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Discussion on Staggering and Difficulty Lowering Head
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 2, 2007 - 9:56 am:
Dr.O,
Here's what I've observed:
Eighteen year old mare walking very slowly and stiffly. Head held to the right, body trying to go left. Hind legs crossing over to keep balance, stumbling if she tries to go any faster. Difficulty lowering her head to eat; appetite is fine, drinking, & going o.k. Very light chills when I first noticed her having problems.
I had an insulator busted off my Horse Guard fence, and the bottom tape on the ground, signs of a disturbance near that fence post. Do know that my mare has a sore spot on her neck.
The painful area is on her left side, about where the neck joins the shoulder. A hands width (with my fingers spread out)from the base of her mane.
She has had for years a bump on the shoulder on that side which makes saddle fit difficult. She also has low ringbone on the same side.
Based on what I've described, would that, in your opinion be enough to cause her staggering, head lowering troubles? To me, this seems similar to what she has acted like in the past from vaccinations given in her neck area. Only she is in more pain now.
I am giving her Bute twice daily and keeping her stalled. And massaging the painful area.
Thank you for any comments or any suggestions you may have for anything else I should check for or watch for.
Angie
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Member:
astbury
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 2, 2007 - 2:05 pm:
Hi Angie
May or may not be relevant but your posting struck a cord. A few months ago, I double dose wormed my horse and when putting second paste down him he pulled back. Immediately afterwards wouldnt let me near him and subsequently we discovered that his walking had been affected with him "sliding" his offfore at times and obviously suffering discomfort in his neck. Vet came and prescribed bute and we still turned him out figuring that he wasn't likely to hurt himself because he was being so cautious, and hopeful that moving about would loosen things up. Like your horse, he had very great difficulty in lowering his head (which like you I thought was similar to neck pain post vaccination in the past). Horse recovered within around 5 days and I very cautiously brought him back into work. Canter work was stiff initially but resolved within 2.5 weeks. Been fine since.
Good luck and I hope your horse recovers quickly.
Jenny
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 2, 2007 - 3:05 pm:
Thanks Jenny,
DrO, if you respond & don't hear from me, I am getting a "corrupt file" message when logging on to my computer. Going to try to figure out how to run a "utility scan" and call Dell tomorrow.
I think Willow will recover faster from her injury than I will from this computer mess!! She is moving a little better today.
Thanks in advance anyhow.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 2, 2007 - 7:06 pm:
Angie, from your post it is not clear this is caused by trauma and if it is does it represent pain or injury to the spinal cord. I think you need to evaluate the vital signs to rule out other possibilities, see Diseases of Horses » First Aid » Taking Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration. If you continue to be unsure or the horse not improving remarkably you should engage your veterinarian in this. If trauma to the spinal cord is causing neurological deficits that are not improving, corticosteroids should be employed in the treatment.
DrO
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 4, 2007 - 1:36 pm:
DrO,
O.K., thanks. Not clear to me either what the injuries are all, that's why I posted.  Vitals are fine, I am continuing Bute 2x daily, and a joint supplement. She seems better; perky, a little trotting when let out. I can see some stiffness yet in her neck, and she may be off in the hind quarter on the same side. Tough to tell in the snow. No more falling, that's a positive sign!
I'll keep an eye on her and be sure to be careful the next time I ride her in case there is some weakness or spinal issues. That may not be til next April, so she's got time to heal, if she's going to heal.
If I thought our local large animal vet would be of any help, I would have called her. If things don't continue to improve, I do have a vet some distance away better equiped for something like this.
Ah, life in the boonies!
Have a great day!
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 6, 2007 - 9:01 am:
DrO,
This has been nagging at me since reading through the Assessing Illness and Taking Your Horses Vital Signs.
According to the definitions of "bright, Alert, Responsive, and Depressed, I would say she is midway between Responsive and Depressed, and in fact, probably has been for the last couple of years. I've had vets say she doesn't seem "bright eyed and bushy tailed". But no one has offered to do any tests. They've all said temp, pulse, etc, are all fine.
My question:
What would you be inclined to test for? I am thinking her falling may be related to something more serious, not just a case of another horse driving her into the fence. What type of blood work?
I apologize for asking these questions but I just don't have vets here that seem to do more than first aid type of things. If it's not an obvious injury they can see, it seems they don't take blood or do other things, or have the equipment to do more. If I can say "test her for this" maybe I can get help.
Thank you.
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 6, 2007 - 3:30 pm:
My neighbor's mare was diagnosed with a head injury that effected her nervous system. She was treated with a variety of drugs over a period of days. She was also uncoordinated and carried herself strangely, as you describe. If I recall, her eyes were also rather fixed, and for a while she needed ointment put into them to keep them moist. That was an injury to the top of the head (between the ears -- injury was not apparent except for a very slight swelling and tenderness). Sounds like your horse may have some kind of injury effecting the nervous system that could be causing incoordination. Though it took months, my friend's mare turned out quite well in the end and has been cleared to begin some ground work. I hope you get to the bottom of this mystery!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Dec 7, 2007 - 7:43 am:
The problem with your question Angie is that very mild depression as the only symptom could have many many possibilities. You first do a thorough examination and let it determine which tests to run. For more on diseases of depression, a form of dementia, see, Diseases of Horses » Nervous System » Dementia: Depression, Excitement, Coma » Diagnosing Dementia. Considering the age of the horse you could review the article on Cushings Disease as a possibility.
DrO
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Friday, Dec 7, 2007 - 8:33 am:
Thank you DrO.
Will read the articles you suggested and get myself armed with more knowledge to help with discussions with vets here.
I have considered Cushings already based on her shedding pattern in the spring, but she's always shed weird since I got her as a 2 year old!
Vicki,
Thanks for your ideas also. I have thought for years this mare is a little "off" and this latest just brings more questions to mind. I mean, she was a typical "Araby" type Arab; you know the kind, sees every boogey man there is? Or isn't? As much as I'd like to think her new "calmness" is age related, I am still suspicious here. I'll keep looking for answers.
Willow seemed fairly normal yesterday afternoon. If I hadn't seen the obvious pain issues last week, I wouldn't think anything is wrong based on her way of moving this week, that's how slight the neck/rear issues are. Of course, if I take the Bute away, she may act worse.
Thanks again everyone.
Happy Holidays!
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