Something awful killed my mare today - any ideas or thoughts? (gruesome details, no photos)

[Annagain]

This sounds horrific, I'm so sorry your poor mare (and you) had to go through this.

 

[TinseLeneHorse]

Firstly I am so sorry for your devastating loss.

Regarding causes, I wondered if you have had heavy rainfall or flooding recently as this could have washed contaminants from either the quarry or the scrapyard onto the field. Are there any drainage ditches or watercourse in your field?
If you are at all suspicious that this could be due to contaminants or toxins you could report it to your local Environmental health department. If there is something toxic in the soil this could potentially happen to any future livestock which use this field. I know only one horse of your two was affected but maybe the toxin is very localised in the field.
I certainly wouldn't rule it out based on the facts you've given.

 

[onemoretime]

Thank you all for your good wishes; I do appreciate the time everyone has taken to reply.

She was very beautiful. I have owned her since she was 2, having known her from birth and also having owned her dam, so it feels very odd.

So very sorry for your tragic loss. x

 

[palo1]

I am so sorry for this horrible, heartbreaking event. My mare has just had to have the emergency vet for a bizarre problem with both eyes. The vet has never seen anything like it but both eyes have hundreds of tiny ulcers - the mare was fine yesterday but this morning a bit of discharge. By the time the vet came at 4pm she was extremely unwilling to open either eye, both of which were swollen and with thick yellow discharge/pus. She has had very strong pain relief and antibiotics. She will be under really close observation till we know if the treatment is working. The vet is going to research to see if there are other incidents similar; he is wondering if a toxic puffball could have released ulcerating spores whilst the mare was fossicking about in the grass. It seems very unlikely but that is an angle the vet is going to discuss with colleagues. Fingers and everything else crossed that my mare will heal.

 

[ycbm]

I am so sorry for this horrible, heartbreaking event. My mare has just had to have the emergency vet for a bizarre problem with both eyes. The vet has never seen anything like it but both eyes have hundreds of tiny ulcers - the mare was fine yesterday but this morning a bit of discharge. By the time the vet came at 4pm she was extremely unwilling to open either eye, both of which were swollen and with thick yellow discharge/pus. She has had very strong pain relief and antibiotics. She will be under really close observation till we know if the treatment is working. The vet is going to research to see if there are other incidents similar; he is wondering if a toxic puffball could have released ulcerating spores whilst the mare was fossicking about in the grass. It seems very unlikely but that is an angle the vet is going to discuss with colleagues. Fingers and everything else crossed that my mare will heal.

That's horrific Palo, I hope she comes through OK, you must be beyond worried.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I'm so sorry, that sounds horrific.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I am so sorry for this horrible, heartbreaking event. My mare has just had to have the emergency vet for a bizarre problem with both eyes. The vet has never seen anything like it but both eyes have hundreds of tiny ulcers - the mare was fine yesterday but this morning a bit of discharge. By the time the vet came at 4pm she was extremely unwilling to open either eye, both of which were swollen and with thick yellow discharge/pus. She has had very strong pain relief and antibiotics. She will be under really close observation till we know if the treatment is working. The vet is going to research to see if there are other incidents similar; he is wondering if a toxic puffball could have released ulcerating spores whilst the mare was fossicking about in the grass. It seems very unlikely but that is an angle the vet is going to discuss with colleagues. Fingers and everything else crossed that my mare will heal.

Hasn't she only been back in work recently? I have everything crossed for a swift and easy recovery with no issues.

 

[palo1]

Hasn't she only been back in work recently? I have everything crossed for a swift and easy recovery with no issues.

Thank you - she has been in work through the summer but has had a couple of ups and downs with her asthma. Generally she has been great though!! I am hopeful that treatment will work and vet is going to consult with others. It is very upsetting tbh but she is with her friends (with fly mask) and is more comfortable at the moment. I am desperately worried.

 

[palo1]

That's horrific Palo, I hope she comes through OK, you must be beyond worried.

Thank you. I am almost numb with worry. It's not something I have any prior experience of so am being totally led by my vet. He hasn't seen anything like it either but has loads of experience and contacts that I don't. I hope he is right in that we are giving the right treatment and that we will be able to prevent massive/spreading ulceration which is the main worry at this point. I know that if that happens there is unlikely to be a good outcome but at least I will be able to manage her pain relief at this point.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Thank you - she has been in work through the summer but has had a couple of ups and downs with her asthma. Generally she has been great though!! I am hopeful that treatment with work and vet is going to consult with others. It is very upsetting tbh but she is with her friends (with fly mask) and is more comfortable at the moment. I am desperately worried.

