lucy108
Member
So I have a 22 year old NZTB who over the past few months has had a pretty rough ride.
In April he was bouncing round Arena Eventing, getting placed and loving life. I was fully expecting a packed eventing season with him.
Our horses stay in for the majority of the time during the Winter and have always done, they go our probably max once a week for a leg stretch but get walkered, ridden, hand grazed/walked regularly and we do work really hard to get them out of their boxes at least three times a day. Both of my boys were content and as Spring landed we introduced gradual turn out back into their Summer fields (which aren't huge, lush fields but big enough and well maintained).
We were really careful to ease them back in gradually, almost hours at a time until we got them our over night and in during the day. As expected, we had loose droppings from both of them and they were both on Protexin Gut Balancer which is fantastic and really did help them, but it didn't seem to clear up for my little TB. I had noticed, even before they went back out, that he was a little quieter than usual and not quite as sharp as he used to be. I just put it down to him being a little fed up of being in and thought he'd perk up when he was turned out again. But he actually deteriorated quite quickly, went off his food and started to loose weight, along with a bout of diarrhea that wouldn't seem to leave.
I do not feel in any way this was linked to turning him out. As I said, he wasn't too chippa before he went out, but I could be wrong..
We had the vet out who took bloods and said his protein levels were slightly lower than expected. We then took him to Donnington Equine Hospital where they did a glucose absorption test, rectal exam, gastroscope and scan of his stomach as well as few other bits and pieces.
The results came back as G4 ulcers in the lesser curvature, G2 in his stomach and ulceration in the hind gut, inflammation of the small, large intestine and bowel, presence of blood and protein in his droppings as well as a glucose absorption rate of 47% - should be 70%+. The vets think he has either Inflammatory Bowel Disease or a Neoplastic growth in his hind gut but can't determine this without taking surgical biopsies which would involve GA and a huge vet bill so that is a no go route for us.
He was sent home on Gastroguard for 4 weeks, Sulcrafate, BioSponge and Succeed Digestive Conditioning Supplement. We have implemented everything under the sun - increased his turnout, reduced anything we felt was causing him stress, been religious with the timings of medication etc. We also tried herbal remedies and even natural yoghurt. He seemed a litter perkier but the constant diarrhea just continued and got worse. After two weeks, in agreement with two vets, I started him on a 10 day course of Equisolon which they sort of said was our last type of medication to try before more investigative work - I know it is far than ideal to be treating a horse with severe ulcers on steroids, however, he was dropping weight at a rate of knots because of the diarrhea and we were left with little choice.
We are on day 6 of the steroid treatment and the diarrhea is no better and he doesn't seem any perkier than when he was on his original medication plan. I understand it will take a while for his gut to return to normal and get that good bacteria back, however, I was hoping for some improvement.
Has anyone had anything like this before? I'm at my wits end and running out of money. I just want him to be happy and comfortable again - I don't feel like he is 100% there at the moment.
Any stories are welcomed - regardless out outcome.
*When I talk about Diarrhea - I am talking about extreme - basically passing water. Covering him and his stable every day....up the walls, in his water....everywhere. He is white and I come down to a half brown/half white horse everyday.
In April he was bouncing round Arena Eventing, getting placed and loving life. I was fully expecting a packed eventing season with him.
Our horses stay in for the majority of the time during the Winter and have always done, they go our probably max once a week for a leg stretch but get walkered, ridden, hand grazed/walked regularly and we do work really hard to get them out of their boxes at least three times a day. Both of my boys were content and as Spring landed we introduced gradual turn out back into their Summer fields (which aren't huge, lush fields but big enough and well maintained).
We were really careful to ease them back in gradually, almost hours at a time until we got them our over night and in during the day. As expected, we had loose droppings from both of them and they were both on Protexin Gut Balancer which is fantastic and really did help them, but it didn't seem to clear up for my little TB. I had noticed, even before they went back out, that he was a little quieter than usual and not quite as sharp as he used to be. I just put it down to him being a little fed up of being in and thought he'd perk up when he was turned out again. But he actually deteriorated quite quickly, went off his food and started to loose weight, along with a bout of diarrhea that wouldn't seem to leave.
I do not feel in any way this was linked to turning him out. As I said, he wasn't too chippa before he went out, but I could be wrong..
We had the vet out who took bloods and said his protein levels were slightly lower than expected. We then took him to Donnington Equine Hospital where they did a glucose absorption test, rectal exam, gastroscope and scan of his stomach as well as few other bits and pieces.
The results came back as G4 ulcers in the lesser curvature, G2 in his stomach and ulceration in the hind gut, inflammation of the small, large intestine and bowel, presence of blood and protein in his droppings as well as a glucose absorption rate of 47% - should be 70%+. The vets think he has either Inflammatory Bowel Disease or a Neoplastic growth in his hind gut but can't determine this without taking surgical biopsies which would involve GA and a huge vet bill so that is a no go route for us.
He was sent home on Gastroguard for 4 weeks, Sulcrafate, BioSponge and Succeed Digestive Conditioning Supplement. We have implemented everything under the sun - increased his turnout, reduced anything we felt was causing him stress, been religious with the timings of medication etc. We also tried herbal remedies and even natural yoghurt. He seemed a litter perkier but the constant diarrhea just continued and got worse. After two weeks, in agreement with two vets, I started him on a 10 day course of Equisolon which they sort of said was our last type of medication to try before more investigative work - I know it is far than ideal to be treating a horse with severe ulcers on steroids, however, he was dropping weight at a rate of knots because of the diarrhea and we were left with little choice.
We are on day 6 of the steroid treatment and the diarrhea is no better and he doesn't seem any perkier than when he was on his original medication plan. I understand it will take a while for his gut to return to normal and get that good bacteria back, however, I was hoping for some improvement.
Has anyone had anything like this before? I'm at my wits end and running out of money. I just want him to be happy and comfortable again - I don't feel like he is 100% there at the moment.
Any stories are welcomed - regardless out outcome.
*When I talk about Diarrhea - I am talking about extreme - basically passing water. Covering him and his stable every day....up the walls, in his water....everywhere. He is white and I come down to a half brown/half white horse everyday.
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her last colic was July last year still has the odemas and she is now over weight. Coming back into work as she was off with a cough.