My filly went off her antibiotics on Sunday and we’ve been monitoring her temp ever since. Tonight it was 101.9 after coming inside and a few minutes ago 102.2. I’ve asked before and dr.s don’t get concerned until it goes much higher. I’m just a little paranoid at this stage because it’s a cool(er) night and she’s higher than where she was when she left the university (101.).
Foals are able to regulate their temps within days, IME. Now, if this particular antibiotic messes with that ability, that’s different. Not all do.
But keep in mind how quickly activity, ambient temps. etc. can cause a temp. Check her temp every day same time (AM is best), after 30 mins of NO activity but standing around, etc.
Obviously she’s been sick, so no need to stress her more. Horses tolerate cold & dry much better than hot & humid, so I would be keeping her in under fans turning the hottest part of the day and out at night. She is old enough now to know her paddock/pasture well and their night vision is much better than ours.
Another month of that, and maybe then out 24/7 if her health stays good.
I feel I’m lucky to be in a state with more “horse friendly” temps…lots of snow, but they really don’t seem to mind that much.
I had a foal born in Feb. (it was an oops…;)) and she did fine – was outside on sunny days with a straw bed when she was 3 days old!
This morning it was 101.6
I’d think if she was sick her temp would be much much higher than that. Or not come down after a cool night.
Normally, temps are lower in the morning and higher at the end of the day.
Also, coming inside into a stifling (relative to outside) stall can at least temporarily raise the temperature.
Yep. But if she had an infection going on, I wouldn’t think time of day would matter. An infection would be much higher than 101.6 in the morning. (I would think.)
This is what she was running while on the antibiotics over a week ago.
Down here where it is very hot, my vet that I used during my first 11 years of breeding always cautioned that foals do not regulate temp well until they are 30 days old. I am not sure if that is well documented, but I have learned that it is better to be safe than sorry - antibiotics or no antibiotics.
I recently chatted with my vet about this who said that foals will tend to spike fevers more in the afternoon. You expect the morning temperature to be the lowest. She said anything over 102.4 (appx) in this heat (97-100 degrees here lately) is something to be concerned about. I was watching one foal because we were concerned that his urachus was a little iffy. He is fine and his late afternoon temperature has been around 101.7.
With the foal coat getting longer every day they are going to get even hotter with the warm weather. You might want to introduce a gentle bath to cool them off, turn them out at night when it’s cooler and keep them in a stall during the day (if it’s not stifling hot inside)…you can even drop their temperature with rubbing alcohol.
I try to put cool water in their buckets so the first water they drink in the stall after coming in will be more refreshing. Fans are running with one pointed down toward the floor to give the foal some air (it gets really stagnant from the chest down to the floor due to the wood walls preventing air flow.
And as discussed in another thread, you can body clip the foals whose coats are getting too bushy and that will help them quite a bit.
Her’s was 101.8 this afternoon in the hot stall w/one fan so I feel pretty good it’s not going through the ceiling at this point. She was running around in the pasture like she felt fine. I’m still not relaxed about her but am feeling a little better.
Her manure was a little soft for my liking… the worry never stops does it. LOL
At about 4 weeks old or thereabouts. Prior to that it’s amazing how quickly a neonate can overheat, laying out in the sun even on what seems to us to be a comfortable day, temp wise.
Many foals are lost to heat stroke for this reason…and relatively quickly. Mine never got 24/7 turnout born April+ until they were a month old. Until then it was early a.m. - 10 a.m turnout, then early evening and out all night.
Just wondering how hot is too hot outside for a foal <30 days?
