Wobblers Syndrome

Birker2020 said:
I certainly agree with you about bute. Bailey was on it half a sachet a day for about 8 yrs, gradually increasing to one in the last couple of years and the last few days on 2 a day.

The only thing she ever got was a mouth ulcer. It was a particuarly nasty one and it was never proven it was from the bute but I do believe it can from time to time cause ulcers.
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Ooo that looked rather nasty 😔 I was not familiar with NSAIDs causing oral ulcers in horses, but after a quick google apparently yes, it seems to be a known side effect.
 
Elno said:
Ooo that looked rather nasty 😔 I was not familiar with NSAIDs causing oral ulcers in horses, but after a quick google apparently yes, it seems to be a known side effect.
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Yes it was a daily debridement albeit gently with a soft toothbrush and chlorahexadine for a good while but she was golden, I have to say.
 
All I can share is my experience.

TB - mid twenties in age. Had been retired a good few years due to arthritis in the pedal bone of one hoof, but obviously she was getting on in years and becoming a little more arthritic with time. She was on Boswellia and doing well…until she wasn’t. Fell over once…then again. Vet called - we got one of the partners as they’re really good at knowing more or less what you’ve got before imaging confirms. He was pretty sure by symptoms, walked up to her and palpated her spine - calcification of vertebrae in her neck pressing on her spinal cord. Told me I could pop her on Bute to make her more comfortable but that she would eventually be unable to put her head down to eat. We pts.

Also another TB - late twenties. Had been getting more stiff over time until she became slightly unstable and started refusing to lie down as she had struggled to get up a couple of times. Arthritis already diagnosed and under treatment. Again, pts.

As a young adult, I once saw a much loved, aged pony hang on and hang on until one day she just couldn’t get up. It was heartbreaking for all concerned.

In your situation I would ask the vet for painkillers first (Bute is easiest), they might enable your horse to get up and down easily if it is simply arthritis causing issues and nothing neurological or otherwise.
 
maya2008 said:
All I can share is my experience.

TB - mid twenties in age. Had been retired a good few years due to arthritis in the pedal bone of one hoof, but obviously she was getting on in years and becoming a little more arthritic with time. She was on Boswellia and doing well…until she wasn’t. Fell over once…then again. Vet called - we got one of the partners as they’re really good at knowing more or less what you’ve got before imaging confirms. He was pretty sure by symptoms, walked up to her and palpated her spine - calcification of vertebrae in her neck pressing on her spinal cord. Told me I could pop her on Bute to make her more comfortable but that she would eventually be unable to put her head down to eat. We pts.

Also another TB - late twenties. Had been getting more stiff over time until she became slightly unstable and started refusing to lie down as she had struggled to get up a couple of times. Arthritis already diagnosed and under treatment. Again, pts.

As a young adult, I once saw a much loved, aged pony hang on and hang on until one day she just couldn’t get up. It was heartbreaking for all concerned.

In your situation I would ask the vet for painkillers first (Bute is easiest), they might enable your horse to get up and down easily if it is simply arthritis causing issues and nothing neurological or otherwise.
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Yes. I will be getting my vet out to do some exams and see what he thinks about pain management.
I left my boy out in field yesterday(currently all in on winter pens) and he did have a good roll, so I wonder if its just how he is feeling stiffness wise on the day if he will roll or not.

I also did a few tests from the video posted earlier and he did have a good few of the issues in the video so I defo think theres something going on with him. He is the sweetest horse on this earth so Ill be making sure he is as comfortable as possible for as long as he is happy.
 
CastlelackSportHorses said:
His vets didnt recommend pain relief when he was diagnosed 6years ago but I may go down the route and see if it improves him.
I just dont know If I can get on board with long term Bute for a horse. Like it will eventually destroy his gut/kidneys.

I am watching him like a hawk to see what sort of "normal" behavior he can do. I will not prolong any suffering as he is very special to me, but also I don't want to jump the gun!
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I was of exactly the same mind, but agreed to half a bute daily for my little mare at the end of 2023 (she was 22 at that point and just didn't walk right behind). Last year during a vet visit (nearly a year after starting bute) I mentioned that I gave her 'bute holidays' when I would not give her any for a few days to allow her gut mucosa to recover. I also mentioned that she would be pts if absolutely anything else cropped up (she has some ailments that are managed). Vet did point out quite rightly that at this time there was little point in worrying about kidneys and to think quality rather than quantity of life, since she was more likely to develop something else at age 23. We're another 5 months on, now, and she hasn't had any more breaks. She's been on borrowed time so long, now, it's ridiculous, but she's doing amazing, now, even going for walks again. There's also Danilon, which is gentler. I'd give it a go. Nothing to lose with a short term trial.
 
