Incontinence in horses?

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k80cupcake

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This is my first ever post but I am at my wits end with this problem.
My 21 year old TB has what can only be considered as incontinence.
Some days it is fine, other days he just 'wee's' himself for want of a better phrase and he doesn't seem to realise he's doing it. Sometimes it is just dripping, othertimes it is like he is having a proper wee but doesn't stand for it. Sometimes has a yellowy discolour to the urine which often stains his legs. Vet says this is crystalisation.
However, he does still 'go' to the toilet for a wee when he thinks he needs to go.
He has had a bladder endoscopy- all OK!
He has had urine tests- all OK!
He has had massage (thought it maybe a muscle paralysis problem)- all OK!
Sheath is clean

has been on and off antibiotics and anti inflamatories which help for a short time but clearly I have a long term problem which I cannot get diagnosed.

He is an ex eventer but didn't really have a hard life and now lives in a stress free environment on my firends farm, still active, hacked out once or twice a week and schooled once or twice a week. Stabled at night, grazes in day.

Fed on HIFI and dodson and horrell calm and condition and soon to have beet added so nothing hi tech.
Has added salts (since this problem) garlic and cortaflex.

Any experience of this anyone? Has anyone got any ideas?
 
Ive only come across this once and that was in a relatively young pony. He deteriorated quite quickly and progressed from urinary incontinence to being very unsteady on his hinds. Sadly the vet diagnosed a tumour and there was no option but to put the poor chap to sleep.
 
I am just speculating based on human knowledge, but it may be worth asking your vet about possible prostate problems. A PSA blood test might show something up
 
Hi, it sounds as though you are exploring all avenues. I was just wondering if a condition called sabulous cysitis has been considered by your vet, it is not a common condition but is one that is best caught and managment started early. The symtoms you descibe are very similar to a horse of mine that I have unfortunatly had to have pts recently. I strongly recommend that you discuss this possibility with your vet if it has not already been considered, in my case my vet had to cosult with a specialist for diagnosis. Feel free to pm me if you would like further details.
Best of luck. Lucy
 
we have a polo pony 13yr old mare who is as incontinence. in her case it seems to have been a birth defect and she has got an etopic bladder and her urethra is to short and that is what causes her problem but with management it cause no major problems just skin care
 
are you sure there are no bladder probs. how about going in to your local health shop and see if they do any natural products that will help!
 
Has he started drinking more than normal? Could be that, for some reason (eg. kidney probs), he is drinking a lot and therefore producing a lot of urine that he just can't hold it all in.
 
Many thanks all.

We have done drinking exercises and nothing is abnormal on that front. We had him on box rest for a week in the summer due to a bruised sole and so we knew exactly how much he was drinking. I have kept a diary of when it seems bad and when it seems a little better but there is no rhyme nor reason. I thought at first it could have been wet grass etc and like you say Minnies_Mum, some form of renal failure.

Thanks Lucy for the sabulous cysitis idea. I have not heard of this before in all my searches and have just googled it. I have also just come across a thread on this forum about it. I will PM you tomorrow as would definitely like more information and I can go armed with it all to my vet for further investigations.

Also forgot to say there was no discomfort or abnormalities during a rectal examination of the bladder. Poor little man, so many tests in areas he'd rather not be tested. This does not however rule out just sheer bladder weakness due to old age although uncommon in horses and will definitely investigate some herbs.

I am managing the problem OK but I just don't want to brush a more serious problem under the carpet, especially when I otherwise have a fit active veteran!
 
Hi, when i worked with horses one of the pointers we had suffered from incontinence, we never found the cause of the problem, but did manage to find out his previous owners wormed him with jeyes fluid! When it first started to happen we had to dope him and insert a pipe to drain the urine from him, but he was getting sore, so we used to wash his back legs daily and coat in udder cream to stop them burning and getting sore. He always had the problem, he did carry on racing without any problems, but sadly died due to grass sickness.
 
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