PonyIAmNotFood
Well-Known Member
I'm going to try not to ramble but am likely to, my head is up my bum. Also want to set the scene properly for my own mind as well as others!
Mare is 24yo connie x tb. Has a quieter life nowadays due to old injuries, hacks a couple of times a week in walk, light schooling for 20 mins a couple of times a week, sometimes hacks in hand too. Has a 4yo field companion who keeps her on her toes (doesnt bully her, they get on well). On a bare track round an approx 1-1 1/4 acre field. I do move the fence back and forth when needed for extra grazing. Poo picked a few times a week at least, no weeds on the track at all. Wormed twice a year, last had farrier on weds, barefoot, up to date with teeth, physio really happy with her when he saw her last month. Fed a handful of unmollassed chop, handful of grass nuts, 50g linseed meal, mag ox for her head shaking, brewers yeast and a joint supplement. Also on 9 antihistamines a day for her head shaking.
She's been a bit flat for a few weeks and I put it down to the hot weather, so shes not been ridden or worked during this time. It had cooled down but she hadn't perked up, farrier came on weds and didnt find any issues with her feet at all. I rode on thurs for 20 mins and she wasnt herself, she usually tanks off for a couple of laps in canter but she only did half a lap or so before coming back to me (I know I'm very blase about that but it is pretty normal for her and I do use it as a marker of how well she is feeling, she didnt used to do it when she was in proper work but now she's still the same sharp horse, sharp mind, but only in light work and I let her get away with murder. No pain with physio and sound when vet checked). She's also not been jogging about on the way to and from the field, though is still being spooky and strong which is normal for her.
I had the vet out friday, she checked her heart, lungs etc, saw her trotted up. She trotted up fine but took a misstep when going back across the stoney car park. Vet said she thinks she has lami, said she was very overweight and landing heel first, said she shouldn't be landing heel first at all and kind of told me off for not having her shod. I wasnt convinced (mainly due to the shod and heel first comments!) so asked her to do general bloods and a Cushing's test. Vet told me to treat as lami, bute etc. and see how we went. Got a phone call later on saying they'd run the bloods and her liver function was down, was just about to give her the bute as well. Shes on milk thistle for 2 weeks then more blood tests and go from there. There was a very reputable farrier on the yard on friday eve as well doing my friends horse, he kindly had a look at her for me and said he really didnt think she had lami, had a really good feel of her etc and was convinced it wasnt.
SO...my questions really are what would have caused poor liver function, no weeds in field and she has quite a straight forward diet? Does anyone have any similar experiences, how did you get on/what happened next? Any advice or suggestions from anyone? I'm going to try to put a picture on of the mare in question to show her condition as well. She has lost a bit of weight recently but shes certainly not gone skinny.
Mare is 24yo connie x tb. Has a quieter life nowadays due to old injuries, hacks a couple of times a week in walk, light schooling for 20 mins a couple of times a week, sometimes hacks in hand too. Has a 4yo field companion who keeps her on her toes (doesnt bully her, they get on well). On a bare track round an approx 1-1 1/4 acre field. I do move the fence back and forth when needed for extra grazing. Poo picked a few times a week at least, no weeds on the track at all. Wormed twice a year, last had farrier on weds, barefoot, up to date with teeth, physio really happy with her when he saw her last month. Fed a handful of unmollassed chop, handful of grass nuts, 50g linseed meal, mag ox for her head shaking, brewers yeast and a joint supplement. Also on 9 antihistamines a day for her head shaking.
She's been a bit flat for a few weeks and I put it down to the hot weather, so shes not been ridden or worked during this time. It had cooled down but she hadn't perked up, farrier came on weds and didnt find any issues with her feet at all. I rode on thurs for 20 mins and she wasnt herself, she usually tanks off for a couple of laps in canter but she only did half a lap or so before coming back to me (I know I'm very blase about that but it is pretty normal for her and I do use it as a marker of how well she is feeling, she didnt used to do it when she was in proper work but now she's still the same sharp horse, sharp mind, but only in light work and I let her get away with murder. No pain with physio and sound when vet checked). She's also not been jogging about on the way to and from the field, though is still being spooky and strong which is normal for her.
I had the vet out friday, she checked her heart, lungs etc, saw her trotted up. She trotted up fine but took a misstep when going back across the stoney car park. Vet said she thinks she has lami, said she was very overweight and landing heel first, said she shouldn't be landing heel first at all and kind of told me off for not having her shod. I wasnt convinced (mainly due to the shod and heel first comments!) so asked her to do general bloods and a Cushing's test. Vet told me to treat as lami, bute etc. and see how we went. Got a phone call later on saying they'd run the bloods and her liver function was down, was just about to give her the bute as well. Shes on milk thistle for 2 weeks then more blood tests and go from there. There was a very reputable farrier on the yard on friday eve as well doing my friends horse, he kindly had a look at her for me and said he really didnt think she had lami, had a really good feel of her etc and was convinced it wasnt.
SO...my questions really are what would have caused poor liver function, no weeds in field and she has quite a straight forward diet? Does anyone have any similar experiences, how did you get on/what happened next? Any advice or suggestions from anyone? I'm going to try to put a picture on of the mare in question to show her condition as well. She has lost a bit of weight recently but shes certainly not gone skinny.
