Strange Behaviour (video)

[Fairynuff]

has anyone experienced this behaviour before? I filmed my old boy yesterday evening as I had never seen him behaving like this before. He is 26 and healthy in all respects. During this 'attack' (for want of a better word) he had visable body tremors and his pupils were hugely dilated. At one point he almost fell. His ears were at an odd angle and when I called him he was completely absent and staring off into space. Today he was completely normal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7UJIe1AKpU

 

[Fairynuff]

PLease watch all of the video.

 

[Hoofprints in the Snow]

Sorry I can't help, have never seen that behaviour before. Was wondering if it could be neurological. Do you feed beetpulp as I have heard that too much can cause stroke like symtoms in some an elderly horses. I would keep an eye on him and call out Vet if it happens again, or call and ask the Vet if he can offer advice. Hope Tom is ok and that it was a one off.

 

[scrat]

Headshaking? He starts of with the "beesting" on the nose and also rubs his face on his front legs as if he is really irratated. My old boy started doing similar actions but only when exercised. The head shakes would become quite violent so he is now retired. It just looks as if somthing is causing a sudden discomfort in his head/face.

 

[YasandCrystal]

Personally I would ask my vet to watch the video. It could be a mild fit I am unsure. I would be concerned with the dilated pupils. Good Luck. Lovely horse.

 

[Montyforever]

My first thought was could he be slightly colicky or have ulcers maybe? Or the same as above ^ would get a vet out to check him over and watch the video

 

[be positive]

To start with he was showing headshaking but then became more stressed, it could be an allergic reaction to something he was in contact with or a sting from an insect, either way a vets opinion would be a good idea.

 

[Boxers]

at one point he looks as if he thinks he has a fly under his belly, he is biting towards his chest and stamps his foreleg also kicking towards his belly wth a hind leg.

I think if he were my horse I would ring the vet, explain the symptoms and maybe offer to call into the surgery and show the video.

 

[ameeyal]

Has he had any trauma to the head?

 

[Nailed]

Looks to me like a pollen or bite allergy.. it all seems focused on his nose, he shakes his head, rub his nose on his leg and on the door.

Seems to me something is irritating him up in his nasal cavity. I have seen horses who have had stroke.. and he certainly doesnt look like hes had one.

Lou x

 

[Paddy Irish]

OMG my boy does this especially the head flick at the very begining .. if you do let your vet see this video i would be hugely grateful if you could post a thread about it or better still PM me as i haven't managed to catch my boy on camera doing it!

 

[Fairynuff]

Sorry I can't help, have never seen that behaviour before. Was wondering if it could be neurological. Do you feed beetpulp as I have heard that too much can cause stroke like symtoms in some an elderly horses. I would keep an eye on him and call out Vet if it happens again, or call and ask the Vet if he can offer advice. Hope Tom is ok and that it was a one off.

I do feed beetpulp. He's has been having it every evening during the winter and has it on alternate days now that he's getting some grass. My horses are still on their winter paddocks as its too wet to turn them out on the summer grazing. I'm sending the link to my vet this pm and hopefully he will be able to come out tomorrow.

 

[Fairynuff]

Headshaking? He starts of with the "beesting" on the nose and also rubs his face on his front legs as if he is really irratated. My old boy started doing similar actions but only when exercised. The head shakes would become quite violent so he is now retired. It just looks as if somthing is causing a sudden discomfort in his head/face.

There was nothing on his face at all. I even looked in his ears and as far up his nose as was possible-nothing.

 

[sunshine19]

Looks like neurological/headshaking to me

Headshaking syndrome is most commonly manifested by sudden flipping of the nose downward,
followed by head tossing, rubbing of the nose on objects, excessive snorting, and sometimes striking at
the muzzle area. This behavior is suggested to be caused by trigeminal neuropathic pain sensations
that produce a burning, tingling, itching, or electric type of sensation around the muzzle of the
horse.

 

[Fairynuff]

Has he had any trauma to the head?

Not that I know of and certainly no outward signs. He does play at 'wild stallions' with another old gelding so I suppose he could have had a knock on the head.

 

[Beausmate]

Looks like a neurological issue. The head swinging and snapping could be down to headache, as for the dilated pupils, I used to get migraines and that happened to me, don't know if a similar thing happens to horses though.

Maybe it's a mild fit of some sort?

 

[ROG]

Dancing for the camera ?

