Sweetie's Saga- Rest In Peace Sweet Mare

[PeteyPie]

I think you are doing a great job. The thing is, she is emaciated and possibly quite old, so even with the best care things can go south. The fact that she is peeing and pooping is a big deal, but I can see why you are worried about the heavy breathing and heart rate. I am worried on your behalf.

Now I’ll add my two cents on what I think could possibly be happening with her breathing and high pulse rate. Actually, I would not go so far as to say I think these are possible, but I would proffer a weaker offering that Maybe these are things to ask the vet about. There’s so much I don’t know…

Because she has been eating at regular intervals, I’m thinking that your broken tooth idea might have some merit. Those teeth have had more of a workout in the past week than she has had in a while, so it might have simply broken and be causing her pain, which would account for the rapid heartbeat.

Because she is so thin, and because of her age, her immune system might be weak and she could have contracted a virus or infection which could be causing the breathing and pulse issue. She could have pneumonia, which can be treated. You have certainly given her a comfortable place to recover and rest if she is ill.

I would wonder if she might have a heart condition which is affecting her breathing. I suspect there is little that can be done about a heart condition.

Good luck on your efforts and on your mare’s health. You are doing right by her and she’s so lucky to have you.

[carman_liz]

Thank you so much, your understanding and kindness mean so much to me!!

She is at least mid to upper 20s, so yes even if I was a world renown vet, she could still go tonight and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. Her being able to use the ‘potty’ was the one thing keeping me hoping for the best last night. I would see her poop and then go ok…I want to see her go one more time…one more time…next thing I knew it was 1am n I was debating sleeping in the barn on the hay bales since it was pouring rain. Then I had to pee!!!

Her breathing and heart rate are the 2 things still doing on from last night and I just worry about her heart being able to keep supporting her body and being strong enough. She still is not laying down much, she’s old and has that back yonder good ole boys rode hard n turned back out wet until it was time to have a saddle tossed on again look to her. No fat or muscle to help support her organs, no nutrition to help feed and heal them, only worms stealing what little she was trying to eat until now. If it is her heart, there’s nothing to be done at her age that I would put her thru. The vet said she has a very pronounced jugular, I watched it pump blood thru with every pulse beat I counted last night.

She did get her teeth floated last Monday. With barely 1cc of ace for the metal speculum. Whether that is because shes just that dang docile, or because she is that dang weak and did not have the fight in her I cannot say. So besides that one loose tooth her other teeth are as good as they can be. Any piece of hay or anything could have caused an issue but again, the heart rate n breathing are still higher than normal even now

Vet said her lungs sound completely clear, no wheeze, no whistle, no sounds of congestion or fluid build up. No temp this whole time, no cough either. (I am wondering where she puts her whole face and nostrils in her slop/soup feed if she could develop any respiratory issue though . )Which if it is not her lungs, coupled with her eating now and still using the bathroom, all suggests it is her heart to me.

I am like you, I am just trying to make educated guesses and I totally appreciate everyone throwing in their opinions and advice on here. I have not had one real smarta&& comment on here about anything and it is sooo nice!!!

Who knows though, it could still be heaves but not enough of symptoms to fully diagnose.

I am going to keep just doing what I can for her and try to keep her eating, her gut moving, her spirit fighting and her body gaining. I’ve already prepped my daughter, she is almost 10 but I have always tried to make sure she fully understands that it is always about the animal, not us and sometimes the kindest way we can love them is to say goodbye and let them go as painlessly as possible. She doesn’t want to be there when it happens with our pets, but she always wants to say goodbye, understands the whys and hows of the injection and the process, and of course wants to make sure I stayed with them thru all of it for her lol. (I do, but I understand some people can’t and that is ok too…!)

If it gets worse or the vet says look Liz, she can’t thrive, or that she is using up what strength she can manage to gain, to only survive, if her body or heart is at that point, if she tells me it is time with the look we all know, and my mare and my friends senior that lived here, both gave me that look, the I can’t fight anymore mom, I’m tired and it’s time look… then at least she got spoiled and loved for the last part of her life and that makes it money and time well spent for me.

Gahhh I was watching family fued episodes on utube laughing n now I am on the couch bawling like a baby and the phone screen is blurry woman!!! I blame it on running on 4 hrs of sleep!!

[carman_liz]

I’m hoping so too!! She is keeping me on my toes for sure!

[AllTheCarrots]

I have been following your sweet mare’s story and am jingling like mad — for her, for you, for your daughter and for everyone else who is taking such kind, attentive care of her.

You have given her such a generous gift in being a soft and safe place to land, with no expectations or demands placed on her. Here’s hoping she rallies and pulls through this latest chapter.

