Grass Sickness - anyone else had it?

[forever broke]

I've just been reading through the pictures thread and saw the recovered GS case near the beginning. Does anyone else have any recovered cases or had any experiences with grass sickness? It seems that many owners (and vets) have never heard of it or wouldn't recognise it if they saw it. Those that have (me included at the time) think that it is fatal in all cases and aren't aware there is a chronic form. Here's my boy's (shortened!) story:
In May 2010 my 3yo welsh cross got grass sickness. The first vet that came out didn't realise what it was and messed about with antibiotics for a week before another vet from the same surgery came out and diagnosed GS. She admitted him to their hospital, where he stayed for three weeks before being released home for me to nurse. By the November he was well enough to start very gentle riding and was very gradually brought back in to work (he had been lightly backed just before falling ill). He's now 6 and mostly fine, but has a very sensitive gut and we have to be extremely careful what he eats.

the week before he fell ill

second day in hospital

the day he came home from the vet

xc schooling as a 5yo

 

[gmw]

How lovely to see your horse over this dreadful 'disease'. Many years ago we lost a pony to grass sickness. Our vet was kindness itself and tried everything to treat him. The pony was taken ill on Friday and pts the following Thursday. He couldn't drink and didn't pass any droppings. The symptoms were muscle spasms, temperature, unable to swallow water or feed and not pass any droppings. We cried for weeks. He was a super pony could turn his hoof to anything. We still talk about him. We live on Anglesey North Wales, some areas are never affected by this 'disease'. Apparently hares can be affected by similar symptoms. (Think I read this somewhere).

 

[doratheexplorer]

What a lovely story - well done for nursing him back to health.

It is a terrible disease, your 2nd photo is heartbreaking.

 

[laz]

It really is a horrible disease. My dales pony got it but at first we thought it was colic and so did vet. She went to the vet school the same day and was put to sleep that night after they operated on her to see what was going on, unfortunately it was the acute form. It was just shocking how quick it was. I hacked her that morning as well, but later on she was lying flat in the field by herself. Glad yours had a happy ending.