My little coloured is uncomfortable - advice please!!

I

icklemadame

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 November 2006
Messages
531
Location
Kent/Sussex/Surrey Borders
Visit site
I'm really worried about my little mare and I'm calling the vet out tomorrow but just wondered whether anyone had any advice/reassurance to offer!!
frown.gif


She tied up about 7/8 weeks ago and we called the vet out, her temp and heart rate were normal but she was very stiff in her back end and he gave us a course of bute and told us to box rest her for 1/2 days and then field rest for a week. The poss reasons given for her tying up were that she had gone very skinny at the end of the hunting season and so was on quite a bit of feed, and that due to very heavy rain I hadn't ridden her the day before, and then riding her that evening after the day off had caused the problems. We gave her more or less 3 weeks field rest in the end, just to make sure, and I started walking her about in the latter half of this, building her back up again, but slowly. She seemed to recover fine and is now back in normal work.

2 weeks ago, once she was really back in normal work, xc schooling etc. I noticed she felt quite tense through her back and that she was peeing quite a lot when I was riding her - she is often like this when she's in season so I put it down to this, and apart from that she was still flying about even in the field and was happily jumping and everything. 1 week later and she still didnt feel right, and was resting one or the other of her back legs a lot, which isnt like her, and was also really struggling when travelling to balance herself, which again really isnt like her. She trotted up sound but I decided to stop riding her and get my physio out, thinking it was her back or something similar.

Physio found a couple of minor issues (sore hamstrings from jumping out of deep mud whilst hunting) and also that her muscles were very very solid just behind her saddle area. She did quite a bit of work on her, and also some stretches and things to try and work out what the travelling problem was, as she was worried about her left 'locking' joint in her stifle or something (I'm not very good at these things, sorry!!) I told her about the peeing and she said if it didnt stop to maybe have a bloodtest, as there maybe something else wrong.

Anyway, I rode her today hoping that she would feel fine and she still didnt - she finds it uncomfortable to stand still normally, she shifts her weight, rests her back legs and stands like she's going to pee all the time (which she still does, a lot) She feels fine when she's going & jumping or whatever, happy and enthusiastic, but once she switches off and has to stand still she is very restless. She is still not travelling ok either, so I rode her home in the end, and decided to call the vet tomorrow.

Does anyone have any ideas what may be wrong?? I'm thinking urine/kidney infection or I may be completely wrong
confused.gif
Help!!
 
I think from the number of views and no replies you have had, that nobody can really give you an answer. I believe it's best to have the vet out to do some thorough investigations.
Your little mare sounds so genuine and lovely. I am sure you will get to the bottom of this soon and she will be well again.
smile.gif
 
does sound like a water infection, but i think that has blood in the wee when they have that.... do let us know what the vet says x
 
She definately has no blood in her wee that i can see... my physio said it may be in some way linked to her tying up - some kind of infection or virus that may have caused the tying up or been a result of it. She also lost so much weight so quickly in the latter half of the hunting season I wonder whether there was something wrong earlier, or whether again the weight loss has caused a problem?
 
You don't have to have blood in the urine to have an irritated bladder lining.

I'd talk to you vet who might suggest a course of antibiotics just to see if that settles everything down.
 
It can take a long while for a horse to recover from an episode of of azoturia. They used to call it 'Monday Mornings' as it was common in working horses who had been given Sunday off, but still fed their normal grain ration.

During an attack the muscles literaly poison & kill themselvs, and this damage takes a long while to recover. But don't despair, there is no reason why your horse shouldn't recover... and then thrive. Remember that muscles support bones and joints, and you will find skeletal problems disapear as the muscles recover.

They recon that some horses have a genetic predisposition towards it. Some simple changes in management will help the horse recover and help prevent further problems. As has been said, build up slowly. With most muscular problems exercise within the horses comfort zone is vital. It is only through gently using the muscles that they will repair.

Spend extra time warming up and cooling down when exercising.

Keep dietary fibre levels high and starch and sugar as low as possible, and cut feed on days off. For horses in hard work, still avoid cerials but substitute them with oil as the energy source. For some horses, lush spring/summer grass is enough to bring on an attack. Use electrolytes, especially when travel and workload are high. Avoid stress and changes in routine/feeding. You can buy special feeds for horses prone to tie up. Saracen Re-Lieve and Winergy Equilibrium for example. These companies advice lines are very helpful.
Give high-risk horses antioxidants that combat the effects
of muscle damage: vitamin E (1,600mg/day) and selenium (2mg/day) are effective at muscle level. You can get this from Feedmark.
 
I suspect a blood/urine test might be in order to see what's going ion, it sounds like a possible urinary infection.
 
Bless her though, I haven't ridden her since sunday because i've been so worried about her, and she's clearly bored, she came flying up to the gate last night and was pushing to come in, looking at me with an 'awwwwww mum come on lets go and have fun!!' expression!!
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top