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Veteran
Posts: 270
 
| I will try to make this as short and simple as possible although the it's been a long week and very complicated! I also may miss a detail or two or get something mixed up because I've been fed so much information on so many things in the last 5 days! I have a 13 yr old gelding. He's been at my place since I bought him 3 years ago. After just selling our house, I had to put him at a boarding facility temporarily until we get our house built and fencing done. The farm is 40 acres with only 8 horses, mine included and all of them have been there for a while with nobody being sick. The horse he was pastured with at this place has been in that pasture for a while. Up to this point I have had absolutely no health problems out of my gelding. Just had yearly exam and vacc's two weeks ago and checked out fine. He also hasn't been off my property nor has he been around any new horses in the last 6 months until this move.
Now, here it goes...barn owner calls this past Saturday morning. Says he was laying around a good bit on Fri but not rolling or anything super abnormal. She goes out to check/feed them Sat morning when she sees him laying down. He got up, came to her but then turned away from his feed. I go out there around 10 am to see exactly how he's acting. End up calling the vet out not too much later. Temp of 105, elevated heart rate. She tubes him in which she and he have a hard time getting it down and it takes multiple tries before it happens. No colic symptoms after tubing/palpating/etc. She did put some water in him because his poop was a little hard but no compaction, compared it to play dough. She also pulled blood to check, suggested giving banamine and keeping off grain. He's acting pretty lethargic by now, laying down a lot but not rolling. Vet calls that night and says white count was (I believe) low which indicated a virus. Suggested keeping him quarantined since he could be contagious, banamine and only grass hay or soaked alfalfa to eat.
Sunday morning, have to call vet back out as he was not drinking good and hadn't pooped much and just seemed to be feeling worse. She comes back out, checks vitals and all again, tubes him, puts more water in him because poop is even harder but still no blockage. (I think this is all she done this day.) He's still acting lethargic and not much interest in eating except for grass.
Monday....by now, temp is starting to come down and he has an appetite so we start thinking we're beating the virus. Then we get a new "problem." He starts this weird head slinging/shaking thing, licking his lips, wiggling his lips, stretching and holding his head out or off to the side like something in his throat is bothering him. All of our immediate thoughts go to the complications of the first tubing then adding a second one after that. Still lethargic and just lying down and getting up constantly throughout the day. Staying in touch with vet on a regular basis at this point...when I asked about the head shaking, she thought maybe he was having some reflux or possibly trying to get ulcers from being on the banamine with empty stomach so she was going to drop Gastroguard off on Tuesday.....
Stay with me please, I know this is very long. So Tuesday she goes by and just checks him out again after watching head slinging and still acting lethargic with no normal ulcer signs. She pulls more blood as she can tell something still isn't right.
Calls last night and says that liver values are increased leading her to believe possibly a whole new viral or bacterial infection possibly while his immune system has been weak. Even though he's been drinking pretty good the last few days, she says he's severely dehydrated now and suggests bringing him to clinic for IV fluids and antibiotics.
Get him dropped off there today and I get tonight's phone call from today's exam. Now after doing an ultrasound on him this evening, she comes up with the liver looking ok and the right kidney being in very bad shape and not functioning correctly. Left kidney nowhere near as bad but is enlarged just a bit. So after finding that, she wanted to get him on fluids through the night then recheck some kind of levels of something in the morning. If the fluids have helped in the morning and we can start on some anibiotics, he has a chance but if they don't, things could go down hill fast and he possibly may not make it.
I'm so confused by all of this and I think she along with the other vets at the clinic are too! Nobody understands it and I'm running out of money! |
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 Mrs. Perks Alive
Posts: 1162
Location: Madill Ok | what kind of hay does he eat. have they ruled out blister beetles with the testing?
Sounds very complicated. Sending some prayers for you and your horse. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Have they catheritized and collected a urine sample, he could have a bladder/kidney infection.
Had one act the exact same way, lethargic, colicky, I went to the vet on the first day, he was diagnosed with a bladder infection, treated for a week and was fine. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
| I just haven't seen anything to compare this with I am wondering if maybe wes niles or some kind of insect bite spider or something like that - have you taken a sample of the feed he was getting and had it checked to make sure nothing toxic was in there- - I will pray for you because God knows-- Father God in Jesus name I come before you and ask for divine wisdom for the vets and owner of this horse - I pray the eyes and understanding be enlightened through your great power- and an immediate diagnoses and healing come through your wisdom and knowledge! God you know the exact issue we give this to you and we receive the health from you. In the name of Jesus Christ thank you! Amen!!!  |
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Veteran
Posts: 270
| Thanks for prayers! Not tested the hay but have been feeding out of this batch throughout the winter. As far as the bladder, she did say looked like a kidney infection in that right one. Now she's beginning to think the kidney has been the problem all along possibly. I'm just wishing she would've went ahead and started antibiotics last weekend and we might not be as bad off as we are now. Everything I'm reading about kidney infections/ disease says it's pretty rare and can have little to no symptoms until the later more serious stage of it. Often having symptoms of several other things leading to misdiagnosis.
Eta- always been on coastal Bermuda hay
Edited by KCT82 2015-06-05 12:11 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 270
| Something in his feed or a toxic weed has been a lingering thought I've had even though he had been eating out of this bag for almost a week. Thank you for the prayers, he definitly needs them! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Maybe run n rate will weigh in on her and her mare's kidney saga. . . . Prayers that God gives the vets the wisdom to figure this out quickly and efficiently. |
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | What type of feed are you using? |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| My friend's horse went through this exact same thing. She was doing so poorly that vet recommended putting her down, insurance said no, wait a few days. Well, the mare did not improve but did not get worse for several days then she fianlly did start improving and she pulled through. They never could figure out what caused it, they ran every test in the world. Their initial thought was exposure to a toxin. Good luck and prayers.
