|
|
Discussion on Depressed horse
|
| Author |
Message |
New Member:
cjlewyn
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 8:42 am:
Hi Everyone...
A little history...
My 34 year old mare is recovering from being starved by someone I was sending board checks to. I was unavailable at the time, and I trusted this person (who I thought was reliable) to care for her. Her health was absolutely perfect for all the years prior to that, even though she was in her late 20's.
At the time I discovered her condition, 2 vets suggested I euthanize her, but I wanted to give her a chance to recover. For the last couple of years I have devoted myself entirely to trying to make up for what she went through. It has been a long journey for both of us.
She has fallen twice this year and been unable to get up by herself. The first time she fell (in mud), I thought it was a freak thing. It was very traumatic for her, and she ended up being hospitalized @ UGA for two weeks after. She was very ill, and had multiple issues going on, mainly related to kidney function. I don't know if she was weak from being ill and fell, or if the fall brought out an underlying condition. That was almost a year ago, and she has steadily become healthier and happier. Recently she fell again (on grass), and when I found her she was unable to get up, and had some other minor injuries resulting from the fall. Since she fell this time, she has become VERY depressed and her appetite is off. I don't know what the connection is-all her preliminary labwork is normal. They did note when she was hospitalized that one ear flopped differently than the other and that there was likely some neuro stuff going on. I'm concerned about allowing her to spend most of her time unattended in the pasture she loves-I don't want to keep her from her freedom (contained in a small area) in order to watch her more closely, because that makes her more depressed. ...I plan to get a pasture camera so I can check in on her. Any thoughts? Sorry this is so long...thanks so much for letting me get it off my chest.
|
Member:
scooter
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 9:11 am:
Cindy I can sympathize with you, I have an old mare too and she is part of our family.
She has fallen a few times over the years, and once she really needed my help to get up, but we made it.
She'll be 30 this year and has multiple problems, I've never had them officially diagnosed, but I'm sure she has hock, and possibly hip arthritis, possibly shivers also...her fetlocks are falling.
So she doesn't pick up her rear legs well and is more likely to trip herself up on irregular ground.
She does get depressed sometimes, a couple years ago I contemplated putting her down. Thankfully I figured out when she gets depressed it is because she is in pain, so I tried a course of bute which helped except she doesn't tolerate bute well. Vet said to try banamine and I did. The mare's depression left immediately. Now when I see her acting a little depressed she gets banamine and she feels much better.
I let her in the pasture with the other horses, she does what she wants to do and has learned to be careful.
I figure at this age she should be allowed to do as she pleases, with a little help from the banamine, she has been doing GREAT. We have a few rough patches here and there, but for the most part her life is good.
Is it possible your mare is in pain? Could you try some banamine? I use the paste because I hate giving shots and always have a tube on hand. I think banamine is easier on older horses than bute, but that's just my opinion. It might help and shouldn't hurt!
Good luck with your mare.
|
Member:
cheryl
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 9:20 am:
I'm echoing Diane's comments - I would think it would be highly unlikely for a 34 yo mare to not have painful joints - I would try the bute or banamine to see if it helps. My 30 yo mare was on 2 grams of bute a day for over a year with no problems. Best of luck with her - and give her a big juicy apple for me.
Cheryl
|
Member:
cjlewyn
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 9:37 am:
Diane and Cheryl,
A great point-thank you!! It makes perfect sense-I'm hoping you're right. She has been given Banamine before and it has helped her, but somehow it never occurred to me that she may be in chronic pain (duh!). I'm so excited to see if this helps!!
P.S. I'll have to mush up the apple because she barely has any teeth left!
|
Member:
canderso
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 10:09 am:
Hi Cindy,
If she is a condition 2, then also remember she doesn't have much ability to keep herself warm. I realize you don't get the cold/snowy weather as much as we get here in Canada, but rain and wind can be equally hard on any animal with compromised health.
If her teeth are good, make sure she has lots of really good quality hay. If her teeth are not so good, make sure she has access to lots of soaked hay cubes. Blankets might be a good idea too...
|
Member:
mrose
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 11:10 am:
Another thing that I found really cheered up my older mares was being taken for walks when they were too old to ride. They have especially loved it when the other others are in wishing they were out! I put a lead on and go for a walk around the neighborhood. I do this with my oldest mare now. She perks up and starts moving better. I think the feeling of "specialness" is good for her, plus the in hand walking stretches her and works out some of the stiffness. She is also on bute at times.
|
Member:
cheryl
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 11:16 am:
Then go mush an apple  Does she like apple sauce? I use a dosing syringe to squirt apple sauce or molasses in my horses' mouths before and after I worm them - they love it - specially the molasses. Will be thinking good thoughts for her.
