Dave's Mam
Well-Known Member
So sorry. Poor pony & poor you.
I did read about a horse that was bitten by an adder & had an awful reaction.
I did read about a horse that was bitten by an adder & had an awful reaction.
Something awful killed my mare today - any ideas or thoughts? (gruesome details, no photos)
- Thread starter Mustard
- Start date
paddy555
Well-Known Member
I'm so sorry, what a terrible day for you.
RIP Dexie
RIP Dexie
Barton Bounty
If you heard the rumours it is probably true 😂
Battery acid from batteries ?
Pearlsasinger
Up in the clouds
I'm so sorry, it sounds like a dreadful experience for you. I think, I would want a PM to find out what happened
Rumtytum
Have Marmite, will travel
Another sending sympathies, absolutely horrendous for your poor mare and equally for you.
Laurac13
Well-Known Member
So sorry what an awful shock for you ? sending my love take care and hope you find out what happened to your lovely girl x
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
I’d be suspicious of the scrapyard and quarry. Maybe something caustic from those places contaminated the grazing or some bit of it she went into. Poor horsey and poor you.
Lucky Snowball
Well-Known Member
So sorry to hear about your darling horse.
fetlock
Well-Known Member
So sorry for your loss x
SEL
Well-Known Member
That's awful for you - I'm so sorry
PurBee
Well-Known Member
Im so sorry youve had to go through this tragedy. I cannot imagine how difficult that must have been. Im so sorry for your loss of your beautiful mare.
As suggested i would get a post mortem if possible. Ive been googling the symptoms and the scrapyard next door piqued my interest. Radiator coolant can contain anti-freeze ethylene glycol - which can attract animals because of its sweet taste. It causes very quick blindness in cats, and im wondering if your mare was exposed to some and drank some, hence the eye symptoms and laboured breathing.
Is there a stream or ditch in the field they drink from that illegally dumped car liquid contents have been allowed to leach into?
In your position i would immediately take soil samples in the field near the scrapyard - have a look for moist patches - put soil samples in sandwich bags taken from along the border of the field adjoining scrapyard. Especially look for any dips in the field where any liquid would end up flowing to and drenching. That soil can be tested for ethylene glycol.
Scrapyards by law have to empty fluids from cars before they get crushed. They used to get crushed with fluids in and drip everywhere in the yard. My oh had a short stint at a scrapyard yrs ago and it was his job to drain/dispose of fluids, which he said, the scrapyard was not so fussed where they went and were power washed off the concrete yard, into yard drain which soaked away to an adjacent field, before EU laws were brought in. His job was created due to EU laws, but i suppose smaller scrapyards might not be so diligent about fluids. So its very possible that a ditch/stream could be contaminated via a unscrupulous scrapyard just letting fluids flow from their yard.
Here’s an equine case study of acute ethylene glycol toxicosis - different dosage likely than your mare, and also treated straight away rather than hours.
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2042-3292.2002.tb00178.x
Methanol also causes quite rapid blindness, but im not sure if a scrapyard would have gallons of that from cars.
The burn between forelegs might be itching frenzy on a fence post? I dont know if ethylene glycol causes skin itchiness, topical or ingested, but is it a possibility she rubbed herself due to itching?
The other consideration is mushroom poisoning. There’s very few wild mushrooms that cause very quick deaths within hours - even the deadliest death cap and destroying angel. Both of those are not commonly known to cause blindness, yet its worth considering mushroom poisoning as we’ve had rain and night temps have fallen, ive been on a couple of mushroom hunts and seen them sprouting up.
If your mare has been having a few for a couple of days, the accumulative effects could have then resulted in an acute attack of full organ failure/colic /breathing issues - very much like you describe. The eye symptoms dont align with mushroom toxins though but could be a differential in horses, due to BP altering wildly and occular blood vessels bursting.
Do you have mature trees in the field? I am surprised you saw her 100% well the previous evening if it was mushroom poisoning, so i lean more towards spillage from the scrapyard of coolant/antifreeze products leaching into the field.
A post mortem can test for ethylene glycol - oral /tongue swipe test/blood test.
Again, im so sorry this happened, i really feel for you, despite the traumatic end, she knew you were there with her and a comfort for her.
xx
As suggested i would get a post mortem if possible. Ive been googling the symptoms and the scrapyard next door piqued my interest. Radiator coolant can contain anti-freeze ethylene glycol - which can attract animals because of its sweet taste. It causes very quick blindness in cats, and im wondering if your mare was exposed to some and drank some, hence the eye symptoms and laboured breathing.
