Another - what could be wrong with this horse thread

Wagtail

Wagtail

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Took naughty cob to the horsepital yesterday. A couple of years ago he showed me up there when he tanked off when he spotted the vet approaching from across the yard. Carpark was pretty full with plenty onlookers :o. So I thought this time I would pre empt this behaviour and put a bridle on him. All went really well (and controlled) until I had to ride him. He decided to bronc for England. I really thought I was a gonner until I managed to anchor myself for the rest of the onslaught. :p Anyway, it was supposed to be a lameness work up and he was busy displaying his sheer athletisism :rolleyes:

Upshot of it was, whilst the vet agreed he didn't look right, he wasn't lame enough on any leg for nerve blocks etc. Typically, he felt better than he had done for many moons as the owner had decided not to ride him, rather than keeping him slightly sore for the diagnostics.

Bit of background. He had slight kissing spine a couple of years ago which was successfully treated with cortisone and now his back feels fab. He has recently looked weak behind and often his right hind does not flex and step through at all well. He looks and feels crippled when he's like that. To my eyes, it looks like it's coming from high up (sacroilliac perhaps, but could be wrong). He is not lame on flexion of hocks or fetlocks behind. He has side bone in all four feet. He is tripping very badly. Yesterday at the vets he almost fell with me in excess of ten times, so now I'm thinking forelimb? Two vets have seen him and can't see any forelimb lameness though. But they have not done flexion in the fore limbs.

Possibly unrelated, he has suddenly started drinking and peeing excessively. But he is well in himself with a hearty appetite. Cheeky and naughty as always.

Plan is to work him hard until he starts to look lame again, and then try to maintain him at that level until the vet can come and see him.

Any ideas?
 
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shysmum said:
I'm sure you've checked this over and over, but could it be the KS rearing it's head again ?
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When he had it before, he was really sore through his back and would try to kick you if you touched him or saddled him. Now you can poke and prod his back and there is no soreness at all. The vet checked his back throughly yesterday. However, I am aware that not all horses with KS are sore to the touch. My boy who had the worst case my vet had ever seen had no soreness in his back at all. But in this cob's case, the vet was sure it wasn't KS because of the way it presented last time.
 
Kidney disease could present as a back issue (mine was cold backed and bucked when first sat on when he had kidney failure) which might look like lameness instead. It would go with the drinking and the peeing. It's rare in horses so it wouldn't be something that they would look for.

The hearty appetite can also be connected. Kidney failure made mine lose weight and at the same time be exceptionally hungry. At first, that and his thirst was the only symptom.


Hope that helps.
 
cptrayes said:
Kidney disease could present as a back issue (mine was cold backed and bucked when first sat on when he had kidney failure) which might look like lameness instead. It would go with the drinking and the peeing. It's rare in horses so it wouldn't be something that they would look for.

Hope that helps.
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Thank you Cptrayes. I hadn't thought of that. He has been bucking more lately (but not to the extent of yesterday). His urination has been like this for around five days now. Will have a chat to the owners. I had thought cushings, but he's only ten. Pee is really dark too.
 
ridefast said:
The tripping part of it, could his feet be unbalanced? Or... something in the knee?
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He has always tripped a bit. But nothing to this extent. The farrier remarked that his feet had got narrower. He has the toes rolled as he does tend to be clumsy.
 
Wagtail said:
Thank you Cptrayes. I hadn't thought of that. He has been bucking more lately (but not to the extent of yesterday). His urination has been like this for around five days now. Will have a chat to the owners. I had thought cushings, but he's only ten. Pee is really dark too.
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Dark pee sounds like a kidney issue. There are quite a few early onset Cushings cases these days too, now that they have the test a bit more reliable. Kidney test is a blood test unfortunately. It's not routine to do one because it's so uncommon in horses. I've known of only one in 35 years, mine! The horse looked so well I couldn't convince anyone he was ill, and by the time I got an Olympic vet who believed me his kidneys had completely failed and he had to be put down :(


I have a feeling dark urine can be protein, and that can be a result of tying up or muscle damage from another cause???
 
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cptrayes said:
Dark pee sounds like a kidney issue. There are quite a few early onset Cushings cases these days too, now that they have the test a bit more reliable. Kidney test is a blood test unfortunately. It's not routine to do one because it's so uncommon in horses. I've known of only one in 35 years, mine! The horse looked so well I couldn't convince anyone he was ill, and by the time I got an Olympic vet who believed me his kidneys had completely failed and he had to be put down :(


I have a feeling dark urine can be protein, and that can be a result of tying up or muscle damage from another cause???
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Yes, that's the thing he is so well! He looks bright in himself, and holding weight isn't a problem for him ;). I will talk to the owners tomorrow and suggest they get a bood test when the vet comes again regarding his lameness, or sooner if they are worried.
 
Could the horse be tying up? the darker urine points to protiens in the urine from muscle breakdown... is he urinating more or less than usual?
I would probably ask for blood tests to check muscle enzymes.
Kx
 
Thanks. I had started to think about tying up. But this morning when I went to feed him his pee has been a normal amount and colour. :confused: But maybe that would fit, as he was really bad on Thursday, then started with the excessive peeing and drinking, then on Wed at the vets he was loads better (except for the awful tripping) and today his pee is normal.
 
The things you describe about him having that awful tripping and giving the appearance of possibly a problem in the sacroilliac area describe my mare with kissing spine. Her spine wasn't sore either. She was even treated for sacroilliac problems with acupuncture for a while. That was after her hind leg xrays. And scintigraphy. (spelling?)
She has significant kissing spine, so I do wonder if this horse is starting to show signs of that again?
But then the drinking and weeing... hmm...
 
Tinypony said:
The things you describe about him having that awful tripping and giving the appearance of possibly a problem in the sacroilliac area describe my mare with kissing spine. Her spine wasn't sore either. She was even treated for sacroilliac problems with acupuncture for a while. That was after her hind leg xrays. And scintigraphy. (spelling?)
She has significant kissing spine, so I do wonder if this horse is starting to show signs of that again?
But then the drinking and weeing... hmm...
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Yes, my boy's back wasn't sore either. I think it's just that this horse presented with a really sore back to start with and now he isn't sore so I think the vet has discounted it. I think that if we draw a blank then they will do a bone scan, so it should show up on that, though I would probably suggest they re xray his spine first as it's a much simpler and cheaper procedure.
 
The peeing issues could be related to the fact that while his back is not sore under saddle it hurts to pee and could essentially be "holding" till he has to go. It's not a common reaction but can happen. It all points back to spine investigation for me...
 
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