Sudden ataxic/neurological onset

[Michen]

I'll try and keep this brief but I just wanted to try and hear from anyone whose experienced this (that hasn't already seen/commented on Boggle thread).

Ruling out any neurological diseases such as EHV, any kind of toxicity etc, I would love to hear from anyone whose experienced this with their horse. My guy does have neck arthritis- he has never had any neuro symptoms. Very sudden onset, he fell down. Currently in hospital on anti inflammatories, steroids etc and has improved from grade 4- 2.5 in a few days. I elected not to CT/ Myleogram for several reasons so we are monitoring and providing supportive care.

Vet said it could be linked to the neck arthritis or it could not. I am not holding my hopes for a full recovery aka back to ridden work, but I do need him to be better than he is now to be truly comfortable with him being in the field. I'd also love to know from anyone whose been through this, if your horse relapsed/it happened again.

This happened in the stable overnight, horse fine at 6pm post ride. 6am completely neuro.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

When my mare fell over, it was Cushings related although I didn't realise that the first time, I thought she was just rushing in the mud. The 2nd time it happened she was pts.

 

[ihatework]

One of mine fell over, seemed inconspicuous, but then developed neurological symptoms. Grade 2-3 but not obviously ataxic. Scans shown no bone abnormalities but an area of inflammation and spinal cord compression in neck. Treated conservatively with steroid. He was examined at routine intervals and recovery of symptoms was ahead of curve. Signed off normal 12 weeks later. No recurrence.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

I wish I had some experience to pass on but I haven’t so I’m just sending more get well soon thought waves…

 

[Hormonal Filly]

No advice either but sending love to you both. Just thinking. When was his neck last xrayed, could the arthritis worsened although that wouldn’t make sense for him suddenly becoming neurological.

My gelding with C6-C7 neck malformation did well for a few months but went down hill and clearly become neurological quite fast, not over night though. Be interesting on the liver and toxicity results

 

[Michen]

No advice either but sending love to you both. Just thinking. When was his neck last xrayed, could the arthritis worsened although that wouldn’t make sense for him suddenly becoming neurological.

My gelding with C6-C7 neck malformation did well for a few months but went down hill and clearly become neurological quite fast, not over night though. Be interesting on the liver and toxicity results

Hey, thanks. His neck was radiographed in July and we re did them this week to check exactly that. Got a second opinion on both sets and no change swere found between the two sets. Sorry to hear about your horse It seems very odd for him to suddenly have gone like that, not what you'd expect- it seems more trauma related. Or somethings "broken off" but then I doubt he'd be improving.

It's all very weird.

 

[Michen]

One of mine fell over, seemed inconspicuous, but then developed neurological symptoms. Grade 2-3 but not obviously ataxic. Scans shown no bone abnormalities but an area of inflammation and spinal cord compression in neck. Treated conservatively with steroid. He was examined at routine intervals and recovery of symptoms was ahead of curve. Signed off normal 12 weeks later. No recurrence.

Thank you, this is helpful!!

 

[shortstuff99]

Mine was also Cushings related.

Wishing him all the best and for a speedy recover.

 

[holeymoley]

Mine fell over twice while going through acute laminitis. I thought he was having a heart attack. He had his head over the door then he staggered backwards and went down sideways. Terrible experience. He thrashed around, and got up. Peed instantly. I called the vet right who came out right away and detected an abnormal rythem in his heart. Second time was a bit further down the line when he was allowed out for some movement. He was in the arena and another livery introduced her horse to him through the fence. Probably in hindsight the wrong move as horse was known for being dominant. Mine panicked and tried to get away, fell over backwards.

Nothing ever came of it. 4 years later he's fine. I was going to send him to the Dick vets who had one of the most advanced vets, but I wanted to get him through his laminitis first as it was very touch and go. Every check up he's had ever since hasn't detected any abnormal heart rythem. I personally think it was a pain response. He was on a lot of bute at the time too. It was definitely ruled out as being neurological at the time which was a bonus. Is it possible it could be a pain response to somewhere else?

 

[I'm Dun]

I commented on your other thread about my friends horse. It was 25yrs ago so probably a bit different option wise. She had to almost be carried across the yard when they found her. Its the reason I remember it so vividly, it was terrifying to see! She was box rested and xrayed etc, then they had a physio type out, a body worker anyway. Her owner didn't remember the exact details. She slowly got better and made a full recovery after some physio type rehab and went back into full work. There was a period of time where she walked like a crab, bent round to the right which worried everyone again, but then she improved from there. They never found out an exact cause, but it was thought to be some sort of acute injury causing something to press on cervical vertebrae, which when it resolved removed the pressure. It took a good few weeks from what we remember.

