The Castle Rock MARE-TERNITY WARD
Message Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: paintponylvr on July 25, 2016, 04:16:01 PM
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I started this in the "Weather" Thread and decided to split it off...l
So... Kechi has had issues since we brought her back home in February 2016. I've downplayed them, but have kept our vet appraised of what's been going on AND she's been given basic checks/exams 2 times since she started losing a lot of weight (one before foaling and one since). But after last Thursday's storm -
Kechi (the dam of Jynx) totally freaked out, completely quit eating (again - she's lost a lot of weight and I've tried many things with her) and then went down hill. I turned her out on Friday with the other two - thinking that would be better - only to have them "hound" her pretty hard... I think they ended up keeping her off the water as well as the hay (WAS spread out, but ...). She curled her legs under her and went down mid- morning Saturday and I didn't realize right away that she wasn't just resting :-[ . When I fed them at noon again, I realized just how bad of shape she was in - I put a bucket of water in front of her and she drank. Then I tried to get her up - she couldn't. She and Jynx ate their feed from a shallow pan, set in front of Kechi.
So, Larry, Sierra and I got her on the fiberglass cover that was on our truck originally (works great as a solid drag!) and moved her from the un-sheltered round pen, to the shaded area feed pen with the "Jr Mares" that they were out with before they foaled. We then put 2 slings up on the pine tree (thankfully the branches are holding) with old riding horse girths & rope and got her on her feet. She drank, ate feed, drank, picked at her hay and let Jynx nurse. Every 2-3 hours, I've gone out and given her another feed, freshened her water & cleaned up around her - she's also been hosed off several times to cool her down and clean her up. She is passing good manure w/o sand, urinating fine (nice yellow color - not clear and not brown) and other than when first found down, her mucous membranes have been nicely wet and pink.
This morning and again earlier this afternoon - she is alert, not really happy about "hanging out" in the slings and whinnying. For the first time since February 19th, she's cleaning up her feed w/o dumping it or "throwing it" every where. The feed pan sits inside of our hay wagon along with her water bucket and it's in front of her - limiting her foreward movement. Maybe we will now gain the weight back she needs and come all the way back??? I will be taking her out of the slings this evening for a couple of hours. Figure I'll put her back in them for tonight - as I have to leave for work by 630 tomorrow morning. I'll feed her/clean up before I go, then Larry will check on her about noon (he has a class tomorrow when he gets off his night shift) and Sierra will check on her before I get home when I will take over again... PHEW.
O, and yes, she probably should have been seen by a vet and maybe put on IV fluids - except right now the cost is beyond what we could do since we are currently putting every extra penny on a surprise bill I got for the MRI I had last month (most covered by insurance, but). I have been talking with the vet about what to try to get her to eat - we've done the different feeds - for at least 3 weeks at a time (to get her swapped over and then eating it by itself). We hadn't treated her for ulcers and I'm picking up meds for that today. Also, she wasn't totally dehydrated AND when offered water - she drank on her own. I think that the combination of not eating her own feed regularly (she'd leave it - almost always seemed to have a partial bucket of feed and every couple of feedings I'd dump it out for the pasture ponies to pick thru), the heat and the humidity and then the running the other two were doing (KoKo has dropped a lot of weight, too - but nothing like Kechi).
Kechi has had issues in the past with eating, weight issues and general unthrifty-ness and plenty of vet visits. Sometimes treating for ulcers when she was a weanling/yearling made a difference, sometimes it didn't. The folks who purchased her had some issues with her overall health, too. The vet and I are talking about doing a blood draw to see where we are health wise and see if that offers any clues (didn’t when she was a yearling - she was given a series of injections of Winstrol and suddenly started picking up).
The family and I have already discussed the possibility of euthanasia and raising Jynx w/o her dam. I'm really hoping that whatever happened to make her eat on her own w/o dumping it, is the turning point and we can get her better again from here. Have I said in another post anywhere, that I've got a serious love/hate thing with this little mare??? :'(
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I had a mare like that once. She was a constant "fear" for me every time I got home -- never knowing where I'd find her or what condition she was in. I brought her back several times from death's door, the vet said, and she was troubled with the high heat here in Florida, so put in a sprinkler above her stall and kept her under fans during the day -- only letting her out at night when she was able to get around. Just seemed like there was a constant battle to see what was causing her distress each and every time. The vet I had was great, and we did many things to keep her going, and praying for her improvement, but she never quite got "right".
