another mystery illness.... please not GS :(

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MrVelvet

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Right I'll give you all the whole story and perhaps someone can shed some light... :(

Last friday (9 days ago) my horse came in sweated up and shaking - I managed to get his temp down and walked him up and down til he was calm. Next morning (the Friday) he was very very tucked up, literally his whole abdomen was clenched in and he was still shaking but warm :/. I phoned the vet and gave his symptoms over the phone he asked me various questions to which I answered, he then suspected mild azoturia. Told me box rest with in hand walks. Wednesday comes still very little improvement. Eating and drinking is reduced so I ring the vet back, he says he doesn't want to see him unless he has a temp, shows colic symptoms etc. Friday comes, I ring vet and demand second opinion - vet comes out. Vet listens to gut and says movement/sound is reduced (which is true, he is showing some signs of constipation), temp is fine but heart rate is up (60bpm), checked poo for the yellow stringy gut lining (thank god its not present), he is willing to move, happy and bright himself, has lost condition which is obvious after being poorly for a week. Vet took blood and results back tomorrow (monday) he also gave him a pain relief jab but tbh... I didn't see any visible results? So... Any ideas? I have him on electrolytes and just got a probiotic yoghurt to put me on until I get some pink powder tomorrow... I'm fearing chronic grass sickness :(
 
Gs / acorn poisoning?/ along with electrolytes and probiotic, pop him on a good blood tonic and b vitamins, I used haemavite b plus and it really helped to sustain ebony. Pop oil in feed to help with constipation. If it is gs, the grass sickness charity have lots of suggestions on nursing horses with this, basically get as much high calorie, high protein in as possible while pushing the fibre through x sorry I can't help more
 
well my friends mare was very ill with peritonitis brought on by a worm burden and stress brought on by travelling a huge distance she wouldnt eat or drink was basically shatteeed and not interested in anything. dont think peritonitis is as serious as it used to be, it did take a while for the vet to diagnose -horse had to go in for scoping. she recovered very gradually but needed 6 weeks.off work. also very listless with a high temp....hope that gives you some info. shes right aa rain now though!
 
no advice, sorry! but how rude of the vet, that made me really angry, they didn't want to see him unless he was showing signs of colic, I think I'd have got another vet out! surely if you're worried enough to call them in the first place they should come out and make sure the horse is ok! SHOCKING
 
Queen bee - he won't really eat anything. Iv just soaked some sugarbeet and he's munching that as we speak. I can't put anything in it :( I'm syringing electrolytes - he wouldn't eatt yoghurt so I'll get the pink powder tomorrow. Where would I get haemovite from?

I know, I'm angry with the vet too but I guess it won't make Mr V any better :(

Just hoping bloods come back tomorrow with something that can be easily fixed :(
 
So your horse has been really ill & still your Vet won't come out. Time for a new Vet & fast. Crikey - I'd have been fretting at anything over an hour!
 
Sorry I cant be of much help but I want to say that I've lost horses to EGS and its awful. Maybe this is chronic EGS [ I hope not] but whatever it is its worth trying very small amounts of all sorts of foods to try to keep the horse eating. Grated carrot, bit of bran, bit of mix a few oats a bit of chaff. Anything at all. Someone mentioned that feeding out of a shallow red coloured bucket tempted their horse. Its all worth a try. Also drinking. try plain water , tepid water ;apple juice; beer; anything really.
I hope the blood tests can give you some result and hope tomorrow.
Take Care xxxx
 
Thankyou :) I hope so too!! I have him out in a good paddock for a bit through the day which he seems to like, he has a bit of hay through the night (about 1/2 his net) tonight iv left him with sugarbeet which he seemed to like, ill give him more tomorrow and hopefully vet will ring with good or atleast conclusive news! :)
 
Blood tests are useful, my horse had a recurring virus which made him really really ill and he didnt eat and lost loads of condition and initially GS was suspected but it turned out to be a virus. It recurred (each time less severely for some years and he is still prone to little turns - but he is now 20 and in good condition).

If it is a virus, agree with iron/vits min tonic like Haemavite (get it online or there are similar ones, I order a couple to see which one he will take to).
 
any chance the horse has eaten bracken? Horsetail or another poisonous weed. Symptoms can come on some time after the event and are accompanied with listlessness and failure to eat. Should show in the blood tests.
 
You could ring Roger Hatch of "Trinity Consultants" on 01243551766.

The website is www.trinity-consultants.com

Roger will sort out something for your horse. The L94 which is a liver and general tonic is really good.

My little New Forest mare who at the time was 22 was very sick , to the point that the vet wanted to put her down. We took bloods and gave her one more day I rang Roger and got some L94 plus we gave her intravenous fluids within a week she was eating and drinking. She is still with me today at the age of 25 galloping around with the others.
 
MrVelvet said:
Quick question - can I feed pink powder and haemovit together?
Click to expand...

yes you definitely can. Once he is well again, keep the PP going, but the haemovite you can stop once he is well and fighting fit and bloods are all normal.

BTW if it were a virus (which I hope it is as thats usually survivable with time and loving care) then it might not recur like my chaps's did, more normally they take a long time to recover and get energy back but once gone its gone. Vet at Royal Vet College hadnt seen a case like Marcus's, more like ME in humans where it keeps coming back.

Fingers and toes crossed for those bloods (NB it was white cells counts that were low in our case).
 
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