Vet this afternoon- wind problems

I would say either allergy or pain. If she is on a restricted diet is she getting enough forage to prevent ulcers?

You don't mention if your vet has given you ventipulmin or not to try and see if that helps.
 
SO1 said:
I would say either allergy or pain. If she is on a restricted diet is she getting enough forage to prevent ulcers?

You don't mention if your vet has given you ventipulmin or not to try and see if that helps.
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We've not tried ventipulmin yet. I assume the vet wants more info before we do.

She doesn't display any other ulcer-like symptoms i.e. Is not girthy in the slightest, doesn't react to having sides touched. She's on a restricted diet but she plays a part in this herself as she's just not greedy. Her net of soaked day hay always has some left over, she just has very little interest in food and always has (besides grass).

Interestingly she's had a slightly runny nose the last few days, but this might be completely unrelated, as she's never had this before.
 
Your vet isn't taking you at all seriously. He's most likely thinking you're an over worried owner of a slightly out of breath tubby pony. It seems nothing has been done, no allergy testing or medication. Get a proper video, showing her laboured breathing in trot and canter and get a second opinion.
 
9tails said:
Your vet isn't taking you at all seriously. He's most likely thinking you're an over worried owner of a slightly out of breath tubby pony. It seems nothing has been done, no allergy testing or medication. Get a proper video, showing her laboured breathing in trot and canter and get a second opinion.
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Thank you, this is exactly how I felt, so I wrote them an email at the weekend, highlighting everything and stating that I felt I wasn't being taken seriously and I was extremely concerned about the pony. Vet rang me yesterday and said he has taken it on board. Now waiting for a date for her to go in, I have said I want it ASAP and they have said it will be no later than next week.

If I don't hear anything by the end of the day, I will chase them up.
 
Hi everyone, we went to hospital today and I was right.

She was diagnosed with a very rare condition of her trachea, likely to be partly congenital, partly defect (they don't really know) that means the whole length is narrowed. Her over breathing to get air in causes the top to 'suck' in which further restricts her airway. At exercise, her pharynx shuts over and she doesn't get enough air in.

It is evident both markedly at rest and worse during exercise.

She had a tracheal and lung wash as there was also evidence of mild inflammation, awaiting results of those.

There is no cure. It is a condition occasionally seen in shetlands and miniatures, but usually just parts of the trachea. Hers is the whole way.

They have said to continue exercise as she has EMS so needs to keep metabolism working, but reduce workload and expectations. Light hacking may be our only option. Unfortunately it will probably mean the end of any competitive career. We are going to try and reduce her weight to see if it helps (she weighed 508 on bridge)

I'm absolutely devastated, but I knew there was something wrong.

Vets were quite shocked by outcome. I still think they thought I was panicking for no reason.
 
Sorry the news isn't great in so far as there is no treatment but well done for sticking to your guns and getting the correct diagnosis in the face of an uphill struggle with your vets.

As you know yourself you do need to get some weight off her which as you've already pointed out won't be easy when you are restricted with what you can do exercise wise. It strikes me a track system would be perfect for her if you have the facility for this, it would encourage her to gently exercise herself whilst also restricting her grass, effectively killing two birds with one stone with minimal intervention from you after the initial set up!
 
Really sorry to hear your news. Well done for persevering. Sometimes professionals forget that the owner knows their horse best. Hope it reminded them of this for the future.
I understand how you feel. Retiring or not competing a horse any more feels like you have lost a little part of them.
Hope things brighten up for you soon.
 
alibali said:
Sorry the news isn't great in so far as there is no treatment but well done for sticking to your guns and getting the correct diagnosis in the face of an uphill struggle with your vets.

As you know yourself you do need to get some weight off her which as you've already pointed out won't be easy when you are restricted with what you can do exercise wise. It strikes me a track system would be perfect for her if you have the facility for this, it would encourage her to gently exercise herself whilst also restricting her grass, effectively killing two birds with one stone with minimal intervention from you after the initial set up!
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Yes definitely. I have never denied she needs to lose weight and I will do my best. They gave me a diet plan to follow but I actually already feed her less than they suggested andwith reduced exercise it's going to be even more of a struggle. Other suggestion they had was to muzzle her on her bald field so basically can't eat anything at all overnight but is still out in the fresh air. But I need a muzzle that won't further impede her breathing by covering her nostrils.
 
