Poorly horse this evening

[Laurac13]

Hi all

My boy Merlin was poorly this evening and had me really worried, I had just fed him his dinner and he was eating hay, the next minute he had his nose to the floor with his head bent out to the offsite and was backing up, he seemed not with it at all, his teeth were grinding, I couldn’t get him to lift his head. After last July when he was poorly I panicked!
Ran to yard owners house to get her we popped his head collar on he was sweating up massively on his off side all down his neck and chest and it was burning hot, called vet instructed to shove a hose in his mouth for 10-20 minutes we also hosed his neck. After an hour he was much more himself but burning on his offside neck and sweating.
called vet back instructed to give him 2 Bute and 20 antihistamines I only had 8 so gave him those.
So it would seem he had a big reaction to a wasp or similar bite. Anyone else experienced this? Horses are so huge I find it strange an inset bite can cause such a reaction and distress just so glad I was there when it happened so I could help Him ?
He is a dude my friend rode him out this morning he has been perfectly healthy for the past year since recovery from what we think was a snake bite last July when he was really poorly and had to go on steroids for weeks
Maybe he has over reactions to bites and if he was a human he would have an epi-pen? Anyone else have a horse like this? I’d be interested to hear

 

[Carrottom]

No experience of this but it sounds really scary. Hope he is recovered in the morning.

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Some horses can be really reactive - if that’s the case then you need to think prevention plus management so per have a fly rug to protect as much as possible and a specific medical kit with a huge pot of piriton, steroid tablets etc but first of all I would do a blood test to make sure it’s nothing underlying

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

We had a Clydesdale that would do this- his was triggered by rolling in nettles so weed killer and a sweet itch rug - very scarey situation ?

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Hope he’s ok. I know that horrible phone the vet in a panic feeling!

Mine had a weird bite years ago, it swelled up horribly then left an obvious depression like a prophet’s thumb.

 

[Laurac13]

Thank you for the replies I’ll speak to my usual vet as it was the on call one this evening. She only came out last week for his annual jabs and said he looked so well
He does get really worked up about wasps etc a hornet was chasing him a few weeks ago and he wouldn’t stop cantering his paddock to avoid it I had to catch him and splat the hornet.
He can sweat up in a fly rug so I usually drench him in spray but maybe I’ll need to reconsider the fly rug. A stock of steroids and antihistamine sounds a good plan thank you I’ll do that.
Pic of him an hour after drying off from hosing but still sweating down neck in offside

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

The sweating is something I would associate more with a muscle or nerve pain? Might be worth also testing for PSSM as it’s not expensive to do and we’ve found ultrasound to be very useful too

 

[Laurac13]

The sweating is something I would associate more with a muscle or nerve pain? Might be worth also testing for PSSM as it’s not expensive to do and we’ve found ultrasound to be very useful too

Thank you Darkly dreaming I hadn’t thought of that x

 

[Squeak]

Hope he's seeming a bit better this morning and improves throughout the day.

 

[ycbm]

The cheap PSSM DNA test is for type 1 only and most horses seem to be type 2. There is a DNA type 2 test but it has failed peer review because 25% of horses without PSSM 2 carry the genes they are testing for. You can do a biopsy.

The way most people with type 2 horses seem to get them diagnosed is via positive changes that happen quickly with diet changes. The single most effective diet change seems to be high levels of vitamin E.

None of what you describe sounds like PSSM to me, but I am not an expert.

Hope that helps.
.

 

[MissTyc]

That does sound scary - they are huge animals but they can definitely be sensitive! We too had one with a snake bite many years ago; his hock was swollen like a balloon (so we assumed fracture at first), he was colicking and dribbling bloody urine and yellow AND bloodshot eyes and couldn't stand ... When he had the antivenom within about 30 minutes he was like Yep, Fine, Thanks. I remember driving him to the clinic, tears in my eyes, watching on the CCTV as he kept going down in the box which I'd deep bedded with straw, just praying we could get there (for the hock X-ray, is what we were thinking!) ... Drove him home the next day bright as a button like nothing had ever happened. My friend's poodle had less of a reaction to his snake bite, but I guess some individuals are just particularly sensitive and perhaps that is linked to inner health e.g. liver, kidney function. In the end, several years later, we actually lost my boy to liver failure, so who knows ...

