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  Discussion on Help for EPSM gelding
Author Message
New Member:
Cynthra

Posted on Thursday, Dec 7, 2006 - 9:14 pm:

Dr. O,
I think I started the new discussion in the wrong place; my posting are in the 'muscle and tendon disease not covered above' section.
I will move them again if needed.
Thanks, Cynthia
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 6:32 am:

Since you got this started Cynthia, go ahead and move your post here. By the way just to save a step be sure to include the ingredients and nutritional analysis.
DrO
Member:
Cynthra

Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 7:21 am:

Has anyone tried Omegatin as a grain ration for an EPSM horse? I started using it as a conduit for the oil which my gelding (Perch/paint cross) does not like. I ended up cutting the oil to about 2 Tbsp. per feeding. He gets two cups Omegatin in the AM and one Pm with oil plus Quiessence, Vitamin E and selenium. He is 8 and for the last 4 years has been out 24/7. Over the summer he was on pasture (mostly timothy) during the day and in a paddock at night with free choice grass hay.

This fall, during a low level dressage lesson he began having trouble with his hind end: cross cantering, switching leads, breaking to trot and "hitching". His walk has sometimes been a bit 'sticky' since then but he usually gets better as we go along and after trotting for a bit.


In his most recent episode (last week) he again had trouble cantering and when the vet checked him he was lame on three of four limbs after flexion. Bute did not seem to help.
The blood work showed elevated muscle enzymes but I was not told which ones.

I wonder if fall grass aggravated his condition or whether increasing his work load at too fast a pace did it.

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks in advance for the help.




Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 4:56 pm:


Dr. O,
My gelding (please see my posting from Dec 4th) had a massage today to move the toxins out of his muscles and during the final 10- 15 minutes urinated 5 TIMES!!!
Once last year when I was tacking him up he had an episode of muscle fasiculations and peed 4 times in 20 minutes. He sometimes urinates frequently when in a new place where there is a lot going on. I wonder if these things are related?

Can you comment?
Thanks in advance, Cynthia
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Dec 10, 2006 - 9:15 am:

Cynthia there is not enough information here to really make any firm recommendations other than you need to collect some more objective information.

If you suspect your horse of tying up, and certainly the enzymes and fasciculations are consistent with this, understand that there are no "toxins" to be cleared out frequently is a problem with glucose metabolism and massage would not helpful for this condition.

The hitch in the rear certainly suggests lameness so I think you need to start there: is your horse lame, which leg is it, and where in the leg is the horse lame? To help you answer this question see, Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Localizing Lameness in the Horse. Once localized appropriate treatment can be instituted.

You should also explore the idea that your horse may be tying up with or without one of the polysaccharide storage myopathy and you can read more about these diseases and how you differentiate them at Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Muscle & Tendon Diseases » Rhabdomyolysis: Tying Up, Shivers, PSSM, EPSM. Note that this was a major topic at the AAEP meeting I just returned from and plan on doing some major updates to the article in the next week or two.

Lastly the number of times that you mention your horse urinating frequently does make me wonder if there may be a problem with the urinary system. I also think it possible that the posturing to urinate may be indicative of colic or muscle pain, a common reaction, and then he goes ahead and releases some urine. Note it is not indicative of toxin release by the massage.
So a check for proper kidney and urinary tract function should be considered if abnormally frequent urination seems to be a consistent problem, see Diseases of Horses » Urinary System.
DrO
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