Vet call out for the useless one...

Tr0uble

Tr0uble

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For the useless brown horse. *sigh*

He came in fine, asking for food as per usual, but got gradually quieter and then I noticed he was sweated up all down one side in really weird patterns-not the normal places you would expect a warm horse to sweat, and the stables were lovely and cool....rhythm always sweats before snip does and he was dry! The weirdest bit was that he was sweating on one side, but dry on the other side!

He'd also left his dinner, which is unheard of.

Was pooing, but very small and loose, some very faint but sounds but normally you can hear him from a mile away...just generally not quite right....looked almost colicky but not quite, or like he was tying up.

Vet came out and agreed with me, and his temperature was up as well.

He's had a 'cocktail' of drugs as a coverall, pain killers, sedative, muscle relaxant, anti inflam and "something to bring his temperature down"

Within ten mins he was looking much happier and munching on his hay! So there was def SOMETHING the matter.

Got to go back up in a bit to check on him, I've left him in for tonight.

Vet wants me to call tomorrow to let him know how he's looking...and said that although snio looks like a healthy, strapping great thug of a horse, hes just an unfortunate creature with a system that just doesn't work properly, so this sort of thing will probably crop up now and then, and could be triggered by any number of things, or a combination of things.
 
I've just been back up to check on him, he's looking bright and tucking into his haynet...but he's still sweating in strange shaped patches. He has got a rug on, just a rain sheet...the same sheet he's been wearing in much warmer weather without so much as a drop of sweat so as it's only 7degrees out tonight here's no way he's too hot.*

Will google myo now, see if it rings any bells, thank you for that!

Not sure about vigilant, we've just been through so much together that I know him inside and out, literally! I know that horses thoughts before he does!
 
Hope he feels better soon , i've had sleepless nights with poorly horses and usually end up making myself ill with stress - not nice. Could you put a wicking rug on him to help stabilize his temp?
 
Well, not out of the woods yet, oh saw him first thing and said he looked bright and was eating, but when my friend and I went up at 10am he came out of the stable looking like an arthritic old man.*
Really stiff back legs and dragging his toes...planted his feet and didn't want to leave his stable, got him to his field and he just stood in the spot where we left him. When he saw us take water tubs down he was desperate to come over to me (as he always would) but he seemed to not be able to move, then did a weird anarchy flex with each leg and managed to shuffle over to me for a cuddle and a drink. But was very down, and drank lots.

His urine was dark over night, brownish not red, but not as much as I'd expect.

Vet thinks he's tied up, has taken bloods but the results are confusing as there's no significant CK or AST raise, red and White blood cells a little low but nothing to shout about...so it looks like he is tying up, but I've caught it early enough that it's not showing massively in his bloods, he's sensitive to it and is weak from all his past episodes.

Has been tubed with electrolytes and he's back on the dantrium with metacam and electrolytes and lots of fluids/soaked hay....so now to wait and see.

He really is looking very sorry for himself :-(
 
can i just ask, what is tying up. i ve heard the phrase being used hundreds of time, and been told to do certain things to prevent it, but never actually had what it is explained to me.
 
Azoturia, or Equine Rhabdomyelosis, is a condition that affects the muscles of horses, ranging from stiffness and mild cramps to the horse becoming unable to stand with discoloured urine. Terminology for the disease is variable and includes Monday Morning Disease, Tying-Up, Azoturia, Paralytic Myoglobinuria, Myositis and Setfast. It is unlikely that a single process can explain all the clinical types, but the term rhabdomyelosis is often though to be the more accurate description and it is this term that shall be used for this discussion.

Equine Rhabdomyelosis can affect any horse of any age but is much more common in fillies and mares than geldings and stallions. Young animals tend to have one or two episodes and then no further problems, which can lead to unfounded claims of successful treatment. It can affect just one individual in a group which are all under the same management regime and severity and frequency are highly variable.

