Sudden onset of poor coordination in yearling

[wildriding1]

Just brought my yearling filly in from field and she looks drunk, its a case of guess which leg is the problem

Farrier has been up and had a look at her and said there is something strange going on! He looked in her feet and said they were all fine and cool, other than old bit of abcess (that was poulticed at time until dried up) that he cut out. She is quite lame on off fore and seems to have poor coordination in her hind legs and is stumbling about, put her sand school to watch her loose and she didn't seem as bad behind, but still lame infront. She is bright and happy in herself and eating, so initial poisoning thought has now lessened, she looking fine mooching around field last night. No heat, lumps, bumps or obvious pain when feeling down her legs. She is a big girl, about 15.2/15.3 and she is TB x Hanovarian x Appaloosa. Neither her dam or sire has any history of this kind of thing. Thinking wobblers but desperately hope it isn't,

can it come on so sudden? Hoping for growing pains due to her rapid growth and development. Any ideas??

 

[Maesfen]

Poor filly, I would be having vet out to run tests if you can't actually find anything on her. Could she have fallen and dazed herself, possibly trapped a nerve or something? Whichever, hope you get her sorted asap, better to know quickly than hang on just hoping it'll go away I feel.

 

[splatty]

Hi my friend has a trakenher x and it came in from the field one day with very similar systems, after lots of tests it was diagnosed with epsm, once on a proper controlled diet it has been fine since.

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
Thinking wobblers

[/ QUOTE ]

My first thoughts too.

Vet job. Good luck and lots of ++++++++++ Vibes.

 

[Goya]

I also thought straight away that it could be wobblers, maybe brought about by an injury. This happened to me ten years ago with my 9 yr old. he had damaged his neck in the field.
Hope and pray I am wrong. Thinking of you.
Vet job.

 

[Guinness]

Please call the vet asap! We had a weanling filly as work with similar symtoms, she started just by dragging hind feet slightly and being difficult to lead and not herself. She went dramatically downhill very quickly and she ended up walking round in circles, walking into things, muscle spasms etc. It was a very close call but we had an amazing vet that put all his faith in her to pull through, and she did with lots and lots of antibiotics. He was never 100% sure what it was but think it was some kind of bacterial infection that causes a swelling or abcess in the fluid surrounding her brain (a bit like meningitis). We dont know yet if it has had any long term effects but shes looking amazing now so fingers crossed shes going to be fine.

 

[brighteyes]

Don't hang about, get a vet. If it's a bacterial infection she needs antibiotics as soon as possible - and for anything else you need a vet anyway!

 

[TarrSteps]

Head/neck injury? Years ago I saw a horse fall in such a way that he hit the top of his head on a fence post. He immediately got up and continued playing with his mates, seemingly fine. It was only the next day that he started to show ataxia (lack of co-ordination), which progressed rapidly. Apparently it was the inflammation impinging on the spinal cord that caused it to die, rather than the original blow and if he'd been put on steroids immediately it might have been averted.

I've also seen ataxia from poisoning and, even though horses are not supposed to get strokes, I've seen what sure as heck looked like it twice, although in both cases symptoms were more pronounced on one side.

Definitely and emergency situation as at least some of the serious possibilities need aggressive and immediate treatment.

 

[Birker2020]

Its sounds like it could be some kind of CVM (cervical myepathy) sp. or some kind of impingement of the spinal cord, and could be wobblers. You should be aware that some kinds of plants/feeds/poisons can cause loss of coordination in the hind limbs as can EHV (equine herpes virus). I lost a ten year old gelding in June 2004 with wobblers following a fall in the field (as did a previous poster), in an older horse it is always caused by trauma to the neck. If a horse is a colt/gelding/stallion it is three times a likely to get wobblers than a filly/mare, also if it is a TB/Quarter Horse/Warmblood it is even more prevalent in these breeds which point to the fact that wobblers is herediatary, also if the horse is quite long necked there appears to be greater chance. It is not the end of the world if it is wobblers, although in my horses case he was too badly affected to be helped. There are neuro tests that you can carry out such as turning the horse in a tight circle and if the outside leg swings wide to the side this can be indicative of wobblers, so can the sway test where someone walks the horse in a straight line and someone walking behind pulls the horses tail to the side. the horse should sway towards you a little but be able to maintain his course. In a wobblers horse it will not be able to fix its stay apparatus so it maintain forwards movement and you will easily be able to pull it towards you. Place one front foot next to the other front foot. Unaffected horses will move their feet as they know their foot placement is wrong. In a wobblers horse it has no conception of where its feet should go, hence the drunk staggers that it makes. Lastly back the horse up, does it hop backwards with its feet? Do these tests on a soft surface, ie school in case the horse falls down, and with a hat on. For best results first do these tests with a horse you know is unaffected so you can compare results. Please PM me if you require further details. I hope for you that it is not wobblers, but even if it is there are some things that can be done.

 

[AmyMay]

Would love to know if there's any update??

