HAS YOUR HORSE HAD A LIVER PROBLEM

[barbaraann]

HAS YOUR HORSE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH HIGH GGT LEVELS ,DID IT GET BETTER. DID YOU LOOSE IT. HAS YOUR HORSE BEEN SLOW WHEN IT IS USUALLY FAST. DOES IT HAVE LIVER PROBLEMS, PLEASE CONTACT ME , I NEED TO KNOW HOW WIDE THIS PROBLEM IS.

 

[No1_in_particular]

my horse has just been diagnosed with having liver failure.... don't know much more than that at the moment....

 

[Nailed]

how annoying.. sorry loose the caps!

Lou x

 

[dozzie]

Yes mine did last year, he had two courses of antibiotics and was ok.

I have also in the past had a horse with liver failure who was not ok. But that was a long time ago and things have changed since then.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Why do you want to know buglett? Someone posted on the Forum a couple of weeks ago, telling a dodgy tale of a horse with liver problems (dodgy because it read as though it had been produced by an advertisement copy writer, and not a very good one at that) and extolling the virtues of some liver supplement. Was that you? If not, humble apologies. If it was, you would do well to read the terms and conditions of this Forum.

My rescued horse has had severe liver damage but I sought help from the most expert source in the land. Livers damaged by infection can recover. Livers damaged from ragwort cannot regenerate - you can only support any remaining liver function through recognised dietary and management practices. My horse has been pulled back from the brink by keeping strictly to a low protein diet (the protein she does have has to be of the highest quality), yea sac to aid hind gut digestion, milk thistle and stabled during the day in summer. I do hope no-one is thinking of flogging monkey gland extract or apricot stone enemas as a cure all for ragwort damaged livers.

Pardon my cynicism. I worry when wrong and/or over-egged and untested supplements promise desperate owners a cure for their sick horse.

 

[kellyeaton]

i had a horse who died from liver faliure. R.I.P star!xxx

 

[Theresa_F]

Cairo did, he had a course of anti-b's seemed to improved but then collapsed again three weeks later. This time did not respond to treatment so had to be pts the next day - RIP our beloved old man.

He was 22, and had fought against eye cancer since 7 and it may be that all the treatments of chemo and radiotherpy caused the failure, or it could have been infection, old age or the cancer had spread.

 

[brighteyes]

ARE YOU SELLING SOMETHING?

 

[ru-fi-do]

My horse did, she had very high blood readings that we struggled at first to get down, she also had to have two liver biopsys, she showed signs of lethargy, dullness and just no interest in anything. Touch wood she is fine now, I give her global herbs 'Restore' every 6 months and she also has Milk thistle in her feed regularly.

 

[BackInBlack]

yes, mine has . last summer. is ok so far - treated with vit b , special diet, milk thistle.

 

[barbaraann]

I hope she recovers.

 

[barbaraann]

Do you have her blood tested regulary? it can be caused by mycotoxins in the hay. What was her ggt levels.

 

[barbaraann]

Did you change her hay, straw or feed. If it was a plant toxin causing it she would not have recovered. With mycotoxins provided you find the problem you can return your horse to normal.

 

[barbaraann]

For god sake if anyone else thinks i am selling something i will loose what little faith in horse people that i have.

 

[barbaraann]

I am sorry your horse died. It does sound like all the treatment did his liver in. I had a beloved cob who had eye cancer which tracked down a tear duct into his mouth and nose, i lost him to. I have had an awfull lot of horses and he was my all time favourite. He was 28 when he died but i miss him every day still.

 

[barbaraann]

I am trying to get people to realise what a problem this is at the moment.When i first found out my horses were off colour i was told to give them a low protien diet, a months course of antibiotics. Visorbin etc. When none of this worked, one horse died and all the rest were of colour ,i had the whole lot blood tested. They all tested positive for liver damage, except one pony who had no teeth and had no hay. His companion also had no hay just high fiber feed soaked.She was normal to. For some reason we had to bring these two horses in and they were stabled on good barley straw. The companion ate the straw and a little hay and in a month from being perfectly well went down with liver damage. I had my straw tested and it was high in deoxnivalenol or vomitoxin. When the alarm bells really started ringing i changed onto shavings and also all my hay. All my horses got better. My vet is finding this a major problem. Lots of my friends have had the same thing. My consern is that lots of horses are dying because vets don't recognise the problem. Rossdales recomonded the first course of treatment which will not work if you don't change the hay. It is like playing russian roulette with your horse as unless you have regular blood tests and have a toxin free source of hay and straw, you just keep getting the same problem.

 

[Cuffey]

Are you saying that mycotoxins in hay/straw are a growing problem or were just particularly bad last year as it was difficult to make good hay or straw because of the poor weather?