When to call your veterinarian?

CALL IMMEDIATELY

  • Birth difficulty - if no foal appears after about 25 min of obvious contractions & straining; OR the mare gives up after straining for 20 min; OR part of the foal appears but nothing else appears after 20 min of straining.

  • Bleeding heavily - from any part of the body. Apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

  • Blood in Urine - obvious blood in urine

  • Breathing difficulty - gasping, noisy breathing, blue tounge

  • Burns - fairly extensive

  • Choking - appears distressed, extends head/neck, salivates, coughs, grunts, strikes ground, food & saliva may be regurgitated through nose

  • Collapse or loss of balance - over-reaction to stimuli, depression, staggering, walking in circles, down & unable to get up, general muscle tremor, paddling movements of legs, coma

  • Diarrhea - fluid with or without blood

  • Injury - severe continuous pain, severe lameness

  • Itching - continual, uncontrollable biting / tearing of skin, broken skin & bleeding

  • Pain - severe, continuous or spasmodic, colic

  • Poisoning - chemical, snake, plant

  • Straining continuously - attempting to defecate or urinate with little or no result

    CALL SAME DAY

  • Abortion / Miscarriage - expulsion of the fetus

  • Afterbirth retained - if retained for 8 hours

  • Appetite loss - not eating, depressed, diarrhea

  • Breathing difficulty - heavy breathing

  • Diarrhea - motion fluid

  • Eye problems - tears streaming down cheeks, eyelids partially/completely closed, hazy/opaque, bluish-white in color

  • Foreign body swallowed - better for vet to assess early

  • Frostbite / Hypothermia - low body temperature

  • Injuries - not urgent but liable to become infected, needing stitching, sudden acute lameness

  • Itching - self-mutilation, bleeding sores

  • Swelling - hot, hard, painful, discharging

    WAIT 24 HOURS BEFORE CALLING

  • Appetite loss - not eating, no other symptom

  • Diarrhea - no indiction of abdominal pain, no sign of blood, no straining

  • Lameness - ability to bear weight on leg

  • Thirst - excessive drinking, often paired with excessive urination

This only serves as a guide. Please use your own discretion based on your personal situation / condition.

Ashley Rohwedderblood, birth, bleeding, burns, choking, vet