Advice needed please (warning: long but pleeeeeaaaase read)

kibob

kibob

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Yesterday evening I found my daughters little shetland in a state of distress. she was having huge problems breathing. She was weazing really badly and struggling to intake breath - although was managing to get some air through. She was so tucked up and the area where her girth would lie was like a tight band of muscle. Her tongue felt twisted and rock hard and her mouth was rigid. she was dribbling a clear discharge (very like egg white).

Called the vet, he came immediately and suspected some sort of allergic reaction (my thoughts too at this point, I thought she had eaten something, though could not see what would have caused such a severe reaction) he thought a kind of severe COPD attack. She was given two injections: a steroid and anti-histamine (sp).

I kept an eye on her for a couple of hours and her breathing improved and gradually settled back to normal. Came back to check her a while later and she was really sweaty and shivery. Her breathing was ok, if maybe slightly laboured. She still had this huge amount of slime comming from her mouth. There is also no reaction from her when I put my fingers inside her mouth .... no mouthing, tongue movements .. not a thing. Rang the vet again, she assured me the drugs would be making her sweat and that the slime was probably due to the fact she was sore in her throat and wasn't swallowing.

Kept checking her at two hourly intervals during the night, and, lets just say, she got no worse. However, she hasn't eaten, drunk, pooed or done a wee. This morning I tried to offer her some veteran mix (tiny, tiny, pieces) that had been soaked for a while. she put her head in the bucket all enthusiastic but it's like she cannot move her mouth/tongue.

I think this looked like anaphylactic shock but have never heard of this before in horses. Could she possibly have been stung in her throat, or maybe got something stuck??

I am obviously going to call the vet again this morning, but any advice from you guys would be much appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

J x
 
Oh god J.Poor little mite!.Daft question but it's the only thing i can think of!.It couldent be Tetanus/Lockjaw could it!?.Probably way off the mark.I hope she gets better soon!.
 
I'm in two minds whether to post this reply or not, because I don't want to panic you. I just wanted to ask whether the vet had definitely ruled out the possibility of grass sickness, as the slime from her mouth, the tucking up, the sweating, the lack of drinking, eating and pooing are possible symptoms. The breathing problems don't seem to fit in though, so I am sincerely hoping I am wrong and it is something less serious. If it was my pony I would definitely be wanting the vet back out again first thing this morning.

Keeping my fingers crossed that she is OK.
 

Thanks hun. I thought tetanus too, but apparently the third eyelid becomes raised and the horse adopts a weird stance. None of this, but certainly something I will mention to the vet ... Thanks M.
 


thanks TGM. don't worry I am already panicking
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I've thought of grass sickness too (having gone through all my veterinary books last night). The vet didn't even mention it, though I have to say, with the benefit of hindsight, I don't think he was as thorough as he could have been. I will get them out as soon as I have got my daughter off to school (she's very upset and I think she is best out of the way).

thanks again

J x
 
Dont panic cos I am doing it for you hun. Havnt got a clue only suspecting things like the others have said. If Tetanus is ruled out then it does sound like she has eaten something bad. Was there any green gut fluid running out of her nose?

She is going to be dehydrated now with no water intake. Get the vet up soon.

Please let us know asap. xx
 

Thanks. No green "gut juice", and nothing comming from her nose at all. The vet is comming just after 9. Finger crossed for the little mite, she's such a sweatie. I will update you as soon as I can.

J xx
 
I am really sorry, sounded like heave lines and that she has had a severe reaction to something, also sounds like possibly has something stuck in her oesphogus or windpipe to be causing the salivation. Let us know what the vet says
 
Aww poor little pony. Is she quite old (the veteran mix) do you think she might have had a stroke? Fingers crossed for you.
 

Thanks everyone, it's nice to have somewhere where I can let my panic go a bit - struggling trying to keep a brave face on for my daughter!

Really appreciate everyones comments. Will let you know asap.
 
Oh no poor little D
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Sending all the best healy vibes I can muster up and please text me to let me know how she is.

Everything crossed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Thinking about it again, if some allergic reaction has restricted her throat and oesophagus then it may present similar signs to GS. If it is so uncomfortable that she cannot eat or drink then she won't have anything inside her to wee or poo with, and she will look tucked up because she isn't eating. The saliva could just be the result of the allergic reaction.

I hope the vet is right and you can get her back to normal soon.
 
I have seen acute allergy sympoms in a horse, to the extent that is was collapsed, hardly breating and completely unconscious (allergy to nettles, fell into them on a hack), after anti histamine and steroid jabs it was up, if a bit wobbley, in 5 minutes and we walked it back to the yard.

So don't panic, it could be an acute reaction to airborne pollens. In fact my Highland who has had chronic COPD for years has had some very uncomfortable days with the recent heat, and is almost certainly reacting to tree pollens or similar, also a bit drooly and heaving but only in the mid-late afternoon.
 
