6 months of shoulder spasms - any ideas?

[alicia11]

Hi, if you've ever come across this condition I'd be so grateful of any info or ideas as most morning for the last 6 months the muscles in my horses right (and sometimes left) shoulder go into spasm, either seen in the field or after he has had breakfast, ranging from a mild quiver to full blown spasm. Exercise relieves it and any stress makes it worse (though he is a laid back 5 year old). No idea why it started and have had his neck xrayed, and a muscle and liver biopsy done, only outcome is that his has some mild liver damage. Have ruled out tying up, treated him for ryegrass staggers, fed him glucose in case of a sugar problem, had him on all sorts of diets (remained on low protein due to liver) tried all sorts of supplements & bute, changed his maintenance, rested him etc, saddle checked twice, 3 physios have seen him, massaged and stretched him but can't find a pattern in the cause and nothing seems to make a difference. Otherwise, he is a picture of health and rides well. I'm re-investigating a trapped nerve but am told these are hard to locate and harder to treat with the poss of just been given excercises that might improve flexibility so not really very hopeful. Though the spasms do not seem to bother too much, him I'm concerned that, longterm, the overuse of these muscles will cause damage, plus the knock on effect in the lower leg. Am at my wits end so any feedback, however off the wall, would be really appreciated.

 

[Birker2020]

My wobblers horse used to get spasms going down from the shoulders to the front legs. When you stood at the side of him it looked like his leg was 'giving way' from the knee but the vet said it was because his conformation showed he was back at the knee. I believe it was from nerve impingement from the calcification in this neck vetebrae.

It sounds to me like your horse has some kind of neurological deficit, I'd get the vet to maybe conduct some neuro tests like the sway test, circles, foot placement, etc. As for the xrays my WB gelding had a portable xray machine xray his neck and I was told there was no problem, only three months after this a large standing xray machine at Liverpool told a different story and my horse was so badly effected he was PTS immediately. Portable xray machines can't penetrate the muscles in the neck very effectively so therefore pictures that you get can lead to misdiagnosis simply because they do not tell the whole tale.

Maybe portable xray machines have improved in the last seven years since they xrayed Rommy, but its worth bearing in mind. Whilst I'm not suggesting for one minute your horse has Wobblers Syndrome some impingement on the spinal cord and associated nerves would certainly cause the symptoms you say your horse is suffering from. I'm not a vet, only a horse owner giving the best advice I can. x

 

[alicia11]

many thanks Vetran, wobblers was the first suspect as had boarderline neuro/sway tests but ruled out from the xrays done at the clinic.

 

[alicia11]

Just an update on the daily spasms, they were stopped by a 4 weekly course of accupuncture from Lindsey Brazil from Cheltenham. Still not entirely sure why he spasmed in the first place but eternally gratefull to Lindsey for helping him.

 

[soulfull]

Just an update on the daily spasms, they were stopped by a 4 weekly course of accupuncture from Lindsey Brazil from Cheltenham. Still not entirely sure why he spasmed in the first place but eternally gratefull to Lindsey for helping him.

while I missed your post first time round, i'm glad to hear you found the solution