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Berryscroft
Silver Member
 England
260 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 5:49:23 PM
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This is a plea to all of you out there to draw on your immense knowledge to see whether you can help with any advice or experience of these symptoms.
My friend has a home-bred TB yearling who is showing some odd signs of being unwell which, in 40 years of keeping horses, neither of us has come across before.
About three weeks ago (these are approximate times) this filly started going off her food (she was never a 'good' eater though) and would not be interested in her breakfast or evening feed. Some days she would eat up and others she would not eat anything. She is turned out every day (at night when it is hot during the day) with another mare for company, although she does not seem bothered whether she is on her own or in company. The grazing is not lush but is good and they poo pick every day. The filly is wormed regularly.
When turned out or when in the stable this filly is laying down for 20 hours out of the 24 (my friend knows this as she is out there checking her at odd times of the day and night!). Whilst laying down she sometimes lifts her muzzle and looks like she is stargazing, then drops her head again. When in the field she will randomly start walking backwards until she is in a corner and then lay down. She does occasionally turn to look at her belly but shows no signs of colic.
She did get kicked on the hock a couple of weeks ago and the vet was called and he put her on a 5 day course of antibiotics in case of infection. This wound had started healing up, but with all the laying down and getting up, it has opened up again. So, on Tuesday the vet came out again and gave this filly a good going over - internal exam, blood test, trotted her up to see her co-ordination, looked in her eyes and so on and so forth, (I wasn't there but this has been relayed to me over the phone). The blood test was sent to Newmarket and was tested for loads of different things and all that came from these tests was a slightly lowered red blood cell count. So the vet said she might have some kind of infection.
This morning when I spoke to my friend she was in tears looking at this little filly and says it seems like she is just watching her fade away and feels utterly helpless and useless, she has tried everything she can to entice this filly to eat. She has had a Vitamin B6 and B12 injection from the vet when he visited on Tuesday, which seemed to make no difference, she is giving her supplements and blood tonics (not all together!) and anything that she can think of to help her want to eat. This morning she took a feed out to her in the field and she didn't even get up from where she was lying and she started picking at the feed whilst still lying down, which is out of character for this filly.
The vet was coming out again today to start another course of antibiotics in case she has a virus of some kind but my friend is at her wits end and doesn't know what to do next.
Have any of you come across this sort of thing at all - any experience of similar symptoms ????? Anything you can share with us would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry this has been so long and thank you for reading to the end !
Terri
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Okehampton, Devon |
Edited by - Berryscroft on 05 Aug 2010 7:28:51 PM
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Pashon2001
Platinum Member
3575 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 6:26:11 PM
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I did have one years ago that was like this when she came into season, and her seasons lasted two weeks or more. Just a thought, has the vet checked her for this?? It does explain the grumbly tummy, slight pain and lethargy. She didnt lay down any more than normal but would often just be 'standing around' with a woe is me expression. Mine grew out of it as her seasons became more regular and reliable but would still be off colour for a day or so in the middle of her cycle.
Has the vet put her on a short course of bute/pain killer to see if this helps? |
     
www.jarvastud.com http://hocon.webs.com/ |
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kate b
Gold Member
Wales
1418 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:29:11 PM
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I had a filly who had similar symptoms as a yearling - some days she would eat everything that was put in front of her and other days she would show no interest in it. She was also very listless and quiet, although didnt lie down as much as your friends filly. She had alsorts of blood tests that found nothing and then a urine test was taken, which showed unusual levels indicating that her kidneys werent working properly. Scans were taken and showed that her kidneys had not grown and were the size of a weanling foal, and also they were surrounded by cysts. She was PTS at the age of 2. We have since found out that it is likely (although not 100% positive) that the antibiotics she was given at 6 months old had damaged her kidneys. Ask your friend to ask the vet for a urine test - although I am sure they have already thought of that!
I really hope they get to the bottom of your friends filly's problem and it is something relatively simple and easily treated. Keep us updated.