 

[Fairynuff]

Looks to me like a pollen or bite allergy.. it all seems focused on his nose, he shakes his head, rub his nose on his leg and on the door.

Seems to me something is irritating him up in his nasal cavity. I have seen horses who have had stroke.. and he certainly doesnt look like hes had one.

Lou x

He has had an allergic reaction to something round about May time for the last 3 years but it's nothing like this. It happens only once each year when he's on grass. he swells up, sweats and is obviously itchy or burning. He lets me know by calling for me with an urgent panicy (sp?) neigh which I recognise immediately as his call for help. He gets a cold shower and a good belt of cortisone and hes fine in about half an hour.
Its been pouring with rain for well over 10 days now so I doubt if there will be much pollen around and its too wet to turn out on my summer grazing so his grass intake is almost nil.
Im glad it doesn't look like a stroke

 

[Fairynuff]

OMG my boy does this especially the head flick at the very begining .. if you do let your vet see this video i would be hugely grateful if you could post a thread about it or better still PM me as i haven't managed to catch my boy on camera doing it!

will do!

 

[Fairynuff]

Looks like neurological/headshaking to me[/QUOTE


thanks, will find out more about it.

 

[treacle_beastie]

I would have said headshaking too. Maybe something got up his nose? Mine did a staring into space at the wall thing recently and then we swishing her head and tail and then just stopped. Mine is a headshaker too and reacts to bugs like this. She is also allergic to a few things ang gets hives and panicky when she is itchy....best to see what vet says.

 

[Supertrooper]

Call your vet, show them video and possibly have bloods done as it looks like a fit xx

 

[Fairynuff]

thankyou for all of your replies. I will be talking with my vet tomorrow and hopefully he will find out what it was and its cause. Will let you know asap.

 

[tallyho!]

Have you taken his temperature? You need to take a rectal temp asap and call the vet if it is high. Lots of people are saying neurological but that makes me think, well, why?? Encephalitis? Botulism? The twitchy muscles are very worrying to me!!! I would be calling vet now, not sending a video... sorry

ETA: missed the bit where you said he's ok now... phew

 

[Pearlsasinger]

What is it that is up his neck/shoulder?
If it's muck, I wonder if he got 'cast' to some degree and worried/frightened himself and possibly banged himself.
One of ours behaved a bit like this when there was a mole in her stable - he does seem to be investigating as well as scratching his nose etc. 5the same horse had a stroke years later, nothing like this behaviour.
I hope you manage to get to the bottom of it. It's good that he's back to normal today.

 

[indie999]

No expert at all, but immediate I thought snort... allergy/neurological/mites....something irritating horse as its as if he is waiting for the irritation to happen and trying to work it out himself as if something is going to happen? Tremor infection?? Def take temp to rule out

Brain injury can tend to have pin prick pupils and it is quite dark in the stable so perhaps reason for dilated pupils???? Would expect that on a collapsed animal ie cardiac arrest?? But good luck I am not a vet and will be interested to know what your vet comes up with and good that you have recorded the incident to show the vet as when I had my vet out recently the problem I thought they had wouldnt happen when the vet turned up...as soon as vet went back to the problem..urghh!

Good luck and hope he is ok

 

[sykokat]

Although some of the symptoms look like headshaking, its not as I see it. We own a HS'er and the environment isnt right for that where he is. They usually display when they have tack on or headcollar on. The dialted pupils are also not a sign of headshaking. Headshaking occurs when they are exposed to sunlight, wind, pollen, long knee high grass, flies and are nr hedgerows. He is not near any of these. I would be thinking something neurological that may be going on. Especially with the dialation of his pupils.

 

[touchstone]

Looks to me like a pollen or bite allergy.. it all seems focused on his nose, he shakes his head, rub his nose on his leg and on the door.

Seems to me something is irritating him up in his nasal cavity. I have seen horses who have had stroke.. and he certainly doesnt look like hes had one.

Lou x

^^I'd agree with this, it looks very like an allergy to me too, I'd suspect he's had access to a plant that doesn't agree with him or been stung by something.

 

[merry mischief]

Did he start it in the stable or was he out when it started? If he was was it raining?
MM

 

[LaurenB]

Well this looks exactly like my horse who was a neurological head shaker. He did this pretty much 24/7 it was nothing to do with pollen or dust but a neurological shooting pain through his head. He then went on to have coils implanted to block the shooting pains which failed. He is now retired. If your vet is unsure professor knotterbelt at Liverpool equine hospital is the person to speak to