 

[Fransurrey]

OP, this is how my exmoor manifests laminitis, as it affects him in all 4 feet. I wouldn't go off temperature of hooves. It's a very inaccurate way of diagnosis as temperature varies throughout the day, with exercise and in any case, as laminitis starts, the hooves are actually COLD, it's only later that inflammation causes the heat.

Are the fetlocks puffy? Or the coronet band? Are you able to feel a pounding digital pulse?

Hope she's ok.

 

[naomipippa]

Hi, i am sorry to hear about your yearling, my 15 month old polish warmblood x thoroughbred, irish draft has been diagnosed with it. She is getting her op today. I have found the whole experience exceptionally stressful, however, there is an amazing american website, www.equinewobblers.com. it is so informative and i e.mailed the dr. barrie grant he then phoned me and gave me some good advice. Dr. John Walmsley formally of the liphook is doing Honor's op. she has been graded 2/3 and we a pinning all our hopes on this surgery. i will keep you posted with our sucess and best of luck with your girl.

 

[Birker2020]

Best of luck with your horse naompippa. I presume your girl is having the bagby basket which fuses the vetebrae together. Do let me know what happens. I know wobblers surgery has come on leaps and bounds, I really wish you have a successful outcome.

 

[naomipippa]

Thank you applecart, the op has been postpond until tomorrow, it is another sressful wait but, i am trying to remain very positive and see this is being our only option. You are right, it is the bagby basket. she has got the compression between the 6th and 7th vetebrae, which is more difficult. this is a very hard time, she is one of our family now and love her very much, we would be happy if she would just be a horse at pasture, as long as she wasn't falling over and hurting herself.

 

[Birker2020]

Mine had C3, C4 and C6 affected so they were unable to do anything. He was put down on humane grounds after I was told he would not be able to be operated on, nor be left as a field ornament as he was too dangerous as he was quite ataxic. Good luck, keep us posted on outcome, fingers and toes crossed and loads and loads of big hugs. xxxxx

 

[naomipippa]

She had her op, surgeon phoned at 5.30 to say the surgery was very sucsessful, they would phone back in a couple of hours when she was up on her feet and this was the most critical bit. I am pleased to say she got up in one swoop with no injuries. she is heavily drugged and major pain relief but, they are very pleased so far. we live 4 and half hour drive from the vet hospital so can only get down to see her at weekend. i can't wait. I am sorry about your boy, what age was he? we had lots of problems with our girl before her op, she was meant to have had it in july however, she got pneumonia and everything was delayed. it has been a long journey and i know we're only starting another phase. when we got our girl home to recover from the pneumonia, we put her out in a small paddock and she fell over a few times, i know if the surgery has not been sucessful we could not take the risk of her being a danger to herself or others. here's hoping. i will keep in touch with her ongoing progress.

 

[Spyda]

Been following your post and wondered how your filly is? Did you have the vet look at her? Is she looking better now?

 

[naomipippa]

We got the vet out after she had been dragging one of her back legs for about a week, that was in june. when she was referred to a vet hospital, they immediately diagnosed it was wobblers. She had her op on wednesday. went to see her satuarday, she is looking so well. It is a long haul back to recovery or to notice if the surgery has been a sucess. She will have to have 3 months complete box rest, then 10 mins in hand grazing. An year in all. the surgeon said it would be about 5-7 months before there would be a remarked difference in her. They are all very pleased with her recovery since the op. She is such a laid back youngster and hates bad weather so I'm pleased her time in the stable is over the winter. So far so good.

 

[naomipippa]

Hi all, an update with our girl's progress... it has been 5 weeks from Honor's op. She is doing very well, too well... the box rest is a nightmare. she is becoming very impatient and goes a bit crazy at times. it is very hard and i'm dreading the inhand walking for 10 minutes a day, this will happen in about 5 weeks. we are leaving her alone in the stable most of the time as its no longer safe to go in, she gets very frustrated and has started kicking out. I hope these traits are only out of frustration and her nature isn't being ruined. she has got every stable toy imaginable to relieve the bordum, i also take my little welsh section d in for her to speak to outside her stable. we have had to build her stable door higher for the fear of her jumping out.

 

[naomipippa]

Lastest update. 5 months since operation. Snow had delayed her being allowed out. We were meant to walk ing in for 10 minutes... No chance. She went nuts. put her into outdoor school, even walking her the 40ft there was a challenge. However, after a few days of knowing she was getting out she calmed down completely. We made a secure pen for her infront of her friends. She had a couple of weeks in there, increasing the time. Intially when she was reintroduced back in with the herd, she seemed to have forgotten equine social skills and kept running back to us for safety. Now they have all excepted her back. she had her first day out on satuarday, all day. she was tired but, is coping very well. she is no longer dragging her back feet, she still looks a wee bit weak when she places one back leg down, but, hopefully when her strenght builds up it will get stronger. Its still early days.

 

[naomipippa]

most importantly, she has returned to her normal placid self... relief!

 

[ElvisandTilly]

That is good news!!! She must be so relieved to be able to go out again and I'm glad the operation was a success. You must be pleased she has returned to her normal placid self!