Horse with ME

RuthnMeg

RuthnMeg

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A horse who I used to look after on the eventing yard a few years ago was retired to a hacking home.
I heard yesterday that he wasn't well and has been diagnosed with ME and on a few occasions has shown signs of collapsing.
I don't know much about ME anyway and don't think i've heard it in horses either, so would be greatful if you guys can shed some light on it. Also, whats the outcome - better with medication or better to be PTS. 'Irish' is now 20.
 
If he's collapsing the IMHO PTS before he does himself or someone else an injury. Also, following the recent high profile case, if he were a human would you want him to feel even one tenth of that pain and suffering?
 
Sorry to highjack but can someone exlain what ME is in horses? Is it like the taking-ages-to-get-over-a-virus thing in people? I tried googling but get lots of links where ME is actually me as in 'me, myself and I'...
 
Interesting thought, never imagined horses with it. I suffer from chronic fatigue, (pos ME but I had to fight every step of the way to get a doc to even send me for bog standard blood tests, not easy when you're shattered!)

All I know, is that for humans, a certain level of control of the condition is possible, given time, and despite pain that may be experienced I never wanted to be PTS! Pain can be controlled, but to what extent the horse gets the same sort of pain a human ME suffers I don't know. And most people know how to tell if a horse is experiencing pain, they are usually very clear about it!
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Look forward to finding out more about this, but maybe tomorrow as I'm off to bed now. (yes, at 7.30pm. The joys of the condition!!!!!)
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Ah, so we are talking abt the same thing as people get.

Both my mum and my horse's owner have had it. It can certainly be tough but both have made full recoveries and, as far as I know, were not in significant pain with it. Very debilitating, feeling exhausted /before/ doing anything in the morning etc, etc but with rest (which my mum with two small kids and OH working away didn't get enough of but presumably a horse could) not a PTS type situation (for horses or people!) I'd say. :-)
 
I've had severe ME on and off for over 12 years and yes, there have been many times when I used to wish I wouldn't ever wake up.

If the horse does have ME it may recover but horses cannot pace themselves or tell youwaht kind of pain they are in and if it is collapsing then eventually I would have assumed it wil do itself serious injury.

Poor horse, I wouldn't wish this hell on my worst enemy.
 
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