Spinal Cord Issue

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Always-Riding

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Following my last post about my OH's ex-racer who needed condition, he came down with a virus and has lost an incredible amount of weight in the last 2 weeks and following the last vet visit, he has some sort of spinal cord issue.

We're unsure whether it was caused by the virus or has been a niggling issue for a while and only just been picked up since he's lost condition and top line.

The tests the vet carried out were the typical wobbler tests and he couldn't control his back legs - can easily be pulled off balance by pulling his tail as he walks, on a small circle will stand on himself and does collapse through all his legs (primarily through his off fore and near hind) when mooching about.

We're putting him on steroids and vitamin e supplement for the next two weeks, but if that doesn't work we have no idea where to go from there.

Does anyone have an experience of this?
 
I'm in a similar position following my horse fracturing his neck two years ago. He had a very wobbly few months which we did get through with steroids but he's now been retired as the front leg symptoms are increasing and to be honest I don't feel safe riding him.
If he stabilises he can mooch in the field but if he deteriorates then he will be PTS and I don't want him to hurt himself or anyone else.

Good luck with yours but it's not a good place to be ;-(
 
Thanks for the replies. We haven't tested for EHV on the basis he hasn't been in contact with anyone or anything that would have the virus. The treatment doesn't seem to be working at the moment :( but we've got our fingers crossed. The sad part is, even if he becomes safe enough to live as a companion, he won't be happy. He is naturally a poor doer and requires stabling and is only happy when he's in hard work.
 
You asked if anyone had any experience of this. Sadly I have known 2 horses with these symptoms. One was PTS quite quickly as if he was stressed in his body (for instance loading into a lorry or tight turns) he would fall to the floor. He had shown minor symptoms until one day they were no longer minor. The second was treated for 6 months, including box rest and controlled walking in straight lines. He was also PTS.

Sorry my experiences have not been more positive.
 
We had a 31 yr old cob mare pts with something similar. We thought that she may have a hind hoof abscess. Vet x-rayed immediately as I did not want to put her through any pain if she had e.g. fractured her pedal bone. Nothing showed on x-ray, neither vet nor farrier could find anything in the hoof, although her foot smelled odd sometimes. This was the year that we had an awful lot of snow in March/April. She stayed in, as did the others, for a week in the worst of the snow and then went out with the herd. We had to put her on her own, in her last week, as we thought she couldn't stand up for herself if she needed to. Eventually she developed ataxia and could not walk downhill properly. Vet diagnosed a tumour in either brain or spinal cord. The whole episode took 6 weeks from beginning to end.

Interestingly her friend in the next box had been leaning over the shared wall and sucking her ears
for some time, although it wasn't something she had ever done before. The 31 yr old had started grooming a Clydie mare, when she was ill years before, and until then had never been seen to groom any other horse.
 
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