Lethal White Syndrome - Could Your Foal Be Next
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This is a sadly common syndrome apparent in Paint horses only that many just don't know about.
Lethal White Syndrome, known as LWS, is where a Paint mare carries her foal through a regular foaling time and has the foal who looks to be completely intact but is completely white or almost completely white. This foal may look in tact but it is not able to pass feces because it's colin and anus do not connect properly. Thus in a matter several days to a week the foal dies. This death is very painful for the foal and emotional for the owner especially if they don't have any idea their foal is Lethal.
The signs of LWS are the foal being almost completely white and then in a matter of days not having any feces and looks in distress and in pain. This is a genetic disorder only found in paints. It is apparent that it is the Overo (kind of Paint marking) gene that increases the risk of the colt being lethal. The more Overo is in the bloodlines of the dam and sire, the more the risk of LWS increases.
If you visit a horse coat finder (a site where you type in your horses color/marking and it gives you percentage rates of what your foal will have as it's coat color) you will find that there is a 25% chance your foal could have LWS if you breed an Overo to an Overo, this percentage can increase depending on the horse's bloodlines.
It's a complicated story but basically we have a little Overo mare that was given to us by a very kind gentleman and he insisted on breeding her to an Overo stud he liked, we had no idea about LWS and agreed to do so. This little mare has had 5 foals already and this will be her 6th we are very afraid this could be the one with LWS, and her percentage rate to have one is about 25%. I started hearing more about after I joined APHA and have done a lot of research on it.
I know that color is really important to Paint breeders BUT I don't believe it is worth the risk of this LWS.
In Paints you will can find your horse has several different markings maybe your horse is a Overo/Tobiano the risk goes down a little bit if the sire/dam has different kinds of Paint markings on him but is still there. If you breed your paint mare/stud to a Quarter Horse or any other breed there is NO risk of the horse having LWS.
If you have a Paint foal that was just born and was born mostly or all white. As soon as you can call your vet to come out and check it. Apparently some foals can have a very mild case of it and survive but most of the LWS foals do not survive. The best thing you can do for a foal with LWS is put it down immediately after birth as not to cause it pain. LWS is extremely painful for the foal.
We all need to be more aware of Lethal White Syndrome so that we can start decreasing the risk of this disease. Like us you may just not have found out about until now, but don't feel bad because many just don't know about it. The Quarter Horse and the Paint are so much a like, I think we need to start breeding more Quarter Horse into the Paint lines to decrease the risk of LWS but the best thing we can do is know about it and the risks. |
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Spyricale
I've known about this for a year or so, and although I don't believe in cross breeding, I am totally for breeding the Quarter Horse into the Paint to decrease the risks of a Lethal White foal. I had a tobiano Paint mare, but bred her to a Friesian. I now have a happy, blue-eyed black-and-white tobiano filly. I do feel very sorry for all the foals who have to suffer because of their owners' ignorance. R.I.P., darlings.
I've known about this for a year or so, and although I don't believe in cross breeding, I am totally for breeding the Quarter Horse into the Paint to decrease the risks of a Lethal White foal. I had a tobiano Paint mare, but bred her to a Friesian. I now have a happy, blue-eyed black-and-white tobiano filly. I do feel very sorry for all the foals who have to suffer because of their owners' ignorance. R.I.P., darlings.
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1 days ago
• 8,960 views
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Terminus
Good to bring it up, LWS exist on most animals in many shapes. Everyone who breed animals (even BYB's) should read more about genetics before creating a new life. Its not worth the suffer. Especially not for LWS where the animal can live for years with the problems which could have been prevented if the breeder just had known a little more about breeding / genetics.
Good to bring it up, LWS exist on most animals in many shapes. Everyone who breed animals (even BYB's) should read more about genetics before creating a new life. Its not worth the suffer. Especially not for LWS where the animal can live for years with the problems which could have been prevented if the breeder just had known a little more about breeding / genetics.
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1 days ago
• 8,998 views
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horsey chick
I agree!!!LWS sounds horrible for the poor foal!!!!!!!#
I agree!!!LWS sounds horrible for the poor foal!!!!!!!#
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1 days ago
• 9,050 views
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Dead Moon
I understand your consern and nothing is worng about the facts that you have givin us, but I read it over again and it almost sounds like your saying that every white or almost fully white Paint foal will have LWS. That is not true, I have a full white Paint Stallion 100% Purebred, and he is just fine. Hes 13 years old and he didn't die and nothings wrong with him, he sired a bunch of white foals and they are all still living they are all about 2-5 year old with nothing wrong with them. So, not ALL white or almost white Paints have that.
I understand your consern and nothing is worng about the facts that you have givin us, but I read it over again and it almost sounds like your saying that every white or almost fully white Paint foal will have LWS. That is not true, I have a full white Paint Stallion 100% Purebred, and he is just fine. Hes 13 years old and he didn't die and nothings wrong with him, he sired a bunch of white foals and they are all still living they are all about 2-5 year old with nothing wrong with them. So, not ALL white or almost white Paints have that.
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1 days ago
• 9,058 views
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Uphill Climb
This mainly happens when breeding two horses that have the strong Overo trait. It has happened to one foal that I can remember but I don't remember f anyothers. Plus isn't not JUST the colen and anus don't connect it could be really anypart of the digestive tract. But yes this is a terrible breeding disorder and people if they research right can prevent this for the most part.
This mainly happens when breeding two horses that have the strong Overo trait. It has happened to one foal that I can remember but I don't remember f anyothers. Plus isn't not JUST the colen and anus don't connect it could be really anypart of the digestive tract. But yes this is a terrible breeding disorder and people if they research right can prevent this for the most part.
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22 hours ago
• 8,979 views
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Kooky
This only happens when the foal is homozygous for frame overo, not just any overo. Additionally, it can be other breeds. Any horse that has the overo genes in its lineage, including many Quarter Horses, can produce a lethal white foal. Many times the overo is hidden, and will not express itself on the horse. So you shouldn't breed a Paint to a Quarter Horse just to get rid of the risk the risk is still there if there's frame overo in both horse's genotypes.
This only happens when the foal is homozygous for frame overo, not just any overo. Additionally, it can be other breeds. Any horse that has the overo genes in its lineage, including many Quarter Horses, can produce a lethal white foal. Many times the overo is hidden, and will not express itself on the horse. So you shouldn't breed a Paint to a Quarter Horse just to get rid of the risk the risk is still there if there's frame overo in both horse's genotypes.
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21 hours ago
• 9,024 views
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Dreamer100
Look people should not be paranoid about this, but they should be aware!
Look people should not be paranoid about this, but they should be aware!
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21 hours ago
• 8,967 views
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toffeelola
I just recently read about this in a book it is so sad
I just recently read about this in a book it is so sad
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19 hours ago
• 8,961 views
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May 9, 2011
• 8,984 views
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