Sorry if its all a bit vague, we were both racking our brains to remember the exact details for you, but it was a long time ago and its all a bit hazy on the specifics.

 

[ycbm]

No help to you M but for others who find the thread in future. Mine went ataxic in the middle of a schooling session. On x ray he had the classic wobbler syndrome narrowing of the channel in C3 and a misstep squeezing the spinal cord between C3 and C4. C4 was also breaking into pieces at the joint.

I thought there was a strong possibility that I would find him down and not able to get up one day and he was PTS.
.

 

[Ceifer]

No help to you M but for others who find the thread in future. Mine went ataxic in the middle of a schooling session. On x ray he had the classic wobbler syndrome narrowing of the channel in C3 and a misstep squeezing the spinal cord between C3 and C4. C4 was also breaking into pieces at the joint.

I thought there was a strong possibility that I would find him down and not able to get up one day and he was PTS.
.

Unfortunately I experienced almost identical situation and took the same action.

 

[TwyfordM]

I'll come back to this later as currently at work and can't write an essay but had a huge issue with Mysti ages back. She's still careeeering around the field like a nut years later

 

[Michen]

I'll come back to this later as currently at work and can't write an essay but had a huge issue with Mysti ages back. She's still careeeering around the field like a nut years later

Thank you!!!! x

 

[SEL]

Been meaning to get hold of a friend who I knew had something similar with her husband's horse. They were trying to relocate at the time so needed to either get him well enough to transport or they would have had to PTS - so stressful. Here's her response with a bit of an edit to take out personal info.

He couldn’t walk in a straight line, he arced. Vet thought thrown his neck out rolling and impinged a nerve. Massive shot of steroids and righted in 48 hrs. If horse isn’t a lami risk it’s worth a try

 

[Michen]

Been meaning to get hold of a friend who I knew had something similar with her husband's horse. They were trying to relocate at the time so needed to either get him well enough to transport or they would have had to PTS - so stressful. Here's her response with a bit of an edit to take out personal info.

He couldn’t walk in a straight line, he arced. Vet thought thrown his neck out rolling and impinged a nerve. Massive shot of steroids and righted in 48 hrs. If horse isn’t a lami risk it’s worth a try

Thanks so much for getting this info!

 

[lynz88]

EPM for me BUT unless the horse is an important from North America, won't be the issue. Mine also had shivers-like/extremely wobbly when his SI was out or suffering from his hock/suspensory arthritis.

 

[Michen]

EPM for me BUT unless the horse is an important from North America, won't be the issue. Mine also had shivers-like/extremely wobbly when his SI was out or suffering from his hock/suspensory arthritis.

He's been imported TO north america but negative for EPM

 

[I'm Dun]

He couldn’t walk in a straight line, he arced. Vet thought thrown his neck out rolling and impinged a nerve. Massive shot of steroids and righted in 48 hrs. If horse isn’t a lami risk it’s worth a try

That was what rosie did once she got over the very acute stage. Arc describes it better than crab!

 

[maya2008]

Last summer, my TB went from fine to falling over, literally overnight. The arthritis in her neck had progressed and was affecting her spinal cord. We had the vet out but there wasn’t anything they could do. In your position I would x-ray to rule out issues with the arthritis.

 

[Michen]

Last summer, my TB went from fine to falling over, literally overnight. The arthritis in her neck had progressed and was affecting her spinal cord. We had the vet out but there wasn’t anything they could do. In your position I would x-ray to rule out issues with the arthritis.

We have x rayed, in July to diagnose arthritis and again this week to look for any changes. Nothing we could see.

I didn't think you could see bony compression from x ray- hence the need for ct/mylogram?

 

[HorsesRule2009]

I wonder if he had an acute injury?

Not in a horse but a human I witnessed a lady fall off 6 strides ahead of me into a ditch she kept hold of the reins and as the the horse pulled back she got drag our.
She looked like a rag doll.

We immediately called 999 etc air ambulance to hospital.
Everything at the time pointed to spinal cord injury/paralysis.

A week later she was totally fine turned out the way she'd landed/caught her self basically gave her a 'dead' nerve the as you can get a dead leg.

With such sudden on set/collapse I wonder if Bog hit/caught his head or neck on something an has caused a similar result?

