Be careful - Tying up/Azutoria

SecretSquirrell379

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I just want to warn everyone to be extra careful with their horses this week when everyone is bringing them back into work after the snow & ice.

I have a fit 20 year old Appy and during the bad weather she has been in her stable as we couldn't safely get them out and certainly couldn't ride. Her feed was adjusted (totally cut out the oats) her haylage dropped (not rich at all), apples and carrots cut right back. Yesterday was the first time we could ride, she'd been in for 8 days, we went for just a walk around the block to stretch them out. She went out like a rocket, understandably, but on the way back (30 min hack) she got slower and slower. To be honest at first I thought she was just having one of her 'lazy' moments, as I trotted her to catch up with our friend she felt unlevel, I thought it was because there was quite a camber on the road. She was still very dead to my leg and when we got on a flat piece of road I again trotted her to catch up. She felt almost lame so I jumped straight off so I could look at her properly. She just looked knackered, which was strange and her left shoulder was not moving as far forward as her right.

We strolled back (me leading) and when we got back to the yard she was standing like she needed a wee so I quickly got her stable sorted out and popped her in. She rooted as soon as she got in and pooped in a place she never poops in, then started to move around the stable using just her front legs, her back leg just swivelled on the spot.

I called my friend over as I knew something was really very wrong now and we called the vet telling him that we thought she had tied up. I put all of her rugs on to keep her warm and waiting for the vet, he came very quickly, examined her and said he thought she was tied up but took bloods to double check. He gave her a large bute shot & she is on bute twice a day for the next few days in just a teeny amount of hard feed.

The vet called me last night and her CK reading (think it was CK) was off the scale and she was badly tied up. She is now on box rest for a few days, no hardfeed (apart from a smidge for her bute) taken off haylage and put on hay, no apples or carrots at all and being kept toasty warm.

The vet said it was just 'one of those things' nothing that I have done has contributed to it, although thats not how I feel. He said that they have had several cases this week and he expected to see quite a few more.

Sorry for my ramblings but I just want to warn people that it can happen very easily and getting a vet to your horse quickly is essential. She had been examined and treated within a hour of us getting back, this has helped her recovery and today she looked a lot better.
 

not_with_it

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The same thing happened to the mare I ride over the weekend. She had been in for a few days, her owner took her for a short hack down the lane and back, got back into the yard and tied up. She's never tied up before and vet seemed to think it was due to the weather more than anything else management wise.

Luckily I have been able to ride my mare even if it has been mostly walk.
 

SecretSquirrell379

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There is a lot of it about at the moment :( its SO painful for them too.

You are lucky that you have been able to keep your girl ticking over, our yard was thick solid ice, no way could we get them out. Fingers crossed its over now though :rolleyes:
 

SecretSquirrell379

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happened to my part bred appy 3 weeks ago :( he's had to have physio and now being brought back into work very slowly.

I hope he gets back to normal very soon too :( I gave my girl a nice groom tonight and her back end was still quite hard, did you have that with your boy too? just wondering what treatment you had for him?
 

prettypony95

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thanks, i hope your girl will be back to normal soon :) well he was blood tested 2 days after he tied up and came back with a slight muscle damage result...so gave him 3 weeks for his muscles to recover then had physio out last thursday, she said i can start riding him in just walk and build it up to 40 mins in 2/3 weeks, then introduce trot work ...physio again in 5 weeks.
she said that his muscles weren't too bad considering he tied up..a little sore at the end of his back that's all. daily turnout, fed hay (used to be on haylage) and a little bit of feed (a very low calorie and starch diet!)
 

SecretSquirrell379

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thanks, i hope your girl will be back to normal soon :) well he was blood tested 2 days after he tied up and came back with a slight muscle damage result...so gave him 3 weeks for his muscles to recover then had physio out last thursday, she said i can start riding him in just walk and build it up to 40 mins in 2/3 weeks, then introduce trot work ...physio again in 5 weeks.
she said that his muscles weren't too bad considering he tied up..a little sore at the end of his back that's all. daily turnout, fed hay (used to be on haylage) and a little bit of feed (a very low calorie and starch diet!)