She lasted for several years in that condition, but finally one day I came home to find her lying sternal in the pasture, and she was never able to get up again. The vet euthanized her for me, but it sounds like with the help you have, she just may come out of it. I'm sure it's confusing for the little one, but maybe that little one will keep her going!!
Praying hard for her and you. Please keep us posted!! ;pray ;pray ;pray
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Has her teeth been done? I knew a horse who was like this and eventually a dentist removed a massive ingrown infected tooth.
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Sorry to read this Paula, Keep us posted , I hope she keeps on continuing to Improve ;pray
This is the mare that you leased out and then got back, if im correct ? :)
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she sounds like a candidate for ulcer meds and probably a maintenance product on a daily basis; I give them a good try. And, perhaps a probiotic (and/or prebiotic) to help keep her gut as normal as possible.
I'd also look into something with her teeth, like someone else mentioned, something more serious such as an infected or impacted tooth.
Hope you can get it figured out and get her back on the right track.
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She had her teeth done several times between March 2010 and Dec 2013, when I sold her. In Feb 2016, when she came back home, she had her teeth checked when I was having issues getting her to eat - by both my regular vet and my farrier (who sometimes disagrees w/ our vet - but loves her anyway). Neither felt that there are/were issues with her teeth and she is the one we plan on doing in Oct. She even used a speculum to hold her mouth open and really looked around w/ 2 flashlights (1 on her head & one in her hand) to make sure. I have had teeth impacted and/or broken off before - as well as a fractured jaw - one of the things noticeable with those is the smell! No, I haven't had her checked by another vet though. IF I do, will haul her down to our previous vet and right now, that wouldn't work - I don't think she'd make that trip easily in this heat. If necessary - that vet has exray equipment that will work - w/o having to go to State (or I could find out where they are on vet student studies and see what would be needed to go to State?).
The feed store didn't have what I was planning on purchasing to start her on and will need to get another tube of probiotics, as well - which I forgot - head slap, as the tube I had was bad after I left it in the barn in this heat (ewwww..). My fault on that one - the stuff is nasty as is, that was much worse. Chanda - what pre-biotics? I will have to go look at some now, because I don't think I've ever used prebiotics before.
When I went out for her 3rd feeding this afternoon, she was happy, alert, whinnying like I was late w/ feeding and standing steady enough to paw with one hoof (and after a bit, she'd change feet). She also started rooting her wet feed right out of the shallow pan - as soon as I put it down for her in the wagon. GGGRRRRRR. I had to turn away to clean up - I was starting to get mad!
BUT she looks better - visibly she's already put weight back on and her flanks have filled out, too!!! Not enough, but it's one heck of a start. I didn't end up taking the slings off - w/ the feed store run and with delivering some carriers to a cat acquaintance was gone too long... didn't want to take her out right before this eve and take a chance she'd need to go back into it when I couldn't do it alone. Better to leave her in it for right now. Plan on coming straight home tomorrow from work and will take them off of her then to see how she is... daughter will be able to help tomorrow eve if necessary (I'm thinking it won't be).
She also has a sunburn through her coat - which I hadn't noticed previously (I feel a bit terrible - really not an excuse for that). Of course, I don't have a fly sheet which would help protect that and none of our local stores carry anything that small. Will have to order one. Never had her do that before - but then haven't had her ever lose this much weight (well, did her first year-but during the winter and she DID have some other issues then too). It was easier to blanket her and wrap her cold legs than to deal with this in the heat right now...
I will be going out again shortly to feed her again and top off all the water tanks tonight rather than in the morning. Easier that way.
Diane - OI - if we get her back and this ever happens again - I would seriously have to consider quality of life as well as other issues for us right now. First going against my judgement to sell her to this family and then all that's gone on since she came back. And Larry hasn't forgotten she was the one we had so many issues with previously and he is not happy at all right now. And he's very stressed and very unhappy about the fact we have talked about euthanasia. I have a single stall. Right now, it has all of my harness stuff and hadn't finished fixing it yet for all of our tack and equipment (not all will fit), so could, feasibly, do a stall w/ a mister, fans etc. Would need to put a window in for ventilation, but I've done that before. The rafters are not strong enough, however, to do a sling set up (I'd already thought about that). This "barn" simply wasn't built that way.
