Note: You must be registered in order to post a reply. To register, click here. Registration is FREE!
T O P I C R E V I E W
haggis
Posted - 10 Nov 2009 : 9:30:34 PM Just a warning, probably directed more to the Northeners, we seem to be having an outbreak of Atypical myoglobinuria, we have seen two ponies on one farm and have contact with a neighbouring vet practice who are treating another. It mainly affects grass kept horses, after a change to worse weather and can be fatal in 85% of affected horses. The disease starts with fairly mild signs, which I think could easily be missed unless you had already seen a case, the horse appears a bit stiff, reluctant to move, may be standing or lying alone, or in some cases may be found completely flat out or dead in the field. I won't bore you with all the details but basically the muscles are badly damaged, the breakdown products are filtered through the kidneys, damaging them in the process, and excreted as dark coloured urine. The clinical signs depend on the amount of damage incurred by the muscles and kidneys and the groups of muscles affected. Obviously if the heart muscle or diaphragm is affected then the prognosis is hopeless. Google it and familiarise yourselves with signs etc and spread the word to your yard mates and horse-owning friends.. Sorry to bring potential bad news, Haggis
13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
haggis
Posted - 15 Nov 2009 : 10:32:12 PM I bet there are more hairy ponies in Cumbria in stables and rugged than there ever have been before! This condition has caused such a panic ( obviously) but, up to press, no more new cases. Here's hoping the weather conditions have changed in our favour.
haggis
Posted - 13 Nov 2009 : 10:04:27 PM Thanks Dom, this is a very good link to a fairly comprehensive website. It seems to be a Northern European problem , and yes it does seem to be a bit random, not infectious. It is associated with certain seasons, weather conditions and grass kept horses.
Taegan went home from Horspital tonight, Delta is going from strength to strength and the fourth pony is still eating and drinking, so it looks like our hairy ponies are made of sterner stuff than the horses in the Belgian studies!!
Haggis
Sirius
Posted - 13 Nov 2009 : 10:06:20 AM This is very heavy going as an article, but seems to have looked at just about every aspect:
It is a review containing several sections, written for vets so you have to concentrate and skip the bits you don't understand. I think you need to ask yourself the question then look for the answer.
Dom Not a vet Seren arabians Cumbria
jacki
Posted - 13 Nov 2009 : 07:44:32 AM thanks for the heads up! is it contageous or pickd up randomly?
mogwai
Posted - 13 Nov 2009 : 07:27:34 AM Poor pony. Glad the fell is picking up though. It's not something people seem to know much about!
haggis
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 7:54:18 PM Well, good and bad news, the first pony Taegan, who I sent to Horspital is doing OK. I called to see her today. She is still on a drip but is eating hand picked grass apples and carrots , and is drinking. She won't eat hay or haylage!
The second pony, Delta ( the Fell) is eating everything , drinking and then flinging her water bucket across the box , so I am getting more hopeful about her.
Now the bad news ... Jimbo , a yearling cross bred pony had to be put down yesterday, he was unable to stand and had started showing real distress which was not relieved by painkillers.
And this morning my friend who works at the Horspital saw a Fell pony presenting as a colic, he took a blood to check muscle enzymes, and they are at 6,500, a huge increase without showing any of the major signs associated with this disease.
Now we are beginning to wonder if there are ponies with mild damage that aren't being picked up????
It has been a long week, I can't even imagine how it feels for the owners.
Roseanne
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 3:45:38 PM Haven't heard about this one. Thanks for the advice. Hope the pony improves...
Oregana
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 2:05:26 PM Fingers crossed for the fell pony's recovery. I have two fells and they are very stoic, so hopefully she will pull through. I have never heard of this either.
joanna_piana
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 1:18:52 PM Goodness sounds awful I hope the pony recovers I love Fells too.
mogwai
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 09:56:55 AM Everything crossed for her here too. I love fells, fabulous do all little hair bears x
rosie
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 08:21:57 AM Hope the pony keeps on improving haggis - good luck with her. Sounds an awful condition - never heard of it before, until your post.
haggis
Posted - 11 Nov 2009 : 11:24:56 PM Looks like we might have a bit of an improvement in one of our ponies today. her colour is a lot less toxic, she is eating well and drinking (especially likes molasses in her water!) I am just hoping it is a corner turned and not a blip because her muscle enzyme results are 210,000 instead of 200 . She's not an Arab but she is a lovely Fell pony and much loved by her family so I am really keeping everything crossed, as well as giving her anything I can think of to improve her condition.
mogwai
Posted - 11 Nov 2009 : 07:37:01 AM Thanks for the advice haggis. Ros
Poor pony. Glad the fell is picking up though.