This is just a musing but thought may be interesting at least.

I wish you both all the luck having followed your journey mainly as a lurker

 

[quizzie]

We have x rayed, in July to diagnose arthritis and again this week to look for any changes. Nothing we could see.

I didn't think you could see bony compression from x ray- hence the need for ct/mylogram?

You can see bony changes that would be causing compression in their own right, what you need the CT/myelogram for is the soft tissue swellings which may or may not be associated with the bony changes, and which by virtue of being “space occupying lesions “ in the constricted area of the spinal canal will also impair nerve function.

 

[Michen]

I wonder if he had an acute injury?

Not in a horse but a human I witnessed a lady fall off 6 strides ahead of me into a ditch she kept hold of the reins and as the the horse pulled back she got drag our.
She looked like a rag doll.

We immediately called 999 etc air ambulance to hospital.
Everything at the time pointed to spinal cord injury/paralysis.

A week later she was totally fine turned out the way she'd landed/caught her self basically gave her a 'dead' nerve the as you can get a dead leg.

With such sudden on set/collapse I wonder if Bog hit/caught his head or neck on something an has caused a similar result?

This is just a musing but thought may be interesting at least.

I wish you both all the luck having followed your journey mainly as a lurker

Praying for that!

 

[Michen]

You can see bony changes that would be causing compression in their own right, what you need the CT/myelogram for is the soft tissue swellings which may or may not be associated with the bony changes, and which by virtue of being “space occupying lesions “ in the constricted area of the spinal canal will also impair nerve function.

We can't see anything on x ray that would indicate it's causing compression, but obviously it doesn't give you the full picture.

 

[HorsesRule2009]

I have everything crossed for something like the above.
for continued improvement

 

[lynz88]

He's been imported TO north america but negative for EPM

Tbh that's a relief as EPM is a b*tch and very expensive to treat (I treated with aggressive Marquis and vit e upon a blood and clinical signs. Later did a spinal when he was displaying some weird neuro signs which confirmed he had an attack years prior but wasn't his then-current issue). I take it you did a blood titre or spinal?

Outside of wobblers, EHV, EPM, EDM, I know west nile can cause neuro issues in horses but it's too late in the year and Lyme disease can also cause neuro issues in horses but is usually accompanied with other clinical signs (went through all of these on my original EPM journey). Maybe banged something and a pinched nerve?

 

[Michen]

Tbh that's a relief as EPM is a b*tch and very expensive to treat (I treated with aggressive Marquis and vit e upon a blood and clinical signs. Later did a spinal when he was displaying some weird neuro signs which confirmed he had an attack years prior but wasn't his then-current issue). I take it you did a blood titre or spinal?

Outside of wobblers, EHV, EPM, EDM, I know west nile can cause neuro issues in horses but it's too late in the year and Lyme disease can also cause neuro issues in horses but is usually accompanied with other clinical signs (went through all of these on my original EPM journey). Maybe banged something and a pinched nerve?

I actually had them give the marquis incase it was that, whilst we waited for the results. Given it does no harm.

Negative for westnile, EHV, everything.

I am praying for a pinched nerve tbh, but he does have neck arthiritis, so..

 

[Pick and mix]

Mine had neck arthritis also , he suddenly went severly ataxic that bad was unable to travel for a week until he was stable , he then spent a week at the vets , he was 23 at the time and I said wouldn’t put him through ct scan ext due to how bad he was , vets agreed , he had steroids injected initially but didn’t make huge difference he then had the arthamid and this made a massive difference wasn’t ever hundred percent but a lot less ataxic able to go out every day roll and be a horse enjoying his days out , he did 12 months until colic took hold xx

 

[Michen]

Mine had neck arthritis also , he suddenly went severly ataxic that bad was unable to travel for a week until he was stable , he then spent a week at the vets , he was 23 at the time and I said wouldn’t put him through ct scan ext due to how bad he was , vets agreed , he had steroids injected initially but didn’t make huge difference he then had the arthamid and this made a massive difference wasn’t ever hundred percent but a lot less ataxic able to go out every day roll and be a horse enjoying his days out , he did 12 months until colic took hold xx

Thank you for this. That's interesting I hadn't heard of arthramid as a treatment option for the neck, especially as an acute type thing. It will be devastating to not be able to ride again as mine is only 11 and was feeling incredible 12 hours before this happened, but just to have him as a field pet and alive and happy would be a gift.