Loss of Hind end...neurilogical???

annunziata

annunziata

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Right before anyone asked yes the horse in question has seen the vet. I have a retired mare who is in a lovely hacking home with the most amazing family and we keep in touch regurarly. My mare seems to have lost control of her back legs she can not turn around or walk without looking like she is going to collapse. The vet was stumped and has taken bloods she thinks that it is neurilogical but what has caused it is a mystery. My mare has been fit and well out cantering at the weekends and loving life. Obviously the out look does not look good for her but the vets wanted to the this test. Has anyone ever seen or heard of anything like this before???
 
I took over the care of a very elderly pony and she went like this overnight. I don't believe she was in any pain, but her back legs were going in a different direction to her front ones and she shook with the effort of trying to stand up straight while she was eating. She was a grey and had been steadily dropping weight for the last 12 months of her life, despite eating very well etc so it is possible she had a melanoma growing near her spine or something. Eventually her owner saw sense and had her put down. Two weeks ago my elderly cat went to sleep on the end of my bed and woke up the next morning almost unable to walk. She had either had a stroke or that could have been a spinal tumour too given that she was thought to have a growth in her middle ear from some years back, and a skin cyst which had stayed the same for 8 years plus that I had had her, suddenly grew quite a bit and was obviously bothering her. Either way, I had her put to sleep within the hour as I didn't want the poor old thing unable to move to somewhere cooler during the recent very hot weather. Having had some breakfast she was only interested in lying on the sofa and sleeping. The confusion she felt in having to drag herself about was very obvious. She too had lost alot of weight so something was going on. Your vet could try a good dose of steroids but don't be surprised if he suggests PTS. Sometimes a decision you have to make quickly like this is easier to cope with.
 
sussexbythesea said:
Sounds like it could be - she could be developing arthritis in her neck which may impinge on the spinal cord or she may have had a fall in the field and damaged her neck in some way? There are also viruses that cause wobbler type symptoms such as this

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/horse_advice/wobbler-syndrome/1670

Hope it resolves.
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I think sussexbythesea has been reading one of my replies! :)
There are plants that can cause ataxia and also pesticides if there has been crop spraying on teh land recently. Red clover contains cyanide and this can also cause ataxia.

It is more likely she damaged her neck falling in the field and calcium build up impinges on the spinal cord hence the neuro damage and loss of co-ordination in the hind legs. The article says that there is not really much info on type of breeds affected but I know from having a ten year old pts with wobblers that horses with particular long necks, and geldings are more commonly affected with this complaint. Shire horses, WB's, TB's and in particular quarter horses are the breeds most commonly affected. Fast growing horses tend to be prone to wobblers, whether this is a feed imbalance or not is open to speculation. Other horses like my horse developed late onset wobblers which is triggered by a traumatic event. My horse was 10 and he had CVM (cervical vertebral malformation) as a result of a fall in the field which immediately brought on the neuro symptoms you describe. The tail sway test gives a pretty definitive diagnosis of a neuro problem, but its hard to say if the neck is to blame.

My horse was sadly PTS within two hours of diagnosis following months of incompetent vets misdiagnosing something which I myself had diagnosed through research on the internet. By the time I had insisted on referral to an equine clinic the horse had suffered for many weeks with an incorrect diagnosis of EHV (equine herpes virus).
 
I meant to add that you might like to suggest to your vet might about stabilising your horse with Finadyne. This is what they did with Rommy following his third ataxic episode (and after they realised that they had reached an incorrect diagnosis after all). The finadyne acted as a anti inflammatory and pain killer. After three days he was stabilised enough to be able to travel to Liverpool where he was xrayed and a diagnosis and thus decision made. Prior to this the horse was xrayed using a portable xray m/c that the vet brought out to the yard and it gave a false reading as it wasn't able to penetrate the neck muscles of the horse.
 
