Grass sickness?

[Lill]

(Sorry should be in vets!)

What are the signs/symptoms?

How do they get it?

Have heard of a fair few dying from it this year?

(Don't know a huge amount about it really!)

 

[Law]

The first thing I could find so not very easy to read...


THE CLINICAL PRESENTATION OF GRASS SICKNESS
Dr. Scott Pirie - Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh

Summary of the clinical signs of grass sickness, associated with the three forms of the disease
ACUTE SUBACUTE CHRONIC

* Depression/somnolence
* Distended abdomen
* Ileus (absence of gut sounds)
* Tachycardia (high heart rate)
* Salivation
* Gastric reflux
* Muscle tremors
* Ptosis (drooping eyelids)
* Patchy/generalised sweating
* Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
* Small intestinal distension
* Colic (occasionally)
* Colon impactions (occasionally)



* "Tucked up" abdomen
* Weight loss
* Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
* Tachycardia
* Colic (as disease progresses)
* Gastric reflux (as disease progresses)
* Patchy sweating
* Ptosis (drooping eyelids)
* Muscle tremors
* Colon impaction
* Reduced gut motility
* Rhinitis sicca (dried and inflamed nasal passages)



* Severe weight loss
* Markedly "tucked up" abdomen
* Base narrow stance
* Rhinitis sicca (inflamed nasal passages)
* Ptosis (drooping eyelids)
* Slightly elevated heart rate (< 60 bpm usually)
* Muscle tremors
* Patchy sweating
* Mild colic

I think I caught my horse with early symptoms once- he came in from the field bloated, stood completely transfixed staring into space having convulsions/muscle tremors at the back of the box for 35 mins. I took him down the arena walked and trotted him around, he passed lots of poos and then went back to normal thank god, I can't tell you how worried I was

 

[_OC_]

Check out Your Horse Mag they have a article in this months....this is a terrible way for a horse to get this, about 20 years ago a friends horse got it and sadly died within 7 days I found it in the field and it seemed like it was having a colic attack and I called the owner and the vet it took him 48 hours to work out what was going on, I remember just watching it waste away in it's stable and the man who owned it slept with it the horse was a young Arab filly they say any horse can get it,however, it does effect horses up to 7 years more and any breed is prone!

 

[harrihjc]

I was thinking about asking this earlier, grass sickness is not something I have ever come across before (thank god, hope I never do!) and was wondering about cause and symptoms, thanks Lis and Law

 

[luie123]

My horse died fom acute GS. 1st sympton was didnt want to eat, didnt go to the toilet, he was put down less than 24 hours later. Its a terrible disease, and sadle we dont really know what causes it.

 

[K9Wendy]

Having just read about Dermot, please don't post any horrible stories on this thread, as there is a possibility Dermot may have grass sickness, and it would be very upsetting for FMN to read. I hope you all don't mind me saying this..

Good information here.. http://www.grasssickness.org.uk/main.htm

 

[_OC_]

[ QUOTE ]
Having just read about Dermot, please don't post any horrible stories on this thread, as there is a possibility Dermot may have grass sickness, and it would be very upsetting for FMN to read. I hope you all don't mind me saying this..

.....Oh My God...sorry I did not know, I did not want to worry anyone or upset anybody TBH this incident happened along time ago and in the veterinary world things have become so advanced now!

 

[K9Wendy]

We all openly share our experiences on illness and accidents and it is so greatly appreciated by everyone, we all get so much out of sharing information.. It is not a bad thing at all, I just saw FMN's post and this one and thought it would be awful for her reading a post on GS just at this time.. Let's hope that Dermot does not have this..

 

[zizz]

don't give up hope, my gelding got chronic grass sickness as a five year old and pulled through, so positive vibes to FMN that dermot gets well again and doesn't contract grass sickness.