NEW CASES FROM THE SAME SEIZURE! – There are 49 like this!!  Horribly long feet, sick, malnourished, 12 Pregnant and 20 stallions!

From Dr. Kris:

#528:  This mare was in REALLY rough shape when we got them, and I debated whether or not she was able to make the trip. She has done extraordinarily well and it putting on weight. You can see in her initial photos the awful diarrhea she had, which we have cleared up. She is another favorite of the groomers, as you can see.

528

# 527:  This little mare is one I still worry about. Her intake photo doesn’t do her justice, as her body condition was 2/9 at intake. She was colicky on site when we got her, then resolved. She has had severe diarrhea which has finally resolved. This morning she was colicky again but by early afternoon was much more comfortable (with pharmaceutical help of course).  On top of this, she is also pregnant. She has gained weight and diarrhea has stopped, but I worry that she may be headed toward aborting the foal. This is a sweet sweet mare, and is probably in her early 20s. She’s got the prettiest blue eyes too. I may be a little partial to her.

LOOK WHAT DR. KRIS AND HER TEAM HAS ACCOMPLISHED AND CAN DO FOR THESE MINIS!!!  Before and Afters!

Look at what Dr. Kris and her team can accomplish!!  These are two of the minis from our initial story from last week linked here.

#538

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE… (Thank you Dr. Kris Anderson and team!) all on donated time/supplies.

From Dr. Kris:

Expenses incurred:

–          It was about a 2-2.5 hour drive one way from the clinic to the site of the seizure. We took three trucks hauling trailers plus two vans, so we are talking about a significant fuel expenditure. We also had about a dozen staff that made the trip.

–          Coggins testing on 45 horses (about $35 each)

–          Pregnancy testing on 22 mares (about $55 each); possible retest on the 10 negative mares to ensure they are not false negatives (test cannot detect a pregnancy <3m)

–          Castrations on 22 stallions (about $125 each)

–          Hoof trims on all 44 horses ($40+ each, increasing on the really severe cases); will need to trim every 6 weeks, and more frequently on the ones with deformed feet

–          Dentistry on 44 horses (about $125 each for the basic float, but extractions and major corrective work likely in some, which will be greater expenses)

–          Vaccinations on all 44 horses (about $60 for initial and boosters; I managed to get 20 doses donated)

–          X-rays (for feet and teeth; uncertain of cost at this time)

–          At least two will need dental extractions that are outside my abilities and will need to go to Texas A&M; cost estimate for each of these is about $1500 assuming no complications.

–          They’re going through about 1-2 bags or Purina Senior per day, and ½ bag of Impact Hay stretcher per day

–          They’re going through about 3-4 bales of grass hay per day

–          Pay roll for staff on each equine work day (have had 5 total thus far), plus daily expenses of staff to feed, water, and clean pens of all the horses

–          Dewormer for all (about $350)

–          Psyllium for sand ($150/40lbs, have not needed a second bucket, but may)

–          Miscellaneous costs (drugs for eye wounds, pain medication for foot soreness, colic treatments, etc. about $200-300 at this time, as it’s been fortunately minimal)

–          All potential costs for birth of 12 foals, and vaccinations, Coggins, and castration if needed on foals

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LETHAL WHITE… the very sad and horrible reality here…

OK, and here is the very sad part… breeders who don’t care or know about genetics make me so very angry.

From Dr. Kris:

I FORGOT! This is huge and terrible. Most of the stallions are carriers of frame overo, which is a pinto pattern that causes Lethal White foals when inherited from both sire and dam. At least half of my pregnant mares are carriers of this; there is no way to know which stallion they were bred to, but each breeding where both parents are a carrier leads to a 25% chance of an affected foal. Foals are born solid white with an incomplete GI tract. Even with heroics, survival rate is zero, so once it is confirmed they have this (foal that is white, but within 24 hours shows signs of colic and has not passed manure in some cases the anus does not form properly), they must be euthanized. Odds are good we will see one or more of these.

There were no weanlings, no yearlings, only 2 two year olds and 3 three year olds, which means the overwhelming majority of foals were not surviving. When they were dying is anyone’s guess. I suspect lethal white was a common problem given how many horses express frame overo, but perhaps we will have to prepare for birth defects that are not compatible with life (or require work to correct), or still births or aborted foals. Perhaps some of these mares will not make adequate colostrum and the foals will need to have plasma. Hard to say.

PLEASE, LET’S HELP THESE VETS HELP THESE POOR HORSES – NOW and with their probable lethal white unborn foals and whatever atrocities that might bring upon these 12 little mares.