Help, experiences needed etc! EPSM/Azoturia/Unilateral Azoturia???

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little_pink_piggies

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Hi,

Have a horse who tied up back in october, hes 7/8 TB 1/8 arab. In October he came in with a puffy hind fetlock joint so we kept him in for a week, and didn't cut his haylage (although cut his hard feed, was on pasture mix back then!) and anyhow tied up so followed vets instructions and it was classic tying up case.

Then took him to Willesley a month or so later as he hadn't been right ever since we bought him and was diagnosed and treated for whats similar to "fisxable" wobblers, where he turned turtle in the field as a 2/3yo and boney changes in neck joint was compressing spinal cord affecting sensory neurons, but following a few steroid injections into joints etc. although hes not completely neurologically normal, hes fine to compete etc. and you wouldnt know it to look at him anymore!

He's been in for 3 days with a mucky eye, and hes now on low energy equilibrium, meadow hay, hi-fi light and the very unmolassed sugar beet (the white stuff D&H do), and hes tied up today, but its very unilateral? all on one side? And its definitely tying up with the hard muscle on the one side etc. the other side did start to tighten but eased up v quickly... Haven't called vet out as its eased now almost back to normal 30/40 mins after having 3 sachets of bute.

Anyone had any experiences with horses tying up unilaterally? as all the info online etc says that its very much an even on both sides thing???

Thank you, sorry if thats a bit rambley!!! x
 
For a start, please don't move him about too much as you could make it a lot worse and also make sure his back never gets cold, especially if his stable is a tad draughty at all. I would also cut out all feed except hay; it looks like this is something you will have to remember to do every time he has any time off; stop all rations at once except for hay which will keep his gut moving.
Once he has recovered (and you must give him a few days to be right again, don't think the next day he is better, it seems to stay in the system for several days) I'm sure your vet will tell you that you must make sure he is turned out as much as possible so the muscles do not have a chance to set, that is what I was told when we had a hunter who would tie up occasionally. He would be turned out every day, whatever the weather, after exercising (with very gentle warming up/cooling down) so he was only in at night; at all times (except hunting of course) he wore a rug; after hunting he would have a bran mash with Epsom Salts and then no other hard feed until the evening of his first day back into work, just hay. We never had any trouble with it ever again but I never changed from that system just in case.
Good luck, you always feel so helpless with this.
 
Thanks, he's on virtually no starch but thinking about it he did have carrots yesterday...

bit off topic but the coloured foal in your siggie is absolutely gorgeous!
 
my pony has tied up 3 x since xmas. vet says only alpha A chaff and vit E and selenium supplement. she said def NO sugar beet not even non molassed. ours was on strict box rest for 4 weeks and bute. 4 blood tests later and things are now normal
 
Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum, but feel I have some experience to share with you guys.
For horses prone to tying up I'd suggest to try Forans Neutrolac, to use it on ocasions when horses comes out of box rest or after strenous excercise. As far as I'm aware this is one of the very few products that actually neutralise lactic acid which cause tying up.
 
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