Constant higher than normal temperature.

[Jilly G]

My Connemara pony has had an elevated temperature for over 6 weeks. it ranges from 38.6 to 39.5 at times. He is not showing any signs of being particularly ill. He eats well, drinks normally, and poos and wees normally. All test so far are negative, and the next stage of investigations will entail me sending him to hospital for xrays and scans. Has anyone else had anything similar please. I'm at my wits end, and the vets are baffled.

 

[Melody Grey]

My Connemara pony has had an elevated temperature for over 6 weeks. it ranges from 38.6 to 39.5 at times. He is not showing any signs of being particularly ill. He eats well, drinks normally, and poos and wees normally. All test so far are negative, and the next stage of investigations will entail me sending him to hospital for xrays and scans. Has anyone else had anything similar please. I'm at my wits end, and the vets are baffled.

A virus?

 

[ycbm]

What signs caused you to take his temperature in the first place? I'm a bit baffled what they would xray and scan to try to find the cause of a high temperature.
.

 

[Cloball]

Thermometer calibration?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Try a different thermometer to start with

 

[Jilly G]

Yes, done that.

 

[Jilly G]

Thermometer calibration?

I have bought a new thermometer, and the vets thermometer says the same.

 

[Jilly G]

Try a different thermometer to start with

Yes done that.

What signs caused you to take his temperature in the first place? I'm a bit baffled what they would xray and scan to try to find the cause of a high temperature.
.

My other horse had colic type symptoms, and also a temperature. He was off colour for a while, and was treated for a bacterial infection, until my pony, the Connie also showed a temperature. He had become very lethargic, much more than his usual self, which caused me to actual take his temperature. At this point we decided they both had a virus of some sort. My horse got better in a couple of weeks, the pony has continued to get no worse, but no better for over 6 weeks now. Bloods were taken to see if they could find anything to explain this. All came back normal. A red worm test was done as well as a tick test. We are pausing investigations for two weeks to see if it resolves. I was hoping someone somewhere might have experienced the same thing, and it had eventually just gone away.

 

[Melody Grey]

Have you got any interesting weeds in your grazing or trees that could be causing toxicity?

 

[Jilly G]

Have you got any interesting weeds in your grazing or trees that could be causing toxicity?

No sycamore trees, quite a lot of hemlock, which is being tackled. I am assured that the hemlock would not produce just a temperature. It's a neurotoxin that causes convulsions and quick death

 

[ycbm]

How old is the pony?


Is it possibly the horse got a virus and the pony has a compromised immune system and can't shake it off? Cushings? Age related?

I'm still intrigued to know what your vets intend to scan or x ray to try to trace the source of a raised temperature.

 

[Jilly G]

How old is the pony?


Is it possibly the horse got a virus and the pony has a compromised immune system and can't shake it off? Cushings? Age related?

I'm still intrigued to know what your vets intend to scan or x ray to try to trace the source of a raised temperature.

Although rare in horses the specialists have suggested that cancer can cause temperature. I think they will be looking for abnormal masses. The pony does have a poor immune system, but it is improved with a regime of herbs and vitamins etc. He has a history of numerous problems. Melanomas, sidebone at 4, inflammatory airways disease, mild sweetitch, gum problems due to bacterial infection which is controlled by daily Corsodyl application. I'm sure there is more, but will stop there. I agree that it might be that he can't shake the virus, and I know humans can suffer over a long period with a virus, however how long do I wait? What if it is a cancer? I believe he has probably had a temperature for longer than I can confirm. He was just a bit off for at least a couple of weeks before I took his temperature. I was very preoccupied with my horse, so stopped riding him hoping he would cheer up. The pony is 11.

 

[ycbm]

If it's known that the pony has a compromised immune system and his horse companion was ill at the same time, it sounds to me far more likely that he is failing to shake off the same virus that the other horse had. Viruses are, after all, common in horses and cancer is not. Viruses can cause problems for months.

You already have a very plausible explanation. Personally, I don't really understand your vets trying to find any other cause until other symptoms present themselves.
.

 

[SEL]

There's also the possibility that the pony always runs slightly high. I run slightly low so any "normal" readings for me are indicative of a problem.

 

[eggs]

There's also the possibility that the pony always runs slightly high. I run slightly low so any "normal" readings for me are indicative of a problem.

I'm the same as a result of having Raynaud's.

A few months ago my friends horse came in looking very off colour and when we took her temperature it was around 39o. Vet came out and took bloods and she was put on antibiotics as a precaution. It took over a week for her temperature to come back down We took the temperatures of the other horses and they were all normal but then a couple of days later a couple of them were raised but were showing no other signs - we were only taking their temperatures as we knew that L had a raised temperature. Bloods came back inconclusive and the vet thought it was just a virus that went through the yard.