BBP
Well-Known Member
Life is actually fine, but I am going to have a little grumble because...well...just because I can! A few months ago my friend, who keeps her horses across the road from mine, lost her little companion pony whilst I was pony sitting and she was on holiday. Pony died in a very distressing way from acute liver failure.
When vet next came they decided just out of precaution to blood test her other pony. Liver enzymes came up high, a biopsy was done and both liver enzymes and white blood count were high. So out of interest we got our guys over the road blood tested. Two were a little above normal and mine was the highest of the lot (GGT of 102 when normal was said to be 50). Vets weren't worried, said to monitor their condition but carry on as normal.
8 weeks later I have retested my pony and his figures have doubled. Bile levels are still normal but the vets have advised either a liver biopsy or to just try resting him for a month/6 weeks. He has been going the best ever, beautiful dressage work, jumping and games, a complete pleasure to ride. He is shiny, bouncy and happy, it's hard to think there is anything wrong. He is also already too fat (due to my field buddy admitting to me the other day that his carefully controlled diet has been supplimented with 3 flakes of hay a night!!!). So now he has to be rested (so more dieting, just as we were getting to the gallops each week to trim the weight off) with no idea what is causing the raised levels in any of the ponies. They are on different grass and hay, although only 100m apart. He has also had an infected elbow again and the flies are making his eyes weep. Poor little chap. I am going to ask the vet if low level exercise, bareback trec, 20mins walk with a mate and other walkign games are allowed, as we will go stir crazy!
Added to that there was a little 2 year old a mile away who died from grass sickness a couple of weeks ago. Given my fields got so flooded and muddy last year I'm terrified that whatever has been lying dormant in the soil is now affecting my horses.
Rubbish rubbish rubbish. I know a lot of you have a lot worse so I am just grumbling and a bit scared of the unknown really. (and my other half has just moved abroad with the army for 2 years so bit sad about that too!)
When vet next came they decided just out of precaution to blood test her other pony. Liver enzymes came up high, a biopsy was done and both liver enzymes and white blood count were high. So out of interest we got our guys over the road blood tested. Two were a little above normal and mine was the highest of the lot (GGT of 102 when normal was said to be 50). Vets weren't worried, said to monitor their condition but carry on as normal.
8 weeks later I have retested my pony and his figures have doubled. Bile levels are still normal but the vets have advised either a liver biopsy or to just try resting him for a month/6 weeks. He has been going the best ever, beautiful dressage work, jumping and games, a complete pleasure to ride. He is shiny, bouncy and happy, it's hard to think there is anything wrong. He is also already too fat (due to my field buddy admitting to me the other day that his carefully controlled diet has been supplimented with 3 flakes of hay a night!!!). So now he has to be rested (so more dieting, just as we were getting to the gallops each week to trim the weight off) with no idea what is causing the raised levels in any of the ponies. They are on different grass and hay, although only 100m apart. He has also had an infected elbow again and the flies are making his eyes weep. Poor little chap. I am going to ask the vet if low level exercise, bareback trec, 20mins walk with a mate and other walkign games are allowed, as we will go stir crazy!
Added to that there was a little 2 year old a mile away who died from grass sickness a couple of weeks ago. Given my fields got so flooded and muddy last year I'm terrified that whatever has been lying dormant in the soil is now affecting my horses.
Rubbish rubbish rubbish. I know a lot of you have a lot worse so I am just grumbling and a bit scared of the unknown really. (and my other half has just moved abroad with the army for 2 years so bit sad about that too!)
