Severe Anaemia/weight loss - experiences please!

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rummibailey

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Hi, Rummi is a 22 year old NF x cob, that I have owned since a 4 year old. He has always been a VERY good doer needing restricted grazing in Spring/summer and very little hay and no hard feed over winter.

For the last 18 months, he has lost some weight/condition, but I just put this down to him being pretty much retired (due to my younger horse being ridden more) and getting older. Last summer he was 470kg which was a slim weight for him. He had his teeth done (which were fine) and with ad lib hay, rugging up and extra feeds went through the winter ok but didn't gain any weight.

In last couple of months, he lost more weight, coat lost shine and he was quieter. He went down to 415kg and his gums were very white with a yellow tinge. I suspected liver failure and vet came and took bloods.

He had no fever and heart and lungs sounded fine. Droppings are normal. His RBC count was extremely low with severe anaemia. Healthy level should be between 5.5 and 10, his was 2!!! Vet was surprised he was coping as well as he was.

This was 12th June. Started him on 160 5mg tablets of prednisolone (steroids) as suspected autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (immune system attacking his own RBC). Other option would be spleen cancer or lymphoma. His blood results showed only slightly raised WBC and that his body WAS making the RBC but they were either being destroyed or lost.

Blood tests taken on 23rd June showed RBC count to be 3.8! Great improvement but could just be due to steroids majorly suppressing immune system. Can't keep him on that high level long term, so reduced to 80 a day to see how he does. Being re-tested tomorrow. He is currently 425kg and looking less ribby and boney.

My concern is that despite adlib grass, hay and big feeds of alphabet, linseed and readigrass, he has only gained a small bit of weight in over 3 weeks. Still could be lymphoma causing the autoimmune anaemia.


Has anyone had a horse with severe anaemia, and recovered long term?

Any experience of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia? or lymphoma?


Worried that he is at big risk of lami with the high steroids, but unsure if he can maintain RBC count without them. We are reducing steroid level and doing blood tests to see if we can get down to around 20 a day.
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...e-anaemia-and-weight-loss#IIqxgBo35ozOMZLM.99
 
Sorry this isn't going to be good news. I lost my new horse (owned 3 months and fully vetted on purchase)18 months ago to this type of anaemia. He had similar blood results and seemed to rally after treatment with steroids. Then he developed ventral oedema (fluid under chest and belly), went down a And had to be puts. It was so sad as he was a real gent.
 
So sorry to hear you had to go through the same thing. I think I am resigned to the fact that he doesn't have a long term future, but so hard when he is trotting over for his feed and right now is happy in himself. I will never let him suffer, and if he can't gain sufficient weight before the summer, I won't make him go through the winter. It's difficult as he is better with the steroids, but he can't be on such a high dose for long, and his immune system will be very suppressed by them , as well as being at risk of lami. The vet said on 12th June that I should make the most of the next week or two and spoil him rotten, so he's done well so far.

Just so hard when he has been with me for 18 years.
 
Not sure how relevant this is but...

My little oldie was very poorly last Winter. She lost a lot of weight over a short space of time. Bloods showed liver and kidneys were fine but she had high levels of inflammatory proteins plus was very anaemic.

She had not obvious signs of virus or infection but was depressed and lethargic and lost her appetite for a while.

She did eventually recover after an aggressive course of antib's but we never really got to the bottom of what was going on.

HOWEVER! What we do know about my pony is that she has cushings which is fairly advanced now sadly.

If you haven't already tested for cushings then I would do that as it can have a fairly dramatic effect on the immune system and cause sudden weight loss.

Also, the only feed I found effective for weight gain when my girl was poorly was Top Spec Condtioning cubes. They don't contain vits & mins though so you need to add a good quality supplement (I used Equimmins Advance which brilliant stuff!). I also gave her a red blood cell boosting supplement (can't remember which one it was now..sorry) and once she began to recover I gave her Global Herbs Restore which is really effective.

Good luck...really hope you get to the bottom of your horse's issues.
 
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