Any ideas welcome as getting very fed up

[Chianti]

Sorry - this is going to be long. My pony has been 'not right' for over two years. In January 2021 he was scoped and found to have ulcers. Treated, and when rescoped six weeks later, they were almost gone. The treatment continued for a couple of weeks - the vet presuming that would heal them completely. Early April he got mild colic in the field. In May I suspected that the ulcers had returned. He was rescoped, and they had, and were worse then before. The day after the scope I got him out of the field and he'd got laminitis. The vet wanted to treat the ulcers 'more aggressively' so he was given omeprazole injections - once a week for six weeks as part of the treatment. I realised that something wasn't working for him at the yard he was on so moved him to a track system, once the laminitis allowed him to move- where he's out 24/7. He was rescoped on the new yard in June and the ulcers had almost healed. End of November 2022 he got impaction colic. End of January this year he got spasmodic colic. Both responded to treatment on the yard..

His personality changed dramatically as a result of all of the veterinary treatment. He was never a cuddly pony but he became very defensive towards everyone - including me. He has ears back and when he's in his stable for feed or grooming he will air snap at people over the door. He was very resistance to touch all over.

After the last scope in June 2021 he saw an osteopath who could see no pain related cause for the ulcers so I put it down to lack of fibre and stress on the last yard.
After he regressed over the winter she's been seeing him again and when she found him very tight and sore all over and he was also tucking his pelvis under himself too much. In the summer I noticed he was standing with his right hind under him when he came in and his left shoulder had almost sunk and lost its muscle. Over the winter I noticed that when I'd turned him out he would overchew the treats he'd had and would also yawn. Since the osteo's treatment he's stopped the yawning.

He goes through cycles where he seems to have improved and I can touch him all over but then will regress. At the moment he's started to reacting to touch again - but not around the girth where it was before. This time if you run your hand down his flank and then move it under his gut towards his sheath he really put his ears back and looks round- both sides.

We've had multiple vet visits and vet phone conversations about him. I don't think it's ulcers as he isn't showing the other behaviours that he did before. We're both very reluctant to rescope because of the concern that even if he doesn't have ulcers the stress of the scoping may cause them, I've done the Equibiome route- first test showed a gut population that wasn't great - followed the protocol and when he was retested it wasn't much better. Tried lots of different gut supplements - we're now on Trinity Consultants and he seemed to be doing very well with that but we now have the resistance to touch again. The yard he's on is the best I can find. He's out on a track with two Shetlands and is only handled by one very experienced person. They have pretty much ad lib hay.

He's booked in for a thermal imaging scan in April to try to identify any obvious areas. It's hard to do any work with him over the winter where he is. There isn't a school so we can only use a grass paddock in the dry weather. I won't take him out as it's on the junction of two busy main road.

Well done if you got this far! Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I think your main problem is that you haven't found out why he gets ulcers frequently, they are usualky secondary to pain elsewhere. Perhaps the thermal imaging will pinpoint something.

 

[Maxidoodle]

Gosh, poor boy. I’ve nothing helpful to add I’m afraid other than you sound as though you are such a good owner and that he’s in a good set up now. I really hope you see some improvements soon and there are some good suggestions from others on here.

 

[SO1]

Nothing to add but I agree you sound like a wonderful owner trying to the best you can to resolve the problem. How old is your pony?

 

[MereChristmas]

You both have had a lot to deal with haven’t you?
I think ulcers mostly are caused by some other pain or unhappiness. My pony’s were because he was unhappy and alone.
You are doing all you can to help him. I hope the scan will show something that can be treated.
Fingers crossed for you both

 

[Chianti]

I think your main problem is that you haven't found out why he gets ulcers frequently, they are usualky secondary to pain elsewhere. Perhaps the thermal imaging will pinpoint something.

I know he had ulcers twice when he was on the last yard. I put them down to him not being given enough hay and stress from how he was managed there. I don't think he has ulcers at the moment as he's not showing the signs that he did then. I agree it may be pain related now but after he'd moved both the vet and the osteopath ruled out him being pain.