Is there a stream or ditch in the field they drink from that illegally dumped car liquid contents have been allowed to leach into?
In your position i would immediately take soil samples in the field near the scrapyard - have a look for moist patches - put soil samples in sandwich bags taken from along the border of the field adjoining scrapyard. Especially look for any dips in the field where any liquid would end up flowing to and drenching. That soil can be tested for ethylene glycol.
Scrapyards by law have to empty fluids from cars before they get crushed. They used to get crushed with fluids in and drip everywhere in the yard. My oh had a short stint at a scrapyard yrs ago and it was his job to drain/dispose of fluids, which he said, the scrapyard was not so fussed where they went and were power washed off the concrete yard, into yard drain which soaked away to an adjacent field, before EU laws were brought in. His job was created due to EU laws, but i suppose smaller scrapyards might not be so diligent about fluids. So its very possible that a ditch/stream could be contaminated via a unscrupulous scrapyard just letting fluids flow from their yard.
Here’s an equine case study of acute ethylene glycol toxicosis - different dosage likely than your mare, and also treated straight away rather than hours.
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2042-3292.2002.tb00178.x
Methanol also causes quite rapid blindness, but im not sure if a scrapyard would have gallons of that from cars.
The burn between forelegs might be itching frenzy on a fence post? I dont know if ethylene glycol causes skin itchiness, topical or ingested, but is it a possibility she rubbed herself due to itching?
The other consideration is mushroom poisoning. There’s very few wild mushrooms that cause very quick deaths within hours - even the deadliest death cap and destroying angel. Both of those are not commonly known to cause blindness, yet its worth considering mushroom poisoning as we’ve had rain and night temps have fallen, ive been on a couple of mushroom hunts and seen them sprouting up.
If your mare has been having a few for a couple of days, the accumulative effects could have then resulted in an acute attack of full organ failure/colic /breathing issues - very much like you describe. The eye symptoms dont align with mushroom toxins though but could be a differential in horses, due to BP altering wildly and occular blood vessels bursting.
Do you have mature trees in the field? I am surprised you saw her 100% well the previous evening if it was mushroom poisoning, so i lean more towards spillage from the scrapyard of coolant/antifreeze products leaching into the field.
A post mortem can test for ethylene glycol - oral /tongue swipe test/blood test.
Again, im so sorry this happened, i really feel for you, despite the traumatic end, she knew you were there with her and a comfort for her.
xx
Peregrine Falcon
Looking forward to drier days
I am so sorry, what an awful shock that must have been.
Peglo
Well-Known Member
My heart broke for you reading this. So very sorry. Take care of yourself.
Cragrat
Well-Known Member
I am so sorry - how awful for you and your poor horse.
I would definitley be following Purbee's advice - battery acid was my fisrt thought, but coolant does sound a likely suspect
I would definitley be following Purbee's advice - battery acid was my fisrt thought, but coolant does sound a likely suspect
meleeka
Well-Known Member
That’s got to be everyone’s worst nightmare
I hope you can take some comfort from the fact you were able to end her suffering. Please look after yourself, you’ve had a big shock and need to take time to process it x
I hope you can take some comfort from the fact you were able to end her suffering. Please look after yourself, you’ve had a big shock and need to take time to process it x
poiuytrewq
Well-Known Member
I can’t imagine how your feeling. Thoughts and hugs to you. ?
rextherobber
Well-Known Member
So very sorry
spotty_pony
...
So sorry, my thoughts are with you. Could they be burns from a cigarette or something? I’d like to think not but unfortunately there are some odd people about.
Fjord
Well-Known Member
I'm so very sorry. I hope you find answers.
Lois Lame
Well-Known Member
I'm suspicious of human intervention.
When I thought your horses had gone to the new place, I thought someone had been attracted to a beautiful horse and done something to her. Now that I know the horses didn't get to the new place - and I've heard about the scrapyard - I'm suspicious of someone at the scrapyard. Was there someone there who didn't used to be there?
I'm very sorry this happened to you and your mare.
When I thought your horses had gone to the new place, I thought someone had been attracted to a beautiful horse and done something to her. Now that I know the horses didn't get to the new place - and I've heard about the scrapyard - I'm suspicious of someone at the scrapyard. Was there someone there who didn't used to be there?
