Sick foal

[vodkas_mum]

its a long story but in a nutshell i am Very inexperienced with foals and such but appear to be managing a breeding yard! i am told one foal today who i believe is 8 weeks old appeared to be off colour at 7am and by half past was sweating, weak and very very bad diarrhoea. the vet was there scanning a mare anyway so had a look. the owners of the stud were there but i should point out they are not the most knowledgeable people, when i arrived i asked what was wrong with the foal and what the vet had said, all i could get out of them was that she has diarrhoea and vet thinks its a virus, very contagious to foals but doesn't affect mares. vet left sachets of glucose/electrolytes to give daily and some paste to aid digestive function to give daily (so i am told) but the foal wasn't drinking so i milked the mare and syringed it to the foal at about 10am. the foal was lying down and weak with pulse 100bpm

what should i be doing now? there isn't anywhere to have them in isolation but they are stabled in the furthest barn away from the rest. this afternoon she was drinking water and milk from her mum but still weak and Very very bad diarrhoea

i started the job on monday and plan to make alot of changes and seek advice from experienced people!
but for now iv been thrown in at the deep end and just want to make sure im doing the right thing or if there is anything else i need to do, i dont live on site but im willing to stay with them if i need to

basically...help!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Oh god Leanne. This seriously doesn't sound good. I have no experience of young foals but my understanding is that they can fade very very fast. It sounds to me that this wee baby needs immediate hospitalisation and putting on a drip and aggressive treatment to save its life. Have you posted in Breeding too? Bound to be experts there. Got everything crossed for the poor mite.

 

[vodkas_mum]

yes posted in breeding, that would of been my thoughts too but the vet saw her this morning and knows his stuff (i would hope) so dont like to question! however i live an hour away from the yard, had to come home to see to my horses but would have gone back, the owners didnt think it was necessary

will be there early morning and if no better il speak to the vet myself but im pretty sure they wouldnt be willing to spend the money to get her hospitalised

so frustrating!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
however i live an hour away from the yard, had to come home to see to my horses but would have gone back, the owners didnt think it was necessary

[/ QUOTE ]
The owners are on site then to monitor the foal??

If not it needs hourly checks. Hope the little scrap is alive this morning.

 

[vodkas_mum]

the owner lives on site, i have been there 7am till 8-9pm, they dont check them through the night but all are loaded with the fluids before i leave and i ring before i go to bed to ask how they are so they have to go check! as they are still drinking water and suckling they re managing ok through the night