Unexpected pts

[southerncomfort]

No advice, just wanted to say how sorry I am.

Xx

 

[Sealine]

I’m so sorry to hear about your mare. I can’t offer any advice but it sounds like you have a short term plan. Give yourself time to process what has happened and take one day at a time. Look after yourself x

 

[Pedantic]

 

[Lucky Snowball]

So sorry to hear this news. Sending hugs to you and your horse.

 

[ycbm]

I'm sorry you lost your mare so suddenly. I hope things aren't feeling quite so bad today.

 

[SEL]

Thankyou everyone, he did seem ok after (I thought) recognising she was gone but as I emptied her stable he started calling at her so I’ve borrowed our neighbours little veteran sec A and they’ll spend the evening in tonight and I’ll pop them out in a paddock together tomorrow. Not sure where I go from there as we don’t really know the cause of her illness so trying to decide if they go back out as before or I put them somewhere new… but somewhere new could mean leaves blowing in from trees we don’t like (although he’s been in these winter fields before no issues… I’m overthinking everything now). So hard as he seems perfectly fine but I don’t want to tempt fate putting them back in the same field.

My poor girl

I'm so sorry you lost her especially as it sounds like you don't really know what caused it - are the vets able to investigate any further.

Great that your neighbours can loan you a pony while you try and work out what to do

 

[Boughtabay]

I'm so sorry you lost her especially as it sounds like you don't really know what caused it - are the vets able to investigate any further.

Great that your neighbours can loan you a pony while you try and work out what to do

Not really the labs don’t think they’ll get any useful results back as it will be over 24hrs since she was pts before they could do any tests or PM.

I’ve turned out Mr and his new temp friend together this morning in a small paddock and that was very uneventful so small win there. I am slightly concerned that they’re in the “firing line” of a sycamore dropping its leaves but I’ve scraped up as many as I can? there’s plenty of grass for today and they have free access to lovely hay - so they really have no business hoovering up poison leaves. Just something to spend the day worrying about I guess hoping by tomorrow evening we’ll have sorted out which field they can move to for winter

 

[Birker2020]

So sorry for your loss

 

[Haniki]

So sorry for your sudden loss @Boughtabay. Hope your horse settles with his loan companion.

 

[suestowford]

I lost a pony suddenly last year and his companion was very upset. He wasn't sweating, or rushing about, but he's been here a long time and it was plain he wasn't acting right. For him, a new friend was urgent.
Fortunately there was a lonely pony next door so I asked if I could put them together (they are now good friends).

I'm very sorry to read about your mare.

 

[onemoretime]

After a very short but acute illness I’ve had to have my mare pts this afternoon. She’s a companion to my ridden horse who appears to have accepted she’s gone (gave her a sniff and seemed to get she was no longer there). Do I borrow a companion immediately or if he’s quiet can it wait until tomorrow? I’m pretty cut up so I’m struggling to think out what’s best… he’s in at the moment and has been all weekend to keep her company. should he stay in tonight then he can go out tomorrow with his new friend or should I put them out somewhere this afternoon to see how they go? Or new friend can come into the stable next door once I’ve cleaned it out

I just want someone else to make all the decisions for a few days - she went downhill so fast im Heartbroken

Just wanted to say Im so very sorry for your loss. They take a piece of us with them when they go. x

 

[Ratface]

I'm very sorry for the loss of your lovely horse. Deep condolences.

 

[Boughtabay]

Given we don’t know the cause I’m now very worried about my remaining horse (and his loan companion).

I’m trying to work out what could have happened or if there was a trigger.

She came in Friday evening looking quiet - not colicky or sweaty or hot or dehydrated or anaemic .. just quiet. She drank some water and nibbled some hay. We decided we’d get up early Sat AM to come check her because she didn’t seem quite right. Sat AM evidence of overnight pops going from normal-soft to scour. Vet called buscopan given, she drank water and was put out in a small paddock as she wanted to walk about. Sat PM get back still scouring and started pacing/getting up and down a lot, looking uncomfortable but not belly kicking or rolling. Vet says she had a temp, given a painkiller and paracetamol to bring the temp down - not meant to give antibiotics for unknown cause but if she’s no better by the morning can administer antibiotics. Last check at night looking more comfortable on painkiller and had a drink and a nibble of hay. Still scouring. Sunday AM colicing, lots of pain. Vet out poor prognosis potentially peritonitis or necrotising bowels can’t be sure but high level of pain = pts.

Now for the background:

- same pasture all summer no issues. Boggy but not gone to slop yet & no sycamores nearby. Some acorns beginning to blow over the fence but she had no interest in them. Some foxgloves present but I pull regularly and I’ve never seen them show any interest in them, plus doesn’t sound like foxglove poisoning from google.

-field did flood recently - something washed up from the ground/soil?
- 2 weeks ago started coming in at night. On hay at night out in the day.
- next to a road could have been fed something?