It's such a bizarre thing, hundreds of ulcers. I reckon exploding spores must be a possibility.

 

[palo1]

Although it is very upsetting to think about, my sweet, brave, trusting mare led across the field for me even though she couldn't really bear to open either eye. She stuck her nose on my arm and stayed like that as we walked to the yard. She has remarkable brains and courage bless her.

 

[palo1]

It's such a bizarre thing, hundreds of ulcers. I reckon exploding spores must be a possibility.

Yes, there is a kind of sense to that thought and it would just be incredibly bad luck for a horse to be right in the wrong spot as the wrong fungus went bang.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Although it is very upsetting to think about, my sweet, brave, trusting mare led across the field for me even though she couldn't really bear to open either eye. She stuck her nose on my arm and stayed like that as we walked to the yard. She has remarkable brains and courage bless her.

Bless, that's so sweet!

 

[palo1]

Bless, that's so sweet!

Yes, it was no mean feat for either of us too; the field is very uneven and quite large with tons of obstacles. She was not very happy but clearly thought her best bet was to stick her nose on my arm at the front and allow her back end to do the necessary panicking!! Leading over half a ton of very worried, nearly blind horse across a rubbly obstacle course was 'interesting'...

 

[ycbm]

Puffball seems likely, I just read they are very dangerous for eyes because of the sharp spines on the spores. Fingers crossed for a quick recovery.
.

 

[palo1]

Puffball seems likely, I just read they are very dangerous for eyes because of the sharp spines on the spores. Fingers crossed for a quick recovery.
.

That is interesting; I didn't know that. Can you tell me where you found that information?

 

[palo1]

I don't want to derail the original, very sad OP but the possibility of eye trauma for the mare sadly lost occurred to me because of what my mare is going through.

 

[ycbm]

I don't want to derail the original, very sad OP but the possibility of eye trauma for the mare sadly lost occurred to me because of what my mare is going through.

I'm sure she's ok sharing for the moment with another distraught owner. I can't imagine how awful she's feeling tonight. Thinking of you Mustard.

That is interesting; I didn't know that. Can you tell me where you found that information?

Down the bottom of this article it explains how dangerous they are, and how they can explode with great force if hit by a single raindrop shooting out millions of spiked spores.

https://www.wildfooduk.com/articles/the-puffballs/

 

[palo1]

I'm sure she's ok sharing for the moment with another distraught owner. I can't imagine how awful she's feeling tonight. Thinking of you Mustard.



Down the bottom of this article it explains how dangerous they are, and how they can explode with great force if hit by a single raindrop shooting out millions of spiked spores.

https://www.wildfooduk.com/articles/the-puffballs/

Thank you. That is interesting and might well be relevant. I have just put some more medication in her eyes with the help of many carrots and I think she is looking marginally better. Vet wants me to medicate up to 8 times in 24 hours. I can do that. He also wants me to add some soothing/lubricating ointment alternating with the antibiotics, again up to 8 times in every 24 hours. I am going to be knackered but at least I can do something for her. Hopefully it will help.

 

[ycbm]

If I wake in the middle of the night to read a few pages of my book I'll be thinking of you out there in the stables!
.

 

[palo1]

Thank you. That is interesting and might well be relevant. I have just put some more medication in her eyes with the help of many carrots and I think she is looking marginally better. Vet wants me to medicate up to 8 times in 24 hours. I can do that. He also wants me to add some soothing/lubricating ointment alternating with the antibiotics, again up to 8 times in every 24 hours. I am going to be knackered but at least I can do something for her. Hopefully it will help.

In relation to the OP my mare deteriorated very quickly and was extremely agitated and sweating profusely by the time the vet arrived. The vet took one look at her and sedated her so he could get near enough to examine her. One part of her face, above the eye was very swollen too but the eye exam was really definitive in relation to the ulcers present. She would have become extremely unwell very, very quickly so it is just luck that I was able to call the vet I think.

