Atypical sympathy - a new disease?

Blood tests can show if the CK & AST levels are elevated but not yet at critical levels. I know that they are sometimes used to check other horses on the same grazing after a case of but have no idea how often you would need to have them taken as a screening precaution through the risk season.
 
This week my vets have had their first case of atypical myopathy and the horse was very sadly pts. We are in the West Midlands/Warwickshire area.
 
applecart14 said:
This week my vets have had their first case of atypical myopathy and the horse was very sadly pts. We are in the West Midlands/Warwickshire area.
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I'm waiting for the evidence that this is related to the very late onset of cold weather due to climate change. There just has to be something like that going on, this increase can't all be misdiagnosis, surely?

So sorry for all of you who have lost one, and all of you in a constant state of worry about sycamore on your grazing.
 
We lost one today at our yard and another is in the vets on drips. Horrific death. We have NO sycamore trees around the paddocks, well wormed, healthy animals etc. It is not grass sickness and nobody seems to be safe from it. so so sad
 
What breeds have been killed by this awful disease? The ones I have heard about locally have been cobs and some young shires. Such a terrible disease and my heart goes out to anyone effected in anyway.
 
I know of valuable dressage bred youngsters, tbs, an fit eventer, an andalucian. The majority do seem to be cobs & I suspect that is because they are more likely to be out 24/7 & less likely to discriminate about what they eat - Jason had been known to eat cat litter soaked in engine oil & you can't get less discriminating than that.
 
Truly awful. I am going to the RVC talk next week and hope they have more information, but it seems so random. Our horses don't get late night checks but I am thinking but might be worth the drive for peace of mind but can I do it for years?. YO isn't too happy about yard being disturbed in evenings.
 
Interesting as my pony had a routine blood test as part of his annual health assessment and his muscle enzymes were very slightly raised maybe 100 more than than they should be, vet was not particularly concerned as not a major rise but it was a bit strange.

A week later a horse on the yard died of AM, my pony was not in the same field as the one that died but there were seeds in both fields, much less seeds in the field my pony was in than the other fields. I wonder if my pony either had the start of it or a mild case. When I spoke to my vet after the horse died she said she did not think my pony's elevated muscle enzymes were related to the sycamore as they were not raised by a high enough amount. However as so little is known about AM I think it is not impossible that some could get it very mildly.

I do think weather conditions have a part to play as well.
 
If ones are getting it that are on fields without sycamore then maybe sycamore is not the problem?
 
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Very sadly a horse advertised for sale on a local website to me has had a note added to say that the horse had died from AM.

Thanks hairycob for that info, isn't just so concerning all these deaths from it? So tragic for all who have suffered losses through it and no real answers yet. :(
 
As I posted before our grazing is totally surrounded by woodland and mainly sycamores. My mare has been a bit lazy recently - I put it down to being in season - thats why I asked about blood tests, just wondering if its possible to pick up early symptoms.
Thing is, I am such a worrier about everything - how to know if this is a sensible worry or OTT.
Definatley going to ask vet tomorrow though.
 
SO1 said:
If ones are getting it that are on fields without sycamore then maybe sycamore is not the problem?
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Leaf mould? I spoke to my farrier this afternoon who said that he thinks it could be something to do with the warm mild and wet autumn/winters we've been experiencing the past few years. Problem is at the moment that there doesn't seem to an answer. Just like the alabama rot that's been the cause of dog deaths around our area.
 
SO1 said:
If ones are getting it that are on fields without sycamore then maybe sycamore is not the problem?
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I think it is established that sycamore is A problem, but it is beginning to look very much like it is not the only one :'(



I agree that I can't see any reason why there should not be raised enzymes in a horse with a very mild ingestion of the poison or a very good resistance to it.

What a bloody nightmare!
 
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Sycamore seeds can carry a tremendous distance. The yard I am at now doesn't have a sycamore in sight, The nearest is about 1/4 mile away. imagine my horror 2 weekends ago when, after strong winds, I found the blasted seeds at one end of the paddock! Definitely sycamore, I checked the angle of the 2 halves. We were down on hands & knees picking the wretched things until it got dark. We couldn't move paddock away from them until other horses were moved around as we are currently in isolation due to strangles (one of those years).
 
I don't think it is a new disease but one that has been missed for many years by vets who may have had no reason to suspect sycamore or anything else.
As an example my horse was PTS 3 weeks ago with very bad apparent colic. Within 2. 5 hours he had come in with a problem and was dead. The emergency vet with no knowledge of his history arrived quickly and was instructed to get him PTS immediately to relieve his pain. It was a brilliant vet who did exactly as they were asked. However there were no questions after as to what may have caused it, did we have sycamore etc. I didn't ask for a discussion about him but whilst I am reasonably happy this was not AM there is always the possibility that it could have been with a horse that ill at grass that quickly.
I am sure many similar instances have happened in the past. How many times have the hunt or knackerman been called out to PTS a distressed horse? How many PM's specifically tested (or indeed do now) for AM a disease unheard of?

I think it has become a disease purely because of the internet and communication. 20 years ago you may have seen a magazine article atypical myoglobinuria. I suspect many people may have turned the page as they had never heard of it and certainly didn't know any horses that had died from it.

Autumn has always bee a bad time especially for unexplained colic. I would be interested to know where mycotoxins come in.
 
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