Some of the sunburn is peeling (hair and scabs) - similar but not the same as rain rot. WILL go ahead and do a fungal shampoo on her when we get her stronger, a little more weight.
Thank you all for your prayers and recommendations. Maybe I should have asked earlier - this has been a problem since February and her foal and the heat made it so much worse, I think?? I am happy to keep you in the loop on what we are doing.
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I'm not 100% certain what prebiotics are, just know that often times they are recommended in addition to or instead of probiotics. They are similar, but I think what they do is feed the good gut flora so that it's healthy and can reproduce as it should.
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Oh Paula, I'm so sorry to hear all of this! :'( Haven't allowed myself to do much "fun" internet the last month, as I've been struggling to pass this module of my SEO course.
Is she stabilized and still in slings? How's Jynx doing? Has Tori adopted her--so to speak?
I'm praying she is recovering, she's always been my very favorite BECAUSE of her bi-polarish personality.
Be looking for an email and/or call after dusk today. Maybe I can scrounge up some additional suggestions along the lines of Chanda's, as well as some type of sunburn treatment.
Remember to take care of yourself first though...everyone suffers if you're out of commission. Prayers coming your way in the meantime.
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OK... So she was out of the sling on both Tue & Wed when I got home from work. On Tue, Larry had checked her around noon due to his online class and before he went to bed. She was OK, then. By 6:00pm, she was in the middle of the pen, all curled up sternal with a bleeding lower lip. Sierra was with me and we were able to get her on her hooves, back into the slings which we then hooked up with harness parts. She was bright and alert, so I was happy. She seemed content in the sling(s) once we got her back in them, though she is pretty raw where the slings sit (I have no idea how to combat this - no padding works well or long).
She was fine later in the evening before I went to bed - around 11 pm. She ate heartily and all of her body functions EXCEPT for standing alone, are working.
Standing on Wed morning - ate like a little PIG! Larry checked her a bit earlier - he is ready to go to bed. She was good to go. I arrived earlier than usual as I was off right at 5 pm and "flew" home. I beat Sierra home from work but could see that not only was she down in the pen but this time in "trouble". I didn't bother going to the house but swung into the pasture thru the gate and went up to take care of her. She had again managed to get out of the slings (??), but because we'd hooked up a chest piece that didn't come loose this time and breeching with the crupper, she was hung up. She was laying w/ 2 legs thru the panel fence, her head at a very strange angle and when I lifted it I was horrified to find the right side almost bare of hair w/ lots of scratches and a couple of bleeding cuts. All superficial and will easily heal but just one more thing right now. She'd dug a "crater" by the fence while trying to get up and I had to refill that after I got her moved around out of the way. I tried my darndest - but she would first insist on struggling at a very BAD time when I needed her to be still while I worked slings and such under her OR she'd not try to move and just lay there when I needed some effort from her to get up! Probably was only 15 minutes or so, but by the 5th attempt to get her up, i was in tears and frustrated and totally tuckered out with not a dry spot of clothing on me (scrubs stick when wet with sweat, YUUCK). Then I started seeing stars and having trouble breathing so I sat down to just wait a bit...
Larry texted me from the house and I replied, but couldn't move yet. He and Sierra (i hadn't seen her come in the drive while I'd been trying to get her up by myself) came on out and they got everything resorted (again). At first, they thought she was dead cause her last struggle had almost bent her double with her bum in the air and her neck/head again bent weird - the last position I'd left her in when I couldn't do any more for a bit and she didn't move out of it at all. Neither of them seemed to know what needed to be done to get her back up. Sierra was holding the rope around her girth and chest and I bent over, grabbed her tail and hoisted - AND she was standing again. As soon as she was back on her feet she whinnied! Then she drank from her bucket and licked Jynx. UGH I was so mad all over again... and soooooooo tired/whipped feeling. Again she ate. Soooo, we left her again. I did get others semi fed (a few I didn't do, though should have)..
I checked her again around midnight and she was good. Gave her more water and fed her again. Not even sure how I made it back to the house but I passed out when there. Larry woke me when he got home at 8 am to see how she was doing. I went on out and took care of all of them - she was good to go this time. I'd studied on the problem a bit - and realized she'd probably gotten out of the slings when she she started getting bothered by flies. I'd run out of fly spray and not brought any more back over to the mares' shed, so hadn't reapplied any to her... And they were biting me right thru my sweat soaked clothes and on any bare skin they could find! Not out early in the morning, but from about 11 am onward until about 2. Then gone again until later in the evening right around dusk.