 

[palo1]

If I wake in the middle of the night to read a few pages of my book I'll be thinking of you out there on the stables!
.

Ah, I currently have no stables - the crew yard is under construction! I will be in the field by torch (or moon) light. Thankfully Alw is lovely to handle and very amenable to carrots, day or night!

 

[riversideeu]

I had a foal years ago that was fine one evening and found the next morning with a swollen bald head one side around his eye area and a cloudy eye. He was subsequently diagnosed with a joint infection. He was disorientated and had forgotten how to drink opening instead of closing his mouth round the teat. The vet thinks pain and fever had caused him to lie on the ground rubbing his eye all night. He was very poorly but with a joint flush eye medication and stomach tubing milk into him he made a very expensive and slow but full recovery.

 

[holeymoley]

How absolutely awful for you to find. I think the not knowing would eat away at me. It would be interesting to find out the cause- anti freeze is awful, I would be skeptical of the scrapyard in the vicinity. But then equally interested with Palo1’s situation as that’s something I’ve never heard of. I hope your mare recovers Palo1 x

 

[Mustard]

I certainly don't mind sharing, and hope your mare recovers Palo. Interesting about puffballs - we used to have a lot round here, but were only saying the other day that we hadn't seen any for ages. I am going to walk all over the field today, to see if i can find any evidence of something corrosive on the vegetation, and now I'll look for puff balls too.
The people in the garden centre on the other side from the scrap yard heard nothing on Saturday night, but apparently have seen the scrapyard people whipping the horses away from their fence - I wish they'd told me!
We're not doing a PM; the vet is in no doubt about the ruptured gut actually killing her.(well the injection, but...) The issue is whether she rubbed her face in pain or whether the pain on the face caused the colic. A friend of mine was so incensed that the vet hadn't taken bloods that she went up to the field and took some herself - she was something medical and a farmer, so knew what she was doing - hoping that will be testable, though I'm not sure if it will tell us anything useful.
Thank you all again for your kind thoughts and ideas/information.
I'm hoping that I will be able to think of her one day without seeing her beautiful face so disfigured.

 

[ycbm]

I hope you are OK Mustard, I can't think of a much more awful way to lose a horse.
.

 

[palo1]

@Mustard - my heart really goes out to you, particularly having found my own mare in such distress and pain. You will be able to think of and remember your mare in a much better way in time I am sure but for now, it must be just awful. I am glad you were able to help her at the end; you could have done no more.

My mare is looking better this morning but it is quite early days. Vet will ring or visit again today and we will see what progress/healing is happening. I am glad she seemed better this morning - I was concerned that she would deteriorate overnight but so far, that isn't the case. Interestingly, if the puffball/spores theory is on the mark I already have inhalers at my disposal as the spores can be a cause of respiratory distress/asthma trigger so that is at least something I have in my arsenal.

 

[ozpoz]

Mustard I’m so sorry to her of your sad and distressing loss. Thoughts are with you.xx

Palo, how strange and horrible for your mare. Fingers crossed she is on the mend now.

 

[Mustard]

Well, I've walked the field and am none the wiser. I can see where something happened, because there are suddenly deep prints and turf thrown up, as if she was spinning away from whatever it was. Then there are the patches where she was up and down and rolling, but no dead vegetation anywhere. I just don't know.

 

[palo1]

Well, I've walked the field and am none the wiser. I can see where something happened, because there are suddenly deep prints and turf thrown up, as if she was spinning away from whatever it was. Then there are the patches where she was up and down and rolling, but no dead vegetation anywhere. I just don't know.

I don't know if you will ever know sadly. My vet walked our field (having told me and helped me to move our other horses) to see if he could find what could have caused such a dramatic and horrible thing for my mare too. He couldn't see anything at all other than where my girl had been rubbing her head (probably after the initial incident) on a tree; clues were in the missing patches of lichen - many of which were still in her mane. That is where I found her and if I hadn't been there to get her to the yard I suspect that she would have gone down there and caused considerable land disturbance. I am feeling extremely lucky that I did find her and was able to get a vet to her. Had this happened overnight I think the outcome would have been very different with possibly a fatality. Your mare's difficulty and mine may have no link whatsoever but the way in which horses are so vulnerable is frightening. I am still very concerned but feeling slightly more positive atm. I am going to start a new thread about eye emergencies too!!