Foal orphaned at 3.5 months - has sore abdomen and looks a bit bloated

[Ysabel]

I lost my broodmare two weeks ago to colic. Her filly was 3.5 months old at the time. Luckily I had another dry mare that adopted her (she already spent most of her time with this mare anyway - so it made the transition a bit easier for her). I worried about the stress giving her ulcers so we have been adding Aloe gel and slippery elm root powder to her feed. For feed she gets free choice hay and pasture, 1 litre of Purina Evolution Maternity, 1/2 litre of Blue Seal Sunshine plus, 1/2 cup flax, and 1/2 tablespoon of Selenium/Vit E supplement (because our soil has almost no selenium in it) - this is divided into two feedings each day. We use boiling water to turn it into a mash with a tablespoon of apple juice for taste. She has been gobbling it up.

A week ago we separated her and her “new” mom into adjacent stalls. He new mom has a weight problem and sharing free choice hay with the filly was not helping her lose weight. The change didn’t seem to bother the filly too much (that we could tell). And they are still outside all day together.

Her belly has been seeming a bit rounder than usual though (with still showing some rib).

Tonight when I was brushing her (which she usually loves) she was extremely angry when I ran my hand over her abdomen. Should I be worried? I am a little over sensitive after loosing her mother to colic.

A necropsy was done on the mare and they found that the entire small intestine and large colon had moved (they called it “volvulus”) - they explained that this sometimes happen to broodmares, but that it was strange for it to happen so many months after she foaled. They found no signs of toxins, worms, etc. That was a relief because I am always worried about the pesticides from my neighbours’ farms drifting into my pastures.

[Ysabel]

Here is a picture taken a few days ago that shows her belly well.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=711357625557409&set=a.660680670625105.1073741827.155738231119354&type=3&theater

[pcwertb]

Sometimes babies get a pot belly look when they are weaned as they don’t digest the hay as well?

[Ysabel]

Oh - I hope that is the case. :o

[Calamber]

That does not explain the sore stomach. I would stop the selenium and vitamin e, you seem to be supplementing quite a bit for a 3.5 month old foal. I am not sure I have ever heard of anyone feeding flax to such a youngster.

[Ysabel]

I never really considered that I shouldn’t feed her flax - all the other horses get it so I just gave it to her as well. I am giving her 1/2 as much of the selenium/vit E as the adult horses. But I guess that it wouldn’t hurt to cut it out for a month or two and then have the vet pull some blood on her to make sure she is not becoming deficient. The Sunshine Plus has a small amount of selenium in it so she would be getting some from that as well.

[vineyridge]

When I was feeding weanlings, and yours is a weanling, although younger, I fed a milk pellet, the name of which I have forgotten. I know you are feeding the slippery elm to help settle her stomach, but it’s not unknown for very young horses to get ulcers. Could you try her on ulcergard or gastrogard just in case? i don’t offhand recall if 3 1/2 months is too young for them.

[Kerole]

The facebook page is ‘unavailable’…

[Kyzteke]

She could have just been ticklish when you rubbed her. Personally, I wouldn’t not mess with a bulletin board for advice on this one…if it persists, I would get my vet out.

BTW, she looks fine in the pics…not really swollen. But most 3.5 mos old foals are still not quite old enough to digest grains/hay completely and you are feeding alot of stuff that I’m not sure is appropriate for a foal that young.

Horses can be fed Ulcergard from a young age, so no worries there. Also keep in mind foals aren’t getting Se AT ALL for the first few months of their lives (unless you were supplementing the mare and that supplement passed into the foal via her milk). My area is also low Se, and, while I routinely supplement my broodies & performance horses, I don’t do that for foals till they are completely on “grown up” food (at about 6 mos) and never had one suffer.

I’m thinking off the top of my head that you are just giving that baby alot of stuff it can’t quite digest…either that, or she is just ticklish. Her feeding program, + the fact she’s just lost her mum, makes me think ulcers if it’s anything, but that doesn’t (traditionally) mean swollen belly.

I assume she is pooping & peeing ok?

[Home_Again_Farm]

She is not old enough yet to fully digest cereal and hay. Her diet should still be milk based. When she is nearing 5 months you can gradually add grain and decrease milk based feed, until the switch is 100% at about 6 months.

Rereading your OP, I realize that I may have misjudged her age. How old is she now?

Is she by herself now that you have separated her from mommy #2? If so, I would give her an equine, goat or sheep companion. The stress of being orphaned, finding mom #2 and then losing her companionship can very easily cause ulcers.

I agree that she looks fine, but the discomfort would have me consulting my vet.

[Home_Again_Farm]

Rereading your OP, I realize that I may have misjudged her age. How old is she now?

[Ysabel]

She is now 4 months old.

She is with the whole herd (including mommy #2) all day long. She is in a stall next to mommy #2 at night.

Someone else mentioned “milk pellets” - is this something I can find at a regular feed store? Do I need a special kind for horses?

She is pooping, peeing, playing, etc. She is not showing any other signs of colic - just the bit of bloating and not wanting me to touch her abdomen - which is not normal for her. She usually loves to be scratched everywhere.

[Home_Again_Farm]

Very good that she has buddies. :yes:

Last question. What de-worming program are you following?

Milk pellets are a pelleted feed with a milk base. I’d not use anything but an equine milk pellet without checking to be certain it is okay for foals. Many companies make them - Foal Lac, Land O’Lakes, Buckeye, Progressive Nutrition. The last two are the best when it comes to minerals. Some foals are not crazy about them, though, and at her age, she may resist eating milk pellets.

She is at the age where you can squeak by with a foal feed that is not milk based. However, if the abdominal discomfort persists, I would definitely investigate and would suspect ulcers.

[Laurierace]

Horses suffer from ulcers, foals die from ulcers. This is not the time to mess around with possible substitutes, start gastrogard or ulcergard today.

[Leah_A]

A probiotic (with multiple strains) is a good idea. Foals eat their mother’s manure to help populate their gut with good flora. Separating her from her foster mom may have disrupted that. A good probiotic can assist in both the prevention and treatment of ulcers. I raised orphan foals on milk pellets, a foal ration, and probiotic (Biotic 8 from Omega Alpha is a good one). Best of luck with your little one!