wobblers help :(

[clairemassey1]

Recently (may) acquired a 6yo draftx.
Told he had shivers but took the risk and brought him home.
Though t shivers was pssm as had all the symptoms, except he's never tied up.
Now really worried its wobblers.
Does anyone have any experience could give me advice,
When I got him I said if I found it to be serious I would get him pts if I could not keep him as no way selling to be passed anywhere and on and on

He's got strange sensitive back muscles and when brushe/rubbed he often is twitchy and as though someones really rubbingom a nerve.
He's uncoordinated and steps on his own feet and when ridden only in walk and trot as struggles tp canter and almost always wrong lead if he does.
Hes tired after 10 mins drips with sweat and needs loads of lleg
Obviously he has shivers like hind end and weak back end muscles

 

[be positive]

You really need to get your vet out, you have had him a fair while now and he is not improving there is no point in continuing to try and ride him if he struggles this much, I would have by now also got my physio involved as it sounds as if the muscles are very sore on his back and it could be that they are more of a problem than the shivering, putting a saddle on must be uncomfortable for him if not worse.

 

[leggs]

agree with above post; vet
How was this horse kept ? wobbler type sympthoms can also come from grazing on fields with selenium defficiancy especially in young horses, how old is he ? sorry, see he is 6, is he out 24/7 ?

 

[Mambo81]

Hi, my vet has done some on the ground test and says he's a wobbler. Could try steroid injections. He has always been a bit trippy, was having his toes trimmed back to try and help. Anyway I was more than happy to try the steroid injections but last night he fell over in the stable. I was brushing him two minutes beforehand and it has put the fear of god into me that he may come down on me or worse my daughter. Hes an ex pacer and has other issues with his legs including arthritis. He's not a small chap 16.3, I'm contemplating having him pts. Any advice would be greatly received

 

[leggs]

sorry to hear that, but before making that final decision, did your vet take bloods ? I would have him checked there are many things like selenium or iron defficiencies and even liver or kidney problems that can cause this.

 

[L&M]

Oh cr*p - I bought a lovely mare who was diagnosed with wobblers within only a few weeks of ownership (a pre-existing condition despite passing a vetting).

I obviously stopped riding her straight away, but after a few days of heartache, had her pts as was worried she would go down in the field…..

I hope your outcome is more positive, but there is not much hope for a wobbler sadly.

 

[Mambo81]

sorry to hear that, but before making that final decision, did your vet take bloods ? I would have him checked there are many things like selenium or iron defficiencies and even liver or kidney problems that can cause this.

No haven't had bloods done but thanks for the advice. Vet is ringing back tomorrow so I will ask her. He's been taking the nano e but I can't see it has helped at all. When I bought him I could see his conformation wasn't brilliant but just put it down to him being a pacer. He certainly didn't trip and he was ridden on uneven ground. I got him home and was doing road work but he was really sore, the farrier said he didn't have much foot so I put shoes on him and it solved his soreness. Then he started tripping, so the farrier started cutting his toes back. It didn't really make any difference, he trips more with increased work and the last time he was rode his canter looked like he was bunny hoping, its really strange. He's not being ridden since the vets visit, I'm just really worried that he's going to fall and injure him self or someone

 

[Mambo81]

L&M What investigations did you have done to confirm diagnosis? Only I don't want it to be mistaken with something else. I don't want to think on a decision made and question it. If that makes sense

 

[millitiger]

Has your horse had x-rays to confirm diagnosis?

My beautiful boy was diagnosed last year- I took him to one of the big vet hospitals and he had full neck x-rays which clearly showed where the problem was and that it was unfortunately untreatable.

If your vet has offered steroid injections as an option, he must know where the narrowing is?

My boy was retired with immediate effect as unsafe to ride- 3 weeks before diagnosis he was eventing at 100cm and jumping 1.15 at home, working beautifully at home.

We had an uncharacteristic issue at an event and he seemed to be losing his shape over fences so it was more of a performance work up when we booked with the vet but I think we all knew what the diagnosis would be before we got there.

If you want any other info feel free to pm me.

 

[L&M]

Mine was also diagnosed by x rays. The initial signs were a increasingly uncoordinated canter, and refusing small jumps even though she had BS winnings up to Foxhunter. When I bought her she had been out of work for a while and although did flag up her 'strange' canter to the vet doing the vetting, he just put it down to a lack of condition and fitness….

Keeping everything crossed for you x

 

[applecart14]

Mine was also diagnosed by x rays. The initial signs were a increasingly uncoordinated canter, and refusing small jumps even though she had BS winnings up to Foxhunter. When I bought her she had been out of work for a while and although did flag up her 'strange' canter to the vet doing the vetting, he just put it down to a lack of condition and fitness….

My ten year old WB gelding developed wobblers after falling on his neck in the field. He too had a strange canter, one that bounced you out of the saddle, it threw you up in the air, unlike anything i've ever experienced before or since.

When you halted him and reined back and struck off into canter it would remedy the situation. Of course I had no idea then he had wobblers or I wouldn't have continued to ride him. He was misdiagnosed by portable xray machine as its not strong enough to penetrate the neck muscles of a horse (was told by horspital) so I asked for him to be referred to Liverpool. However my vet (ex-vet now I might add!) decided that he had EHV instead and the referral wasn't undertaken for fear of contamination. I was convinced it was wobblers as he had all the signs but didn't push for the referral as much as I suppose I could have - after all I have been brought up thinking vets are the experts! However it transpired that he didn't have EHV after all and it was agreed he could be referred. He underwent extensive Xrays and they diagnosed late onset wobblers (CVM) and Rommy was PTS under humane grounds as there was too much damage to repair and he was considered too dangerous to keep as a field ornament as he was Grade 3 - 4 wobblers so pretty bad.

RIP Rommy, missed like mad. x