She did great on Thursday. On Friday, my farrier was out. Kechi was due and we did end up doing her hooves - though not all the way. She just had them lifted - very low to the ground while in the slings and I supported her, too. They were not brought forward to the do the finishing part of the trim - but did have a pretty substantial amount of growth. Rasping bothered her (but it always has, so we were prepared) and she rocked back and forth - especially when her fronts done.
Then Saturday we had a storm that wasn't predicted! OMG, I watched and she seemed to be ok when I could see her from front porch thru sheets of rain. Temps did drop, though. Eating was fine - each time.
Today is Sunday. I'm getting ready to go out and give her her 2nd feed of the day. She is cleaning up 3 lbs of Nutrena Safe Choice and about 3/4 lb of Southern States Alfalfa Supreme Green pellets - 4x a day (with her filly) - per feeding. She is getting 1 full ounce of Mare Plus with her morning feed. She has had 1/2 of a tube of Probiotics (much smaller doses than they recommended) so far - will finish it Tuesday. She is eating quite a bit of hay daily (previous bale was approx 60 lbs - wen thru that in 4 days. Today, pulled wagon to the new round bale and filled it with loose hay and packed it down and put more in. Put that back in front of her, made a hole and put her water bucket back in it. She also got a whole tube of Equi-Spot fly spray spot on put on her - that has helped BUNCHES to keep buggies at bay.
Sooo.... ???? That's where we are at.
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Sounds like you had a scary time, but things are better again now. Keep us posted. Hopefully, with the weight gain from her good diet, she'll be back on her own feet soon for you. ;pray ;pray ;pray
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Thanx, Diane. She's done so much better today. I work tomorrow - the only day this week and then have a dentist appointment in another town about 40 miles away (now) on Thursday.
We've had a series of storms today, too. Pretty soon, I will be going back out to see how she's doing. she should be out of hay this time, too, and I'll need to replenish that.
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Paula sounds like quite the scary ordeal that you have ll been through and the stormy weather wouldn't of been helping much either.
My fingers are crossed that she continues to improve for you and that she continues to gain some strength back :)
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Ok, just a random thought, could she be allergic to a common feed item or even not so common weed and it's manifesting oddly? Just thinking out loud so to speak.
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Great thought Chanda :)
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How's Kechi recovering? Is her sunburn clearing? Have you been hit heavily by the storms the last couple of weeks? How's Jynx doing?
I did a little googling and learned that liver problems can cause photosensitivity. I hope that's not her case! Vinegar water rinses were favored over aloe because of it's stickiness. Silver...gaah, I forgot!...cream you get from vet was also recommended as a treatment for the burn.
As Chandra suggested, ulcer treatment is a good idea. With her sensitive, pouty temperament it couldn't hurt. It might help her sometimey appetite.
Hoping no news means things are stable and that you're busy taking care of YOUR health.
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How has she been Paula ? Hope shes on the mend :)
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It's not been an easy or pleasant ordeal. She is still with us - most of the raw places have healed but she's lost even more weight (didn't think she could until I compared the pic from the 2nd day in slings to the look of her the other day)... She was doing so good in the slings, that I took her out of them on Saturday afternoon and w/o thinking - left her out of them all night.
After "talking to me" Sunday morning, she curled her legs under her and carefully laid down while I was feeding. Once again, I didn't think anything of it - STUPID me. I couldn't get her up by myself, but w/ help, she is back in the slings a couple of hours later. She's fighting them, but can't support herself longer than a few hours w/o them. We may take them off of her for a couple of hours tomorrow. I'd like to try leaving them off in the late afternoon/early evening and then put her back in them (preferably while she's still standing on her own) before full dark.
So... it's a day to day "thing"?? If she didn't have such a bright and responsive attitude, I'd have given up on her some time ago. AS is, I don't know what to think. A vet has been out to see her and liked what I was doing right now. She is well hydrated and is still eating all her feed - she is getting substantially more now than when this started as I've increased the amounts she and her filly share. The two hottest days - she didn't eat as much (clean up) feed as other days - always the mid-day/lunch time feeds. She is getting straight alfalfa right now for hay - very little coastal as she was not eating that.
She's getting Mare Plus right now with her feed and a generic stomach soother (pink pepto type stuff - but made for horses) right now. This is the best and most consistant she's eaten since she came home in February...
