Need help

[Lnight89]

Hello everyone! Ok so I am new to minis! I've had appoloosa my whole life but just got my first two minis about a month and a half ago. Well last night my pregnant mare and her filly from last year broke into my feed room! Partly because of pot bellied pig (he broke the door for them :|) anyway I got found them in there when I went to turn them in for the night last night at9:30pm. I checked the food and it didn't look like they had eaten alot or had been in there long and they were both acting totally normal. I got them in their stalls gave them a tiny bit of their hay, fed the rest of the animals and went in for the night. This morning the filly is totally normal but my pregnant mare isn't acting herself.... she ate her hay I had given last night but didn't get excited and neigh and run to her door when I came in and is now not interested in her hay this morning at all. She just is standing around. I noticed she had 2 normal fecal moments and one really mucky one over the night (I cleaned stalls yesterday so I know they are from last night) now  freaking out because my appys haven't gotten  into feed before abd eaten entire tubs and we're fine but I know minis are way smaller and don't eat what the appys do or the amount! Now other than just looking lazy and not 2anting to eat her fresh hay she isn't pacing or rolling or anything. Any suggestions as to what I should/ could do before calling a vet out (closest vet is about an hour drive qnd expensove not to mention on a Saturday pricing thanks in advance!

[Chanda]

How far along is the mare?
 The timing could be coincidence, as it could be early labor signs, if she is far enough along, or it could be mild colic from the grain.

[Lnight89]

Her previous owner doesn't know exactly when she's due I bought her pregnant. She said between June and July.  Her udders are completely empty still. I was guessing her to be due around June 15th ish just from my past with breeding my appys and how she looks and feels to me right now.  I'm thinking it's from eating the grain. I've called the vet a few times ( a per system for emergencies ) and haven't had a call back yet... I've only ever dealt with colic once in one of my appys and it went away on its own with holding feeds and a bit of walking. I'm just way more nervous because she's a mini and she's pregnant

[Holly]

Feel for rapid pulse and heat in her hooves. Besides colic they can founder. If her feet are hot and pulse rate is increased/ pounding I would get the vet out asap and start soaking her feet in  cold water to help.
http://www.ironfreehoof.com/equine-digital-pulses.html
That article will help you find the correct area to feel her pulse . Best wishes and please keep us updated!

[Lnight89]

Feet are nice and cool and pulse is normal. I went to school for vet tech so I at least no some thing but man I'm all cool an collected with my big horses and terrified about everything with these minis! Lol I've called and paged the vet so hopefully they call back soon! She's seeming stable nothing has gotten any worse I'm just hanging out with her in her stall until he calls me back!

[dcwolcott]

Stay calm, minis are a bit different some times, but I'm not reading any signs that she is in serious distress.  She could have a quite upset tummy, if she's not her usual self, and eaten too much. 

Do you feel any foal movement, or has baby shifted around?  Sometimes, at the late stage, the foal moving around can put pressure on nerves, and make her very uncomfortable.  And being uncomfortable can certainly change her attitude from being a "greeting you" mare, to a bit quieter.

You could take her for a slow walk, or let her out to pasture and observe her behavior.  I'd keep an eye on her for a couple of hours, just to see if after things moves through her system, she seems more like herself.

See if she is interested in moving around on her own and doing a little nibbling as she goes.

Keep us posted!!  And let us know of any changes you see.  I'm praying its just from a bit of over-eating, and she comes around in a couple of hours.  But some normal outside time may give her room to stretch things and shift baby around to a more comfortable place.   

 

[Lnight89]

Man 5he vet still hasn't returned my calls or pages yet. .

As for sugar I put her out to pasture for a bit and she wandered around here and there, stood still for awhile, wandered some more and then asked to come in at the back door. She's still not herself at all. And she hasn't pooped since before 8 am today. ... she did have alot of poops in the night and I held her feeds this morning. She was kicking out her hay bin trying to find hay at least, this morning she wasn't interested AT ALL.

Her baby is still kicking and moving (my youngest daughter  actually felt the baby kick for the first time today) to me her belly does look lower now and not as much to the sides.  Man this is stressing right out

[Lnight89]

If the vet doesn't respond and she still hasn't passed a bowel movement soon should I give her something ?

[Chanda]

You say she had a lot of poops over night...  Were they formed or cow patties?   Mares clean out right before foaling.   I think you said she didn't have a bag, but that can come up rather quickly, especially if she is maiden (don't recall that part).   Minis can and do have viable foals at 300 days, so if the seller was looking at say 320-330 day gestation, you can be nearly a month off.   horses don't have due dates, just ranges and averages.

[Lnight89]

She had about 5 normals and then one mucky one. I just went out and she finally just had another normal bowel movement! And she was standing at her grain bin pushing around in it like she's getting more into the idea of food! I'm starting to feel a bit more relaxed. .. and yeah I've had my foaling kit ready right in the barn (sealed all up to stay clean) for a few weeks just incase! And her old owner did say her bag normally only fills about a day or two before she delivers... I think this stuff stressed me out more then giving birth to all of my own children haha! Thank you to all of you for keeping me calm today! You were all the biggest help! Happens to be a weekend that my husband is away and my mother and father were out of town as well. I had to bring my kids to two seperate birthday parties today... I was a mess. You are all awesome!

[Chanda]

Well, we are here to be awesome, and remind you to breathe and not totally stress out.   And, you'll all have to do the same for me, when my mares get closer.

[Lnight89]

Will do!  Since I've never had to really deal with colic( like I said my one are had the most minor colic ever only one time) it scares me more than birth lol I've delivered many appys and helped with my friends mini delivery once so I feel ok so far with that!

[Chanda]

In almost 30 years of horse ownership, started with saddle horses, minis for the last 10-11 years; I've only had a few minor colic episodes and one major, a couple of the minor ones turned out to be ulcers.    My major colic episode was while I was in college and boarding my horses, so they weren't in my care, my then 3 year old mare impacted a couple feet of small intestine, she had surgery, recovered and eventually went on to have a couple of foals and live into her 20s (I sold her in her midteens, but she was still going after that for a few years, at least before I lost track).   The minis have just had minor colics that walking took care.   [guess there was one more major colic, but likely a strangulating limpoma (sp?) in an aged half-Arab gelding, it took his life, he was 27 years old.]

[Lnight89]

Oh boy! None of that sounds fun! I'm glad that all of them worked out and didn't end up the worst . I was so nervous that something would happen and she'd pass away because my daughter's would be so upset! Another normal poop!! Looks like it's all working it's way out!

[Lnight89]

I noticed , as I said earlier , that her belly changed shape alot over the night. I'll add a picture from last week and one from today while I was in there with her!