 

[Laurac13]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions ? misstyc that must have been so horrrendous for you and your horse very scarey indeed. Merlin was very ill out of the blue last July and went downhill quickly with neurological issues vets actually told me after he got so bad that he had less than a week to live he did however make a full recovery via high dose of steroids over 2-3 months. It wasn’t diagnosed as a snake bite at the time but was suspected after and where he is stabled on a farm there have been snakes seen. We’ll never know what it was but he’s been perfectly heathy with no issues up to last night so over a year since he got better from that incident ?
Update - Merlin is a bit better this morning he is a bit subdued but eating. He still has lots of heat still and is sweaty still on offside neck but not profusely like last night.
My usual vet called me this morning her initial thought was nerve pain / neurological but I forgot to tell her about the heat in the neck. I’ve messaged her an update and waiting to hear back.
I do have some vit e at the yard I haven’t fed it recently as we’ve had loads of grass this year but I’ll pop him back on it.
I appreciate all your comments and suggestions thank you x

 

[eggs]

A horse on a yard that I was at years ago was very, very allergic to wasp stings and very nearly died after being stung but fortunately the vet practice was only 5 minutes up the road so they were there very quickly.

Hope Merlin continues to receover

 

[paddy555]

I had similar. At a time where there were a lot of bees/wasps at ground level mine presumably ate one. Got similar reactions. Vet came out and watched him for 10 mins and worked out that he had been stung under his tongue. He was given steroids and was fine..

A big reaction for a 500kg horse and a tiny wasp. I don't think what you are describing is anything to do with PSSM.

I had another who was stung out on a ride by something like a hornet behind the girth under his belly. Had to lead him home and he was off work for a week. Very large swelling for something so minor.

If yours has this over reaction possibility can you vet give you some emergency medication in case you need it in the future?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

If you think that a human can be sent into anaphylaxis just by a tiny tiny bit of the irritant on a plate or fork or similar it's feasible that a sting could make your horse this ill.
Sounds very scary, glad he's okay now and hope it doesn't happen again!

 

[Laurac13]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences it’s very interesting to hear.
Vet has suggested he stay on painkillers and antihistamines for a few days if he gets worse or no improvements he will have steroids. I’ll ask her for some anyway for any emergencies in the future I think as vets are an hour away. She’s also sending the photo of where the heat/ sweating is to the neuromuscular specialist
I’ll keep you all posted and thanks again x

 

[Laurac13]

Morning Merlin still has heat in his neck on one side and still sweating have left the vet a message ? feeling worried

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Morning Merlin still has heat in his neck on one side and still sweating have left the vet a message ? feeling worried

I would be concerned too , let’s hope vet replies soon - have you had any bloods , neck X-ray or ultrasound done? Has he had any injections in the last couple of months? Dear Harry had a neck abscess that grew into the neck tissue and took nearly 6 weeks to appear post flu jab & I previously only mentioned pssm as it had been suggested to me when another horse had a weird sweating issue - vet at the time wondered if there was some form of myopathy or tying up type issue - it wasn’t in the end but one to tick off the list

 

[Laurac13]

Thanks Darkly he had his annual flu jab last Tuesday but I think it was in the other side of his neck but something to consider and mention to vet. If only it was that ?he had neurological issues out of the blue last July and was really ill but made a full recovery, there was nothing wrong with his neck the bloods were fine but the snap? Test for inflammation was severe eventually it returned to normal after a couple of months steroids vets thought brain inflammation at the time. He has been perfectly heathy and ridden since last September - only light work as I am old with my own health issues.
I just googled horse sweating on one side of neck and actually thought the 2 photos of the horse in the article were Merlin it was identical it wasn’t a good outcome. I need to stop googling ?

 

[sportsmansB]

Thanks Darkly he had his annual flu jab last Tuesday but I think it was in the other side of his neck but something to consider and mention to vet. If only it was that ?he had neurological issues out of the blue last July and was really ill but made a full recovery, there was nothing wrong with his neck the bloods were fine but the snap? Test for inflammation was severe eventually it returned to normal after a couple of months steroids vets thought brain inflammation at the time. He has been perfectly heathy and ridden since last September - only light work as I am old with my own health issues.
I just googled horse sweating on one side of neck and actually thought the 2 photos of the horse in the article were Merlin it was identical it wasn’t a good outcome. I need to stop googling ?

