Liver problem, what is it?

Gala, I am really sorry to read about your horse being poorly. It is far to similar to mine. Firstly, to buy some more time to try and search for an answer... get the blood tonic Haemavite B + and feed at the max allowance, then, tell your vet you want a referral to horsepital for your horse, this is urgent. Im going to share my thread with you from last year, you may or may not have seen it at the time, it is sadly very similar, please insist on a referral. Whatever happened to ebony, triggered malabsorption syndrome, it has a number of causes. Something is causing either this or something very similar in your horse would be my best guess x

Edited to add that Ebs did not have a compromised liver, and she completely lost her appetite... so not the same, but similar and I feel for you and what you are going through, I know exactly what it is like and I truly hope your horses have a better outcome that my girl did.


http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=542416
 
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Hi. Thanks for your posts. I've moved both my boy and his companion mare to another place, on Thursday before the snow kicked in...they are now on a livery yard up to their ears in straw in lovely stables, and eating some top quality haylage.I couldn't hang around any longer thinking about soil and water samples, I need to give them the best chance possible to recover. My horse is on steroid injections every day now, I'm doing them myself. The companion mare we've decided to not treat with anything except TLC and lots of good food and they are both due another blood test in 2 weeks time. I have to say that looking at my horse today he appeared ever so slightly less sunken, no real weight gain but he does look a tiny bit better. He's on 4 feeds a day. My youngsters are still at the old yard, I'm suffering dreadful guilt as I'd love to have them on the new livery yard too..but..they seem fine where they are for now and haven't lost weight.

I feel absolutely exhausted with it all, physically and emotionally, but we don't give up do we?

Queenbee I remember following your thread to the end, I'm not sure if I sent you a hug but I do now!! I don't think malabsorption is my lad's problem, he's certainly absorbing glucose as he was tested for that, but it is a valid point and something I can talk to the vet about on Monday.
 
gala said:
Hi. Thanks for your posts. I've moved both my boy and his companion mare to another place, on Thursday before the snow kicked in...they are now on a livery yard up to their ears in straw in lovely stables, and eating some top quality haylage.I couldn't hang around any longer thinking about soil and water samples, I need to give them the best chance possible to recover. My horse is on steroid injections every day now, I'm doing them myself. The companion mare we've decided to not treat with anything except TLC and lots of good food and they are both due another blood test in 2 weeks time. I have to say that looking at my horse today he appeared ever so slightly less sunken, no real weight gain but he does look a tiny bit better. He's on 4 feeds a day. My youngsters are still at the old yard, I'm suffering dreadful guilt as I'd love to have them on the new livery yard too..but..they seem fine where they are for now and haven't lost weight.

I feel absolutely exhausted with it all, physically and emotionally, but we don't give up do we?

Queenbee I remember following your thread to the end, I'm not sure if I sent you a hug but I do now!! I don't think malabsorption is my lad's problem, he's certainly absorbing glucose as he was tested for that, but it is a valid point and something I can talk to the vet about on Monday.
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Hi Gala, and thank you x And great to hear that there are some positives, I certainly hope the move to the new yard is helping :D Something is causing malabsorption, there are many different things that can be affected, if malabsorption was not occurring muscle atrophy would not have set in (basically eating away at the muscle, converting it to energy). Have you looked into protein malabsorption? x
 
Hi, me again.

Two and a half weeks in ( I think, I've lost track!) of arab and his companion mare being at the livery. Very very slight improvement in both their weights, definite improvement in their general appearance in their coats, both a lot glossier and looking perkier. I should think so too, they are on top notch Saracen feeds, piles of lovely haylage, the arab is still on steroid injections every day, and they have a small turnout paddock in the day with GRASS! I, on the other hand, am looking less than glossy and perky, having them at one yard and my youngsters out on grass livery at another yard...the youngsters obviously still need feed and hay at this time of year and general TLC....riders, I am absolutely hanging, two yards twice a day, my house is going to rack and ruin and so am I. And let's not mention my marriage.

But I digress. The latest news from the vets is that there have been a loads of horses with 'mysterious' liver conditions over the past 12 months, and they are starting to narrow it down to a toxic fungus in the grazing which is linked to the exceptionally wet weather conditions. Obviously much more research needs to be done but it's coming up as a likely candidate.

So, um, that's the latest...
 
I'd been wondering how you were getting on, so thanks for posting! That sounds like hard work that's for sure, but bloody hats off to you for being decisive and moving them. So many people dilly-dally and wait and see but you did the most proactive thing. They sound like they're turning a corner and starting to rally, which given they were in decline before you moved them seems like real progress, even if it just feels like slog to you!

Really glad to hear you've got things looking better, thanks for updating because I was really wondering and hoping it wasn't bad news, so this sounds really positive :D :D

I feel for you on the home front, but you've done the absolute best for their welfare by moving them so you should be proud of yourself. Please let us know how you get on!
 
Cheers Philomena. On the down side my vet has advised I move my youngsters ASAP in case they get affected by the same thing. Easier said than done, I can't find anywhere else to put them and now my husband is saying I should sell them. I can see why he's saying that but, y'know, it's very hard. Where am I going to find homes for a semi feral unbacked Exmoor and a great big goofy Standardbred filly with attitude? Argh!

On the up side I took my arab out for a lovely walk in hand in the sun this morning. He's definitely looking more filled out and he was so pleased to be out. On the way back he arched his glorious arab neck, threw his tail up over his back in true arab style and jig jogged all the way home. Soppy moo that I am, I put him back in his stable and cried my eyes out, I was just so happy to see him looking better.
 
gala said:
Cheers Philomena. On the down side my vet has advised I move my youngsters ASAP in case they get affected by the same thing. Easier said than done, I can't find anywhere else to put them and now my husband is saying I should sell them. I can see why he's saying that but, y'know, it's very hard. Where am I going to find homes for a semi feral unbacked Exmoor and a great big goofy Standardbred filly with attitude? Argh!

On the up side I took my arab out for a lovely walk in hand in the sun this morning. He's definitely looking more filled out and he was so pleased to be out. On the way back he arched his glorious arab neck, threw his tail up over his back in true arab style and jig jogged all the way home. Soppy moo that I am, I put him back in his stable and cried my eyes out, I was just so happy to see him looking better.
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That's amazing. You've saved your horse - and possibly "horses"! You acted, and look how you're rewarded. Lots of people wouldn't have, they'd have found a million reasons to keep going with other possible explanations. I'm completely with you, I welled up a bit at your description, that's so brilliant, it must have felt amazing. If you need to find somewhere for your hooligan ponies, you will - you've made it happen once you can do it again. So chuffed for you.
 
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! Vet rang with the results of last week's blood test, my horse's liver functions are completely back to normal, she said another 3 weeks or so and we can sign him off. Oh the relief!! The vets still aren't 100 percent sure what caused him to be so ill but it's been a learning curve for both them and me.

Cheers to everyone on this thread who have been so informative and supportive, I've appreciated it more than you know.

Pancakes with Bailey's all round...X
 
Wooooo hoooo! Brilliant news :))))) So chuffed for you, really well done! You must be so relieved. Thanks for updating - great to get such a happy result.
 
I have been through the same with 5 horses, 9 in the area affected. Went through exactly the same. Move all horses when liver disease is suspected, mine were back to normal within 3 months of moving . Do not take any chances-high ggt, test all horses immediately and if more than one affected move all !
 
That's fabulous news!! :D I've never heard of so many horses with liver issues as I have in this last 6/8 months.
 
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