Azoturia/tying up - experiences please

My old boy is very prone to tying up and symptoms will vary depending on the severity of the attack. If you catch it early enough muscle relaxants arent necessary but you need to look out for the early warning signs!
Typical attack would involve looking a bit tucked up with uneaven/stiff gait behind (this was an early warning!). If worked or allowed to be kept mobile this would progress to severe stiffness of the back end, reluctance to move, cold sweats and when very severe a dark red/brown coloured urine (this is the muscles breaking down). Mine could have an attack if he got too cold and shivered as it would send his muscles into spasm!
Its pretty obvious when you see a horse thats tied up but most vets will take bloods to check for enzyme levels. One enzyme in particular (cant remember which one though!) will be elevated in a true tie-up case.
Treatment for severe cases is box rest, muscle relaxants and pain killers. Continued movement causes further muscle damage so you should try to avoid this if possible. Then bring back into work very slowly and ensure adequate warm-up/cool-down periods. Mine is out on part loan now and my poor loanee is prob sick to death of me reminding her to make sure he is properly warmed up and cooled down after exercise!
Long term a switch to a high fibre low starch diet is beneficial (they think its something to do with the breakdown and storage of complex carbohydrates that is different in recurrent tie-up cases). I switched mine 8years ago and *touch wood* he hasnt had a proper attack since! I basically maintain him like a laminitic, so low starch feeds, monitor grazing and try not to let him get too heavy. Also if having a period off work I cut his feed by half (which is more important if feeding high starch diet but still useful). I also make sure he is nice and warm at all times so no shivering attacks!

Hope that helps
S
 
I had a mare that used to suffer from Azoturia. Careful warmup/cool down was vital. In winter she was warmed up in a WARM quarter sheet, sometimes this would stay on the whole time in cold weather. We were careful to make sure she was kept warm and her quarters were never clipped.

Diet wise, I found NAF's Vit. E, Lysine and Selenium supplement worked wonders and she was fed a low starch and high oil diet, this pretty much prevented any further attacks.

Oh, a tell tale sign is the muscles around the hind quarters feeling rock hard to the touch. They sort of feel like concrete covered by fur, really strange. When it happens the horse must be kept warm and not moved unless its vital, any movement during an attack increases the risk of further muscle damage.
 
Thanks everyone - very useful.

Is this muscle damage reversible? so for example, if the horse had an episode of azoturia say a couple of years ago, and then the horse was brought back into correct work etc would you be able to correct the muscle damage?

I am curious as I see a lot of stiff horses with severe muscle wastage - I am wondering how many of these cases may have been a result of a form of azoturia rather than just incorrect work/poorly fitting tack.

In the case of stiffness behind, did it look like two different horses? the front end moving properly and the back end being really stiff with the back in the middle (probably under a lot of strain)?

I gather a blood and urine test will be conclusive?
 
Yes you should be able to work the muscle back up again if brought into correct work. Mine certainly shows no sign of muscle wastage now and is not stiff on a day to day basis (very supple actually and he's now 18 and in full work).
In my horses case it was like riding two different horses, yes, but Im not sure if this applies to all cases.
Blood tests should be conclusive in the sense that if the enzyme is very elevated then muscle damage is without doubt, however the extent of elevation from the norm is difficult to determine if you dont know what the horses norm is. I now have notes of all my horses bloods and know what his levels are when he's healthy, and what his levels were at his worst attack and how long it took for them to return to normal (usually any evidence of tie-up in the bloods is gone within a few days if the horse is managed correctly as the enzyme levels return to normal)
S
 
So, it would be sensible to take a blood sample when the horse was "normal" to establish a base line and then to work the horse and at the first sign of muscle fatigue/stiffness to get further tests done to see if the enzyme level is elevated?

In the meantime, would it be sensible to start supplementing with Vit E & Selenium and also halving rations (as it is so frozen they are being kept in). Or should nothing be done so that the horse can show the symptoms in their extreme?

Also, did you have a muscle biopsy done?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top