Hello,
When I bought my 4 yr.old QH mare she needed some TLC, coat was dull, spots of hair loss on face (which regrew after a really good bath). My concern is this summer she got something similar to scratches on her stomach and nasal discharge which was very thick and yellow. I beefed up her complete feed, beet pulp, flaxmeal, oil mix. Into this she gets a fair amount of cider vinegar. After 2 weeks she started to clear up and the discharge got lighter in color and runnier until it disappeared. Now it seems like it's back. She is not listless at all, very spunky, she was also inoculated for all the bad things out there. Any ideas.

Where are you from? St. Albert

How did you locate this forum? search engine

Hello Cindy,

There could be several things at work here – you didn’t mention if she is around other horses, or goes to strange environments – but if you take her around other horses, she could be picking up a virus there. Or, if she is boarded with others, the same problem could happen.

But, assuming that she’s at home with you, and we can rule out cross-infection, there are several things you can do to boost her immune system.

The first thing that I noticed you mention is giving her more complete feed. Most complete feeds are grain-based and if you give her a lot of grain, the bacterial flora that exist in her hind gut may be compromised due to excess fermentation of starches. So, rather than feed her more complete feed, I would suggest that she get her vitamins and minerals from a complete supplement. There are several good ones on the market – Select I and II are ones that I often recommend.

If she needs more calories to maintain her weight, you can boost her beet pulp and flaxseed meal. So, just be careful about feeding her too much grain.

A probiotic is a really good idea to keep the immune system healthy. In addition, I would recommend that you give her extra vitamin E to help her ward off infections.

The scratches on her belly – I ‘m not real clear about what those look like. Could they be from her scratching or chewing due to itching? She may be exhibiting an allergic reaction to insect bites. Most horses are not allergic to pollens as much as they are to insects. So, looking into any potential problem with flies and knats may be a welcomed relief for her.

She needs a lot of water. Is she drinking at least 8 gallons each day? This will help thin her secretions as well as keep her healthy in a variety of other ways. Now that winter is approaching, it’s important that her water be warmed to 50 degrees F so she will drink an adequate amount.

Please keep me posted on her progress.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Thanks Dr. Getty for the response, I will try the solutions and let you know what happens.
Info I forgot to tell you:
Stabled in a 1/2 acre paddock (previously used for cattle) with 2 geldings (long time buddies), neither exhibits any of the signs she has. The mare has not been hauled off the property this year. Gets very little grain, maybe 2-4 cups in a week(sometimes none). She has free access to a blue salt block and a mineral block, the automatic waterer station is in her pen which I have witnessed her drinking from.
Thank you very much!

Where are you from? St. Albert

How did you locate this forum? search engine

Hi Cindy,

You’re most welcome! One observation from what you just wrote…

As you know, horses’ digestive tracts are very fickle and quite delicate (for all their large size!). By giving her grain once in a while, the bacteria that live there do not have a chance to adjust to the feed she is receiving. In other words, be consistent and feed her the same thing every day. If you are going to offer her a little grain, give it to her every day. Otherwise, it puts stress on her body and that, in turn, depresses the immune system.

Dr. Getty

Hi
Dropping you a line as to how the mare is doing(from Oct/04).
No more grain, beefed up the beet pulp and flax meal, cider vinegar stayed the same and added the Vitamin E as per your instructions. Mare is well. My daughter insisted that she be seen by the vet as she was concerned about sinusitis or guttural pouch! Saw the vet for a couple of minutes he said she only had a normal cold and it ran its course. I will keep you posted on the long term. Thank you for the information!!

Where are you from? alberta, canada

I was just wondering when you spoke to you vet if he ruled out strep. equi. I went through a rough spot starting feb. of 2003. We rescue all sorts of horses ranging in age. We happened to see an old palimino geling at an action and felt we could do him some good. So we bought him and brought him home. Come to find out he had what is called strep. equi zooepidimicus(not sure about my spelling without my book!). He infected four of my other horses, two of which died and the gelding was euthinized. Your syptoms sound like what I experienced with our 7 month old that died. She didn't exhibit the signs of swollen glands before she died. All her symptoms were internal. The nasal dicharge. Be very careful about letting your vet tell you it is just a cold. My vet told me that on my last chestnut yearling that died. Use your best judgement, don't always take their word!

Where are you from? utah

How did you locate this forum? searching for a used hotwalker