Grass Sickness - Info needed urgently

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Taboo1968

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Has anyone experienced chronic grass sickness and managed to nurse their horse back from this???
What did you do, feed etc
Friend's horse has just been diagnosed as Chronic GS and I'm at a total loss as never dealt with it!!! HELP!!!!
 
i have never personally carried on as its such a long harsh process, altho i have heard of one person who has done it. it involves a lot of time spent monitering the horse and tyring to encourge it to eat small regular feeds, it is a very taxing and unpleasent process and not many survive, it really is quite horrific and not alot is known about it at all this link is really usefull

http://www.grasssickness.org.uk/advice/cgs_management.htm

thinking of you and the poor neddie x
 
Thanks guys, will print off the info and pass it onto friend later........ luckily said horsey is insured so as well as intensive nursing the vets bill will be covered, so its worth a shot
 
Have PM-ed you - will be happy to help.

The main thing to note is if the horse CAN still eat - some of the chronic animals seem to loose their ability to swallow, as the disease can affect any part of the sympathetic nervous system. As long as they can swallow, then you have a chance as you can syringe feed them - my horse didn't wan't to look at food, so we syringed soaked (very mushy with lots of oil) racehorse cubes up into his mouth and that kept him going until his appetite came back.

Some people reckon that syringing isn't the best idea, as they get a bit dependent on it in the long term, but we had no other choice and I have no doubt that it kept him alive. Weaning him off the syringe was a pain, but not half as harrowing as not having him eat anything!
 
Thanks Pootleperkin, got your PM and will email you later all the details, luckily at the moment, he is still eating albeit VERY slowly....... but he has had a couple of cases like choke (which we now know is one of the symptoms) Hopefully between his owner, friends and myself there will be enough of us to feed little and often and hope that we can pull him throuhgh this!!!
 
We lost a pony to grass sickness this year, if he hadn't been insured it would have saved him a lot of pain. He was only at home for a few days before he developed pneumonia and was put down
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To be honest there isn't much you can do apart from monitor the horse and make sure it gets a lot of love and attention, but its going to take a long time.

If any one of the others got it put it this way we would probably have them PTS as it would save a lot of un-nessecary pain
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The main reason I believe he lost his battle was because he lost the ability to swallow and therefore was even weaker. We did try and syringe feed him soaked weatabix, corn and brown sugar but he just wouldn't swallow it.

Best of luck, do let us know how you get on
Fingers crossed 4 you though x
 
Shortly after losing my mare to GS, a friends young horse developed it too. With many months of distress, trying anything to create an appetite, constant monitoring and worrying, the horse pulled through and is now a very fit and active young man.
It is time consuming, worrying and very tiring, and expensive but if you win, so worthwhile.
 
I completely second that Donklet....... SO worthwhile.
Gully and I have such a bond now; I think a lot of that comes from the fact that he had to trust me completely while he was so ill.

I feel very lucky to still have Gully - my heart goes out to the folk who put the time and effort in to nursing, but then still loose their Ned - so sad.

I would say that if it looks as if you are going to have a long term surviour, then try and get hold of some cisapride, a gut-motility drug. We managed to get some into Gul, and though we will never be sure if he was just getting well on his own or that it was the drug that helped, it was the week that he had the cisapride that he turned the corner.
 
I have witnessed grass sickness in 3 horses and unfortunately they all had lost the ability to swallow - they had to be pts it was 1 of the most distressing times in my life, however i think if there is any chance at all then you have got to give it a shot after reading Pootleperkins story and seing her horse now. i wish you all the luck i hope the horse pulls through i'll keep everything crossed for you its such an evil sickness i hope he can beat it. Sarah x
 
One of my friends horses has just got though chronic grass sickness and is now virtually back to full health. They slept in the lorry every night for about 6 weeks or so to keep the horse monitered and to give him regular small feeds. The vet did say that it would be a real touch and go process fo the first 6 weeks but after that the prongnosis drastically improves, he is now about 16 weeks on from the first prognosis and is starting to gain condition again and is back to his normal cheeky self.
Wishing you and your horse all the best and I really hope yours recovers aswel as Finley (my friends horse).
 
Well Jak has now been moved where he can be monitored 24-7 and fed little and often.... luckily at the moment he has not lost the ability to swallow, although it is taking a while for him to eat his feeds...... so fingers crossed..... and to Pootleperkin, thank you so much for all your help and advice not only on here but on the phone as well..... it is very much appreciated and it really does help talking to someone who has been through it and come out the other side!!! Before talking to you I only knew of one person who had been through it and all hers unfortunately were lost to EGS...... so a BIG thank you!!!
 
haven't read all the replies but hugs to your friend. I lost Higgs to this a few years ago.
Grass sickness basically kills the intestines lining so preventing the food moving down the intestines and out the other end, hence a lot of horses having colic which is caused by GS.
If the horse can eat and poo and wee then there may be a chance of survival but it will take a long time and a lot of dedication on her part. fingers and everything else crossed.
 
Sadly this morning the decision was taken for Jack to be PTS........ there was no improvement, in fact he was just getting worse...... Huge hugs to his owner Justine who tried everything she possibly could to pull him through this and thanks to everyone for the help and advice.
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