Edited by rodeomom3 2015-06-05 6:52 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 270
| jake16 - 2015-06-05 5:44 AM
What type of feed are you using?
Nothing fancy.....the Producers Pride 12% from Tractor Supply Co. He's been on this since I bought him and has done fine on it. |
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 Saint Stacey
| jake16 - 2015-06-05 3:44 AM
What type of feed are you using?
 Yes, what kind of grain was he on? |
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Veteran
Posts: 270
| rodeomom3 - 2015-06-05 7:51 AM
My friend's horse went through this exact same thing. Â She was doing so poorly that vet recommended putting her down, insurance said no, wait a few days. Â Well, the mare did not improve but did not get worse for several days then she fianlly did start improving and she pulled through. Â They never could figure out what caused it, they ran every test in the world. Â Their initial thought was exposure to a toxin. Â Good luck and prayers.
Thanks! I have been reading on every symptom he's had and have seen a lot of links to a toxin...not sure how they determine about that but I do wonder. Vet says he's definitely not following the rule book with all of this. Can anybody tell me who could check the feed for toxins? |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | The head shaking etc is most likely the tubing caused scar tissue.. and or pain..
the other it sounds like a kidney infection.. but Id also look at a new weed possibly in his pasture that could be toxic.. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | KCT82 - 2015-06-05 7:14 AM rodeomom3 - 2015-06-05 7:51 AM My friend's horse went through this exact same thing. She was doing so poorly that vet recommended putting her down, insurance said no, wait a few days. Well, the mare did not improve but did not get worse for several days then she fianlly did start improving and she pulled through. They never could figure out what caused it, they ran every test in the world. Their initial thought was exposure to a toxin. Good luck and prayers. Thanks! I have been reading on every symptom he's had and have seen a lot of links to a toxin...not sure how they determine about that but I do wonder. Vet says he's definitely not following the rule book with all of this. Can anybody tell me who could check the feed for toxins?
Pm Rachellyn80 on here. She can tell you a lot about testing feed and recognizing poisoning from feed, unfortunately. |
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Veteran
Posts: 270
| Bibliafarm - 2015-06-05 8:39 AM
The head shaking etc is most likely the tubing caused scar tissue.. and or pain..
the other it sounds like a kidney infection.. but Id also look at a new weed possibly in his pasture that could be toxic..
That's the only logical explanation I'm coming up with for the head shaking although vet won't agree with me, I guess because then that problem would be on her. |
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Veteran
Posts: 270
| Three 4 Luck - 2015-06-05 8:41 AM
KCT82 - 2015-06-05 7:14 AM rodeomom3 - 2015-06-05 7:51 AM My friend's horse went through this exact same thing. Â She was doing so poorly that vet recommended putting her down, insurance said no, wait a few days. Â Well, the mare did not improve but did not get worse for several days then she fianlly did start improving and she pulled through. Â They never could figure out what caused it, they ran every test in the world. Â Their initial thought was exposure to a toxin. Â Good luck and prayers. Thanks! I have been reading on every symptom he's had and have seen a lot of links to a toxin...not sure how they determine about that but I do wonder. Vet says he's definitely not following the rule book with all of this. Can anybody tell me who could check the feed for toxins?
Ok, thanks for the help! |
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 Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Three 4 Luck - 2015-06-05 7:41 AM KCT82 - 2015-06-05 7:14 AM rodeomom3 - 2015-06-05 7:51 AM My friend's horse went through this exact same thing. She was doing so poorly that vet recommended putting her down, insurance said no, wait a few days. Well, the mare did not improve but did not get worse for several days then she fianlly did start improving and she pulled through. They never could figure out what caused it, they ran every test in the world. Their initial thought was exposure to a toxin. Good luck and prayers. Thanks! I have been reading on every symptom he's had and have seen a lot of links to a toxin...not sure how they determine about that but I do wonder. Vet says he's definitely not following the rule book with all of this. Can anybody tell me who could check the feed for toxins?
This ^^^. One bite of a feed that has a high level of toxin in it could cause this. Or it could be a build up of the toxins over time and the stress from the move (even though he didn't appear stressed) could have lowered his immune system just enough to allow the toxins to take over and symptoms to arise. I wouldn't give him another bite of that feed if it were me. |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | Labs please, and call 607-257-1272 dairyone.com they are located in New York. I send all my feed and hay samples to them for testing.
I hope that they are running fluids on your horse and he's showing some recovery. Poor kidneys. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| KCT82 - 2015-06-05 8:27 AM
Bibliafarm - 2015-06-05 8:39 AM
The head shaking etc is most likely the tubing caused scar tissue.. and or pain..
the other it sounds like a kidney infection.. but Id also look at a new weed possibly in his pasture that could be toxic..
That's the only logical explanation I'm coming up with for the head shaking although vet won't agree with me, I guess because then that problem would be on her.
I disagree the head shaking problem would be the vets problem if it turned out to be due to scoping.
You consented to the scope, you as a horse owner should have informed yourself on the potential complications that can arise then determine if the risk is worth the benefit.
Horse owners need to educate themselves more, we research our own medical procedures and weight the pros and cons before we ever give a doctor consent, so why don't we do the same thing with horses?
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Does he drink water out of a bucket/barrel or is it an automatic waterier?
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2015-06-05 9:17 AM
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