ataxic horse

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-kerry

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Hi does anyone have any experience or suggestions for a horse with poss head / neck trauma resulting in ataxia/neuro signs with also lameness ? . Sorry for long post , my horse has managed to we think become cast in his stable while in overnight resulting in 2 lame legs on the same side with hind limb ataxia aslo. He has been for a bone scan/xrays/nerve blocks and vets cannot find anything , all they can say is the 2 legs are not related as vary independantly on lunge , and they think there is a pain element with the neurological element also . Have said unsafe to ride and sent me away with no hope at all . Has been suggested by a therapist i had to see him could of bashed his head as skull around eyes not symetrical ? brain damage. Any advice gratefully received thanks
 
I have experience of Ataxia my TB started with it in 2009. He was 24yo.

He doesn't have lameness though, I did a lot of research as my boy was severe it was hard work getting him through the stable door as he was so bent. I by chance read a paper written by a vet in the US. He recommended treating Ataxia with very high levels of Vit E. I found that Saracen sold Nano E which is a soluble form of Vit E. Within 2 months of treating with a high does he was almost straight again.

He was doing remarkably well up until 2 months ago when actively grooming his pal caused problems & he went quite bent again. He problems stem from his neck, we never diagnosed fully as there is not really any point in upsetting him at this age.
Vit E doesn't cure Ataxia but it really helps.

I've also had my other horse a WB suffer Ataxia through a pain related injury, it came on overnight. Turned out he was in imense pain over the wither area, we think he possibly got cast. We treated with Finadyne & by day 3 the Ataxia started to disappear, by day 5 it was gone & we now just have the physio in every 6 weeks to maintain. Again with this we didnt have lameness just a very bent horse that you could pull over in one direction.
 
-kerry said:
Hi does anyone have any experience or suggestions for a horse with poss head / neck trauma resulting in ataxia/neuro signs with also lameness ? . Sorry for long post , my horse has managed to we think become cast in his stable while in overnight resulting in 2 lame legs on the same side with hind limb ataxia aslo. He has been for a bone scan/xrays/nerve blocks and vets cannot find anything , all they can say is the 2 legs are not related as vary independantly on lunge , and they think there is a pain element with the neurological element also . Have said unsafe to ride and sent me away with no hope at all . Has been suggested by a therapist i had to see him could of bashed his head as skull around eyes not symetrical ? brain damage. Any advice gratefully received thanks
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My horse had ataxia following a fall on his neck in the field, where ataxia developed within minutes. He did not have lameness but went on to develop wobblers and was pts within weeks.

However I was thinking about post anesthetic lameness which is a problem encountered during operations with a horse which is caused by lying in the same position for a long period of time which can cause muscle problems. This is why horses are placed on inflatable beds on top of operating tables to absorb some of the pressure on their bodies.

When your horse became cast it could be that he was stuck in the same position for a long time hence the lameness which may be as a result of muscle damage; read the following extract from a horse operation website.

After cardiac arrest, the second major cause of death due to anaesthesia is post anaesthetis lameness (PAL), or a myopathy/neuropathy syndrome.

This has similarities to tying-up or exertional rhabdomyolysis, but in this scenario the muscle damage is due to a depression of the circulatory and respiratory systems and the weight of the unconscious animal pressing on the muscle masses. This pressure will be exacerbated if a horse has lain on a hard surface or been positioned awkwardly. Under general anaesthesia, the blood is not pumped from the heart with enough driving force or pressure to reach all the muscles.

The weight of the animal pressing down on these makes it even more difficult for the blood to flow. Without blood flow, oxygen and nutrients cannot be efficiently delivered to the muscle cells and waste products cannot be removed.

This can me made worse by respiratory depression, which results in less oxygen being absorbed into the blood stream. In extreme cases this can kill off the muscle cells, causing widespread damage. If limited to just one muscle mass, the horse may be able to get to his feet after the anaesthetic but will be lame. If the damage is widespread he may never stand again.
 
Would suggest you contact a specialist in this area such as Dicky Hepburn at B&W equine group.............I saw him present on ataxia and some of the work he did in the USA earlier this year; I believe he may be publishing a paper shortly, but def worth a call.
 
Hi thanks for all your replys - Dressage crazy - have started him on vit e as soon as he came back from referral vets so will see if that helps. Apple cart - good suggestion , had not thought of that , will investigate further . Gunnergundog - will give him a call . Thanks again all , really appreciate your help, as you know how frustrating horses can be to sort out !!
 
A horse local to me presented with ataxia recently. She has been diagnosed with a flexor tendon injury in a front leg, and they *think* that as the injury has been there for some time, but undetected (they thought she had a stifle injury) the compensation she has made has resulted in the ataxia.
 
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