Was he on box rest at first? my vet suggested 2 weeks rest before I start to ride her again and slowly build it up. My girl has a back check booked for Monday anyway so I will keep that appt and maybe she can have just a little massage :D She has been on 2 bute a day for 2 days, then from tomorrow down to one bute a day, hay (used to be on haylage) and just a small handful of chaff for her to have the bute in. Problem is I know that my girl is going to go mental if turned out, our fields are under water and YO is worried about her hurting herself (justifyably)and trashing the field :( I'm going to speak to the vet tomorrow about turn out
 

MrsMozart

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Sorry to hear this.

Little Cob tied up two years ago, for no apparent reason. Went on for weeks. Brought him back into work to the letter. Was working for about three weeks, then it hit again. Had to stable him as he was doing something in the field, maybe running up the hill, that was setting it off again.

He's now retired for other reasons, but whilst he was still in work, he was fed 'Shape Up' by Saracens. Natural Vitamin E and natural Selenium, plus salt in his feed, as well as salt block in his stable. Now he's retired, he still gets salt in his feed as he's very fond of the salt lick when he's stabled.

Good luck and hope it all goes well.
 

ofcourseyoucan

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to OP if yours has tied up, yes do the 2 to 3 weeks box rest, then 2 to 3 weeks with turnout, but please do another blood before you start work, cos if enzymes havent returned to normal before you work again then the next tying up will do more damage. when bloods are normal then you really need to do 6 weeks of walk and trot, feeding only fibre before you ask for more otherwise you will find yourself back at square 1!!
 

SecretSquirrell379

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to OP if yours has tied up, yes do the 2 to 3 weeks box rest, then 2 to 3 weeks with turnout, but please do another blood before you start work, cos if enzymes havent returned to normal before you work again then the next tying up will do more damage. when bloods are normal then you really need to do 6 weeks of walk and trot, feeding only fibre before you ask for more otherwise you will find yourself back at square 1!!

Thank you, i should of said that the vet is going to retest her bloods in 2 weeks before we even consider riding. I have found out that her levels were literally off the scale, I don't have a level as they were that high :( i'm going to speak to the vet again today, I did leave him a message last night saying I needed a non urgent chat but I havn't heard back from him yet. I think its going to be a long road
 

SecretSquirrell379

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Sorry to hear this.

Little Cob tied up two years ago, for no apparent reason. Went on for weeks. Brought him back into work to the letter. Was working for about three weeks, then it hit again. Had to stable him as he was doing something in the field, maybe running up the hill, that was setting it off again.

He's now retired for other reasons, but whilst he was still in work, he was fed 'Shape Up' by Saracens. Natural Vitamin E and natural Selenium, plus salt in his feed, as well as salt block in his stable. Now he's retired, he still gets salt in his feed as he's very fond of the salt lick when he's stabled.

Good luck and hope it all goes well.

Thanks Mrs M, I havn't heard of Shape Up, I will have a look at it. I was planning on feeding Alfa A Oil which is recommended for horses prone to tying up and i've ordered some Naff supplement which has Vit E and Selenium in it and of course keeping her on hay rather than haylage.

I was worried about her starting if off again being turned out as she doesn't normally get turned out during the winter, she messes around too much and hates it, she just roars around, bucking, rearing, farting and screaming her head off, thats not going to do her any good at all. She also hasn't got any immediate neighbours in her field as they are all on winter grazing (she just has one field as she only goes out in the summer) She is normally ridden every day for at least an hour to compensate for this. Hopefully I will get some advice from the vet later as well.

thanks for your reply xx
 

SecretSquirrell379

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this is just my understanding of it!!

it is a build up of lactic acid in the muscles and this makes the muscles spasm, like us having bad cramp. It tends to start at their back ends and the toxins can permanently damage the muscles. They are not sure what always causes it but too much high energy feed and no enough regular work can be a contributory factor. It is very painful for them, imagine you having bad cramp from your waist down but being unable to move properly as well :(

In my case I think that it was due to her being used to being exercised every day, she is quite fit & being stuck in her stable for 8 days due to the snow and ice and getting very excited about going out for a ride. I had cut her feed down and hay but sometimes it just happens.

