Help! Sudden narcolepsy

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swalk

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I hope someone out there has had some experience of this because I am stumped....
Last night my mum noticed that Mickey (9 yrs TB cross, previously had some minor back problems but nothing else) was walking strangely and appeared quite wobbly.

This morning she has brought him out of stable and his legs have buckled and he almost went down. Vet has been out to see him, whilst being examined he was very sleepy, eyes half closed and hanging his head on the door. Also when she tried to pick his front legs up he seemed to find it difficult stretching his legs out to front.

His temp and heart rate are normal, vet does not seem to think there is anything neurological as he reacts against being pushed etc. She has done blood test and said he has high Bilirubin levels and we have given him a Bvit injection today. He was quite perky during the day (we have kept him in) but this evening was again totally out of it, sleepy eyes closing lip dropped....his did manage to eat his feed although at first it was like he had to wake himself up before he really started eating. He does not appear to be drinking any water but is having soaked hay and as yet is not dehydrated.

Has anyone else experienced this???? Or any clues, I've been reading about narcolepsy and he seems to have all the symptoms but it has just come on so quickly. Thanks for any replies.
 
We had a TB that suffered from narcolepsy. He would drop off and be very unsteady/uncoordinated at times. He also suffered from partial mal absorption of the small intestine and ulcers. Diagnosis was 15 years ago in the early days of diagnosing gut problems. Post diagnosis he competed to elementary level dressage, hunted living to the age of 23 (pts due to arthritis in his joints). We managed his diet very carefully and definitely discovered a link between increased sugar levels in his feed and and increase of the narcoleptic phases. So spring grass etc were a nightmare. As I understand it narcolepsy is a managed syndrome not curable. There was an interesting article in H&H last year about narcolepsy. Good luck but also just a thought check that he is not dehydrated as this can mirror some of the symptoms
 
Completely different animal, but when my cat started showing signs of having a stroke and being wobbly, my vet tested him for renal failure. He turned out to have quite advanced kidney disease and the kidneys weren't dealing with the protein breakdown products, which then acted as toxins. Similar can happen with liver if I remember correctly, but might not. Is it worth him being tested for liver and kidney function? Possibly a bit out there, especially as you say he isn't drinking, but thought it worth mentioning. Hope you find answers soon.
 
The vet did check him for dehydration and said that he was fine, although he has not drunk anything since yesterday evening!!He has got soaked hay though.
 
I would ask for veterinary referral to a neurological specialist, and I would be inclined to do it sooner rather than later. Could he have had an accident in the field perhaps? With such severe signs I really would ask for further tests as soon as possible. Good luck.
 
Has the way he is kept changed recently?

One summer, my mare went from in during the day and out at night to out 24/7, within 2 weeks she started to collapse/fall asleep while being groom. Vet attended and decided it was sleep deprivation, so I changed her routine back to being part stabled and all was well again!
 
My first reply got lost in the ether and its now very late, so shorter reply. But do PM me if you want to.

One of my livery horses had narcolepsy. It's a strange condition, little recognised in the UK, more so in America and Australia. There's quite a bit on it, plus some very good video footage, on the internet, and I think it's that footage which will reveal to you whether that IS what is the matter with your horse. We recognised it instantly.

What causes it is a bit of a mystery, but in our case, the horse in question had NEVER been seen to lie down, in all the 3 years he was with us (he was pts due to an unrelated injury two years post diagnosis).

Anyway, as I said, you are very welcome to PM me and I'll tell you what I know. And don't despair, our boy continued to be ridden until his dying day - I have never heard of an attack in a ridden horse (rather like epilepsy).

All best wishes, and don't despair.
 
We called the vet back last night as we were worried about him becoming dehydrated as he had not drunk in 24 hrs......of course as soon as she walked in he was totally alert and not showing any signs of being at all sleepy (don't you just love em).

Vet decided to tube, after trying to put tube up with no joy went to get sedative and as she did we held a bucket of water with a bit of sugar beet right up to him at shoulder height and he started to drink so we managed to get several litres down him and decided not to tube. I'd been offering it to him and you could see he really wanted to drink, licking and smacking his lips at it but we really had to shove it in his face before he would take it.

Vet then gave him shot of buscopan as he was teeth grinding and doing a bit of box walking and that seemed to settle him quite quickly, he went across to the haynet to eat normally where as he had not really eaten much hay since lunchtimeish. so the upshot of it all is we are still tottally stumped, Vet has contacted senior vet who said to put him on a drip incase he has slight impaction although he has passed a couple of normal looking droppings. He is still not drinking of his own accord.

