Diagonostic techniques for shivers?

[EQUISCENE]

I am increasing concerned that my horse has shivers as he shows the classic symptoms, I have read that the only way to confirm this is by having a muscle biopsy carried out. Does anyone know of or have a horse with shivers? any experiences of how it was diagonosed would be appreciated!

Video of one of his symptoms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmxAXs9lCms

 

[RolyPolyPony]

How is he when he backs up? My lad has shivers, however his is now at the stage he can't lift one of his back legs without it going into a spasm. Occasionally when i get him to back up, his leg will spasm (usually when he's been stood around for a while). If you are concerned about it i would possibly get a vet to have a look, but just bare in mind that stringhalt can be mistaken for shivers and vice versa.

 

[chestnut cob]

My horse has shivers. He appears to be worse than yours though, in that he can only pick up his RH when pushed up against a wall (he needs the support of the wall to lean on). If I don't put him against a wall, he will dance around instead as he struggles to a) pick up the RH and b) support himself on the LH, and sometimes his RH goes into a short spasm. He also randomly has short spasms, always RH, when standing up and mostly only rests his LH. It is rare that he will rest his RH. Oddly, since removing his back shoes he seems more able to pick his feet up and balance on his opposite foot...

I don't know how his shivers was diagnosed, just that it happened when he was about 5 and his owners (I loan him) say it never got any worse. He is 16 this Spring and I can honestly say I don't think it has become any worse in the 2.5 years I have loaned him. It really doesn't worry me ATM because it doesn't affect his every day life apart from sometimes being difficult to pick his RH foot out. I have to be careful what I feed him though... any foods that are high in sugar and/or starch are out because they cause him to seize up terribly. His owners have always fed him competition mix "because he is lazy" so I also did and struggled with him for ages. I eventually took him off it and followed an EPSM diet for a while - suddenly he became much less lazy and I think it was all of the sugar/starch in the comp mix causing his problems. You can try a high oil diet but I didn't get on with it so I just make sure I limit the amount of sugar and starch he eats.

Essentially, follow a simple low sugar, low starch and high fibre diet. I like D&H High Fibre Nuts if you need a hard feed - I'm currently feeding a handful of those, 1/4 scoop (soaked) alfalfa (not chaff but pure lucerne / alfalfa) plus supplements and adlib soaked hay. A low sugar/starch and high fibre diet is sensible for any horse and if yours is a shiverer, it might be a real help. I also feed magnesium oxide, as that is meant to help muscle function.

FWIW, my horse schools, jumps, hacks, does farm rides...having shivers really doesn't affect him.

 

[EQUISCENE]

Thanks for the replies, for more information my boy is already on a high fibre diet and has been seen by my usual vet on several occasions xrays, back check, work ups etc he early on dismissed shivers (maybe because he also did a 5 stage vetting on this horse) After 18 months I have insisted on a referral and hopefully will get to the bottom of the problem which is intermittent but also goes alongside symptoms of being cold backed and having difficultly with correct strike off on left canter, he also does the leg tremor when he has his head down and is grazing out in the field, he has been out of work since Christmas and the symptoms are getting a little worse.

I took this vid to show the specialist incase I could not get him to display any symptoms at our appointment and just wondered if anyone else had gone through any tests to confirm or eliminate shivers..

 

[Bojangles]

Mine's a shiver too. We did go though a bad patch a few year's ago with the farrier. He kept pulling away hind leg and stamping it down. Didnt fancy a naill in his foot or the farrier on the floor!! So I got a sports massage lady who have done him wonders now we can do all his shoes without a leg being pulled away etc a very happy farrier now too. I hope you get it under control soon.

 

[chestnut cob]

Mine's a shiver too. We did go though a bad patch a few year's ago with the farrier. He kept pulling away hind leg and stamping it down. Didnt fancy a naill in his foot or the farrier on the floor!! So I got a sports massage lady who have done him wonders now we can do all his shoes without a leg being pulled away etc a very happy farrier now too. I hope you get it under control soon.

Mine has to have regular physio, usually every 4-6 months, as the shivers make him tight through his lumbar and SI regions. Also needs to be kept in regular work with as much turnout as possible, to keep him moving.

 

[Bojangles]

Thats the same area where Beau gets sore. It did take a few seasons to stop the soreness over the hip area he used to lift leg when presure was put on that area no longer there now. He is worked most days.

 

[RolyPolyPony]

Mine's a shiver too. We did go though a bad patch a few year's ago with the farrier. He kept pulling away hind leg and stamping it down. Didnt fancy a naill in his foot or the farrier on the floor!! So I got a sports massage lady who have done him wonders now we can do all his shoes without a leg being pulled away etc a very happy farrier now too. I hope you get it under control soon.

This is very interesting. I have a huge problem with my lad lifting is LH hind (took me 4months to get him to hold it on its toe but he just seems unable to bend the leg anymore, when stood still, without it going into a spasm). Maybe a sports massage person may be able to help a bit.

 

[Bojangles]

This is very interesting. I have a huge problem with my lad lifting is LH hind (took me 4months to get him to hold it on its toe but he just seems unable to bend the leg anymore, when stood still, without it going into a spasm). Maybe a sports massage person may be able to help a bit.

Thats the best thing I have find that works along with his heat pads and massage him myself. He also have Arthrtiss sp? Hope your's improves soon.

 

[dany]

It does look reminiscent of my boy, but Boris had it far worse. In the 10 years he was with me, I had never been able to pick his back feet up and his front also had a tine shake to them. Once fit he did go onto compete at BD, so id advise with these horses to keep them as fit as possible to halt or even possibly improve them.

Most people considered him a very bad shiverer and even he only showed signs when his feet where picked up, some times when he was backed up and then the odd time whilst grazing in the field, his hind leg would lift very high and spasm.

 

[EQUISCENE]

Thanks for your replies, unfortunately my boys ridden work is intermittently affected so reluctant to keep him in work incase it is something else. He has had xrays etc to rule out arthritis, please can you let me know if any of your horses with shivers have been diagonosed by a vet and what tests they carried out to come to that conclusion?

 

[applecart14]

I am increasing concerned that my horse has shivers as he shows the classic symptoms, I have read that the only way to confirm this is by having a muscle biopsy carried out. Does anyone know of or have a horse with shivers? any experiences of how it was diagonosed would be appreciated!

Video of one of his symptoms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmxAXs9lCms

Weirdly I was only reading my very old 1960's edition of the 'Veterinary Manual' by Eddie Statton the other day and apparently if you throw a cold bucket of water over the horses hind legs he will shiver automatically if he is a shivered. Not sure how true it is though.

to be honest although I'm no expert I would say that your horse is showing signs of pain in his hock (when hoof picked up) rather than shivering judging by the video clips of other horses on You Tube that do have shivers.

 

[EQUISCENE]

Thanks Applecart that was my initial thought but his hock xrays are absolutely clear!

 

[almorton]

are his stifles clear too?

 

[EQUISCENE]

Interesting you should say that as thermal imaging showed spots on the stifles and when you watch it carefully the leg stretching actually comes from stifle and the hocks dont bend. His stifles are due to be scanned next week and I am just thnking of getting him tested for shivers at the same time to save travelling back and forth twice!

 

[almorton]

In that case, id def get scans and xrays
at least rule it out!
looks to me more likely stiffness thro a joint rather than a shiverer, if thats any help
let us kno how u get on x