How the Fruitbat does this happen?

[2DogsFarm]

Local sh*tstorm where mid-20s kid “bought” Friesian foal.
Quotes as no BOS, owner supposed to keep foal & accept payments on a price that mysteriously more than doubled. No written contract re: this or anything else.

Foal is not in good health from the getgo.
Vet advises further care, rebuffed by owner, ignored by buyer.
Foal - now some 8mos old - ends up getting trailered to local vet college.
Where it is DOA.
Initial necropsy - as reported by buyer - is impaction from tapeworm load.
HowtheFruitbat does a supposedly knowledgable caretaker let this happen?
Is deworming protocol that complex for a baby?

Besides the tragic loss, question now is if owner will return any of the payments or expect buyer to cover cost of vet hospital as well.

I admit I am venting, but wondering if negligence is as blatant as I feel.

[Feathered_Feet]

@2DogsFarm

Is deworming protocol that complex for a baby?

My understanding from friends that have bred is that yes, it can be. Foals tend to carry a much higher parasite load and have to be fecal tested and de-wormed seemingly constantly. (Ok, probably not constantly, but it requires different management from adults.)

Not clear from your post who was actually taking care of the foal. Presumably the breeder would know this. If with the new owner, sounds like the owner didn’t know and wasn’t working with a vet. Sorry for all involved as this sounds unnecessary and tragic.

[Scribbler]

Does sound like a perfect storm of bottom feeders. Low end breeder (yes, there are many backyard Friesians now), clueless buyer wanting a “bargain,” no one listening to the vet. Just because someone’s mare got pregnant, does not mean they are knowledgeable caretakers.

Realize that not all wormers target tapeworms, so they might have been using an ineffective wormer, too.

Anyhow, this is the kind of terrible thing that happens to horses at the low end of horse keeping.

There sounds like all kinds of craycray and money games on both sides. I would stay out of it, and assume that both sides are at fault and you do not have the whole story.

[2DogsFarm]

@Feathered_Feet breeder/seller had foal the whole length of it’s sorry life.
Buyer boards & cleans stalls for income. NOT for seller.
So this Suddenly Low 5-Figure baby was waaaaay out of affordable range from Day One.
And I do not breed, but have managed to educate myself on worming protocol for my horses, including the need for praziquantel for tapeworms.

@Scribbler I have no dog in this fight aside from being sickened at the whole messy Trainwreck.
Undoubtedly I don’t have the full story.
Just enough to leave a very bad taste.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Yikes! Have you seen the breeder’s facility? Do they need to be reported? Vet school records can be used as evidence.

I don’t care if it’s a goofy looking, ewe-necked, pigeon toed, bow-legged, grade pony. A dead foal means that someone sucks at their job.

[Simkie]

There are people out there that really believe in the “all natural” dewormers. There’s no evidence that they work, particularly in a foal with no built up immunity, but…that doesn’t deter people as much as you think it would :-/

I wonder if that’s what happened…?

[JB]

@2DogsFarm

HowtheFruitbat does a supposedly knowledgable caretaker let this happen?
Is deworming protocol that complex for a baby?

Define “knowledgeable”? I’m amazed at some life-long breeders of quality horses, fed well, great body condition (and yeah, sometimes a bit too fluffy, especially Hunter breeders), who have NO idea how to properly deworm anything. If higher end color breeders don’t know color genetics, why should we expect them to know Best Practices for feeding, deworming, hoof care, etc?

Deworming babies is very simple. There is zero excuse for any foal to die of a tapeworm load. The only reasons are willful ignorance, and neglect

It’s not complex. Start at 8 weeks, deworm every 6-8 weeks alternating between ivermectin, and either double fenbendazole or double pyrantel pamoate, and if you alternate your double fen/pp rotation, the double pp will kill tapeworms. It really is that simple

@2DogsFarm

I admit I am venting, but wondering if negligence is as blatant as I feel.

I would say yes. Sadly, not a punishable offense. I hope they at least learn something from this.

[JB]

@Simkie

There are people out there that really believe in the “all natural” dewormers. There’s no evidence that they work, particularly in a foal with no built up immunity, but…that doesn’t deter people as much as you think it would :-/

I would LOVE to know for sure if that’s what happened, as another example to tuck in my pocket about how TERRIBLE it is to preach the idea that natural dewormers work.

I have an ag agent friend who does fecals for a living, and has had an entire farm of minis routinely dewormed with one of those Silver Lining Herbs deworming protocols, with counts well above 1000. In MINIS

[Puddin_Pie]

JB, are you by chance a moderator on the equine wellness FB page, along with Lara ? If so, I just made the connection with your comment on the ag friend and the herd of minis “dewormed” with natural workers. I took Lara’s deworming course this fall.

[JB]

I am! Several of us co-founded the group as the brain-child of one of the other Admins. That’s awesome you took her course!

[Ghazzu]

Are you sure it was tapeworms and not ascarids? Not that it matters from the standpoint that the foal is dead, but that would be more likely.

[2DogsFarm]

I am bowing out at this point, since my information is all 2ndhand.
I wish I had complete details, but probably never will.
I was just appalled hearing the story unfold as I did.
Did some Googling before posting this thread & what I found seemed to indicate someone dropped the ball big-time on keeping this baby alive.
Thanks for the insight from those here who seem to agree I was not Chicken Little-ing.

[Ghazzu]

I find it interesting that even among my fellow DVMs who practice various forms of integrative medicine and work with organic farmers, there is little support for most of the “all natural” dewormers.
Both DVMs and ag agents would love to have an effective “natural” dewormer.

[JB]

@Ghazzu

Are you sure it was tapeworms and not ascarids? Not that it matters from the standpoint that the foal is dead, but that would be more likely.

Good point. But you’re right, it doesn’t matter, it still means he was never, or never properly dewormed