Experience of getting a horse back from severe acute anaemia?

[JDH01]

I was just wondering if anyone has had a horse come back into full work after very severe anaemia due to an internal bleed? Thanks for any replies.

 

[Maesfen]

No experience, sorry but I would imagine it will take a lot longer than you'd think and diet would be an important part of recuperation.
I expect there would be weekly/monthly blood tests and you would need a certain length of time that the tests have been at the correct level before you should start work again and then only slowly as if you were fittening hunters and just keep monitoring the levels.

 

[gunnergundog]

Eighteen years ago I had a successful eventer that suffered as above; he was injected with god knows what....stuff that isn't allowable today due to EU regs. He had a right cocktail of jabs, supplements etc administered but he only came right ten months on when I took him off EVERYTHING and let Dr Green work his magic. He came back to event and hunt in his twilight years very happily.

 

[maccachic]

I would be speaking with a nutritionist as you will need more than just iron to fix it.

 

[JDH01]

Thank you for your replies, the vet has been back today and has redone the blood tests so we need to wait and see tomorrow what the results tell us. I am expecting this to take time and be complex particularly as he is a horse who is very fussy about his food. I am hoping that we have a stable if anaemic horse and can work on diet to get this sorted obviously with nutritionist support, if this is not the case then I may have to make a very difficult decision. Thanks again.

 

[Fides]

I would be speaking with a nutritionist as you will need more than just iron to fix it.

More than iron yes, but diet alone will take 3 months to resolve an acute anaemia...

OP It is possible to give iron infusions to replenish iron stores and erythropoetin to stimulate red cell poduction - you will get an improvement in red cell quality within 3 days and resultion can be achieved in as little as 2 weeks. Iron alone you are looking at 6 weeks before you get normal haemaglobin but sometimes as much as 3 months (as with diet alone). You may also need to supplement B12 and folate are both are involved in cell production.

 

[JDH01]

Thank you that sounds more positive, I am currently waiting for the vet to call back with the results so I am pleased I have some options to discuss.
Thanks
Jo