Poorly youngster, vet baffled, any ideas?

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foxy1

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My yearling colt, who the vet diagnosed with wobbler syndrome (on clinical signs) a couple of weeks ago has yesterday taken a turn for the worse.

He is reluctant to move, but very ataxic when he does move, has raised temperature, very fast heart rate,(colic fast heart rate) rectal exam normal, gut sounds normal, bladder emptying normally. He is eating and drinking normally. No weight loss (yet).

Vet took bloods 2 weeks ago but all clear, has taken more bloods plus stomach tap, bloods have come back all clear for bacterial/viral infection, stomach tap clear, muscle and liver enzymes are 'through the roof' to quote the vet.

The vet is sending the bloods to another lab for re-testing as he said they are so unusual.

Any clues anyone?
 
Does the horse have a low white blood count? And is the horse well and truly up to date with its worming regime? Have you tested for tapeworm and had a worm count done?

Have you considered having your hay analyzed to check for iron content too?
 
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Sorry didn't see your edit, he arrived in July looking a little lean and therefore has been very well wormed, including tapeworm.
 
Both high and low white cell counts can indicate infection. A high count might happen when the white blood cells are increasing to fight an infection. A low count might occur when the white blood cells are being used up fighting the infection more quickly than they can be regenerated.

Sarah
 
amymay said:
A low white cell count would indicate infection.

I would ask your vet to consider a liver biopsy. Get your hay analysed, blood test for tape worm and liver fluke.

Look at what you're feeding - high in protein?

An interesting thread here too http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=510174
Click to expand...

Doesn't a high white cell count usually indicate infection while a low count such as neutropenic means the body isn't able to defend against infection properly?
 
I had a yearling with similar symptoms, tho he was showing mild colics regularly due to liver pain. His enzymes were ridiculous, both muscle and liver, in the end he went down and was semi conscious as so weak even tho he was eating. Thought we were losing him, put him on two hourly feeds of high fibre food, Finadyne, steroids and antibiotics and nursed him (took 3 weeks to stand). To this day still no idea what it was, vet never found cause, calls him her miracle horse.
 
I'd be very unhappy with this lad at the moment. OP you say no outward sign of distress but believe me if he has a colic-high heart rate and raised temperature, it will only be his innate will to survive that's keeping him acting normal-ish. You need to be looking at a systemic assault of some kind and I'd echo liver or grumbling colic that could blow sky high at any time. Fingers crossed for him.
 
Thanks box of frogs, I am desperately worried but I have no idea how to help him.
We are waiting for second opinion on the blood results, vet has told me to keep injecting him with antibiotics even though the bloods are clear in case something has been missed.
They are re-running the bloods taken 2 weeks ago in case something was missed there.

He is still eating thank goodness, I've left him this morning munching on his hay.
 
Rebels said:
I had a yearling with similar symptoms, tho he was showing mild colics regularly due to liver pain. His enzymes were ridiculous, both muscle and liver, in the end he went down and was semi conscious as so weak even tho he was eating. Thought we were losing him, put him on two hourly feeds of high fibre food, Finadyne, steroids and antibiotics and nursed him (took 3 weeks to stand). To this day still no idea what it was, vet never found cause, calls him her miracle horse.
Click to expand...

How awful and how strange that you don't find a cause. :(
 
Thanks muff, someone has suggested lymes disease, someone else atypical myopathy. I'm going in with a list of things to test for!
 
My little colt had to be put down today.

On xray his vertebrae were impinging his spinal chord confirming the wobbler diagnosis. This morning his sheath and belly were swollen. He still had an abnormally high heart rate and temperature and liver/muscle enzymes still very high. Vet felt kindest thing to do bearing in mind the xrays was to put him to sleep. They have taken liver and muscle enzymes during the PM so hopefully I will know the cause of his illness :(
 
So sorry to hear about your boy. It sounds as though it was well worth having the investigations done, and you've made a brave decision, and really the only decision that you could have made in the circumstances.

Big hugs to you.

Sarah
 
Sorry for your pain hun. l lost mine in 2004 to late onset wobblers, aged ten years following traumatic injury to his neck during a fall.
 
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