Cheryl
|
Member:
pattyb
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 12:30 pm:
Dear Cindy....I would also like to echo the above, especially at that age....however, it is always a good idea to discuss the dosing with your vet when they are up there in age. Even with fever, my vet is very hesitant when it comes to bute in the older ones as it can be hard on the liver, kidneys and gut...but it depends on the individual. I'm sure your vet would appreciate your asking him/her first.
Up until 6 years ago, I had an older gelding who lived to the ripe ole age of 35. He was on a flex med for years and did great until he quit eating. As he lost weight, we realized he was loaded with cancer and once we passed the quality of life point, I had to put him down. One other thing worth mentioning.....he was switched to Triple Crown Senior when he was 28 and within two months, no one would believe his age.
My other older horse I just lost this past August. She had been on pergolide and chromium for Cushing's her last 6 years, plus an arthritis supplement. She moved kinda slow there towards the end but what I found perked her up the most was grass time....which she was allowed to have as long as I kept her weight down. She was also brushed daily and knew she was the center focal point of the farm, I'm sure that kept her feeling important.
Maybe if there is pain, your vet could suggest a joint supplement before going the pain meds route? Pain meds can be hard on them so I try to leave them as my path of last resort. This horse lived to be 33 and for all my fears, I never imagined her to be taken down by a tear in her aorta, fortunately I arrived in time to help her pass over....and I will always thank God for that.
|
Member:
ajudson1
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 2:14 pm:
I just read something about communication and horses, and one of the things that stood out in my mind was that horses like to have attention and feel useful. I think that was from some animal communicator. Now don't know about the animal communicator; but it does make sense if you believe in the people/animal communication thing or don't believe in that.
I guess like people as they age, feeling wanted and needed keeps them going.
|
Member:
scooter
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 2:20 pm:
Yes it probably would be wise to check with your vet about anti-inflammatories, but don't think a dose will hurt her until then. My mare is on a joint supplement, I tried the daily bute but that didn't seem to help as much and she didn't tolerate it well. I only have to give her banamine 4-5 times a year, and that's mostly in the winter or she does something stupid like jumping creeks. Your mare could be sore or bruised from her fall. In old horses pain does seem to depress them more.
So as you see Cindy different thing have helped different horses so you may have to experiment a little. Hope your mare feels better soon.
|
Member:
cjlewyn
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 8:28 pm:
Hi Everyone,
I hope one (or more) of these suggestions will help her-it has made ME feel better, which will encourage me to keep trying...thanks SO much. It's nice not to feel alone!
|
Moderator:
DrO
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 8, 2008 - 9:50 am:
Cindy what lab tests were run but more importantly, what were the results of the physical exam done at the time of the fall?
DrO
|
Member:
cjlewyn
|
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 9, 2008 - 9:15 am:
Hi Dr. O,
Thanks so much for the response. At the time of the fall (a couple of weeks ago), the vet did a general exam and basic bloodwork. I know that the fall and her struggle to get herself up must have been painful because she has a large, deeply scraped area on her hip, and so far none of the hair has started growing back, even though I've been medicating it. The vet came back a couple of days later and ran more bloodwork to see if there was any change. She said that she was slightly anemic, and that I should give her Red Cell. She had previously been on a ton of supplements, but as I ran out of them I decided to wait and see how she was without them before I resumed giving them to her, because I wanted to see if there really was any difference in the way she felt. I don't know if it is coincidental, but that is when she started to go off her feed a little. She fell a couple of days later. Anyway, yesterday the vet did a rectal exam and took her vitals (all were normal), and she agrees that she seems very lethargic. She had seen her before and after her hospitalization, so she knows what she looks like when she is feeling ill (or well). She is coming back tomorrow to see how the mare feels, and possibly get a urine sample from her b/c she previously had a severe kidney infection. She thinks her depression might be due to a recurrence of her kidney issues, and suggested we take it one step at a time. She did give her some Banamine yesterday, which did brighten her up a bit. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but I don't want her to get too far down without more serious intervention. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed.
|
Moderator:
DrO
|
Posted on Friday, Dec 12, 2008 - 7:01 am:
Cindy with a normal physical exam and I am guessing lab results there is not much I can recommend. A slight anemia is not a cause of depression, see Diseases of Horses » Cardiovascular, Blood, and Immune System » The Diagnosis of Anemia. Until examination turns up something significant we are left with the fall, improvement with NSAID's and the horses age. Pain certainly causes depression and lethargy. The most common reason for depression in a horse this age would be Cushings disease which can be treated. For more on this very common cause of depression of older horses see, Diseases of Horses » Endocrine System » Cushing's SynDrOme and Pituitary Tumors.
DrO
|
Member:
cjlewyn
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 - 9:01 am:
Thanks for the feedback. I am waiting for the results of more tests. She has previously been tested for Cushings, but I'm glad you brought it up so I can have her re-tested.
|
Moderator:
DrO
|
Posted on Sunday, Dec 14, 2008 - 10:01 am:
Before you spend lots of money on tests of indeterminate meaning you should review the article Cindy.
DrO
|
|
|