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Well, I'm a strong believer in pure Alfalfa. Fed all my horses straight alfalfa for years. The tummy soother sounds good, and you know alfalfa is a tummy soother too.
So, still praying for her and you, and all the time and love you're putting in to her.
Perhaps just some short walks while you have her down, will help return some strength to her leg muscles. Just an idea. Poor girl, but her will is strong! ;pray ;pray
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Glad she is hanging in there Paula , shes lucky a girl to have you.
Will be sending good wishes your way. She sounds like a fighter ;pray
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Well, on the 21st we took the sling off and left it off overnight again. She was doing great, then I stepped out onto the porch and could see her laying down. Had no idea if she could get up or not. I headed out, she didn't seem stressed at all, and I stopped long enough at the pump/spigot to turn the water on - too hot not to do any watering while out there AND might need it to hose off Kechi when we get her up. When I turned around to head to her pen - she was on her feet, walking the fence line and pinning her ears at the other ponies who'd come up to see if it was their turn to eat, too.
Tomorrow marks a week that she's been out of the slings. She looks "god-awful" but she IS starting to put weight back on. She's definitely stronger and is passing plenty of manure and urine! I went to a tub on Monday for her to drink out of - could no longer keep up with her water intake with just 1 bucket... LOL. That's actually a good problem to have. She's cleaning up a very large, heavy flake of alfalfa 3x daily and I will probably have to increase her to 2 flakes per feeding time soon or put them in hay bags and hang them out where she can eat it free choice but it's not completely on the ground (don't want it there).
I've only taken a few pics of her... They are not good and I'm not ready to post any of them. Maybe when she's really gaining weight and doing good, I will post them in order? I didn't actually take any the first few days when we didn't know if she'd make it at all.
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Yeah! Glad to hear she's making strides in the right direction.
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Brilliant news! Praying that she continues to make steady progress to a full recovery. Well done to you. :)
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This is great news!! And nothing could be better for her tummy and weight than the added protein that alfalfa gives!! I am a true believer in the powers of alfalfa!
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This is so great! Keep it up girl!
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Great News Paula, so happy to read of the improvement she is making :)
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So sorry guys! It's been almost a month since I last posted.
Kechi is doing better - steadily, slowly putting on weight. Her ribs aren't covered up yet, her hips still stick out like a cow's - but she's definitely doing MUCH better. She is still producing milk and nursing Jynx, too, who is looking great.
Kechi was always a hard pony to catch and this is unbelievable! She tries to run from end to end in this feed pen when I want/need to tie her up to feed her. It's wonderful to see her moving but soo, so maddening! Silly, crazy, darned, unicorn mare!
Cat, our farrier, was out again today. We did Jynx's hooves 2 weeks ago, but chose not to do Kechi's at that time again yet. Then we did both Kechi and Jynx today. It's been exactly 8 weeks since she was last done and she had had a bit of growth. A bit disheartening here...
There has been growth - but there is now an obvious bulge just below the coronet bands on both of Kechi's front hooves - showing the stress that she's been under in the last few months (change in living qtrs, change in feed, pregnancy, living arrangements, giving birth, losing weight/almost dying). There was also a somewhat major/noticeable "ring line" about 1/2 way down on her hooves (I'm not sure where that puts her in the timeline - think that may correspond to right before foaling?).
Then, while doing her right fore hoof (she was on that side, so did that hoof first), Cat was pretty excited - Kechi "released" a piece of her sole. But it was almost like she "hit blood" at her toe - i did a double take and had to look again to grasp the significance. Kechi had a good white line from heel to about the middle of the front quarter of her hoof. Then it's as if the white line disappears and "jumps" forward an 1/8 to 1/4". Then, at the toe center itself, between the white line and the laminae, there is red. And it was so red that it looked like fresh blood. It wasn't, more like crumbling hoof shreds that had had blood in them. Where the sole had "shed/released", you could also see more blue/purple area that Cat says will be red as her hoof grows out. She states that this was, at one time, a MAJOR laminitic event. Probably while she was on corn at the previous owners property? She stated that she shouldn't have had that much growth in her hoof since she came "home" -so it really had to have happened previously. The very first time Cat trimmed her in February, Kechi had several abscesses growing out - they opened with trimming, but were not infected or an issue at that time.
The left fore hoof had the same issue - mirror image!
