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  Discussion on Patersons Curse - Stifle Stiffness
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Member:
Avandia

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 10:51 am:

I have purchased an 11yr old, 17hh Percheron/Thoroughbred from NSW. I have just started to work him. He is very stiff and lazy. His previous owner told me his history, having had Patersons Curse. Could the stiffness be related? What is the best way to bring this horse into work and suppleness?
Member:
Kthorse

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 11:35 am:

Hi Marcia,
Do you mean he ate Patersons curse? (weed)
Most horses wont touch it unless there is a DrOught and only if they are very hungry. We did lose a mare once in a severe DrOught from it though it is very rare. I have never heard of it as an illness. I really have no idea if its the cause of stiffness but I would have to think he would get better if he was no longer digesting it. Otherwise its something else.
Katrina
Member:
Hally

Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 6:19 pm:

Marcia I would check to see if your guy might have EPSM? Check out the website www.ruralheritage.com.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Nov 2, 2006 - 6:39 am:

Marcia, I too am unaware of what having "Patersons Curse" is and if you could explain that better perhaps we can help.

Rather than start with a diagnosis I think we need to better define the horses problems than lazy and stiff. Since you are just starting work with this horse perhaps you should have him carefully evaluated by a professional for this stiffness to try and localize the problem. If it is determined the horse has a generalized stiffness and EPSM a possibility, bloodwork will support the diagnosis. For more on this see, Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Muscle & Tendon Diseases » Rhabdomyolysis: Tying Up, Shivers, PSSM, EPSM.
DrO
Member:
Avandia

Posted on Thursday, Nov 2, 2006 - 1:17 pm:

Dr O
Thank you. I will read your articles.
https://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Horses&stor y_no=1869
Here is an article about horses eating Patersons Curse. My horse has very unusual lumps on the large muscles behind the stifle. Smaller ones along behind the saddle. He has an unusual movement occasionally. Pointing the toe. Slight collapse behind. Then normal movement again.
Member:
Kthorse

Posted on Thursday, Nov 2, 2006 - 6:46 pm:

Marcia,
I dont think they have patersons curse here in the US. (not sure)I am an ausie and our farm was over run with this horrible plant. Every year we would try to get rid of it but if the neighbours have it you are stuck with it. I dont think your horses problem are because of this. As the article states and in our case the loss of a horse, there were no symtoms or not many untill sudden death. Of the hundreds of horses on this property only one was silly enough to eat it and it was as I said earlier DrOught conditions were the cause. The horse that died did not have any symtoms you describe. plus being removed from the plant if the horse has not digested too much should recover without any problem. Is he away from the plant? I honestly think its something else but then again I am not a vet. Waiting on Dr O's thoughts.
Katrina
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Nov 3, 2006 - 6:30 am:

I don't believe it is here in the US either and the article describes Paterson’s Curse as widespread is Australia especially in inland areas, occurring in a broad band from south-east Queensland through New South Wales and the southern states to south-west Western Australia. The toxic principle is a pyrrolizidine alkaloid a toxin we do have in numerous plants here and have an article on this at, Diseases of Horses » Colic, Diarrhea, GI Tract » Mouth, Esophagus, and Liver » Plant Poisoning and the Liver: Hepatotoxicity which is linked to the article on Liver Failure.

Hmmm but it really does not address Marcia's question, "if my horse had liver disease in the past how do I access the liver function now". It is true that a symptom could be mild depression which you might interpret as laziness. Liver enzymes are commonly measured to access liver damage but does not measure function and can even be low with a liver damaged in the past. Instead to get a better idea of liver function is to check bile acids and ammonia levels in the blood. Both of these toxins are removed by the liver and a rise in their baseline levels indicative of decreased liver function. The ammonia level would be one of the direct causes of the depression.
DrO
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