Tying up and hormones...

[hannahhannah]

Has anyone out there had hormones in their mare thought to be the cause of the attack?
It's the only explanation that we can think of in my mare, just wondering if any other experiences from anybody??

 

[royal]

well hormones are suspected to be one of the causes of azortoria, however, it isn't proved...this is just suspected as more mares seem to suffer from it than geldings generally.

My mare has tied up 5 times and all of her attacks have had other reasons ie: excess grass or being stabled....although there are so many different triggers that can set off an attack.

Is your mare moody? Does she seem to suffer generally with her hormones....what was her management/triggers leading to the attack?

 

[hannahhannah]

She is moody, calls and very tight to ride when in season. I've ignored it up to now, when realising she was due in season this weekend when I had her entered for an event. So I put her on Regumate. Thought nothing of it. Friday she was showing signs of coming into season, I'm told they can still have mild seasons on Reg, then schooled her yest and she tied up straight after. She's turned out every day without fail, is fit enough for her job but not OTT, a good doer so not fed exessive amounts and I am anal about electrolytes after hard work.... The only change in her management is the Regumate...
Confused.

 

[royal]

What had her work regime been for the couple of weeks up to the day she tied up?
Also, what size paddock is she on, with how many horses and what is the grass like in it?

 

[hannahhannah]

Jumps twice a week, schools 3 times and hacks once and a day off. Grazes on her own with good grass, about 1/3 acre, the work keeps her from being fat, in at night. Don't do any 'canter' work as don't want her too fit this year.

 

[royal]

Hmm.....well grass can definitely be a cause and I don't mean excess amounts where the horse is putting on weight etc..I mean just having access to good quality grass...my mare last tied up on a small paddock with short grass, but it was caused by the spring grass coming through. She's now on about half an acre with 3 other horses, only out during the day and has a grazing muzzle on. This is the second time she has tied up due to grass - I almost have to treat her like a severe laminitic now...

The other thing is, you say she tied up after she had come into season, so this could well be linked with your mare.

What has your vet said?

Forgot to add, what feed/supplements/forage is she on?

 

[hannahhannah]

She's on D & H Pasture Nuts, doesn't need any rocket fuel as a little hot head!
Vet thinks deffo linked to hormones, have taken her off Regumate so hopefully have a season while not in much work. Then see if she does it again I guess and see if a pattern with her seasons.... Might take bloods again when she does have another proper season to see if her enzyme levels change at all..... Other than that its all a big mystery!
Never heard of it being linked to grass, that really must be difficult to control/predict? Horses!!

 

[royal]

Yes it is hard to control...she ties up from being stabled too much and ties up if out at grass too long or on too good a quality grass!

Its soooo hard....most people who's horses tie up, particularly from being kept in, automatically turn out as much as possible, but this in itself can cause massive problems - I'm always trying to advise people to take care with turnout.....the best thing I can say is you have to manage them like a laminitic....of course there are the odd few who haven't been affected by grass after an initial episode, but thats not to say it won't set them off at some point. (My vets saw 6 cases of tying up in one week and all of them were due to the spring grass coming through )

The biggest problem is that horses become prone to it after an attack and then almost anything can set them off....

What are your mares CK and AST levels? It does sound suspicously like its hormone related and if thats what your vet thinks too it pretty much going to be that....but just beware about future management...
You said you already use electrolytes which is great for a prone horse, cut out as much sugar and starch as possible from the diet (including if you feed any treats or carrots)....and you already probably know about making sure the horse warms up and cools down really well in exercise (we walk for about 15 minutes either side of work)....keep no work days to an absolute minimum, the more work the better...(obviously when she's able to be ridden in full work)...

have no idea if the regumate itself could have caused it as I don't know whats in it...

I hope she gets better really soon...its a bugger of a problem

 

[saddlebred]

My young mare has suffered with this for the last three of years - we now have it pinned down to one mild attack in November and March each year so I think hers is hormonal and when she is changing her coat.... but who knows. Mine has a small amount of Stamm 30 which is a pellet feed developed in Kentucky specifically for this problem. She also has a vitamin e supplement as well and I have had her turned out 24x7 this winter to see if it helps.

I hope that you can get it sorted or that she "grows out of it" as I know that some can. My mare has had a biopsy and diagnosed with Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomolysis. It doesnt stop us competing in the summer but I have to be very careful with her in the winter to keep her back covered up in case it rains etc.

 

[Bedlam]

My mare is just coming back from quite a severe bout of tying up as well. No triggers were found and it would seem that it may have been caused by a virus (according to vet).

Its very difficult to understand - there seem to be heaps of possible triggers and no real definitive answer. Our virus conclusion comes because the vet just couldn't think of anything else it could possibly have been. Dotty is 12 and has never had problems with tying up before, and nothing had changed with her management leading up to the attack. She was fit - entered up for a BE100 the following week - and going well. I've always fed a high oil diet anyway and when I rang round the feed companies none of them suggested changing anything.

Hormones may have played a part, but again - she's 12 and has never had this problem before?

Annoyingly I don't think we'll ever have a definitive answer - unless she does it again I suppose, and we take full bloods and biposies to look for everything. I really hope she doesn't - I'm a reluctant expert at bringing her back into work slowly having rehabilitated her from KS op last year, and now from this......I don't need anymore practice thank you very much!!!

 

[Wishful]

You can get some odd ones, where you get symptoms without blood enzymes being raised as well as the more typical ones where the blood enzymes show tying up. Richard Piercey at the RVC is the main referral specialist for soft tissue problems.