Low Protein in Blood Count

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Mudfukkle

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Just had the results of my loan pony's blood count on her annual health check, and the vet says she has a low protein count. It should be 30 and it is only 20!

Vet has advised worming for encysted strongyles and also feeding phsyllium husk in case she has some sand/soil in her gut causing leaky gut syndrome.

She has always drunk a lot of water and wee'd a lot since I've had her (March this year) so I had her tested for cushings, but that was negative, but was wondering, could this be a factor for low protein?

Can anyone offer any advice or information please? I have never had a horse with this before. Thanks
 
Was she tested for IR at the same time as PPID?

Shortage of essential amino aids in the diet can cause a shortage of protein but I tbh I don't know if that shows up in bloods. Do you feed a balancer with good levels of lysine and methionine? Lysine can be bought separately if the vet thinks it's worth feeding. Forage plus and Progressive Earth on ebay sell it but a good balancer is also important if it's partly a dietary deficiency I think.
 
Does she have any odemas? my mare had low protein due to liver disease, you need to speak to vet about raising them soya oil is a good one but in case of liver problems run it by vet.
 
Thanks for replies, she fed a balancer daily, she has Baileys Lo Cal (as she can gain weight)

She has a small amount of Soya Oil in the form of Soft n Soak, it is the high oil, low sugar one mainly for my cushings mare, but this little one just has a couple of spoon fulls to wet her chop with Baileys.

No she wasn't tested for IR, I could get this done when she is due a follow up blood test in a month. She is not fat though, she has a condition score of 3 so not fat but not thin, she should be nearer to 2 come the end of winter (hopefully).
 
Mudfukkle said:
Just had the results of my loan pony's blood count on her annual health check, and the vet says she has a low protein count. It should be 30 and it is only 20!

Vet has advised worming for encysted strongyles and also feeding phsyllium husk in case she has some sand/soil in her gut causing leaky gut syndrome.

She has always p a lot of water and wee'd a lot since I've had her (March this year) so I had her tested for cushings, but that was negative, but was wondering, could this be a factor for low protein?

Can anyone offer any advice or information please? I have never had a horse with this before. Thanks
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My horse was put on pysyllium for IBS be carefull how you feed it.Later did get chushings.could it be yours is boardline i dont know.Always see vet wormers can be tricky when older to and have a worm count perhaps.Mine would have trouble in that one dropping in 24hours then went to dirrea.Yours is ok .Pysyllium they use as a safe guard.Believe its a good product against colic .Always see vet good luck.
 
I would follow your vets advise and worm her for encysted redworm with either panacur 5 day or equest, and i would be doing it tomorrow. Then look at other things it could be.
 
With the chushings i have horses blood checked regular,from time to time blood comes back low protein. Vet says put something extra in till back up can be couple handfulls of something as on strict routine with his diet.This makes me think yours is boarderline or on verge of chushings.Showing symptoms of it they reckon they all get it if live long enough but what would i know see your vet.
 
Silverfire said:
I would follow your vets advise and worm her for encysted redworm with either panacur 5 day or equest, and i would be doing it tomorrow. Then look at other things it could be.
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I should of added all horses are different but my 20yr old horse has cushings, he is underweight and ribby, i cant get weight back on him and he has been on pracsend since May. He was leaving feeds and mildly colicky back in September and was blood tested for everything he could be blood tested for and they all came back normal. (inc normal total protein, albumin, liver, wbc, rbc etc). He was scoped a week later with some ulceration under the entrance to his stomach which was causing the mild colic.
 
Chushings is a minefield my vet said to me its a matter of keeping them comfortable i find they
get one thing after another.He recommend to me the pysuillum
Also a pre and pro biotics of the vet are best ones to settle gut and safe guard against colic.
You can go on and on.At the end of the day you will never stop a major colic.Take precautions against cold water in winter.And frozen grass.But we do it becouse we love them.
 
Thanks all for replies.

I will be worming her tomorrow for encysted strongyles.

I am also concerned that she could be losing protein through her urine? She does drink and wee more than my others (including my cushings mare) she is not old, she is 12yrs old, but I wonder if her kidneys are not working properly hence protein loss? I have text the vet today suggesting a urine sample test, she hasn't replied yet, but I have already made up my mind that I want this done, so I will try and get one asap (wish me luck with that one :)
 
Hi pony seems really well in herself, but then she did anyway, which is why the vet was so shocked to see that result in the blood. I have done everything I was advised to do, which is worm with Panacur Guard 5 day for encysted red worm, given her a 5 day dose of psyllium husk and I also gave her activated charcoal to help her tummy. The vet is coming back next month to do another blood test, so we will see what the result is then. I will keep you updated when I get the new result. Any further tips most welcome. x
 
I'm happy to report, that after following all the vets advice on worming for encysted (used Panacur Guard after advice) and giving the psyllium husk, her recent blood test shows that her protein levels are now normal :)
 
Oh thats great.I am a fan of psyllium.It is good when people let you know how they have got on we all learn from it.So pleased for you .
 
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