[goneriding]

Hi everyone:

I went out this evening to feed all of the farm animals, and it appears that my pony mare (with 3 wk foal at side) is very sore on her front feet. She had acute found October 2005 and it has been a long road to recovery. All was going well and today she appears to be sore - having a hard time walking. Can I give her bute temporarily to ease the pain? Will it transfer to the foal and cause harm? I have been feeding her top hand plus pellets 2 scoops in the am w/ vitamin and 2 scoops in the eveing w/ vitamin, as well as, free fed prarie hay and if hay is not availabe then I feed creep pellets. Most of the time she has hay, but it is scarce in our area. Would alfalfa cubes be a better alternative or addition to her feed?

Thanks for your help.

[Jess!]

I have no advice, but I want to say I'm sorry she seems to be suffering again. Poor mare!

[Arabians4ME]

I don't' know but defintiely wouldn't give bute. Just in thought you would be better finding hay more than anything. I haven't dealt with founder but in thought more pellets than anything could cause serious issues. What are creep pellets?

[goneriding]

What about supplements, can she have any type of extras at all - like a low glycemic grain? I will phone the local folks to see if they have hay to spare now that the pastures are growing. - probably easier to find now than during the winter?

[sheplovr]

I would stop the pellets and talk to the vet and get some advice, she must not be able to take rich grain which she needs to feed her baby.
Give plenty of hay that surely will not make her worse, but definately give the vet a call and ask what you can give or she could drop fast in weight if no grain or pellets. I am not so familar with pellet feeding on the protein, she might not be able to take much of it, read the ingredients if it is higher than a mix of grain then she cannot take it. Best to get professional advice than us guessing. Good luck and sorry hope she can eat enough to keep the foal growing and doing ok and herself. Poor girl.

[Arabians4ME]

Goneriding is asking us because the vets in her area are not helping her she's new and is still looking for a good one.

Defintely get her on some hay off the pellets. I would think the protein is causing the problem. What are the supplements you are giving?

[Blistering Winds]

Protein usually doesn't cause laminitis nor founder.

But the Starch in the grains can.


If a mare who has recently foaled is foundering, she needs a check in the uterus. Normal cause after a foaling is uterine infection.


All hay, no grain would be an excellent start at this moment......and honestly, not alfalfa for a laminitic case.....at least my experience....especially a pony.

Where exactly in OK are you? I may be able to refer you to a good vet....

[3WishesDun]

Might be a good idea to soak the hay also....

[JBandRio]

Agree that a vet REALLY needs to take a look at this mare. Becoming laminitic this soon after foaling would seem to me to indicate an infection - partially retained placenta? - that needs a vet's immediate attention. You can do all the right things to treat the symptoms, but if you don't find the underlying cause you will never make much headway.

Bute is good for acute laminitis to reduce the inflammation, but not for chronic. Given this seems to be the acute stage, bute would be warranted, but since you have a nursing foal in the picture, I do not know if that changes things.

Soaking her feet for now in cold water might help, won't hurt.

Soaking her hay definitely won't hurt.

No grains. But realize she DOES need vitamins and minerals, not only because she needs the nutrition to heal herself, but her nursing foal is pulling a lot from her. I would even think that depending on how bad things are, the foal needs to be weaned asap.

Have you take her temperature? Pulse? Respiration?

But again, a vet reeeallllyyy needs to take a look.

[Arabians4ME]

I just got to thinking and jumped on here to ask if the mare had 'cleaned' properly. Sure would be screaming to me to start there. Another good indication is (oh darn I hate typing this out) lets see puss discharging from vulva does that work? I have caught several uterine infections that way.