Raised CK levels

I will see what the muscle specialist comes back with as they are meant to be speaking to someone in Edinburgh (can't remember the name), I am not saying I won't feed Vitamin E as I probably will but would like to go as far as I can with my vet in the first instance also. I am grateful for all the advice on here.

She is currently getting Hi-FI molassas free, ulsakind and the fibre mash with electrolyes. Topspec have advised Topchop zero, antilam and that is all they advised at the moment but I will be phoning their vets at the helpline to get more advice once we know a bit more about what is going on with her.
 
Vet spoke to specialist and specialist is happy for her to back into work as the ruled out alot of things. she is going on a supplement called muscle boost which has 20,000 per kg of vitamin E.

Once her wound is completely healed we are slowly back in business. :D
 
https://cvm.msu.edu/directory/valberg

I know this is going to sound a bit odd, but many of the owners of horses with myopathies are much better educated on the subject than the vast majority of vets. I've always put this down to the fact that we only have 1 or 2 specialist subjects to educate ourselves on, whereas vets are more 'general practitioners'. I've even had a disagreement with a vet who told me myopathies were one of their specialist subjects. He definitely wasn't expecting to have his arguments picked as part quite as thoroughly as I did - but then I'd read more papers on the subject that he had!

It might be myoplast that your vet is recommending. I struggle with why they recommend that particular product (cynic in me wonders if there is a financial incentive) because there are alternatives with less sugar available. I understand why you wouldn't want to supplement vitamin E without speaking to your vet, but if they tell you that you shouldn't or it isn't required then they immediately lose credibility in my eyes.

At the top of this post I have put the link for Dr Valberg's email address at Michigan. There is no other vet in the world who has done as much research as she has - no matter what any of the UK based vets might say. I have emailed her speculatively at the address on there and she responded within 24 hours. I don't know who your local vet is referring to, but if you can get a copy of the results then there is no harm in asking for her advice. This is a subject that she is passionate about and if you have something unusual then 1) if she's come across it before there is no better person to advise and 2) if she hasn't seen it before then I suspect she'll be interested.

Let us know how you get on.

this.
I would be wary of saying a horse didn't have PSSM because the muscle biopsy was negative. People finally arrive at the conclusion that the horse may well have PSSM of whatever type after everything else has failed mainly because it is often the management system that finally works. I would suspect that if you asked most vets about alcar they would look blank yet for some it is the missing piece in the puzzle.

I use the equimins vit E oil that caroline mentioned. I found it the cheapest for a very good quality natural oil. Quality is paramount in vit E. Not the cheap rubbish they include in feeds. If someone doesn't like oil then forage plus do a very good natural one that is powdered. I don't know what muscle boost is but I would check it is natural vit e oil rather than synthetic.

I have looked at several vet's websites for their articles on PSSM. Most of them are so many years behind us. \
I seem to remember there is an article on PSSM on the forage plus site and also on vit E and the reasons it is needed. Fortunately Dr Kellon is way ahead of the average vet.

Even if you vet says it is not PSSM 1 or PSSM 2 I would look at the other types of PSSM. As the end of the day it doesn't really matter what you call it as it is a question of management.
 
I replied but post did work. Start again.

I am going with what the vets are saying to me. That is two of my local vets plus the specialist that have agreed this is the best way forward for her at the moment.

The muscle boost was made specially for the vets that I use.

They also said that the fact that Breagha likes to lie flat out for a long time for a snooze can cause issues on the muscles.
 
20,000 per kg doesnt work out very much at all if the dose is 50gms, so check exactly what it is your are feeding and the amount per dose.

I've never heard of lying down causing issues. They all do it at the yard esp in the summer and none have muscle issues, so seems a bit odd! Did they elaborate?
 
20,000 per kg doesnt work out very much at all if the dose is 50gms, so check exactly what it is your are feeding and the amount per dose.

I've never heard of lying down causing issues. They all do it at the yard esp in the summer and none have muscle issues, so seems a bit odd! Did they elaborate?

they said I can put her on a Vitamin E supplement as well but it was up to myself.

They just said if they lie flat out for long periods of time it can cause issues or can be a sign of equine motor neurone disease (which they have also ruled out)
 
I am a bit confused. I get that they've ruled out a glycogen storage myopathy (ie PSSM 1 and 2) from the biopsy, but they still seem to be saying there was an issue with the muscle fibres on the biopsy. So do they know what is wrong with the muscle fibres?
 
Nope. The specialist said not to worry at the moment as the results are not overly high but to put her on supplement and reassess in 2 months after being back in work.
 
I had one blood tested last week. The vet told me that one test was normal (I assume the CK but I could be wrong), but the other was high. I was told there was evidence of enzymes that showed damage, but because the other test was in the normal range, which apparently was the main one that they use for the diagnosis, they weren't concerned that there was a muscle disorder.

Horse had shown some PSSM style symptoms. I don't know what to make of this really, what does everyone think?

Sorry to hijack the tread.
 
I had one blood tested last week. The vet told me that one test was normal (I assume the CK but I could be wrong), but the other was high. I was told there was evidence of enzymes that showed damage, but because the other test was in the normal range, which apparently was the main one that they use for the diagnosis, they weren't concerned that there was a muscle disorder.

Horse had shown some PSSM style symptoms. I don't know what to make of this really, what does everyone think?

Sorry to hijack the tread.

I think you have nothing to loose by working on the basis it could be PSSM and managing accordingly. It is in fact a good management system even for a normal horse. It is relatively cheap to treat a horse as PSSM and if you don't see any signs of improvement you haven't lost very much. Obviously if the vet says to do something different then do it.

My management system is high dose vit e around 10000iu per day, alfalfa pellets, micro iinseed, copra, salt, supplement, alcar and bicarb of soda. Always over rugged and exercise sheet when ridden. Exercised daily if poss, slow warm up and slow cool off. I let mine wander as much as poss rather than confine to restricted stable. I think many use something similar, some find alcar helps some don't. Several threads on here if you want more info .
I wasn't getting anywhere with the vet so the above is what I did and I was very pleased with the results.

ps I would ask for a copy of the blood test results. Then if you decide to retest you can see exactly what progress or otherwise. Always good to have the actual results to look at.
 
Vet advised me similar to what paddy555 has said with regards to work. Keep well rugged, exercise sheet when ridden (thankfully I bought one at our tack sale). I am planning putting my mare on more vitamin E supplement (i did decide on one but cant remember off the top of my head what its called, white tub with green on it). I have to bring Breagha back into work incredibily slowly.

I will have to reclip breagha as she is a generally sweaty mare when being ridden - at least my new rug from Blair will get taken out of the packet now if she is clipped. Probably do a trace clip and then take the whole lot of Feb time. Mine are out 24/7 which is great for them, I was told it is much better for them.
 
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