Cause of death????

[verthandi]

Horses can have a heart murmur, so I would suspect they can have heart disease or other illnesses related to the heart. Aneurysm is a very real possibly and can strike quickly without warning. My first horse did have a significant heart murmur and the vet told me that there was a good chance that someday he would try to get up from laying down and just die. The day he died I found him in his stall, no thrashing or outward signs of distress. But he was also 38 years old.

Usually lightening victims have tell tale burn marks, especially on the feet. Horse shoes can actually come off as the metal in the nails melts. Leaving the melted nail in the hoof.

I would think EEE, West Nile or other similar diseases should have presented other symptoms before death.

Poisoning should have produced some neurological or medical symptoms before death.

Best wishes to this owner to come to some understanding of the loss of their horse.

 

[GwenFarms]

Quote:
Horses deaths are not always due to neglect. I have shelters for my horses, but generally they seem to prefer to stand out in the rain. WNV and EEE are not sudden as the OP is describing. They suffer for days with both. heads hanging to the ground, not eating and terribly sick. Horses die like everything else. I didn't get the feeling that the OP felt her friends were neglectful. I wouldn't send my horses off for a necropsy unless I was worried about it being something contagious. Its just a waste of a couple of hundred bucks to satisfy your curiosity otherwise.

 

[Florida chick]

I would necropsy any horse that died unless it was geriatric. Some diseases show as a carrier in a horse and all symptoms are not always visable. I am just totally frusrtated with hearing about people who have no money owning horses! Horses need a lot of care and many are suffering. I am sorry its just not fair.

 

[texasreb]

The horse could have died of any of a number of things, many mentioned the the posts above mine.

Other than the very vague, "less than 10 year old TB (supposed) gelding." We don't have much to go on.

These general questions will help us help your friend:

When was the last time the horse was wormed, with what product and at what dosage? What did his previous 12 month worming program look like?

How big is the pasture and how often was it cleaned of manure?

When was the last time the horse was vaccinated?

When was the last time the horse was given a veterinary exam?

What was the horse fed in addition to pasture grass? and what amount of each food and/or additive?

How often was the horse ridden? and how was he ridden (how hard, how long, etc) When was the last he was ridden?

Once I know this information, I can make some educated assumptions.

 

[chicknmania]

Yes, he had all his vaccinations. And he had a loafing shed. like I said. So maybe it wasn't exactly a barn, but it was shelter. I don't condone that type of shelter, necessarily, but animal welfare would have found nothing wrong in his care; he had food,(grass, hay and grain), shelter and a blanket in the winter. Lots of horses enjoy being out in a pasture; we have a retired mare in our stable who cannot stand being inside the barn or a stall, period. She wants to be out. She has a loafing shed attached to the barn. Sorry, that doesn't constitute abuse.

 

[chicknmania]

This was not my horse, and I really don't know much more than what I've already said. I don't really know these people that well, but I do know them, and I know they took care of the animal to the extent that I have already mentioned. I was just curious what everyone thought, because it is not something you see every day, or at least I haven't, and I've been around horses all my life.

Peace, y'all.

 

[texasreb]

Oh, ok. I thought that since you said it was a friend's horse that you actually cared enough to give us a little more basic info. I guess you just had a passing curiosity.

My bad.

Peace

 

[kees]

Sorry about the loss of your friend's horse. To all of us BYC'ers, please be kind in your remarks to the poster. Not everyone who owns a pet can afford to have a necropsy done. How many people who have had any pet die have done that? Not everyone has the financial resources to do so but that doesn't mean that they don't take good care of their animals.

 

[Florida chick]

Well to each is own. IMHO You don't deserve to own animals if you can't financially support them to the fullest. I rescue/rehab horses and its totally frustrating to hear... WELL I couldn't ie, feed, hooves, teeth, treat its wounds, vetcare, etc etc etc IF your animal can't get the treatment it needs find it a home that will!

 

[texasreb]

Sad thing is, I doubt they knew anything was wrong until they found it dead. Then it's like, "oh well, it's dead now...Next."