[swmorse]

You’re doing the best you can. I hope she pulls through Seems like she will and I’m still positive you’ll be sharing stories about her in the spring. But we all know sometimes things just don’t work out.

You know you’re doing the best for her, and she knows it too. Stay rested yourself, although I know it’s hard. i read thru your updates with my heart in my throat

[Djones]

I think it’s her heart and generally stressed system, not heaves or COPD, etc… You aren’t hearing anything, nor is the vet- so it’s not her lungs. It’s her whole system and being aged and poor.

Keep on keeping on, and let’s hope getting that tooth out helps

[carman_liz]

Thanks you guys, she was back to formed poop this morning, even with her soup that I split into 2 buckets for her, and her wetted down hay. Im out here at lunch…back to not even cow patties, just liquid… no blood in her urine or anything to suggest uti but thats my last guess at anything normal. Still breathing heavy too…

[lenapesadie]

Just keep keeping on. Give her some love from me

[carman_liz]

I will! She is going to get a butt n back leg sponge bath this evening, then full cooler and sheet & hood over it. Vet just said “let’s try upping her alf pellets and/or hay, and removing all the Triple Crown Senior”… I KNOW I KNOW… she’s the vet… she works for the guy vet that I normally use but he has been on vaca n then covered up. But… idk… I just feel like with her having the runs… and then upping the protein and pulling away the calories from the senior feed that she has been used to having anyways… am I asking for more problems that way?

She is saying 3 feedings a day at 4lbs of alfalfa hay per feeding, plus 2lbs of soaked pellets am n pm, so essentially 8lbs of alfalfa but absolutely no senior.

[carman_liz]

Hmmmmm… I wonder wonder wonder if this could be a big part of it?

Diarrhea in Senior Horses - God's Window Senior Horse Rehab

[lenapesadie]

I am firmly in the camp of follow the vet’s directions. I know vets are humans too, I know vets make mistakes, but vet degrees aren’t dispensed via gumball machines. Realistically vets see WAY more sick horses than horse owners. They have experience. I vote trust the vet.

As an aside, if horse is eating two things Alf and Senior feed then to try and determine if either is causing the gastric upset pulling the Sr makes logical sense. Then if gastric upset continues you know it’s not the Sr.

Did the vet mention cupped molars when she floated the mare?

[PeteyPie]

I’m with @lenapesadie. Follow the vet’s advice. The article you posted was interesting but you have a different horse, one that is near starved to death, so really, very different from the plump horse in the article you posted.

If you are very worried about her ability to chew, maybe chop up the alfalfa. It’s a lot of work but you won’t be doing it for too long. In a few weeks she may be able to start transitioning to an easier feeding protocol.

One more thing: my vet examines the horses’ manure when they’re ill or having trouble keeping weight on (in addition to checking teeth). He said you can see if they are not chewing sufficiently because there will be long stems in the manure. You have experience so you know what a normal manure apple looks like if you break it up.

[carman_liz]

Manure is normal, when it is manure. No stems in it at all. Going to stick with the alfalfa only the rest of the week and see how it goes, just crossing my fingers something has firmed up when I get home here in a couple hours though.

[trubandloki]

I too would do what my vet says.

I also would not be that worried about her manure not being fully formed. She is not only old but her world had turned upside down and her diet has turned upside down, all good reasons for her manure to be looses than wanted.

[TBKite]

One random thought, have you seen her sweat at all since she got there? My old one with anhydrosis looks heavey when she is a bit too warm, and you have been keeping her toastier than she is used to. Id be surprised if it caused the increased heart rate you are seeing, though.
Also, she has a prominent jugular, but if you hold it off up high on her neck, and then sweep the blood out of the section between your hand and her heart with the other hand, does it refill from the chest progressing toward the head? Or does it not refill until you let go? If blood will backfill the jugular from the heart while you are holding the jugular off, that’s a good indication of heart failure. They can be in heart failure without this sign, but it’s not good if you have it.

[carman_liz]

Havent seen her sweat, one warm day she was a little damp but then I put a fan up for her. But it has not been warm here much either, it looks and feels like snow here today. I just screen shotted your comment to try to figure out how to do it when I am out there later with the jugular.

[PaddockWood]

You really are doing the best you can and let’s get you some sleep tonight. Wow what you’ve been through already. This girl knows you are doing all you can.

[Obsidian_Fire]

What about bio-sponge? Would that help with the diarrhea?
What about activated charcoal?

[TBKite]

Left hand: hold off jugular
Right hand: squeegee remaining blood out of jugular
Then: continue to hold off jugular and watch to see if jugular refills from base of neck forward.

[trubandloki]

@Obsidian_Fire

What about bio-sponge?

This is something that it might be worth asking your vet about @carman_liz if you are worried about the loose manure.