The hind hooves did not.
The bad news is that she also now (at the time her hooves were trimmed today) a bounding pulse. So Cat also feels that there is something going on now, too. Kechi was not sore at the time she was trimmed - actually trotted out pretty nicely - we took her out of the pen, on flat & firm sand (well drained even with the deluge we've gotten this week) and did some lounging to see how she is moving. NICE.
Then it pointed out something to Cat (or I did) that I'd noticed the other day. Her left hip has "dropped". We don't know if it was an injury that didn't show while she was originally "fat" when she came home, if it was an injury from the other young mares running/kicking her; if it happened when she "went down" or at some point in the recovery (like when she got out of the slings or while she was "hanging"). It is currently very noticeable, maybe more so to me right now as I've got a problem with my lower back at L4/L5 and it's being worked on 3x a week right now (OMG, don't go there, currently on ice while typing this). None of my previous pics show this issue, so think it may have happened since May OR even after she went down in July.
SO, on top of the care for her hooves (to include hand walking in straight lines - I will be getting my walking in too; and lounging w/ the left hip to the outside of the circle), we are now talking about an equine massage therapist (for now) and in the future an equine chiro appointment (get her better first?)... THEN we'll see how she's doing.
Her face has healed, her sunburn has healed and the hair has all grown back in (though w/ rain & humidity we are probably looking at dealing with rain rot now, too) and most of the other raw/scratched places have also healed and grown over with hair. She is DEFINITELY on the mend!
I promise!! I will take some pics tomorrow of her in the day light. Today, I did get a couple of Jynx that turned out, but didn't get any of Kechi. I will also see if I can get some of her hooves - I will need to clean them up tomorrow and we want to also check to see if she's sore... I don't think she will be and the last 4 ponies that Cat swore would be - weren't - so it's a kinda "pseudo" bet.
Pics of Jynx on her thread.
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I saw the pictures of Jynx on her thread! So cute!
I'll be looking forward to pictures of Kechi, and praying for a quick recovery with no bad side effects. Keep us posted!!
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Thank you for the update. Poor Kechi, but glad to hear she is slowly heading in the right direction. Sounds like you and your farrier are on top of her hoof issues.
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Thanks for the update Paula , she is certainly a fighter :)
Glad to hear that she is mending slowly , she is lucky to have you guys :)
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Paula,
Did you happen to test her for West Nile?
I just read an article the other day about how bad the WN carrying mosquitos are this year, so just a thought. It also mentioned some of the many varied symptoms, and her symptoms/issues just rang a little bell when I read the article. I may be way off base, but just thinking out loud.
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Started a post last night and did the infamous hitting of the wrong key and lost it. So here goes again -
Chanda -yes, vet and I talked about West Nile. No she hasn't been tested for either that or Lymes disease and we are discussing it. While some of the issues match up to part of each of them, none is really all there..(??). We are now into November and not sure yet what I'm going to do on the testing front.
Have run out of the stomach soother (other than Alfalfa) and want to get some more. Going tomorrow to the feed store.
Farrier was out again on 21 October and Kechi was trimmed again. Again noted the red "crumbles" between the separated white line and the rest of her sole - but happy with the growth and how it looks and the fact that she doesn't appear to be sore. Took pics this time of the front hooves, not the rear. Will be attaching pics. I did get some as well that show how her hips look and you can sorta see the "drop" in the left one. Cat (farrier) pointed out that it might not be a "drop" on the left, but where the right has been "jammed up" - again possibly by running/chasing that she had received when harassed by the other mares - both right before foaling and also later - which I feel partially caused this whole episode.
She is NOW on turnout, and we have switched around the way these girls are grouped. She did get into a fight as one of the OTHER younger mares (bottom of the herd previously but willing to try to put Kechi at the bottom not that she can) and they both stopped/left off before appearing to injure each others' legs (kicking butt to butt). They aren't accepting her, she hasn't "buddied up" with anyone, but she is doing better. She gets fed a light breakfast in the AM, then turned loose. In the evening they are all caught, fed and then she stays in the pen w/ free choice alfalfa and another feeding later in the evening.
So here is a series of pics from the start of this ordeal. I really haven't taken many, though...