 

[Chianti]

Nothing to add but I agree you sound like a wonderful owner trying to the best you can to resolve the problem. How old is your pony?

Thanks. He's only 15. I was very reluctant to get another as my last horse was such a worry as she was a walking vet's bill. I thought he'd be a hardy pony that I could keep in a field and not have to worry about.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Scoping only confirms foregut ulcers etc, could he still be having issues with hindgut?
I agree, your pony is very lucky to have a lovely caring owner

 

[Chianti]

You both have had a lot to deal with haven’t you?
I think ulcers mostly are caused by some other pain or unhappiness. My pony’s were because he was unhappy and alone.
You are doing all you can to help him. I hope the scan will show something that can be treated.
Fingers crossed for you both

Thanks. He should be happy - but who knows with horses!

 

[SO1]

Could the pain be something that does not impact on his movement. If he had hit his head and got a headache or a sinus issue. I presume all is good with his teeth and jaw. I think horses like humans can get TMJ and that can cause jaw pain.

I know he had ulcers twice when he was on the last yard. I put them down to him not being given enough hay and stress from how he was managed there. I don't think he has ulcers at the moment as he's not showing the signs that he did then. I agree it may be pain related now but after he'd moved both the vet and the osteopath ruled out him being pain.

 

[MereChristmas]

My pony’s symptoms weren’t anything like classic. I had to ask the vet for scoping.
The pony was treated with injections of omeprazole and also Sucralfate.

edit.. my pony is a Connnemara

 

[SO1]

I presume you have had tested for Cushings following the laminitis attack if he is 15.

Thanks. He's only 15. I was very reluctant to get another as my last horse was such a worry as she was a walking vet's bill. I thought he'd be a hardy pony that I could keep in a field and not have to worry about.

 

[MereChristmas]

Posting this separately

A friend had her dressage event horse at a super posh yard with facilities to die for. He got ulcers, badly.
For other reasons she moved him to a yard with hardly any facilities, the grass was coarser and the regime different. He has thrived and is keeping weight for the first time in his life. He is mid late teens

I suppose I’m saying what we think is great a horse may not.
As I said before I hope you can find a cause and a solution.

 

[olop]

I’ve had no end of problems with ulcers since November 2021. Horse was even diagnosed with stomach cancer but after I had it biopsied it came back as an inflamed ulcer luckily. He kept getting them and we did no end of examinations and eventually found he had quite severe hock arthritis, since treating the hocks the ulcers have never come back. They are almost certainly coming back due to some kind of pain elsewhere but it will be a job finding it! It took us months to find the cause of my boys as he wasn’t actually lame.
Could yours be arthritic? It might be worth suggesting a low dose pain killer to see if he improves and go from there.
Best of luck to you, you sound like a very caring owner

 

[Barton Bounty]

Posting this separately

A friend had her dressage event horse at a super posh yard with facilities to die for. He got ulcers, badly.
For other reasons she moved him to a yard with hardly any facilities, the grass was coarser and the regime different. He has thrived and is keeping weight for the first time in his life. He is mid late teens

I suppose I’m saying what we think is great a horse may not.
As I said before I hope you can find a cause and a solution.

I can agree with you too.. i moved my boy who had very serious colic a few time, one horsepital stay … from sandy soil to a completely different yard with muddier and harsher soil and he is thriving too. Even down to the way he is carrying his weight now! He looks absolutely fantastic

 

[Hackback]

Have you done a gut-friendly painkiller trial? Has he been tested for any vitamin/mineral deficiencies? It's so hard isn't it? If only they could talk. Hope you get to the bottom of it.

 

[Chianti]

Scoping only confirms foregut ulcers etc, could he still be having issues with hindgut?
I agree, your pony is very lucky to have a lovely caring owner

Thanks. We thought possibly hind gut but what then? It still seems to be rather unchartered ground in the veterinary world

 

[Chianti]

Have you done a gut-friendly painkiller trial? Has he been tested for any vitamin/mineral deficiencies? It's so hard isn't it? If only they could talk. Hope you get to the bottom of it.