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applecart14 said:
I think sussexbythesea has been reading one of my replies! :)
There are plants that can cause ataxia and also pesticides if there has been crop spraying on teh land recently. Red clover contains cyanide and this can also cause ataxia.

It is more likely she damaged her neck falling in the field and calcium build up impinges on the spinal cord hence the neuro damage and loss of co-ordination in the hind legs. The article says that there is not really much info on type of breeds affected but I know from having a ten year old pts with wobblers that horses with particular long necks, and geldings are more commonly affected with this complaint. Shire horses, WB's, TB's and in particular quarter horses are the breeds most commonly affected. Fast growing horses tend to be prone to wobblers, whether this is a feed imbalance or not is open to speculation. Other horses like my horse developed late onset wobblers which is triggered by a traumatic event. My horse was 10 and he had CVM (cervical vertebral malformation) as a result of a fall in the field which immediately brought on the neuro symptoms you describe. The tail sway test gives a pretty definitive diagnosis of a neuro problem, but its hard to say if the neck is to blame.

My horse was sadly PTS within two hours of diagnosis following months of incompetent vets misdiagnosing something which I myself had diagnosed through research on the internet. By the time I had insisted on referral to an equine clinic the horse had suffered for many weeks with an incorrect diagnosis of EHV (equine herpes virus).
Click to expand...

Err no I haven't I had a horse with wobblers several years ago hence I know a bit about it :)
 
Thank you all very much for your replies. Poor bubbles is only 15 and I was hoping she would have a long and happy life hacking around the countryside but I fear that this is not the case. The vets have taken two lots of bloods and we are waiting for the results...I know what the outcome is going to be if she has a neurilogical problem...thank you for your support I am just waiting to hear from the loanee for an update today and she is a couple of hours away
 
annunziata said:
Thank you all very much for your replies. Poor bubbles is only 15 and I was hoping she would have a long and happy life hacking around the countryside but I fear that this is not the case. The vets have taken two lots of bloods and we are waiting for the results...I know what the outcome is going to be if she has a neurilogical problem...thank you for your support I am just waiting to hear from the loanee for an update today and she is a couple of hours away
Click to expand...

Depends what neuro issue it is, if its EVH-1 there is treatment for it. Are they testing for herpes? If it comes back negative, ask them to test again in a few days if there arent any other diagnosis. Only saying this because herpes wont always show up on the first test, it didnt with my girl who had the neuro form (RIP baby girl)

A lot of horses have been going down with the symptoms of the EHM but tests are inconclusive
 
Vet recently scanned and XRayed one of liveries that lost condition on back end only,(quite rapidly in space of 6wks or so) and was very uncoordinated in way of going,much worse when ridden and much worse in the hinds than the front legs.
Vet suspected something neurological/arthritis of the mid to low back but turns out it has Kissing Spine,with bad ligament damage around KS affected area. Horse has never,ever showed any symptoms of girthiness or cold backed-ness.
 
Sorry to hear you're going through this. Have a read up on Equine Motor Neuron Disease and see if anything matches. Our 11yo WB was diagnosed with that by Leahurst recently after our own vet was big enough to admit she didn't know what could be wrong with him (and we're so grateful that she did).

He was very unsteady and appeared to not know where all his legs were and looked on the verge of falling over most of the time too. He had bloods done which came back normal which is when our vet said we could either xray his neck or refer him and said if he was hers she'd go straight to Liverpool with him. The ace vet we saw there diagnosed him almost as soon as she saw him & started him on treatment that (touch wood) appears to be helping.
 
Thankyou for all your replys....we have some results and decision has been made. My mare is neurological and is slowly loosing control and having black outs. There is a drug treatment to slow the process but she will never get better. We have decided enough is enough and we will have her put to sleep. it is a very had decision as she looks well at the moment. she is a very proud lady and dignified. She would not want to go on the floor unable to stand. The decision has not come lightly but I feel it is the right one for her
 
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