Try not too google, your vet is definitely the best person to advise, especially if they treated him before, just in case it is connected
Very much could be related to the flu jab if there was any chance it was on that side of the neck. We had one who went almost paralysed in the neck about 4 days after the jab- we had to lift food and water off the floor as the neck was pretty much fixed, was really weird.
Also defo could be eating a wasp by accident and getting stung, or even a choke which hasn't cleared properly.
Keep us posted x

 

[Laurac13]

Thanks stortsmansb
You have given me some hope. Still waiting to hear from vet and when she can come out

 

[Birker2020]

In respect to allergies. My horse was very reactive to surgical spirit and came up in huge welts whenever it was applied directly before an injection, and also an incredibly itchy reaction. I thought the reason that it was applied was to prevent possible infection of the needle site so I didn't bother to mention to my vet prior to Bailey being pts that morning, I wrongly assumed he wouldn't be using it as there was no point. But between the sedation injection (at which point I walked away) and the lethal injection I was saddened to see a large bubble which had formed on her neck which meant he had applied it.

It was only whilst watching an old episode of Wildlife SOS the other day that the presenter said that surgical spirit helps to raise a vein so that must have been why it was used. I kicked myself afterwards, it would have only been a minute or two of discomfort before she was gone but it still upset me.

 

[Laurac13]

Hi Birker thanks for replying. I didn’t know that about surgical spirit so I’ve learnt something today. Sorry to hear the vets used it when you had to say goodbye to your Bailey. ? x

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

This is what erupted almost out of no where on Harry - ultrasound found 4 chambers of pus , vet stopped measuring after he’d drained two litres of it ? you might be lucky and have a similar flu jab issue .. after all pus is usually the best case scenario ..

 

[Laurac13]

This is what erupted almost out of no where on Harry - ultrasound found 4 chambers of pus , vet stopped measuring after he’d drained two litres of it ? you might be lucky and have a similar flu jab issue .. after all pus is usually the best case scenario ..

Omg Darkly! Poor Harry ? was there swelling before the pus was drained? Merlin at the moment has no swelling ?

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Omg Darkly! Poor Harry ? was there swelling before the pus was drained? Merlin at the moment has no swelling ?

Nothing - it was tracking inside so couldn’t see it , he was his usual grumpy self and it popped out over 48 hours that I wasn’t at the yard (that’s a horror story old Hho members would remember ?)

 

[Birker2020]

This is what erupted almost out of no where on Harry - ultrasound found 4 chambers of pus , vet stopped measuring after he’d drained two litres of it ? you might be lucky and have a similar flu jab issue .. after all pus is usually the best case scenario ..

Yikes!!

 

[Laurac13]

Hi all I have an update ?
We put Merlin on steroids last Friday there is still some sweating on right side of neck but not as bad and he seems happy in himself. Senior vet has visited examined him etc and says it is connected to his problems last July it’s impinging spinal cord high up in neck so wobblers ?
My plan I think is to move him to a 6 acre field a couple of villages away with my friends horse who has just retired so they can retire and live out together. That’s my riding done he was always going to be my last horse. Such a shame he is a smashing boy only 10 yrs old and I bought him aged 3. Now got to decide whether to move his mini shettie elderly companion too but he has Cushings and feels the cold so tempted to keep him at current yard at least for the winter ?

 

[Birker2020]

Hi all I have an update ?
We put Merlin on steroids last Friday there is still some sweating on right side of neck but not as bad and he seems happy in himself. Senior vet has visited examined him etc and says it is connected to his problems last July it’s impinging spinal cord high up in neck so wobblers

That's interesting. Sorry for the news though. I think my wobblers got patchy sweating on his neck that couldn't be pinpointed to anything but it was a long time ago and I'd forgotten. Mine was 10 and pts with wobblers, had a bad fall onto his neck.

Just out of interest was he a strong ride and strong in hand? Just wondered if there's a commonality with this and wobbler horses?

 

[Laurac13]

Thanks for your reply Birker and sorry you lost a horse to wobblers that’s very sad ? Merlin actually hasn’t been strong to ride very soft is the mouth and relaxes long and low I used to ride him in on the buckle mostly out hacking