Having just lost 100% of my foal crop...both late term abortions, I am devastated.
I vaccinated in early March with 4 way +West Nile. I was talking with one of the stallion owners that I had bred to. She says it is her impression that there are way more tragedies this year. More late term abortions, more dead foals, more dead mares.
Yes, weather patterns have been bizarre...and one of said mares (several weeks after losing her foal) has developed laminitis in the pasture she has been in since the day she was born. But weird weather patterns aren't the same kind of weird around the country. I'm thinking the laminitis may be from late frost (we had SNOW May 5 and 6th)...but I don;t think weird weather explains the foal losses.
Do we have a feed or vaccine problem. It is still early in the foaling season. IS there a pattern out there??? What do you think?
In our case it was a severe case of fescue toxicity I think. That and not being able to get anyone to take me seriously about her problems. The assumption seemed to be I was a new owner with no experience with horse's in foal. However I knew my girl and I knew for a while things weren't right. The weather may have played into it some. I know in our area there have been many mares and foals lost as well. I am still watching Star for anything unusual as she is just 9 days from losing her foal in delivery. She does have our little adopted Hope which helps, but still you worry. Star was vaccinated the first week of March I think it was. I did my darnedest to do everything right, but to no avail. It's been enough of a heartache here to know I will never want to breed Ginger or little Hope. I was going to retire Star anyway, but now it's a definate.
Hi , I am new to the board this year. My mare had a late term abortion in March ( I live in France so I know your survey dosent apply to me )but I have been following everybodies stories since I lost my foal & now I am terrified as I put my mare back into foal not realising how many people seem to loose foals. Was it this bad last year !! Now my mare has been confirmed in foal & I am begining to wish I hadnt done it . Its so scary !!!
Cougar: No, there are not abnormally higher loss rates this year.
What did the necropsies show on the foals? There are many causes for late term abortion, but when one sees more than one, infective causes become more of a consideration. The necropsy should tell you the cause.
The laminitis a couple of days after the pregnancy loss is quite possibly associated with a retained placenta situation - did your verterinarian confirm that was not the case? The timing is right on for that...
Grass under stress produces high sugar. The frost could have spiked the sugar content in the grazing pasture.
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