There is loads on the internet about it, some if it very confusing though!
 

prettypony95

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Was he on box rest at first? my vet suggested 2 weeks rest before I start to ride her again and slowly build it up. My girl has a back check booked for Monday anyway so I will keep that appt and maybe she can have just a little massage :D She has been on 2 bute a day for 2 days, then from tomorrow down to one bute a day, hay (used to be on haylage) and just a small handful of chaff for her to have the bute in. Problem is I know that my girl is going to go mental if turned out, our fields are under water and YO is worried about her hurting herself (justifyably)and trashing the field :( I'm going to speak to the vet tomorrow about turn out


yes vet said to keep him in until he was blood tested, which was 2 days after...then about 5 days after i was allowed to turn out but only for about 30 mins....then gradually built it up so he's out pretty much most of the day now, when he tied up the vet gave him ACP injection and a bute injection, then he had a sachet of bute the night after, then half a sachet for the next 2 nights, then off it.
i was concerned about him going mental when he went out but he wasnt too bad lol
 

SecretSquirrell379

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Thank you for that link, I'm going to read it now :D

My vet was passing the yard today and popped in to see how she is. Her quarters are still really quite hard and look almost fluid filled :confused: the vet said that it was too be expected and it would go down with time.

I've started walking her in hand twice a day for 10-15 mins, hopefully that will help

Glad to hear that your neddie is on the mend now xx
 

joelb

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Thanks OP for raising awareness and pp95 for sharing that link, interesting stuff. I have no experience of tying up but my mare is full Cob Normand so genetically predisposed to PSSM, they have been known to die in harness from it. We are nearing the end of 3 months box rest and I am getting more paranoid by the day about turning out and bringing back into work. I fear our biggest battle lies ahead.
 

SecretSquirrell379

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I am sure your mare will be fine if you ensure that she has a startch/sugar free or very low diet and do things very slowly. All you can do is your best, if its going to happen then often there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Just be aware of the symptoms and if you are worried then act quickly :D Good luck,, I am sure it will all be ok xx
 

aran

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I'm sorry your horse tied-up - it's not nice!
I'm sure you've been advised - but in case you haven't
Make sure he's on a very good vit/min supp - some vets up the calcium after an attack
Also give electrolytes
After my horses attack I went to a high fibre, low starch diet, vit/min, electrolytes, ad lib hay and out every day with out fail
Also careful warming up and down

Saracens have done lots of research into feeds for horses that tied up
They specially made re-leve for horses prone to tying-up that need more than just a fibre diet - may be worth talking with them
(high alfa is good because of the calcium levels)

http://www.saracen-horse-feeds.co.uk/products/thoroughbred/racing/re-leve.html
 

SecretSquirrell379

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I'm sorry your horse tied-up - it's not nice!
I'm sure you've been advised - but in case you haven't
Make sure he's on a very good vit/min supp - some vets up the calcium after an attack
Also give electrolytes
After my horses attack I went to a high fibre, low starch diet, vit/min, electrolytes, ad lib hay and out every day with out fail
Also careful warming up and down

Saracens have done lots of research into feeds for horses that tied up
They specially made re-leve for horses prone to tying-up that need more than just a fibre diet - may be worth talking with them
(high alfa is good because of the calcium levels)

http://www.saracen-horse-feeds.co.uk/products/thoroughbred/racing/re-leve.html

Thanks Aran, I didn't look at Saracen feeds I must admit. I will have a look at your link though for the future. I spoke to Dengie feeds yesterday and my mare is now going to be on Alfa A Mollases free with Naff Selenium & Vit E supplement and Dengie Performance Vitamins, she should have more than she needs with that lot! She will also be on adlib hay. Unfortunately she can not be turned out yet as she is not settled in the field and the vet and I are worried about her tying up again. I am walking her in hand twice a day for 10-15 mins. I am hoping that in a few weeks if the weather improves she can start going out. That is the plan!
 
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