What Causes It?

The basic mechanism of the disease is poorly understood and it is likely that the predisposing and triggering factor(s) are slightly different for each animal. Possible predisposing factors include:

Carbohydrate Overloading -The classical presentation is the draught horse in work that is rested or the weekend on full feed, then when the horse returns to work several days later it suffers an attack of the disease. It is thought that muscle glycogen accumulates during the rest period and when used during exercise it produces excessive lactic acid. This causes local tissue damage and constriction of the blood vessels, resulting in decreased blood flow to the tissues and further reduction in lactic acid removal.
Local Hypoxia - Certain types of muscle fibres are larger, have greater glycogen stores and fewer surrounding blood vessels than others. Local hypoxia (lack of oxygen supplied by the blood) may increase the lactic acid production in these fibres. However equine rhabdomyelosis normally occurs at the start of exercise, when these fibres would not yet be working and the condition is not usually seen in horses with other conditions causing impaired circulation
Thiamine Deficiency - Thiamine (one of the B Group of Vitamins) acts in the metabolism of waste products from muscle activity. A deficiency, therefore, could lead to a build up of these waste products and hence, lactic acid.
Vitamin E and Selenium Deficiency - This theory is based on reports of success at preventing further episodes following supplementation. Clinical trials have failed to confirm this.
Hormonal Disturbances - Reproductive hormones, thyroid hormones and cortisol have all been implicated in equine rhabdomyelosis, but there is still considerable debate.
Electrolyte Imbalances - Studies from UK racing stables have indicated that chronic sodium and/or potassium deficiencies may be involved in chronic equine rhabdomyelosis. This is difficult to detect routinely so a special urine test is used to assess levels.
Viral Causes - Muscle involvement following viral disease (e.g. influenza) has been investigated but the associated muscle pain (myalgia) is generally considered to be a separate and distinct disease process.
 
The above was copied from a medical website, snip has been diagnosed with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis, and we are really struggling to find all the triggers, thought I had it sussex, not had an episode in a year now....and then last night boom! There he goes again for no apparent reason.
 
thanks so much for that. really helpful link.
my old yard manager said its like cramp, but that was all i got out of her, helpful huh?
 
It is a bit like cramp, but can range from that to a very severe inability to move. For all his problems snip has never tied up so badly that he can't move...just very stiff behind like today.

I do think he's possibly more sensitive to muscle pain than most horses would be due to his past issues with it and the severe muscle damage that he's just had a year off to recover from.

It's very very likely that he'll never be a riding horse, just a very expensive and high maintenance pet, but that's fine, I love him to bits and if a pet is all he can be, then a pet he will be. Shame though as he's a very talented horse and at only 7 years old it's so unfair that this should be happening to him.
 
Sorry he's had a tying up episode, have seen how distressed they can be. Hope he makes a good recovery & you can find the trigger.
 
Keep him warm and have fingers crossed and many((((((hugs))))))). Lost a horse I had on loan from that and it came on so fast, we never knew what hit us.
 
He's doing ok, though he's very quiet and withdrawn...not at all himself.

He's been nibbling his soaked hay all day but he's not eaten anywhere near his usual amount, he's nibbled his bucket feed, and does keep going back to it so I'm confident he'll have eaten all his meds by morning...but for a horse who normally inhales his feeds in one mouthful, it's very noticeable.

He's to stay in for 24/48 hours on box rest and then try a little turn out if he seems willing...he'll tell me when he's ready to go back out. Luckily Baby Rhythm is quite happy doing babysitting duties and stay in as well, as long as the haylage is always topped up! Lol, it's so nice to have such an easy one!

I hate seeing my poor boy so down and to not really know for sure how to help him. He's had a year off now, and if he never makes a riding horse then he has a home for life with me as a pet. An expensive, high maintenance pet, whether that be 30 years, 3 years or less, he's my boy and I've never been so closely bonded with a horse.
 
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