Thanks. I was wondering about a painkiller trial. He has a vit and mineral supplement - plus several other supplements to try to help.

 

[ycbm]

In the summer I noticed he was standing with his right hind under him when he came in and his left shoulder had almost sunk and lost its muscle.

I suspect this is pointing to the source of the pain. Has the vet explored the right hind for issues?
.

 

[Chianti]

Could the pain be something that does not impact on his movement. If he had hit his head and got a headache or a sinus issue. I presume all is good with his teeth and jaw. I think horses like humans can get TMJ and that can cause jaw pain.

The osteopath treated his head on the first visit and was then surprised when, on the second, what she'd done hadn't 'stuck' as she put it so she treated it again.. He had his teeth done in October and they were fine. Vet also checked them when he had the first colic - I'd mentioned the over chewing and yawning- and he said they were good. He had blood tests at the first colic because with the yawning the vet wanted to rule out liver problems. They were OK.

 

[Chianti]

I suspect this is pointing to the source of the pain. Has the vet explored the right hind for issues?
.

I discussed it with the vet when he had his vaccinations in June. He suggested a joint supplement as a first option. Tried that for a few months but it made no difference so I had his hocks X rayed in October. They showed nothing and the vet said if he'd looked at them without knowing his age he'd have said they were the hocks of a much younger pony. The osteopath is due in a couple of weeks and from what she says I'll go back to the vet. Osteopath said right hind and the left fore shoulder muscle could be linked - the shoulder muscle looked weird - but she couldn't say they were definitely linked and she couldn't say which had happened first.

 

[Zoeypxo]

If he does any clinics local to you Tom Beech the Osteopathic vet is very good with cases like this

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thanks. We thought possibly hind gut but what then? It still seems to be rather unchartered ground in the veterinary world

Id try a supplement for it, my boy has them and aloe vera juice really helps

 

[SweetDreams]

What an amazing owner for trying everything you can! my only really suggestion would be a pain relief trial to see if he responds to NSAIDS such as bute but use the omeperazole as a gut protectant alongside it, obviously if he improves could be an indication of pain

 

[Equi]

Poor you, you have done a hell of a lot for your pony he is very lucky to have you. I can’t give any help but I’ve had thermal imaging before and it was very good, it picked out both horses issues which lead to one of them actually being fixed (in short vet kept saying my mare had hind end laminitis and I disagreed, thermal image showed a stifle hot spot which a chiropractor worked on quite fiercely and pony was instantly healed and never looked sore again since!)

 

[SEL]

What breed? I know PSSM hasn't had the best PR recently but that sounds very like my Appy before she was diagnosed. Are you rugging? Tight muscles can cause all sorts of odd compensation patterns

 

[Chianti]

Id try a supplement for it, my boy has them and aloe vera juice really helps

Thanks. We have tried aloe vera but it didn't help. He's now on Trinity Consultants products which seemed to be working but now aren't

 

[Chianti]

What an amazing owner for trying everything you can! my only really suggestion would be a pain relief trial to see if he responds to NSAIDS such as bute but use the omeperazole as a gut protectant alongside it, obviously if he improves could be an indication of pain

Thanks - yes. I think that's a good idea

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thanks. We have tried aloe vera but it didn't help. He's now on Trinity Consultants products which seemed to be working but now aren't

You must be so frustrated

 

[Chianti]

What breed? I know PSSM hasn't had the best PR recently but that sounds very like my Appy before she was diagnosed. Are you rugging? Tight muscles can cause all sorts of odd compensation patterns

Is that the condition that can be diagnosed by checking DNA or is it blood test? He's a mini cob - traveler pony - he was bought at Appleby at 6 months- not by me. He only has December and January unrugged as he also has quite bad sweet itch!