KPU - experience,tests and diet

[Katelouise]

Hiya

I have an 8 year old cob with various symptoms and I am looking into whether its possibly KPU. Any experience with this including diet and testing welcomed (kind comments only please)

Symptoms

Liver enzymes raised which went back to normal following Ems diagnosis

Adverse reaction to wormers and medication (invokano and steglatro didnt work for him)

Inflammation in suspensory ligament but not obviously lame to vet, I only know he is off as I know his movement well (throwing back left outwards and not tracking up). He has had xrays (clear inc hocks) ultrasounds, laser treatment for a month, iceboots. 19 weeks rest and now very light work in straight lines but inflammation not reducing but no tear. Fibres look different in left vs right so could be an old injury before I got him

Pelvis slightly unaligned (physio every 8 weeks)

Had hypoglycaemia when on Ems meds

Low energy and reluctance to work (saddler, physio etc been and ok).

2 bouts of colic

Scope clear

Mallanders - which lots of site suggests is due to liver/toxins etc rather than mites. Feathers taken off an farriers mite treatment and spot on used regularly

Fed on:

9kg dry weight hay soaked for 1 hour to reduce sugar but not nutrients

Forage plus laminae plus powdered balancer with micronised linseed

Saracens pro yeast
Hilton herbs insulite herbs for ems
Salt
Bozwelia for inflammation
Small handful of soaked organic grass nuts from thunderbooks to mix supplement with

All low sugar, starch and iron.

In small narrow long pen to move about for an hour a day. Walked in hand to grass for 20 mins

Lots going on and on and i desperately want to get to root cause. KPU ticks lots of boxes in terms of his varying symptoms.

Appreciate any advice if anyone had had similar.

My friends cob also similar to the above, also with faecial waters and anxious.

thank you

 

[SEL]

Have you tested for type 1 PSSM? I'd make sure you're not dealing with that before heading down the KPU rabbit hole.

I'm a bit confused as to turnout / exercise from what you've said above. Is movement restricted because of concerns over the ligament? IME many inflammatory type issues vanish with a decent amount of exercise.

 

[SEL]

I've done the Equibiome test on 2 horses. One when the test first came out & one more recently when I needed to see if there was a reason a horse kept getting reinfected with tapeworm. Was it that test you were looking at or Dr Fritz?

 

[Katelouise]

Have you tested for type 1 PSSM? I'd make sure you're not dealing with that before heading down the KPU rabbit hole.

I'm a bit confused as to turnout / exercise from what you've said above. Is movement restricted because of concerns over the ligament? IME many inflammatory type issues vanish with a decent amount of exercise.

Not tested for PSSM as he hasn't had any muscle weakness, tremors or tying up etc.

Limited exercise and turnout due to the ligament. Vet initially wanted on box rest but due to his EMS we needed him to be able to move about a bit without risk of throwing any hoolies and doing more damage to the leg.

 

[Katelouise]

I've done the Equibiome test on 2 horses. One when the test first came out & one more recently when I needed to see if there was a reason a horse kept getting reinfected with tapeworm. Was it that test you were looking at or Dr Fritz?

Im not familiar with the testing in the UK so was hoping for a little guidance on what is available and worthwhile x

 

[I'm Dun]

Test for PSSM before you do anything else.

 

[SEL]

Not tested for PSSM as he hasn't had any muscle weakness, tremors or tying up etc.

Those aren't the symptoms of type 1 pssm which is common in cobs. Shifting lameness, on/off lack of forwardness, tightness in hindquarters & quirky blood results are all more common. I'd test for that before KPU. If nothing else it's cheap to rule out.

The Equibiome test has its detractors but I found it useful with both horses I tested. They were both on the kind of set up which should have meant good diversity but there were some big issues showing on their reports. It isnt a quick process - the first one in 2017/18 i threw everything & the kitchen sink at her which meant I had no idea what worked. The one I did at the beginning of the year I have plodded through the recommendations and its much easier to see improvement. I had a massive improvement from adding 1/2 scoop oats for instance (& they didn't hot him up) - coat looks fabulous. Last worm count finally zero too.

I think Dr Fritz might work on blood tests. If you go down that route I can dig out the name of one of her UK therapists - she's on FB. Some of the advice was a bit too quirky for me!

 

[I'm Dun]

Mine had zero symptoms when in hard work and managed as if she had EMS until about 6yrs old. Even then she never had a catastrophic tie up. Just random weird symptoms, even her hard tight muscles could have been explained as a fit driving pony, and were for ages. Its one of those things that once you have seen it you dont forget, but its very easy to go down a rabbit hole looking at increasingly weird things because it doesnt seem like PSSM from what youve heard or youve just never heard of it.

I'm sure theres some link with raised liver enzymes as well, but cant remember what it was or the paper I read about it so could be remembering that wrong