I might be paranoid but........

[Dogbetty141]

I think there maybe something going round on our farm. I also think it maybe something to do with the HAY.

Ok so first thing first about 3 weeks ago a pony was PTS because he had the sort of wobbles and was falling over and unable to control himself. He was not diagnoised at first with anything major they said ear infection as that affects the balance then was told it was a neck injury. Nothing they were giving him were making it better. They then thought he had been poisioned??. Anyway due to his servere spasms and continous falling over he I presume got a brain tumour from that??? That was when he was PTS he wasnt like there anymore if you know what I mean. So anyway nothing happens for a few untill another little chestnut develops the same symptoms. Luckily she got over it and is ok now. Now when up last night and our little shetland has the same symptoms. Do you think this could be related? Do you think the first pony could have been saved in the first place?

The VET has taken blood samples of the chestnut and our shetland. Unfortunatley they never did a post mortem on the first pony so I guess we will never know if they were related. The thing that does relate to them all is that they are all on hay and a lot of the other horses and ponies are refusing to eat this hay! apart from my horse who is on haylage but nicks hay when ever he can.

Has anyone ever heard of this or do you think it is me being paranoid? Sorry sounds a bit like a soap opera at the farm.

Please any advice good or bad. Am v worried.

 

[TGM]

Have the vets tested for the Equine Herpes virus? There is a paralytic form of the virus that causes anything from mild hindlimb incoordination to inability to stand. More info here:

http://www.aht.org.uk/fsheets/fsheets10.html

Have the horses shown any other signs of illness - nasal discharge, lack of appetite etc?

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Get your hay tested, your vet should be able to advise you where it can be sent to be analysed. The symptoms may indicate ragwort poisoning, you need to check to see if there is dried ragwort in your hay as it becomes palatable when dried and many horses will eat it this way.

 

[Dogbetty141]

No they are or were all eating and no nasal discharge they all seemed fine in themselves. Is this contagious?

 

[TGM]

It is contagious, but if there are no other symptoms then Lucy's suggestion of ragwort poisoning sounds more plausible, especially given what you have said about the hay.

There is more info about ragwort poisoning on this link:

http://www.horseweb-uk.com/features/ragwort.htm

 

[Dogbetty141]

Can they be saved with ragwort poisioning?

Im soooo worried.

 

[TGM]

[ QUOTE ]
Can they be saved with ragwort poisioning?

[/ QUOTE ] If caught early enough then it is possible - but once 80% of the liver is affected then it can't regenerate

. I would get the horses off the suspect hay straightaway until you have had the hay tested and got the results of the blood tests back.

BTW have you mentioned your suspicions about the hay to the vet?

 

[WallisM]

Unfortunatley there is no cure for ragwort poisoning

I was told that horses will not eat ragwort in the field but when it is dried out and mixed with hay they can't tell and it is meant to be worse when in hay. Sorry.x

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Ragwort poisoning is cumulative (i.e. the more they eat the worse it gets as it build up in their liver), horses can survive ragwort poisoning but they will usually have permanent liver damge. I would get you hay looked at first as it may not be this at all, but analysing your hay would be a good place to start. Dodson and Horrell will do one for £40 but they won't look for toxins, just hay quality. Ragwort in the hay is easy to spot so you can do that yourself, it may be that a chemical poison has got onto the hay (weedkiller or somehting), does the hay smell and feel normal? Again I would speak to your vet as I am sure they will know of a lab that can analyse it for toxic agents.

 

[vicm2509]

Oh no, how awful. I agree that if you suspect it might be the hay then stop feeding it right away until you are sure. If possible then I would seperate the horses that have the symptoms from the healthy ones until you have a diagnosis.

I really hope its nothing serious and your shetland and the other horse is ok.

 

[KateStartin]

I wouldnt rule out EHV, had the paralysis form on a yard i was at a few years age and it started much like this with a brain tumour being diagnosed on the first horse after the second and third they tested and found EHV.

I hope your pony is OK. x