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Liz100
Silver Member
United Kingdom
370 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Nov 2011 : 3:26:26 PM
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Hi all
Still very worried, although Raf perked up a lot he never got back to normal. It's hard to put a finger on it, because he seems fine in the field and has a good appetite, but when I ride him he's very quiet. At first we put it down to him overcoming the virus and so I just went for very short walks, but then he passed some more coloured urine. Vet wanted another urine sample but we haven't been able to collect one until today. As a couple of weeks have gone by and he still hasn't perked up the vet is coming on Monday to take some more bloods, then depending on the outcome of that, to scope his bladder.
I rode this morning and he's very sluggish and walks as though his muscles are bunched up behind the saddle, almost as if he wants to poo, but then all of a sudden he'll pick up and be like his usual sprightly self, which then makes me wonder whether he's having me on. He does hold his tail to the side now though, which he never did before.
The thing that's worried me most is the realisation that he's losing weight. Because I've had a busy week at work I haven't seen him in daylight for a week and I can see a difference. He's eating well and his coat looks good but he shouldn't be losing weight, especially as he's hardly being ridden.
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2011 : 4:30:44 PM
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| If he's bunching up behind the saddle, could it be his kidneys? Hope the vet can help on Monday. Is it a specialist Equine vet? If not is it possible to ask for a second opinion, since this has been dragging on a while? |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2011 : 5:40:34 PM
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| It sounds like tying-up with the tight muscles and coloured urine - did they test for enzyme levels before? |
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Liz100
Silver Member
United Kingdom
370 Posts |
Posted - 12 Nov 2011 : 7:01:42 PM
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Hi
Yes he is a specialised equine vet (with a good reputation) and yes he did test for muscle enzyme levels before. The only thing that showed in his previous tests were increased white cells, consistent with fighting off an infection and his urine didn't test positive for blood, despite the cherryade colour of the last squirt.
When he stared to be ill he lost his position as herd leader in the field, but he's got his title back now, plus he plays, canters about and bosses the others as normal, so he isn't too ill. It's just when I ride and if I didn't know him I'd probably think he was just a quiet, lazy horse, hence the vet thinking it was probably just the after effects of a virus - I know my friend's horse took weeks to get over a virus a while ago. However with the reappearance of the red urine and especially now the weight loss it seems there must be something else going on.
Although the vet originally thought unlikely to be bladder stones it looks as though he's going to explore the possibility now, hope he gets to the bottom of it :(
Oh and yes, vet thought possibly bladder discomfort causing the tense feeling in his back. |
East Yorkshire |
Edited by - Liz100 on 12 Nov 2011 7:04:12 PM |
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Zenitha
Gold Member
England
1078 Posts |
Posted - 17 Feb 2012 : 8:11:10 PM
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Hi Liz -
Just wondering if you ever got to the bottom of what was wrong with your boy, and how he is now ?
I ask because my 2 year old colt has suddenly become ill, has a high temperature, and I noticed yesterday when he wee'd the last little squirt was red. He's on antibiotics but not eating much and very depressed. His problem seems to be in his neck, we may have to have him x rayed & scoped next week, but I'm also anxious about the red wee  |
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Liz100
Silver Member
United Kingdom
370 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2012 : 06:56:22 AM
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Hi Jane
Sorry, only just seen your post.
To answer your question, not really - it seems to have been just a virus/infection that took an age to get over. The vet came back, confirmed by blood test that the virus had gone and the urine sample was clear, but another blood test showed he had a moderate tapeworm infestation (poo was clear) which probably explained the weight loss (but not the red urine!) Raf then caught a cough from another livery and had more antibiotics. The red urine just disappeared, although obviously I'm still paranoid and watch every last drop if I catch him having a wee!
It was about Christmas time when he finally started to feel back to normal when I was riding - all of a sudden he was back and although he was on his toes and boinging all over it was so lovely to have him back I didn't mind.
So, I can only assume he was very run down and fingers crossed is ok now.
How is your colt now? I do hope he's responded to the antibiotics. I'd be very interested to know what your vet says about the red wee as I think it's strange that both horses have had red wee when the actual problem appears to be somewhere else.
Fingers crossed for your boy x |
East Yorkshire |
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Red Urine - Update
