Veteran suddenly unable to lower head to eat or drink or graze

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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My 28yr old Welsh cob Sunny was suddenly unable to lower his head to eat or drink or graze today. I feel awful because with hindsight I can see he's been like this for at least 4 or 5 days. When I realised the extent of the problem today, we rigged up the yard so he can eat from the big haylage bale at head height and we've raised his water bucket to head height and his feed bowl. Poor lad he ate and ate and ate and drank loads. How he didn't have a colic I'll never know. Vets out as emergency. Raised temp, gums pale, unable to lower head past chest height, stiff on tight circle to the right but that may be just old age. He's 28 and although he has Cushings, 1 eye and severe pollen allergy, he's currently as bright as a button on 2mg Pergolide daily plus Cavalesse now the pollen season has started. Vets gave Finadyne and antibx intravenously but no improvement in head lowering after half an hour or so. Taken bloods to look for clues. Very worried that he's maybe struggled to get up and twisted something. Anyone had experience of similar? Any ideas? Aged 28 and with his health restrictions, heroic stuff isn't going to happen but what could it be?
 
Yes, almost identical symptoms with a friends horse, a tb in her early 20's. Previously healthy came in one night & couldn't lower her head to eat or drink. Had quite a high head carriage so hadn't looked obvious when we caught her. Vets diagnosed a hairline fracture in her spine, and possible muscle strain just behind the withers. Was years ago but the treatment iirc was painkiller
 
On phone, hadn't finished! Had about a weeks box rest but mare was a loon in the field so not sure how vital the box rest was for a quieter type. She had to be retired, but only cos a riders weight would put pressure on the scar tissue. Vet did say a younger horse could have surgery & be ridden as usual. Mare was pts years later & never had any future trouble with her back after, we always assumed she'd fell in the field. Fingers crossed for your old boy x
 
I had a horse in my care a few years ago who could not put his head to the floor. The back man came out did a few adjustments and he was back to normal straight away!
 
A friends horse had the opposite and could lift his head, we were all convinced he had broken something and called the vet as an emergency. It turned out to be a trapped nerve in his neck, vet manipulated and it made an awful crack then the horse walked up the field as if nothing had happened, hope yours is also something simple x
 
1 of mine had this recently, she'd damaged the nuchal ligament in her neck, slipping over out in the field. Bute + muscle relaxant jab, & a week or 2 of everything at waist height, & she was fine. Can be a very sore neck after a fall too. Hope your lad is ok very soon... Gentle massage might help.
 
Thanks all - I thought spine and cracked vertebra or trapped nerve. Friday morning, still unable to drop head despite Finadyne inj the night before. Lunchtime, YO spotted Sunny eating from haylage bale at head height but COVERED IN SHAVINGS! He'd obviously finally managed tolie down and, more importantly, get up again afterwards. YO said he looked very very tired - I think not been able tolie down for 3 or 4 days. Vet arrived 3pm, 10 mins after fellow livery came to find me to say what a relief about Sunny. Eh? What did she mean? Oh he's grazing on the bank she says. WHAT!!!! All rush to see and sure enough, he's grazing on the bank! Did feed bowl test and he's fine to eat from the floor though maybe tiny hesitation at first. Vet checked, temp normal, gums pale though. No idea at all what it is/was. Gave further bute intravenous inj just in case. On Noradine for 5 days, Danilon for 7 days. Might be relief from Finadyne, poss antibx, poss 24 hrs of only eating at head height gave his body a chance to heal a little? Jeez. What a couple of days! Thanks again all - will tell vet your possibilities xxx
 
My previous horse who was ten couldn't raise his head above chest height after falling onto his neck when he reared and went over backwards in the field. He was treated by emergency vet and stabilised with finadyne - he developed ataxia at the time as I remember the vet doing the sway test (where they pull the tail as the horse walks on) and the vet said at the time he thought he'd got wobblers but then for some strange reason dismissed his fears. Rommy looked fine with his neck after a few days and was able to raise his head and get normal movement back.

Sadly with the course of time further ataxic episodes and after a mind numbling long wait whilst another vet from the same practice misdiagnosed my horse with EHV eventually the first vet was proved right and Rommy went on to develop late onset wobblers due to the calcium deposits laid along the spinal column due to the traumatic injury he had suffered. He was pts at Liverpool after wobblers was diagnosed with comprehensive xrays. The spinal canal had narrowed from 51mm to 17mm and was impinging on the nerves running from the spinal cord hence the ataxia.

Glad your horse is okay and glad your vet used the finadyne injection as I am sure it will have minimised the damage!
 
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A horse at college did this once - she fell when jumping in the school and damaged the muscles around her neck. Bless she was very sorry for herself and she was kept in a stable with her water and feed bowls all rigged up to the height she could eat and drink from.

I had something similar with my oldie last week (not neck but back - I think), he was quite evidently in pain, looked completely crock on his hind limb when moving bit also on his front on the same side. Treated with pain killers and treated his foot in case of abscess. 2 days later he seemed totally back to normal and I have trotted him up this morning and there's absolutely nothing wrong! I suspect he had a fall or someone gave him a wallop and he maybe pulled his muscles on his side or something.
 
I know a horse who couldn't lower it's head following a shoulder injury. Luckily this improved after two to three days.

Fingers crossed your horse improves soon whatever is the cause. x
 
My 26 yr old had similar sypmtons, he couldn't even pull hay from his net. It was like sudden parlysis, his neck and head were set square, couldn't even go side to side. With his thick thick winter coat I hadn't imeadiatly noticed that his jaw area and to some extent his neck were swollen, and when pressed felt like bubble wrap!! :eek:

Emergancy vet out, and he had cellulitis! God knows how he got it, apparantly a wrench or a knock are enough for it to set in.
5 day course of bute and 7 days of antibiotics. Right as rain. Like to scare us don't they!!
 
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