Ok, the vet has just been out again and sadly we are no further forward really. He doesn't think GS as he thinks she would be colicy with this, and has also ruled out tetanus. He is still thinking severe allergic reaction (SOPD) and has given her more anti-histamine and an anti-biotic and painkiller as her mouth looks very sore. The discharge is getting slightly less but it is very smelly (smells like thrush in the hoof!!).

she is still making no attempt to eat or drink and is just standing looking very sorry for herself. Her breathing is slightly heavy.

i have managed to syring some water down her and will continue to do this throughout the day.

It does seem like an allergic reaction but I would expect the anti-histamines to have made more of an improvement than this by now - maybe I'm just very impatient
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.

We are hoping now just to see a slow and gradual improvement. If she gets any worse they are talking about having her up at the surgery to endoscope her tummy - they say she is too small for a rectal exam.

The vet has put the gag on her and had a good look down her throat - nothing to be found though!!.

Thanks so much everyone for your help, I am very grateful. I will keep you all updated.

J
 

No, no drip
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- he didn't seem concerned about her de-hydrating and just suggested I syringe water into her, he said she won't need a huge amount. she had two big syringes earlier and I will go back in about an hour and do the same again - to be honest I was suprised the water stayed in, I thought it would just dribble out again. she did make an attempt to swallow too, which I'm thinking is a good sign.

J x
 
Gosh really?? I would have thought that by this stage of the game she would be receiving some pretty intensive treatment........

Where is your nearest equine hospital?
 

Uhm, I know I'm a little concerned by this too. My vets have now built a huge new surgery and are now equipped to handle all emergency procedures there. They are 5 minutes up the road from me, so she will be up there like a shot if things get worse.

J xx
 
They might need to try a different anti histamine to see any real effect. Steroids normally work very quickly in these cases (they are like a miracle drug for inflammation) but of course they do have potentially severe side effects.

does your pony have a temperature? I would work on trying to keep it as cool and quiet as possible
 

Thats interesting, thank you. she wasn't given any more steroids this morning because of the potential side effects, also a worry cos she is so little (I think she is mini shetland crossed with "normal" shetland).

she doesn't have a temperature. The anti-histimines cause her to sweat up though, so I would expect to see her sweaty when I go down next, I will just sponge her hot areas to try and make her more comfortable.

she is in a very cool stable and, although obviously not very well, she is as comfortable and quiet as we can make her for the moment.

Thanks again.

J
 
Did your vet rule out Hemlock poisioning, the main sign of hemlock is the smelly breathe and muscle deterioration, although not sure that it effects the tongue like your pony.

Apparently Hemlock only grows every third or fourth year, most horses won't touch it but older horses lose some of their taste buds so nibble it until they realise how horrid it is.

Fingers crossed whatever it is is passing through her as she is still with us....
 

No, he didn't mention Hemlock poisoning. He did say that there are so many toxins that could have caused this and the only broad-spectrum treatment is anti-histemine. So, I guess treatment would be the same as she is on now for any type of poisoning. Although I have read that liquid paraffin can help to flush through whatever it is - I will ask the vet about this later.
 
She's not very old - tbh we don't know for sure but I wouldn't think she is any older than 13.

The veteran mix is for an old gelding I have. I used this because the pieces are so small I thought it would "mush" up better for her and then be less likely to hurt her throat if she did eat it.

j
 
I'm with AmyMay, very surprised that they didn't put her on a drip. Iwould push for it, dehydration can kill. Sorry, hope shes better soon.
 
i know its not the same. just thinking outloud, the farm where i keep my horses had a cow really ill on sunday night her eyes were so swollen that she could not see where she was going and had other symptoms.ie: breathing lifeless, they could not get her up of the grass she had eaten st johns wort and had a bad reaction to it. this farm has been there 50 years and never had anything like this before.
 
Yeah, I've known of a similar situation with St Johns Wort poisoning - it's very nasty isn't it.

Quick update for you all - have just been down to check her again and she has now had a wee
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I'm sure this is a good sign and hopefully whatever it is it's starting to pass through. she still looks a very sick little ponio but is now more aware of people around her, whereas before she took no notice. Have syringed some more water into her and she mouthed the syringe a bit more than last time. Also, the smelly discharge stuff is getting less and less.

Fingers crossed.

J x
 
Oh Kibob, that sounds good news doesn't it? Phew...

Would be worth you checking your fields to see if you can see what the little blighter was that caused this reaction, she make not be so lucky next time.
 

Thanks, yeah it's looking slightly more hopeful now.

Have checked the field - luckily she was in a tiny "starvation" paddock as she does have erm .. roundess issues
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, can't see anything obvious but am heading off again armed with poisonous plants book later.
 
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