# HELP! Sick horse. Yellow eyes and swollen back legs. :(



## chicks & ducks (May 8, 2011)

Hi all, have to be quick so will say as much as I can as fast as I can.

Here is the situation
we hav a 9 month old mare
wormed in march
out in 3 acre wooded pasture
normally eats alfalfa hay
normally drinks 5 gallons water a day

Stopped eating the hay we put out-assumed she's gotten full grazing.
Then eyes looked very yellow-like jaundice-and we noticed she'd not drunk much water.
Then went to check her again and back legs were swollen and retaining water.

Previous owner(and good friend) said she'd probably eaten something she shouldn't have, or is having too much protein-put her in.

Put her in for the night and let her out this morning to introduce her to other horse for an hour or so. They grazed and got along fine. One leg was actually going down in swelling.
Put her back in after a little while, as instructed.
Now she's eating and drinking again but back legs are very swollen and eyes are still looking yellow.
Can call the vet tomorrow but would RATHER talk to you guys first because you're all so excellent on here! 

P.s. I fed her some whole dandelion because I know that's a natural diuretic and she gobbled them up! Don't know if it will help/hurt/make no difference but wanted to mention it.
x


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## chubbydog811 (May 8, 2011)

I would call the vet ASAP. Something like that shouldn't be taken lightly. You are better off even just asking the vet on their opinion, than risking your horse possibly getting worse/dropping dead because it was worse than you thought.


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## freemotion (May 8, 2011)

Those symptoms would get me calling the vet out even on a weekend, especially in a nine month old filly.  And I am quite conservative about calling the vet.  Do you have her temp/resp/pulse?


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## patandchickens (May 9, 2011)

Yellow "whites" of eyes = severe liver problems = VET NOW, not tomorrow by which time it may be unfixable.

Poisoning would be the likeliest thing -- so while you are waiting for the vet to arrive, go around REAL REAL CAREFULLY and see if you can find anything manmade she could have gotten into, and take a plant ID book out and try to identify what-all you've got out there in the pasture, or at least do some quick googling to find out the major poisonous plants in your area and look for them. 

If BOTH horses -- or at least the filly -- can be kept off pasture til you get this sorted out, it'd be smart. I would also keep her away from the other horse for now if possible (although "off pasture" which includes "out of woods" is probably more important than "away from other horse", if you have to pick one or the other).

There are also other possible causes besides poisoning (not, however, too much protein intake); you need a vet, for both diagnosis and treatment. 

Good luck,

Pat


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## LauraM (May 12, 2011)

patandchickens said:
			
		

> Yellow "whites" of eyes = severe liver problems = VET NOW, not tomorrow by which time it may be unfixable.
> 
> Poisoning would be the likeliest thing -- so while you are waiting for the vet to arrive, go around REAL REAL CAREFULLY and see if you can find anything manmade she could have gotten into, and take a plant ID book out and try to identify what-all you've got out there in the pasture, or at least do some quick googling to find out the major poisonous plants in your area and look for them.
> 
> ...


Exactly so.  I had a horse die from this.......he ate something mildly poisonous that destroyed his liver over time, so by the time he was showing THESE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS his liver was 90 percent dead and he had to be euthanized.   If the filly ate something more more seriously toxic, the damage to the liver would happen more quickly......liver CAN regenerate itself IF it is caught quickly enough before too much of it is destroyed.  

Call the vet!


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## aggieterpkatie (May 12, 2011)

Is there an update? How is she doing?


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## ThreeBoysChicks (May 12, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Is there an update? How is she doing?


I was wondering the same thing.  How is your horse doing?

I am so blessed to have a large animal vet that is 20 minutes away and available pretty much 24 X 7.


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## Natisha (Oct 18, 2011)

Bumping & hoping for an update


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## chicks & ducks (Feb 18, 2012)

Oh my gosh! So sorry I never got back to update.  We gave her a dose of penicillin and she was better within 12 or so hours. Gave her 1 more dose 24 hours after the first and after 2 days she was fine again. We've decided it was probably something she ate that she reacted to but she made a full recovery and is a happy girl again!


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## yankee'n'moxie (Feb 18, 2012)

Do you know what she ate? Did you find the source of her illness?


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