Pony Died???

Question

My sister had a little paint pony for about a year. I wormed them on a friday afternoon and Saturday around lunch I found her dead in the pasture. I wouldn't think it was the wormer because I didn't give her whole tube. and it didn't look like colic, there was no signs that she rolled around much and she wasn't beat up. She was in her late teens close to 20. Does anyone know another possible reason she died? She was fairly overweight but nothin serious and it was extremely hot that Saturday.

Answer 1

There are many possible reasons she died. I certainly do not want to lay any undue guilt trip on you because you are most certainly guilty of nothing other than having a genuine desire to care for the horse's health, but I do know of incidents of sudden death within 24 to 36 hours following the use of a paste wormer if the horse is severely infested with parasites. If the horse is very badly infested a paste wormer can conceivably kill the horse rather suddenly, or at the very least cause severe discomfort, if it kills too many parasites at once and they bunch up in the horse's veins and intestines. I am acutely aware of the fact that that is a horrible thing to tell someone who was trying to help the horse and who is grief stricken and mourning the loss and I am most assuredly not enthusiastic about doing so. I do feel your grief and I certainly do hope you understand that it is not your fault if such thing did happen to your sister's pony.

Answer 2

Awww. ): My horse died about a year ago and i still havent gotten over it, even though i have another one. Maybe she had a heat stroak? Even if theres water out their in the pasture (which i'm sure there was) she could have gotten over heated. Eatten some bad weed that made her sick? Heart attack which would be odd for a horse that age. Or maybe just her time to go.

Answer 3

Her heart .. sorry

Answer 4

Dewormers have to be given at an EXTREMELY high dosage to cause death, overdosing is rare...darn near impossible in fact, even if you had given the pony the whole tube, I still wouldn't make such a thing habit though as it is correct that a high parasite load suddenly killed by the dewormer can cause a blockage and colic.  However, you would have noticed signs of thrashing or rolling and you mentioned that you saw none.  The most common cause for death...where a horse was 'simply found dead at pasture or in the stall' is aortic rupture.  Not a heart attack but often mislabled as one, heart attacks are painful and would cause a certain amount of thrashing, with an aortic rupture the aorta which supplies blood to the heart bursts, causing the horse to bleed out internally within a matter of seconds.  Horses that suffer an aortic rupture generally 'drop dead' and are found that way by their caretakers, it can be a crushing discovery but the only way to be sure is a necropsy as far as I know.  I recommend consulting with your veterinarian as to the best possible course of action.

Answer 5

I wouldnt think it was the wormer either, and in the dealings ive had with colic, they last a little longer b4 they pass. Ive lost a horse like this once b4, he was struck by lightning, was it stormey in your area? as this could be a possibility. If it was hot, than i definatly think the above answer is spot on! Also what sort of area are you in? my cousin lost her horse due to a snake bite, is this possible in your area? it killed him like over night so this makes sence. hope i helped. and ive been through the same thing bout 5 years ago and even know ive got an awesome horse now, that i could never part with, i still miss him!