There has been no change in routine, he is out during the day in at night. On High fibre coarse mix, beet and chaff. We've just opened a new round bale but it has come from the same stack as the rest and Austin who receives exactly the same treatment is fine. And to top it all the boiler has packed in at home!!
 
Just to contradict what RF said - unfortunately - I had a TB mare with narcolepsy and it did happen when ridden as well. She collapsed right under me twice and had to be retired. Interestingly she also had high bilirubin levels although we never got any further than that trying to find out what was going on. Girthing and so on would sometimes cause it.
 
I think he has fell and hurt his neck which is why he was not drinking..... it hurt, the swelling/pain is now hurting him a bit like siatica (sp) in humans.... so I would not panic just yet.

Is he walking on 2 tracks like he has had a stroke or is he walking straight?
 
He is tripping over his feet stumbling and staggered across the yard with legs buckling yesterday....not been out of stable today. I am wondering if it is something to do with his neck as he has eaten out of a bucket but it took him a short while to get his head down there and he put his head down as if to drink yesterday but then put his head back up.
 
Nothing like diagnosis by forum ! but I don't think your boy has narcolepsy. In between events horses are usually perfectly normal.

Like others, I'm wondering if he has a neck (or throat) injury. How does strangles manifest itself - I don't know? But the stumbling and not getting his head down comfortably sound very strange. I honestly would be getting your vet out again a.s.a.p. Thank goodness tomorrow's Monday, so all laboratories etc will be working should you need them - and I so hope you don't. Please let us know how he gets on.
 
He sounds just like my Ginger when she had done the splits on the ice... she did have a really bad fall.

She could not eat or drink if she had to put her neck down, and was really really sore - it took the vets, backlady, bute and about 3 weeks to come right. She was walking like a banna and did not want to give you any leg for hoof pick or stretches.

Stangles they tend to be more head shy, have a cough or the snots too but poke their neck out.... if you know what I mean.
 
It sounds to me much more neck/back related than narcolepsy. Have you put his water up higher where he can reach it?
My mare I lost last year had mild narcolepsy which was brought on by stress and not allowing herself proper rem sleep. This was due to an ovarian tumour that released testosterone and in turn made her very confused hormonally. She would collapse to her knees often and in particular when being groomed.
In your boys case it doesn't sound at all similar. Really hope you get it sorted soon though.
 
He's had IV fluids this morning...he will eat handpicked grass from a bucket on the floor but will not drink, we have been giving him sloppy sugarbeet apples carrots which he will eat but still no drinking. I think he looks like when he is eating his neck goes into spasm (you know when they get arabs to arch their necks? Its a bit like that) but I still cannot understand why he would eat but not drink....Anyway, vet has said that she doesn't feel he is in imminent danger so doesn't need to come out tonight and she will get senior horse man to see him tomorrow. I've asked for him to be scoped incase there is some sort of obstruction and she has also mentioned scanning his liver because of the high bilirubin. I am sure he is in some pain because he is still teeth grinding so maybe it is musculoskeletal and he has done something to his neck.
 
Swalk - good luck for tomorrow I really hope it is something simple, please let us know how you get on - and if possible try not to worry - it sounds like the best person will be seeing him in the morning - and you really cannot do anymore than that.

GW
x
 
Update on Mickey is that the vet still does not know, bloods for kidney/liver/bile duct all clear. He has stopped the narcolepsy but is now boxwalking so he is obviously in some pain but he will still eat. Still has not touched the water bucket since Friday. Trying now to organise some transport to get him to another vets for a gastroscope.
 
We have taken him to another more specialised practice and he is now being treated for a brain lesion. This was not a surprise as by this morning he had started to lose sight in his right eye. The vet was not totally negative, he has said obviously we don't know what is causing the brain swelling but if it can be brought down and controlled then he has a fighting chance. I think by tomorrow we will know if he is responding to the steriods or not.
 
Mine went like this for a few days last year, was so weird, he was lying down in the stable, completely asleep, and nothing could get him up, which is so unlike him! When we did eventually get him to stand, he would keep nodding off, head nearly on the floor. Turned out to be a viral thing and he was back to normal within a week. I hope it's something minor like that affecting your boy :)
 
Thanks for all the positive thoughts!

Mickey is doing ok today, he has settled and has started eating and drinking so that is a massive relief. He is still showing blindness in his right eye but at this stage not trying to second guess anything, vet is hoping to x-ray his head tomorrow so then we will have some sort of prognosis.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much but I didn't really think he would make it through the night. We will just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.
 
Sending you hugs. well done. You were responding to your gut instinct. So glad you pressed for another vet's opinion. Sometimes I think we ignore signs where our horse is screaming at us, but you didn't. Good job! Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
 
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