These first two pics were taken the 12th of May. I had just moved Kechi from the Jr Mare Paddock, where she had been since the 27th of February, to the round pen with KoKo and GG. She grew up with both KoKo and GG and they seemed to do alright when I put Kechi in the round pen with them. GG had had her first foal, Chylly, the week before. I DID NOT expect either Kechi or KoKo to foal that night and to have the two new foals on the morning of the 13th!! I truly do not feel that Kechi was really ready to foal, but she did... The "original" chasing had possibly started the night before - and both GG and KoKo ganged up on Kechi about mid-morning and when separated from her new foal then turned on the foal. I quickly built a new pen, right in the round pen, that afternoon for Kechi and her filly Jynx - where they would stay for 2 months before I would attempt to re-integrate them into the little mare grouping... Kechi NEVER did eat right the whole time she was in the round pen-pen... PIcs now...
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Here are pics from 26 July and 29 August.
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and then here is a series taken on 24 September - the day after the first hoof trim where a major laminitic event was noticed and a bounding pulse was found. On 24 September, I didn't find a bounding pulse (and really haven't since), so think that that may have been something that day while trimming hooves? We aren't sure...
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and here are the pics from the 24th of October. Will try to get some more now, maybe today or tomorrow? Want to groom her good as well...
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Here is a link to Kechi's photo album on line (none of the photos from May to now, that I posted above in this forum, are posted to be seen publicly). If you open this link in a separate browser you can do comparisons to her looks from about 6 weeks of age to now - minus pics during the time she had been sold and was at a different home (there are a few from that time frame that I took when I went over there).
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/116529838407687192287/album/AF1QipMDtI1cedgMrJPv3SoVdCE1lEJB7UGRHGXBQbvr?source=pwa
You can already see the weight loss between February and April - when I was already struggling with getting her to eat.
I have tried to feed her again in her new, "normal horse" bucket and she goes right back to slamming the bucket everywhere - losing most of her feed to outside the feed pen or into the sand at her hooves. Also tried feeding her in a small tub on the ground, she just grabs it in her teeth and dumps it over on the ground. So for now, she will continue to eat from "her" mobile feeder (my feed wagon - which I'd really like to have back!!)... She has really taken a shine to that wagon!
May build one of these type feeders and see if that works better for her... If it does, then will build some more to do some free feeding of beet pulp and alfalfa pellets in the Jr Mares paddock (where our two oldest mares - Bell & Bit again reside as well). Each of the mares now grouped in this paddock are underweight, especially going into winter. There is a total of 8 ponies in this paddock again - Bell, Bit (the oldsters); Ami, Bunny, Classy, Flashi, Kechi & Shamrock. Bunny, Flashi & Shamrock are all full sisters and they have seemed to have a hard time here on this sandy property this year... Will be doing Power Pac worming with Safe Guard next week for the whole group, too.
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Poor girl, she looked like hell, but coming back and looks to have gained between the Sept and Oct pictures. Hope you can get her straightened out.
I'm sure you done and tried everything. Ulcer meds, probiotics, sand clear, deworming and probably every feed available to you.
Tana is on the verge of looking like those Oct pics of Kechi; but starting to come back now that I've weaned the hellion. It's special order now, but I'm going to see about putting the mares back on the feed they were on when the 2012 foals were born, the mares looked great then, and didn't lose while nursing. Need to order this week, and it'll be delivered next week. Ordering: their feed, mare and foal for the babies (mares might get a little while they are trying to gain back lost weight), and senior for the old man (he's picky about the readily available senior, so going to try the other brand and see if it makes a difference).
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WOW, she has really improved from those summer pictures! GREAT JOB!! Praying she continues to improve and strengthen. She really look FABULOUS compared to where she went to during her down cycle. I'm so happy she has such a strong will to survive!!
Keep us updated, as I'm still praying for a full recovery for her! ;pray ;pray
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She is improving, Bless her and you!
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You have certainly brought this pony back from the brink Paula :)
She is starting to put weight on and looking wonderful.
She certainly is a "fighter" :)
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How's Kechi?
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Better, but not wonderful...
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Better, but not wonderful...
Hopefully, slow and steady without too many bumps along the way, gets her there.
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Slow and steady is what it's been for Kechi. She was in one of the pastures that got some of the "fox tail" hay. She didn't get sores in her mouth (that we could see) and didn't lose weight, but she didn't gain any for 2-3 months either. Then she started gaining again and here are some updated photos.
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She's looking better.
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I totally agree. Hopefully she keeps on the gaining trend. ;pray
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She is looking much better Paula :)