can anyone diagnose what's wrong with this horse?

my sciency, not medical thinking is that if it was an infection somewhere it would have been picked up in the blood tests as a white blood cell count would def have been done. It (I think) is more likely that various hormones have not yet been tested.
 
Just to add, i've spoken to someone that knows more than me and they said that yes, she's been tested for cushings, normal blood tests run, hormone levels are all ok.

If she is out for over 12 hours, she gets pittied odema from her ears right to her mouth, and although normally associated with heart problems her ECG is fine.

She has now had a zero worm count, and has been wormed for tape worms.

She has had an anabolic steriod injection yesterday to help with the muscle loss.

Also, whilst she might have damage on her back end, i don't think her pelvis could be cracked. the back man/vet would have picked that up? don't you think?!? :eek:

gah, horses are such a worry. x
 
bummer. wonder if you can scan ovaries/general utereus area

think am bit out of ideas now.

do keep us updated though clip. would like to hear.
 
Sounds like could be hormonal, maybe an ovarian cyst but did think cushings too at first.
I hope you friend finds out what is wrong soon.
 
alfirules said:
Im afraid I don't have any ideas, but i would have thought it would be somehow linked to her being in season, hopefully a breeder may see this post and have more of an idea.
Could the mare have been in with any geldings or stallions? or could the mares that were humping her damage her in any way?

If she were mine i would want a second opinion from another vet, maybe a specialist in this area and i would want the mare to go in for examination and have scans etc, as it sounds like she is in a bad way and not improving.
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You saved me writing that out, thanks but they were my main thoughts!

Don't forget, while weight can come off quickly as it did with this mare, it will take a much longer time for her to get it back, think at least 3 times longer.
Has she tried either natural yoghurt or Pink Powders, they might help if it's a bacteria thing?

I'd also want her scoped properly for ulcers, I'd like to see what there is down there. (Went to an ulcer talk the other week, they scoped 2 horses for us there and then, fascinating. The byword for prevention/management, was long forage.)

Do let us know how it goes but it really doesn't sound good at all. Best of luck.
 
QR
The symptoms you are describing bring to mind 2 things:
Granular ovarian tumour - the loss of weight, odd season, possibly the swelling of face and generally off colour. The test costs about £80 and there are only 2 labs that do it, but if tumour is big it should be easily visible on USG
Severe magnesium deficiency - again, loss of weight, strange back end action, stiffness, dull coat, generally poor and muscle wastage - a bit like staggers in cattle... easily treated with supplementing magnesium, possibly in drips to start with...

ETS - my Gracie has had a combo of both conditions, she has gone down hill PDQ and I thought I would have to have her PTS, but she had a surgery removing the tumour at Liverpool, is on magnesium supplement and is looking better than ever. She is 16.
 
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I have no medical knowledge but having seen various animals with uterine infections/tumours that was my first thought as I was reading the OP. I would expect an infection to show up in white blood cell count, so possibly tumour. I know JanetGeorge has experience of this so perhaps pm her?
Good luck!
 
I can't remember the details, but JanetGeorge was very helpful when I had someone accuse my mare of mounting a gelding.

She mentioned some kind of tumour that can occur. Might be clutching at straws, but she is very knowledgeable repro wise :)

Regarding the allergy question, I had my mare allergy tested and she came back allergic to loads of things. She has not been good consistently for the past 18 months or so, but now I know what is causing a lot of it she has come on in leaps and bounds.

Very helpful information to have!
 
Maybe scan for an ovarian tumour? A granulosa cell tumour could technically cause most of the signs you are saying and wont affect a normal haematology/biochem (which are the bloods i would assume your vet to have taken). That would be what i would try before allergy testing tbh.
 
I wonder what the vet would think about running a full body thermal imaging scan? I picked up literature about this yesterday at a county show, but don't know much about it:

www.equiscan.co.uk

Might just help to pinpoint where in her body the problem is? I asked them how much at the show, and it was IRO £300 but you got the full scan and a vets report interpreting it out of it... if it can be covered in insurance then so much the better.

What type of back person came out, and are they qualified and a member of the relevant governing body? An osteopath (I think its that one) only deals with problems in the spine, whereas a chiro (or the other one if I've got them the wrong way around) deals with all the bones in the body, so might be worth getting the other out, or a physio, who deals with musculature.
 
Hi there,

A mare at mare field suddenly had ataxia in her back end which led to all sorts of odd behaviour. She also lost alot of weight suddenly. She too is an older mare and hasn't shedded her coat well this year (could be coincidental). I know that the symptoms are not all the same but thought I would add.

The first thought was a spinal or other tumour, however the vet ruled out any cancers due to the lack of temerature (??) I wasn't there though so this is second hand. However the lack of white blood cells on the bloods and lack of temperature in your friend's mare would certainly rule out infection.

I digress - the mare has now been diagnosed with a degenerative nuerological condition which has been affecting the whole of her back end causing the ataxia and the colic symptoms due to problems with peristalsis. Could the strange movement behind in your friend's mare be neurological??
 
clipcloppop said:
Also, whilst she might have damage on her back end, i don't think her pelvis could be cracked. the back man/vet would have picked that up? don't you think?!? :eek:

gah, horses are such a worry. x
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not necasarily (sp?) she can compensate in other parts of her body making more problems elsewhere, so for example she could look lame from the hocks down but is because she is moving oddly to relieve pressure elsewhere, the fact that she is twisting her back feet as she walks suggests something going on from the hocks upwards. but the like others say, there could be some tumours somewhere. only way to find if she has cracked her pelvis is scans. or maybe thermal imaging as someone else suggested? as i would imagine there would be alot of heat around the area if there is a problem there.
 
Has the vet done a rectal scan of her overies and uterus? That would have been one of my first things to do.

The overly long season and 'stallion like' behaviour suggests a thecal-cell granuloma. The testortrone will be sky high though - presumably the vet tested for that? The rest of the symptoms suggest a tumour that's gone wrong.
 
hi everyone, thank you for all your fabby replies. the mare is looking much perkier today after some extra nice grass yesterday. it's such a worry.

all your answers were ace and i'll be sharing them with the owner. martlin... i'm particularly interested in the magnesium deficiency...

thank you all

you're all ACE xxx

p.s. can't remember who mentioned the scoping, but she was scoped properly only 2 days ago and no ulcers. x
 
clipcloppop said:
martlin... i'm particularly interested in the magnesium deficiency...
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it was some way or other connected with strange and prolonged seasons... She got IV of magnesium and has been on either Equistro Equiliser or Equistro Betamag12 ever after - 3 years (I think) down the line she is as happy as larry, but semi-retired for unrelated reasons:)
 
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