My boy has been in now since Friday eve (save for a trip to the paddock yesterday for a few hours). He presented last night with slightly sloppy poos so vet out, samples taken and precautionary drugs given. Normal poos again this morning so could be totally unrelated/stress of losing his friend but not willing to take that chance now. What the hell do I do? They’re not going back down to the summer field now they’ll be moved to winter grazing but leaves blow from everywhere (RVC have put pause on sycamore testing fyi). Could it be something in the hay? Loan pony seems fine and has been on it over 24hrs plus they were on it 2 weeks any night before she went ill. It does look very green/fresh though… I don’t know what to eliminate or what to leave the same. Where’s safe to put him now? What’s safe to feed him? Hay supplier would have heard from other yards if there were issues with the hay by now… surely he wouldn’t have got sloppy poos from something in the field if he’s been in on hay for 4 days now … WHAT IS GOING ON?! Or is it all a coincidence? Not sure I believe in those …

Side note why does every bloody British farm have an oak tree/sycamore planted in each corner of every field … surely the farmers of days gone by knew they were bloody poisonous!!! ARGH!

 

[Snow Falcon]

My son's old pony had similar some years ago and was treated for hepatitis. Never found a cause but she was in a field with a footpath running through it. At the same time there were a few poorly dogs in the area. Possible poisoning? We did wonder if that could have been linked.

Liver fluke?

 

[suestowford]

There isn't always an obvious cause for colic. My pony died due to colic, but I have a suspicion as to why that happened to him. It must be awful not knowing but it could have been something you have no control over, like the weather!

 

[Boughtabay]

My son's old pony had similar some years ago and was treated for hepatitis. Never found a cause but she was in a field with a footpath running through it. At the same time there were a few poorly dogs in the area. Possible poisoning? We did wonder if that could have been linked.

Liver fluke?

I’m hoping the labs will test for fluke, I did ask but need to check it’s happening. We are on “flukey” land and the field did flood a few times with all that rain so it’s possible. Vet didn’t think typical signs of fluke and the speed at which she went downhill BUT worth ruling out (or treating!!) for sure.

 

[Boughtabay]

There isn't always an obvious cause for colic. My pony died due to colic, but I have a suspicion as to why that happened to him. It must be awful not knowing but it could have been something you have no control over, like the weather!

Yes colic is a funny one although her colic symptoms were secondary to the pain she was experiencing from whatever the issue was with her bowels that caused the severe scouring - which I believe must have had a particular trigger.

 

[meesha]

So hard to know the cause. If others are on hay I would rule that out so at least you can put your mind at rest about feeding that.

Can you have a good chat with the vet who saw your mare? They may have a good idea of what to rule out even if they don't know the exact cause.

Hope you are coping, my chap who I lost in April had compaction colic in January and I had been watching him like a hawk from then to the day I lost him !!

 

[Boughtabay]

So hard to know the cause. If others are on hay I would rule that out so at least you can put your mind at rest about feeding that.

Can you have a good chat with the vet who saw your mare? They may have a good idea of what to rule out even if they don't know the exact cause.

Hope you are coping, my chap who I lost in April had compaction colic in January and I had been watching him like a hawk from then to the day I lost him !!

I should have asked for blood samples to be drawn regardless of the fact that I knew she wasn’t going to make it but I was so distraught at the time I didn’t think of anything other than putting her out of her pain he basically said there are any number of things it could have been and without opening her up we weren’t likely to be able to find a cause - and as it was a weekend she wouldn’t have been in good enough condition for PM at the labs by Monday… vet last night said possibly acute clostridium (rate) or salmonella. Both also being tested for in poo samples from Mr but of course clostridium can exist in the gut normally and it’s only when it gets into the wrong places it causes a problem so even if that’s positive it might not be the cause! I will continue to stress until we either get some results or “normality” resumes ‍♀

 

[SEL]

What a nightmare for you.

I had a sort of sick horse a few years back when the fields flooded. She's got a history of weird and expensive issues so I didn't make any connection to the field until recently when Thames Water published a map showing their sewage farm over flowed into the stream that I know is the one that leads down to these fields. TW said nothing at the time, but the only reason they've recently published anything at all is because of all the noise over water companies and sewage being released.

I moved the horses while she was still NQR (I bought fields so moved them to my own land) and she picked up literally within a fortnight which is when I guess it was environmental, but I'd never thought about sewage.

Is there anything that could have flooded downstream to your fields? Can you turn out somewhere else just in case it is environmental?

Do you know other yards who use the hay? Worth a call just to check they haven't had any issues?

 

[meesha]

They are such a bloody worry !! Hope u get some answers. If companion pony has been on adjoining land for years is that a good indication it's nothing on the land ?

 

[Boughtabay]

What a nightmare for you.