Kate
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:37:44 PM
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Hi Pashon2001,
Yes, the vet came today and gave her a painkiller injection and left some paste with them. He said she should feel the benefit of that in a couple of hours, but after at least 3 hours she was no better, maybe slightly worse. I am not sure whether he checked for her being in season, but this has been on going for around 3 weeks so that would have come and gone in that time, wouldn't it? Apparently even the vet was shocked to see how she had dropped off in 2 days, my friend says she has almost lost half her body weight this week and looks dreadful and as though she is in a lot of pain. She is very upset and can't talk much but has said she would not be surprised to come out in the morning to find she has gone.
Very upsetting and very frustrating to watch a young horse just fade away like this. |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:42:50 PM
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| Thanks for that info, Kate. I have copied it and sent her an email so she can act on that if they haven't already. |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:42:56 PM
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| If the vet has no more ideas then surely she should be referred on to a vet hospital? The sooner the better by the sounds of things. Even if they find it is something serious and she has to be pts it is better than letting her suffer like this, and better to know what is going on. |
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kate b
Gold Member
Wales
1418 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:45:26 PM
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| Did the symptoms start at the same time as the kick and therefore the antibiotics? |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:47:19 PM
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| Hi Zan, Yes that is exactly what my friend said this evening, however she doesn't think the filly would be able to do the journey in the lorry as she is obviously weak. She will not let her go on suffering if she does not improve overnight, I'm sure. |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:48:35 PM
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| Kate, I am not sure about that, but I will ask that question. |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
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kate b
Gold Member
Wales
1418 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 7:51:34 PM
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Another thought - has she had her teeth checked? If she has always been a faddy eater perhaps she is having trouble chewing - if she isnt getting the food down her then she will be lacking energy...
If she is known to have had a kick she may well have had a kick in the jaw as well and could be sore. |
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Edited by - kate b on 23 Jul 2010 7:53:40 PM |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 8:01:25 PM
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Zan, they have gone for the second opinion, I believe. They are doing absolutely all they can think of.
Kate, I don't know the answer to the teeth checked. I would expect that the vet looked when he did the all over check? I don't think she was a faddy eater, just not an eager one (unlike my lot). TB's can be a bit like that about food though, can't they ? |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Zenitha
Gold Member
England
1078 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 8:07:07 PM
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Oh this is awful, poor filly and your poor friend  I've never heard of anything like it - the walking backwards thing is bizarre  I'm so sorry I can't be of any help - but I would definately get a second opinion, and if possible move her to a vet hospital before she gets any weaker. Is she drinking ? Is the vet giving her fluids ? Keeping her hydrated will help. My heart goes out to your friend, what an awful thing to watch your baby like that xxxx |
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pintoarabian
Gold Member
Scotland
1242 Posts |
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BabsR
Platinum Member
England
2790 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 8:14:27 PM
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Know this may be a silly question to ask, had your vet considered Grass Sickness?
Dont know if it occurs with yearlings but we lost a superb 3-year old filly with grass sickness.She was laying down a lot and also kept pointing her head upwards She was also backing up in the stable until her bum went against the wall and she would stand gently rubbing against the wall. Vet called out twice that day, gave her an internal....could find nothing untoward other than her bowel was empty and the peristalsis was sluggish All other exams revealed nothing untoward
Gave her a pain killer and said to continue to observe her. She would not eat, however we tempted her and also just dipped her nose in water but did not drink Vet was called out at 4.00am next morning as she looked really ill Sadly she died shortly after his arrival
The Vet`s conclusion was that she had suffered the fatal form of Grass Sickness when the whole digestive tract had gone into paralysis
It was 36 hours from the time she refused her feed, to when she collapsed and died
Such a worry for you and really hope your filly turns the corner and starts to eat again
Babs
www.SunrayAngloArabianStud.co.uk |
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Edited by - BabsR on 23 Jul 2010 8:16:49 PM |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 8:15:29 PM
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Hi Jane,
Yes, she has been seen drinking this morning, I'm not sure as I am not nearby anymore, otherwise I would be there with her. I am in Devon and she is in Ascot. She would not put her through the journey to the nearest vet hospital (I am not sure which hospital it would be) if she thought she would be suffering during the journey. I don't expect to hear from her before the morning now. |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 8:22:45 PM
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Hi Pinto Arabian - they have been giving Red Cell for the past 10 days at least, that's when she will eat at all.
