That is so sad. My condolences for you. I heard of another case like that in a yearling. I wonder if the younger ones just don't have the food discrimination as much as older horses. I feed round bales too. But I found a baled copperhead in a squared bale once. Hope you get another chance for one so nice Laurie and Rascal(a BasK great, great grandson.)
----- Original Message -----
From: David & Maggie
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2002 8:10 AM
To: ridecamp; VPritchard@xxxxxxxxx; lzrd@xxxxxx; AuntKay@xxxxxxx; stampartist@xxxxxxxxx; Paul / Martha Tanedo; Glen Searcy; William Cameron
Subject: [RC] Necropsy results--USS Imzadi
Many of you asked for an update on the necropsy results.
Preliminary findings show botulism as the cause. The vet said she had a pretty advanced case by the time we got her to the clinic. But even if we had gotten her there sooner, the survival rate is less than 30%.
They think it was probably from our hay. We feed round bales. Sometimes, small animals get baled up in the hay and the by-products of their decomposition contaminates just that little bit of hay and the one horse that ate it gets sick.
We'll be watching the rest for symptoms:
decreased tongue and tail tone
difficulty eating after the first two or three bites
unsteady gait progressing to an inability to stand
Their mind is not affected, like in WNV. Z was fully alert until the very end.
Well, I'll be moving out to the pasture for a few days. I hope I don't freeze to death.....
Maggie
PS If anyone has a stallion by Baskiro, I am considering rebreeding Z's dam to a stallion of similar breeding to her sire. Not that we really need another horse, or could ever replace our precious Z Baby.