I sorry about the result, but well done you for getting the answer. I hope your vet is feeling guilty. He was basically making you abuse an ill horse. You've done a great job for her.
 
ycbm said:
I sorry about the result, but well done you for getting the answer. I hope your vet is feeling guilty. He was basically making you abuse an ill horse. You've done a great job for her.
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Thanks ycbm. I've had the most horrendous nights sleep, I just feel ill at the thought that I've been pushing her. Even last year when I called them out about this, I was told that she needed more exercise as she was fat and unfit. I tried to explain that I was trying but she wouldn't tolerate exercise but they told me to work on getting her fit.

As it turns out, underneath this condition, I have managed to get her very fit. Her recovery rate after exercise was noted as being very rapid, which was one reason that they started to believe me yesterday when they realised this wasn't just an unfit pony not doing enough.

I know it's not at all helpful, but I keep thinking of all the times she was extremely blowy and fatigued and I asked for more because I'd been told she desperately needed to lose weight and obviously diet alone wasn't cutting it.
 
sorry it isn't better news, but well done for pushing them on this - I hope at least it gives you some peace to know that you were right to trust your judgement. She's a lucky horse to have you looking out for her.
 
Well done for keeping going! I find some vets can be very dismissive without looking at the whole picture!

You have answers now which is a good thing even if they are not the outcome you desired.
 
So sorry to hear this, but at least you now know that you were right. I can't suggest anything beyond what others have, but will say well done for sticking to your guns.
 
Thank you all, I've the through every emotion in the book in the last couple of days, but the tears spilled this morning. Mostly because this pony has given me her all, despite the fact that she physically couldn't. Everything I asked of her, she has tried to do and even when she couldn't, I felt that she so desperately wanted to.

She will return to light hacking and we will do as little or as much as she can cope with on a daily basis. If she wants to have a little trot, then she will, but as soon as she wants to stop, we will. I am aware that I desperately need to try and keep her weight down, which becomes much more difficult now that she can't do much work.

She is happy in herself, and although she has to work a little bit harder than normal horses to breathe, she does not heave or appear in any distress when at rest. If she ever starts to look like she is, then I will know that the time has come.

In the last ten years, I have had to retire 4 horses under the age of 10 due to injury or illness. I am truly devastated that this has happened again, and with something so rare, but it is what it is.
 
Just a quick update- the lung and tracheal wash showed mild inflammation but they think this is due to the extra effort of breathing rather than any form of COPD, so at least we aren't dealing with that on top of the tracheal collapse.
 
scats said:
Just a quick update- the lung and tracheal wash showed mild inflammation but they think this is due to the extra effort of breathing rather than any form of COPD, so at least we aren't dealing with that on top of the tracheal collapse.
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A tiny bit of good news! How much weight do they want her to lose?
 
SEL said:
A tiny bit of good news! How much weight do they want her to lose?
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They didn't actually say exactly, but said they would like her underweight if possible. She was 508 and i imagine they want her at 400 or below but I just don't know how do-able that is when she's on a bald field overnight, picks at less than 1kg of soaked hay in the day (doesn't even eat it all) and can't do much more than walk. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.
I'm working on trying to get her to 450 to start with anyway.
 
scats said:
They didn't actually say exactly, but said they would like her underweight if possible. She was 508 and i imagine they want her at 400 or below but I just don't know how do-able that is when she's on a bald field overnight, picks at less than 1kg of soaked hay in the day (doesn't even eat it all) and can't do much more than walk. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.
I'm working on trying to get her to 450 to start with anyway.
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The problem being getting a horse to lose weight so dramatically without doing it to fast and causing problems like hyperlipemia. Feel for you, its not an easy task.
 
scats said:
They didn't actually say exactly, but said they would like her underweight if possible. She was 508 and i imagine they want her at 400 or below but I just don't know how do-able that is when she's on a bald field overnight, picks at less than 1kg of soaked hay in the day (doesn't even eat it all) and can't do much more than walk. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.
I'm working on trying to get her to 450 to start with anyway.
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Also feeling for you. My PSSM mare definitely has the 'good doer' gene in abundance - came out of winter 60kg heavier because she was only in walk work. Even now she's doing an hour a day of trot and canter work I only seem to be maintaining her weight and her crest was solid this morning.

Are you adding magnesium? I know a couple of nutritionists who say they believe it helps with managing fat pads down. Alcar also has some followers who believe it helps fatties, but you might already be adding that for her muscles.

Don't beat yourself up too much - we can both hope for a really cold winter to get our fatties using their blubber up! (or start a 'liposuction for horses' business.....)
 
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