Hi Babs, I asked about grass sickness and apparently they tested for that at Newmarket with a negative result. Sorry to hear that about your filly. I think my friend has got to the stage of wondering why we do this to ourselves ?
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Okehampton, Devon |
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zapphire1
Bronze Member
England
54 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 9:35:54 PM
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omg i hope she gets well soon!!
the walking backwards and pressing is a sign of pain (bit like us holding our tums)
The nearest vets hospital to ascot is scot dunns who are not only one of the best vets in the bershire area but also only 10miles from ascot!!
so really not far as even the sickiss horses iam affaid have to reach
a vets which has everything onsite,
i had a sec b that went abit like this weight laying down etc,he was very sick i knew his breeder and they always wormed foals from 4wks old so knew it wasnt red worm got to the stage that he play with a bit of food if i held it but from a pig to this was bad blood test show nothing too he got to the stage he wouldnt get up !! he was on pain killers as he kept looking at his tum bowels were emtry the vet put him on a drip to stop dehydration still no cues and i dont think we will ever know,he was on a drip for 5 days 10 days of anti- bio by the 3 bag of the drip he try a bit of mesh iam glad to say he went from strength to strength but no cues to what caused it in the first place
so fingers crossed and prays to for this filly and any sick horse i hope she makes it
but really scott dunns !!luckie back roads are quite straight to get there too,i had too many years ago travel a pony with a cracked pedal bone and he had to get up a ramp travel to scot dunns (15miles) on three legs,he too made it thanks to them |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 9:56:03 PM
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| Please try to get her to take her to this vet hospital, which is so near. Weighing up a bit of discomfort on the journey with the chance of a proper diagnosis, and possibly cure, I know what I would do. |
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debs
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 10:28:04 PM
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| Fingers crossed for poor little filly... |
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Quarabian
Platinum Member
Wales
4340 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 10:33:01 PM
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Poor little yearling. She is definately in need of some AL special thoughts and prayers. I send mine willingly.
I also thought the anti biotics might have something to do with this. |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2010 : 11:30:29 PM
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Thanks to everyone for your comments and helpful relaying of your experiences. As this is not my horse I cannot insist that they get her to the nearest veterinary hospital, they have had horses for over 40 years and for reasons I will not put on here they would not use Scott Dunn's practice.
I have had a text this evening telling me that the filly ate up her evening feed tonight, so a bit better news. Fingers crossed for her and I too will send special thoughts and prayers to them all. |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Berryscroft
Silver Member
England
260 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2010 : 09:20:28 AM
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| A quick update - just spoken to my friend and she says the filly looks a little brighter in the eye and her coat is looking better too. She whinnied when she saw her breakfast coming, although didn't get up but is eating it whilst lying down. Maybe she has 'turned the corner', fingers crossed that she has. |
Okehampton, Devon |
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Anne C
Gold Member
United Kingdom
886 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2010 : 09:25:05 AM
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That's great news!! Fingers crossed!!!
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Anne |
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
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BabsR
Platinum Member
England
2790 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2010 : 09:41:01 AM
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Oh that is good news indeed......just the very fact that she now wants her food has got to be a big step forward. Will feel a lot happier for her, when she is not lying down so much
Will keep everything crossed she continues to improve and comes through this very very worrying situation
Sending hugs and healing vibes.....poor little mite
Babs
www.SunrayAngloArabianStud.co.uk
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Poorly Yearling with mystery symptoms-UPDATE
