Possible PSSM...?

[sherry90]

I am concerned my horse may have PSSM, I will be contacting the vets this week to test him but I wanted to post here for some advice.

He’s a 6yo Irish Draught I’ve owned since a yearling. He was backed and ridden away at 4yo and has always been pretty laid back but can also be quite forward.

Friday night I walked him in the school, he felt very on the forehand and ‘low’ in front.

Saturday we hacked and he was forward but had a feeling like he wanted to poo most of the way round. He did poo normally on the hack but this feeling (like when they lift their back to poo) most of the way, he also stopped when walking uphill but would happily trot again looking a bit tucked up but moving forward. I loosened my girth off and he felt much better.

Sunday I hacked again (girth was one hole less than the day before to be sure) and he felt good. Still stopped once walking up hill but definitely felt less rounded over his back.

I’ve gone to school him today, he felt great in the walk, trot wasn’t too bad mostly but at times he just couldn’t keep it and would fall back to walk if I didn’t keep my leg on. Canter was mostly like running through treacle ? if it was a straight line he was more forward but trying to go onto a 20m circle he just broke back to trot. He did poo twice but again, as he was coming from canter to trot he felt like he was going to poo every time and would come to a stop but then wouldn’t poo.

I did wonder when he was reluctant walking uphill it could be his hocks but he’s not lame at all. No heat or swelling in the legs.

I am not concerned about colic as he is eating, pooping etc all ok and he’s not sensitive to touch anywhere or rolling/biting but I’m thinking something is going on in either his tummy or muscles ??‍

He is a good doer and had laminitis last year so I have to be careful with his weight and keep him in work. He’s on hay overnight and turned out during the day on a sparse paddock. His weight is good at the moment. He is fed on Progressive Earth pro balance balancer, happy hoof molasses free chaff, salt and Equimins glucosaflex.

Does this sound like PSSM? What tests should I be asking my vets for? I’m not sure it’s something they routinely look for so I want to be equipped to guide them if I suspect it might be this. I have been advised to take hair samples with online companies but I’m wondering if running bloods will give more insight?

Due to the ongoing situation with Corona virus I am concerned whether to keep him in work or not anyway (he’s on full livery) or whether this may make him worse if it is PSSM?

 

[SEL]

If its PSSM then keeping them in work is a good thing - it uses up the glycogen that gets stored in their muscles and causes problems.

The hair test with animal genetics is cheap and usually takes about 10 days but personally I think a vet visit for unexplained 'offness' is never a bad idea. Mine does have PSSM but I spent a few weeks blaming that once before getting bloods run to find elevated liver enzymes - so she'd obviously picked up something else

A standard blood panel will test CK and AST levels both of which can (but not always) be indicative of a muscle problem.

Anything changed in the diet recently? Green shoots coming through in the paddock?

 

[SpringArising]

I didn't know too much about PSSM until doing some research lately as my horse displays one or two signs.

You can send off a sample of hair here: https://www.animalgenetics.eu/Equine/equine-genetic-disease/pssm.html You need to pull it out rather than cut it as the root is what they need. You can only test for PSSM type 1 rather than 1 & 2, and from what I understand there may be other types outside of this too that we're just not aware of yet.

If he does have PSSM then he should be in consistent work with long, slow warm ups and getting as much turnout as possible.

Low sugar/starch diet with a good Vit E supplement (someone recommended me one from Equimins which is bloody expensive but one of the better ones).

Keep the muscles warm.

 

[sherry90]

If its PSSM then keeping them in work is a good thing - it uses up the glycogen that gets stored in their muscles and causes problems.

The hair test with animal genetics is cheap and usually takes about 10 days but personally I think a vet visit for unexplained 'offness' is never a bad idea. Mine does have PSSM but I spent a few weeks blaming that once before getting bloods run to find elevated liver enzymes - so she'd obviously picked up something else

A standard blood panel will test CK and AST levels both of which can (but not always) be indicative of a muscle problem.

Anything changed in the diet recently? Green shoots coming through in the paddock?

He was given some haylage the other day but only a handful and the grass is starting to sprout but still not lots in his paddock.

Prior to him feeling sticky I’ve just rechecked my diary and he’d had 4 days off as I was away. He’s usually ok after days off and feels great ?

I’ll give the vet a call.

 

[TheSpottyCobby]

Could well be, I'm the owner of a PSSM type 1 pony, who didn't actually show any real signs until he tied-up just before Christmas. You've got nothing to lose by sending off the hair for testing, or by calling your vet, but not many vets are all that clued-up (mine included). Getting blood work done is another sensible idea alongside the hair testing IMO.
Mine was brought on by a little haylage, an unsuitable Blue Chip balancer (thank goodness I stopped it sharpish!), and 5 days box rest. If not for a combination of these factors, I still would probably be completely unawares.

 

[sherry90]

Could well be, I'm the owner of a PSSM type 1 pony, who didn't actually show any real signs until he tied-up just before Christmas. You've got nothing to lose by sending off the hair for testing, or by calling your vet, but not many vets are all that clued-up (mine included). Getting blood work done is another sensible idea alongside the hair testing IMO.
Mine was brought on by a little haylage, an unsuitable Blue Chip balancer (thank goodness I stopped it sharpish!), and 5 days box rest. If not for a combination of these factors, I still would probably be completely unawares.

Yes I’m going to send off a test for type one and two just to be sure.
I’m thinking it ties in with him having the handful of haylage and also a few days off. I’ve also just read on coat change, his coat is really puffing out now (he was clipped Dec) but I did suspect he was lethargic because of this but have just read something about PSSM and coat changes which makes a lot of sense too ?

Ah another thing to worry about - horses hey?!

 

[TheSpottyCobby]

Oh y

Yes I’m going to send off a test for type one and two just to be sure.
I’m thinking it ties in with him having the handful of haylage and also a few days off. I’ve also just read on coat change, his coat is really puffing out now (he was clipped Dec) but I did suspect he was lethargic because of this but have just read something about PSSM and coat changes which makes a lot of sense too ?

Ah another thing to worry about - horses hey?!

Yes just another thing to add to the list of worries at the moment!

 

[sherry90]

He’s definitely not quite right. Lunged him tonight so I can see him move, walk and trot nice and even tracking up but canter he is picking up the wrong lead on both reins ? he will eventually get the correct lead and then is generally happy to stay in canter and quite forward, albeit he looks tense behind and has a shallow dip on his spine just before his tail where the muscle either side of obviously tense.
I’ve wobbled his bum before and after exercise - after it is most definitely more solid and less ‘give’ I’m so sad for him. He seems fine in himself, eating as normal etc. But he’s definitely not right.

I have my hair samples being sent off tomorrow to the CAG in Germany for both PSSM1 and 2 and I will also be contacting the vet first thing.