what do you guys recon? should i worm him, call vet?? Thanks

 

[sherlocksgirls]

Try feeding the foal with live natural yoghurt. I've always found it helps.

 

[AmyMay]

They can scour if the mare is in season. However, if in doubt call the vet.

 

[lucysnapshot]

just called my vet and she said just to watch him and put vaseline on his bum. Just abit worried as he's been doing it since sunday

 

[AmyMay]

Absolutely - I would be too. Have you taken his temperature?

 

[sallyf]

As another poster said try some live yoghurt.
You can get a paste from the vets as well which is kaolin and other stuff which works quite well.
I personally wouldnt leave it particularly while it is as warm as it is as foals soon deteriorate and start to look poor.
We try to stop these things within 24 hrs if posible

 

[lucysnapshot]

havnt managed to take his temperature yet as im on my own so no helpers, only just managed to get his headcollar on by myself. will try the yoghurt thanks

 

[Patches]

Don't you get "powders" for foals, like we do for calves? Electrolytes?

When our calves scour, they would most certainly be dehydrated by now had they not received Electrolytes. They also get a jab of Metacam to help the inflammed gut settle.

Good luck with your foalie.

 

[Dougie]

pmsl good ols lectade plus and effydral

 

[milliepup]

It can be normal when mare is in foal heat but do not wait much longer if you are worried and call your vet.
I have just had a 4 day old foal who started off scouring then it turned to squirting smelly water and within a day he was totally dehyrated and ended up in intensive care for 5 days. Never had it before but definately would keep a close eye on him and call your vet if he starts to look lethargic.
Good luck and I am sure he will be fine.

 

[Tia]

Do you guys not worm the mare Ivermectin within 12 hours of birthing to stop scouring?

 

[lucysnapshot]

foal was at stud so presumed theyd take care of everything, but he is still scouring tonight but isnt dehydrated and is absolutley full of himself, so will just be keeping a close eye on him

 

[TURBOBERT]

When in doubt liaise with the vet. (as you have done). Young animals (including children) can soon deteriorate to a dangerous extent. They do often scour when the mare is in her foal heat so may be nothing to worry about.

 

[glenruby]

Yeah try something like the kaolin paste to dry it up and live yoghurt has been shown to have positive effects on preventing and clearing up scour in both young foals and calves.
Scouring is common during foal heat so the above treatments should be sufficient if as you say the foal is bright and energetic.
Foals can go down hill very quickly so keep taking temperatures and and checking for dehydration at least twice a day. If he stops drinking etc be sure to call the vet and get fluids into him asap. Rotavirus and other enteric pathogens can also cause diarrhoea at this age so do keep an eye on him.
I would think its probably just foal heat though.