Fransurrey said:
I was of exactly the same mind, but agreed to half a bute daily for my little mare at the end of 2023 (she was 22 at that point and just didn't walk right behind). Last year during a vet visit (nearly a year after starting bute) I mentioned that I gave her 'bute holidays' when I would not give her any for a few days to allow her gut mucosa to recover. I also mentioned that she would be pts if absolutely anything else cropped up (she has some ailments that are managed). Vet did point out quite rightly that at this time there was little point in worrying about kidneys and to think quality rather than quantity of life, since she was more likely to develop something else at age 23. We're another 5 months on, now, and she hasn't had any more breaks. She's been on borrowed time so long, now, it's ridiculous, but she's doing amazing, now, even going for walks again. There's also Danilon, which is gentler. I'd give it a go. Nothing to lose with a short term trial.
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Yes ill definitely be saying it to vet. My boy has been on borrowed time since I rescued him from the Horse pound 15 years ago so he has nothing to lose!
 
I'm glad the vet has been and doesn't think it's wobblers but I'm sorry he seems to be struggling a bit at the moment. It's so hard when they get old.

I think you need to establish in your own mind what your non-negotiables are for him. I said goodbye to my old boy Archie in October when it was clear he'd reached one of mine (and I'd always told myself that one was enough, he didn't need to tick multiple boxes) - going into winter with enough weight on him to see him through to spring, allowing for the fact he'd lose some. For the past two winters he'd lost weight for the first time ever. After the first, he put plenty of weight back on over the summer but after the second, while he put enough back on to enjoy the summer, he didn't have any to spare going into winter and I didn't want to let him get to an emergency situation in the middle of January. Incidentally, he was on danilon over the winter for that last winter but was ok without in the summer - a combination of warmer weather, better ground conditions and 24/7 turnout - so it might be that your boy needs a bit of a hand at the moment but it doesn't necessarily mean it's forever.

Having those non-negotiables in place in my brain (and describing them as such) definitely made the decision easier when the time came. It made me feel like I didn't have any room for manoeuvre, it was a yes or no situation so made me much stronger in my conviction. When I had a wobble about it, it gave me the reassurance that this was right for him no matter how hard it was for me. I won't go into the others as they were right for him and his conditions and wouldn't necessarily be right for another horse but I do think it's worth you having a good hard think about what they should be for your boy.
 
Annagain said:
I'm glad the vet has been and doesn't think it's wobblers but I'm sorry he seems to be struggling a bit at the moment. It's so hard when they get old.

I think you need to establish in your own mind what your non-negotiables are for him. I said goodbye to my old boy Archie in October when it was clear he'd reached one of mine (and I'd always told myself that one was enough, he didn't need to tick multiple boxes) - going into winter with enough weight on him to see him through to spring, allowing for the fact he'd lose some. For the past two winters he'd lost weight for the first time ever. After the first, he put plenty of weight back on over the summer but after the second, while he put enough back on to enjoy the summer, he didn't have any to spare going into winter and I didn't want to let him get to an emergency situation in the middle of January. Incidentally, he was on danilon over the winter for that last winter but was ok without in the summer - a combination of warmer weather, better ground conditions and 24/7 turnout - so it might be that your boy needs a bit of a hand at the moment but it doesn't necessarily mean it's forever.

Having those non-negotiables in place in my brain (and describing them as such) definitely made the decision easier when the time came. It made me feel like I didn't have any room for manoeuvre, it was a yes or no situation so made me much stronger in my conviction. When I had a wobble about it, it gave me the reassurance that this was right for him no matter how hard it was for me. I won't go into the others as they were right for him and his conditions and wouldn't necessarily be right for another horse but I do think it's worth you having a good hard think about what they should be for your boy.
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Oh I totally get you!
I do have non-negotiables for my boy and if we meet them ill send him on his merry way as he owes me absolutely nothing and I owe him Everything!
But my vet(Who i think is autistic and went through the horse from his nose to his toes yesterday) doesn't think he is in pain, which is ok in my books.
 
CastlelackSportHorses said:
Oh I totally get you!
I do have non-negotiables for my boy and if we meet them ill send him on his merry way as he owes me absolutely nothing and I owe him Everything!
But my vet(Who i think is autistic and went through the horse from his nose to his toes yesterday) doesn't think he is in pain, which is ok in my books.
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Sorry I've been unable to access the forum for a few days so have only just seen your reply, but I'm so glad he's alright. Great news.
 
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