Wobbly haflinger

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dukesmum

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Hi all
I have a very sick horse but we don't know what is wrong. The story so far wnet up in one morning 2 weeks ago he was fine his usual self, but 3 pm when we returned to ride he was very wobbly unable to coordinate and lacked spacial awareness. The vet was called straight away, antibiotics were prescribed within 2 days he had got so bad he was a danger to us and mostly himself. He was referred to the RVC at Potters Bar (at this point I need to add we are paying for this ourselves he is not covered for vets fees by insurance he is 15yrs). It was a difficult drive and he fell out the trailer on arrival. The tests began, he has clear blood tests, and x-rays he looks fit and well no signs of trauma, no discharges anywhere. The spinal fluid results showed a higher than normal number of macrophages, so the vets did a ct scan of his head. They could see nothing, but in order for him to be still enough to do the scan he had lots of hypertonic fluid to draw fluid away from anywhere it should not be. This fluid helped him and he went from a level 4 out of 5 wobble (ataxia) to a level 2 great we thought. He was allowed home after three days with the vets unable to tell us anything. The treatment plan was for him to continue on massive doses of steriods for 10 days and see how he goes. After just 3 days he started to wobble more again he is now at level 3 with the drugs still going.

  • So his symptoms are ataxia ranging from level 2/5 to 4/5
  • no spacial awareness when on level 4
  • today slight head tilt - not to one side but face on his nose if off to the my left as i look at him.
  • No temperature and normal bloods.
  • personality - quiet and away with the fairies when on level 4/5 when at level 2 back to his cheeky self.

    I am at my wits end with this and would love to hear from anyone who has had any experience of this.... I don't want to lose my boy.

    Thanks Tracey
 
I cannot give any advise im afraid as i dont have any experience of anything like this, but just wanted to say, I really hope he gets better, and hugs to you too at a stressful time. xxx
 
I don't know either, very stressful and you have done all you can, just keep him quiet, and happy, I hope it all works out.
Personally, I would resist any more travel, just keep him in a familiar place, and hope he comes right.
 
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Gosh how scary for you, wish him better real soon!!

Nobody here will have any advice of any use I doubt as your vets have been so thorough, and testing as they go, hope they get to the bottom of it, do they have a plan b? xx
 
Nothing useful to say I am afraid. However sending you best wishes for find a solution, you obviously love him very much.
 
They have considered poison but the tox screen in both blood tests have come back clear. They also mentioned EHV but he does not have those symptoms just the ataxia. They mentioned a mass in the brain but said the ct scan showed nothing. I just feel how can i make a decision of how and what to do next when I have no idea what is wrong with him.

Thank you all for your kind words xxx
 
Would a cyst show up clearly on a CT scan? Ive heard of a case of a horse with a hydatid cyst on his brain and as it grew in size it began to affect his movement etc. It wasn't a happy outcome and the cyst was revealed on pm. Sorry if I'm worrying you. :( I hope it isn't a cyst and that he comes right with time.
 
Sorry to hear about your pony. Hope he improves and that you find out what happened.

I had a suspected wobbler a few years ago. Have they ruled out wobbler syndrome? It would fit with the ataxia, but I don't know whether it ever causes changes in attitude?

In one of my vet books, it mentions differential diagnoses of wobbler syndrome as:

equine protozoal myeloencepthalitis (EPM) - not generally found in UK, but I've known one person who had a horse that experts suspected had EPM

EHV1 myelitis

occipito-atlantoaxial malformation

spinal cord trauma

vetebral fracture

vertebral abcess

verminous myelitis

I don't know anything about these conditions, but just in case it gives you other avenues to explore in case you can start to pin down what's happened.

Sarah
 
Hi, I do so feel for you, have a look at my post on Veterinary about our pony's weird episode this week... sounds very similar and we just don't know why. He's absolutely fine now, slightly stiff behind, but much more himself.
Someone suggested heatstroke, which i hadn't even considered at the time.
Your vet sounds as if they've been very thorough and I hope he gets sorted very soon - our vet said lami - which it certainly isn't, so we're none the wiser.
 
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