I'm very sorry this happened to you and your mare.
Floofball
Well-Known Member
How horrendous for you, so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what your going through but I think I would have to get a PM.
Ratface
Well-Known Member
I'm so very sorry for your loss. Deep condolences. Much love.
TheMule
Well-Known Member
I'm really sorry for your loss, it sounds horrific. Generally the simplest explanation is the best and it does sound like a horrible colic to me- they can literally throw themselves on the floor repeatedly which could explain all the wounds, they don’t roll when they're really painful
sunnyone
Well-Known Member
Really sorry for the horse and for you. Bon courage.
bonny
Well-Known Member
This is what I thought too, unless you are going to have a PM I think it’s what killed your mare.
scruffyponies
Well-Known Member
Nothing to add, except that I feel for you. What a dreadful way to lose an animal you love. For me, not knowing would make it worse, so I'd want a PM too.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
I agree. The wisest thing a vet ever said to me about making diagnoses, when I thought my mare had broken her leg and he thought she would have pus in the foot, was "common things are common".
I doubt if there is anything but colic which would have caused what was described, and it certainly does provide a complete explanation.
Horses seem to have a safety mechanism with rubs, where the hair pulls out at the roots but leaves the skin intact. I've seen it many times over the years. She could get the patch between the front legs by having her legs out in front of her and scrabbling along the floor in pain. I have also seen vets, faced with incredibly distraught owners, make noises which can be interpreted as agreement to suggestions that people are making, because it wouldn't help in the moment to do anything else. There's always a feeling of "never say never" as well, when the slightest possibility exists.
You've been through, are going through, what must the the worst nightmare of any horse owner. I'm so sorry. I hope you can find peace with it some time.
.
Errin Paddywack
Well-Known Member
When I found my stallion with what we at first thought was colic, he had been slamming his head on the floor in pain and completely skinned it. Didn't damage his eyes though. In his case it was heart failure and all his organs shutting down.
So very sorry for what you and your poor mare have gone through. Mine had a PM because he was insured.
So very sorry for what you and your poor mare have gone through. Mine had a PM because he was insured.
hobo
Well-Known Member
So very sorry for your loss. I think Purbee's post has lots of helpful information and also ycbm's post is very on the money as well. Another thought not mentioned is colic induced by grass sickness if you live from Yorkshire upwards. There are two types the one where they slowly fad away in front of you and also sudden on set extreme colic and death. We have just entered a high risk time with the lack of grass and this sudden flush. Nothing will bring your horse back but I hope you get some peace and though end was stressful it was short and you were with her.
Birker2020
Well-Known Member
I am so sorry about your loss which must have been very distressing for you.
With your concerns about the field and the quarry and scrapyard next door I wonder whether you could apply for an environmental report from the Land Registry. The environmental search is a search carried out with an environmental agency (not the Environmental Agency) that gives details of the past uses of the land and the land in the vicinity of the property and whether such past uses are likely to have caused any potential contamination of the land on which the property is situated.
https://www.orj.co.uk/a-guide-to-environmental-searches-when-buying-a-property/#:~:text=The environmental search is a,on which the property is
You can also get a mining report
https://www.gov.uk/check-if-property-is-affected-by-coal-mining
The HSE might have some information about the quarry you refer to.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/riddor.htm
I don't know if any of that is helpful to you at all but it might be worth a consideration. And something that you might discover that you can link up to the post mortem if you have one.
With your concerns about the field and the quarry and scrapyard next door I wonder whether you could apply for an environmental report from the Land Registry. The environmental search is a search carried out with an environmental agency (not the Environmental Agency) that gives details of the past uses of the land and the land in the vicinity of the property and whether such past uses are likely to have caused any potential contamination of the land on which the property is situated.
https://www.orj.co.uk/a-guide-to-environmental-searches-when-buying-a-property/#:~:text=The environmental search is a,on which the property is
You can also get a mining report
https://www.gov.uk/check-if-property-is-affected-by-coal-mining
The HSE might have some information about the quarry you refer to.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/riddor.htm
I don't know if any of that is helpful to you at all but it might be worth a consideration. And something that you might discover that you can link up to the post mortem if you have one.
sport horse
Well-Known Member
Are there any underground electric cables?