horse deaths?

Question

we had two horses die strangly, they where both vary healty I found the first dead and the second died 28 hours later. However no one can figure out how two healty horses died. one being a strong 4 yr old.

symptoms of aries (4yr)
He was fighting vary hard to live. he did not become dehydrated, had strange laserations on his lips, was able to urine and expell waste. had strangth in his hind end, his fround was weak, lost the ability to hold his head up. was moving his legs but could not stand even assisted by a sling. his lips where vary droopie was inproving then suddenly divebombed till he died. was alert than lost alertness. had pale gums, gained color back, thn suddenly grew pale befor death. Started to shake befor death. king (found dead) looked as though he had been walking then collapsed, no sign of strugle or any movement on ground. The day befor the two where fine, in the matter of hours both died abuut a day apart, experts stummped. if you have any idea please let me know

Answer 1

From your symptoms, it could really be anything, but some kind of poisoning sounds legit to me. These are the exact symptoms that horses will manifest when they have eaten yew clippings from people's hedges.

I would really recommend having your vet do a complete necropsy on these horses, especially if you have other horses or are planning to have others.

I'm so sorry for your loss... losing a pet is never easy, especially when it is unexpected like this...

Good luck and God bless...

Answer 2

Sorry for your loss with your horses. I know this has to be rough for you.
I'd have an animal autopsy done on them to find the cause of death. They both could have been poisoned by some one or eaten chemically treated grass some how. Have everything tested they have consumed in the last week prior to their deaths (grain, water, grass, hay, straw, oats or anything else they could have injested. If wheat is part of their diet and you commercially buy it alone or in a feed mixture, you may need to trace where the food comes from in the mixture. Ask around and see if anyone else has had any problems with sick live stock or deaths of them of any kind that consume the same feeds. Talk to your vet and supplier about what has happened so they are aware that a clients horses have died so suddenly and mysterously. I own a goat and a red sheep but I feed them horse feed. Even I'm worried about the rat poisonings with all my pets, many of the foods I buy were on the lists, but even though the numbers didn't match, this really doesn't mean a thing. How many other times was the grains used tainted, but not in the large quanity like this time?
I almost lost one of my cats last fall after she somehow injested insectides from an unknown neighbors yard. She had to be given an antidote, but still suffers the after affects of the poisoning. She has permenant brain damage, though mild, she had a noticable personality change to a point. She doesn't have the smile on her face like she used to any longer. The vet said we caught her in time and got her in there or by the next day, she'd been dead.

Answer 3

I use to work at a race track and some of the symptoms your gave sound like Rhinos disease. Two different forms of it, one form attack-es the nervous system and the other form attacks the spinal cord and causes problems with tor function. Very contagious and once they get it very hard to treat. It was a very sad year at the track, out of 28 horse that got it only 2 lived and could not longer race, they where never the same after. ask you vet about it and see if there is a test for rhinos deases. Hope this helps and very sorry!!

Could have also been what some have already said here and a poisoning or rotten grain

Answer 4

My best guess is they ate something toxic. We had a horse eat a toxic (to them) plant and its intestines got tangled or something and it died within 24 hours. I was out there when I was 10 years old trying to hold an IV in it. And you're saying they both died like this? It seems unlikely that both would eat a toxic plant, unless that's the only food source they had. Have your water and any other feed tested. Also, if you were feeding them packaged feed, you may want to check if it was involved in that massive recall. I guess someone in China was poisoning pet feed and a huge recall was just issued, but I'm not sure if that included horse grain. Other than those reasons I can't imagine how two horses could die that closely together. Definately test the water for your own safety though.

Answer 5

I belong to a yahoo group for equine massage. There are hands-on experts of horses that communicate thru this group, and it's managers are out of Australia. I have no info to help you with, but, if you can join their group, then I'm certain you will get MANY responses! Here is their link (I hope this works). If it doesn't work, let me know by a post note to your question, and I will put your question to them for you.
032707 1:08

Answer 6

So sorry to hear about your hoses. I had two die like that and they had been poisoned by our neighbors. He was a very evil man and didn't like the horse manue smell yet he had cows. Maybe to ease your mind you should have had autopsy's done then you'd know.

Answer 7

Could it be poison? Or a virus? Do you have opossums where you live? http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/epm.htm
http://www.dclahdvm.com/articles/epm.htm
There are lots of sites on this disease. Look up: equine health, EPM.

I am so sorry about the loss of your horses! What a horrible thing!

Answer 8

I too am very sorry to hear of your loss...horses are also my passion...I agree with everyone else..an autopsy should be done to find out what happened...especially if you have other horses or plan to soon.... God Bless....

Answer 9

Was any of your feed made by Menu foods?? Check the feed you were giving them did they get into any evergreens??I am sorry for your loss.