I had a sort of sick horse a few years back when the fields flooded. She's got a history of weird and expensive issues so I didn't make any connection to the field until recently when Thames Water published a map showing their sewage farm over flowed into the stream that I know is the one that leads down to these fields. TW said nothing at the time, but the only reason they've recently published anything at all is because of all the noise over water companies and sewage being released.

I moved the horses while she was still NQR (I bought fields so moved them to my own land) and she picked up literally within a fortnight which is when I guess it was environmental, but I'd never thought about sewage.

Is there anything that could have flooded downstream to your fields? Can you turn out somewhere else just in case it is environmental?

Do you know other yards who use the hay? Worth a call just to check they haven't had any issues?

Oh that’s another thing I hadn’t thought of!! Over summer a sewage drain in an adjoining field did overflow due to a blockage … it didn’t cause a major issue at the time because the overflow never made it to the horses field but I wonder if it might have during the flooding and has contaminated the land?! Sheesh another possibility! Yes luckily we have other fields to move to & they do every winter around now anyway, just takes a bit of working out for the OH where’s suitable without messing up their stock rotations so taking a bit of time to decide. that doesn’t matter too much while Mr is in under observation to make sure his poos stay normal

Hay supplier is a friend and supplies a few livery yards/other horse owners in the area - he would’ve told us if anyone had let him know there were any issues and others would’ve had them by now I’d guess

 

[Boughtabay]

They are such a bloody worry !! Hope u get some answers. If companion pony has been on adjoining land for years is that a good indication it's nothing on the land ?

Yes I agree and mine have been on that field 3 summers in a row now with no previous issue so realistically it’s not the land itself (although maybe a sewage leak isn’t out of the realms of possibility). it’s also possible someone fed them something over the fence as people do despite signs and warnings on fb … although he’s been up from there since Friday eve so you’d expect an impact before now if that was it …

 

[Boughtabay]

Happy to report that by this morning poos we’re no longer sloppy and had a definite “shape” to them. Still slightly softer than I believe they should be but an improvement nonetheless. He’s on some drugs and gutbind for 3 days “just in case” and then I’ll be chucking him and his new little pal out somewhere different. Not looking forward to getting back on board after all this he’s rather like a coiled spring

God I wish I’d been more insistent on giving her “just in case” meds at the first vet visit

 

[nagblagger]

@Boughtabay stop beating yourself up about what you think you should have done.
The vet didn't think your mare needed them at that time, you took the professional advice which 99.9% of us would have done. When you are having to make a decision to pts because they are in so much pain, the last thing you want to do is prolong the pain by drawing blood.
You have done everything correct, even now trying to investigate the cause when some owners may just think 'it's one of those things'.
Brilliant owner in my books.

 

[Boughtabay]

@Boughtabay stop beating yourself up about what you think you should have done.
The vet didn't think your mare needed them at that time, you took the professional advice which 99.9% of us would have done. When you are having to make a decision to pts because they are in so much pain, the last thing you want to do is prolong the pain by drawing blood.
You have done everything correct, even now trying to investigate the cause when some owners may just think 'it's one of those things'.
Brilliant owner in my books.

Thankyou that’s very kind. I feel a bit like a lunatic obsessing over poo and not putting my horses out unless it’s in the “perfect” field … and even then I’ll be obsessing over the trees until they’re all bald and non-threatening. I’m sure I’ll calm down eventually … but not quite yet!

 

[bonny]

I suspect you will never know what caused your mares sudden illness which is very hard as we like to know especially as you have two other horses on the same fields. You maybe will have to come to terms with it being a mystery and not something that you were in any way to blame for which I appreciate is easier said than done. How old was your mare ? I was thinking she maybe was getting on as she was a companion and that might be relevant ?

 

[Boughtabay]

I suspect you will never know what caused your mares sudden illness which is very hard as we like to know especially as you have two other horses on the same fields. You maybe will have to come to terms with it being a mystery and not something that you were in any way to blame for which I appreciate is easier said than done. How old was your mare ? I was thinking she maybe was getting on as she was a companion and that might be relevant ?

Sadly she was only 11 but she was a relatively frail/sensitive type of TB so it would take much less to make her ill than my other one. She was retired at 8 due to navicular and had 3 years of sound leisure she probably wouldnt have had elsewhere so thaf softens things slightly… slightly.

 

[moorhillhorses]

After a very short but acute illness I’ve had to have my mare pts this afternoon. She’s a companion to my ridden horse who appears to have accepted she’s gone (gave her a sniff and seemed to get she was no longer there). Do I borrow a companion immediately or if he’s quiet can it wait until tomorrow? I’m pretty cut up so I’m struggling to think out what’s best… he’s in at the moment and has been all weekend to keep her company. should he stay in tonight then he can go out tomorrow with his new friend or should I put them out somewhere this afternoon to see how they go? Or new friend can come into the stable next door once I’ve cleaned it out

I just want someone else to make all the decisions for a few days - she went downhill so fast im Heartbroken

So sorry to hear your sad news x