can a horse heart suddenly start to drop a beat?

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aregona

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My vet has just discovered my 9yrs old tb has started dropping a beat. I have owned him 6 yrs and his heart has always been fine. How has he suddenly started dropping a beat?
 
This is likely to be something called "2nd degree atrioventricular block" - a fairly common finding it fit horses when they are relaxed. It is usually a totally normal finding, indicating little more than your horse is fit and relaxed! They will almost always disappear with exercise or excitement - you can test this yourself. If you find your horse's pulse (under the jaw is probably easiest), then you will feel a regular pulse, but with the occasional pulse missing. Once you have found this, then trot him for a few minutes then feel the pulse again. He should no longer be dropping beats. If he still drops beats after exercise then potentially he does have a problem, which should be investigated by your vet (ECG and echocardiography most likely).
 
alsiola said:
This is likely to be something called "2nd degree atrioventricular block" - a fairly common finding it fit horses when they are relaxed. It is usually a totally normal finding, indicating little more than your horse is fit and relaxed! They will almost always disappear with exercise or excitement - you can test this yourself. If you find your horse's pulse (under the jaw is probably easiest), then you will feel a regular pulse, but with the occasional pulse missing. Once you have found this, then trot him for a few minutes then feel the pulse again. He should no longer be dropping beats. If he still drops beats after exercise then potentially he does have a problem, which should be investigated by your vet (ECG and echocardiography most likely).
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This is what my horse was diagnosed with too! I think first degree and third degree heartblock are more serious conditions but 2nd degree heart block is nothing to worry about. I can remember being very worried at the time of diagnosis (my vet just happened to mention he was skipping every third beat as he was listening to his heart rate whilst he was colicking at the time). I had previously lost a horse with a heart attack which made the diagnosis worse but my vet reasurred me that it was just as Alsiola has described above.

The only thing I did do was mention to my vet that he had 2nd degree heart block when he gave him Trimedazine sachets (blue and silver antib sachets) as its a form of cardia arythmia and although not a serious form of this it does say on the side of the box caution should be exercised if giving horses with CA this drug.
 
Thanks guys, I lunged him today and his heart rate now appears normal
:-) I am a much happier person :-) I am going to chat to my normal vet tomorrow and let him do what tests he thinks he needs but I do feel a lot calmer. Any symptom or things I need to worry about?
 
aregona said:
Thanks guys, I lunged him today and his heart rate now appears normal
:-) I am a much happier person :-) I am going to chat to my normal vet tomorrow and let him do what tests he thinks he needs but I do feel a lot calmer. Any symptom or things I need to worry about?
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I think you should read up on this condition to put your mind at rest.
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/sports/cardiac.html

To be honest theres not really much point in getting your vet to test your horses heart as the condition is not really considered a problem. Some horses get it, and some don't, in the same way some horses get melanomas and some horses don't, or some horses need shoeing every four weeks and some horses don't. So please don't worry x
 
Is it more likely that previous vets who listened to his heart heard it but did not mention it because, particularly in racing TBs who've been very fit in teh past, it is extremely common and not even a vet failure when you sell? I've owned several. It may well not be a new thing at all.
 
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