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Discussion on Stiff Neck an Early Sign of Founder?
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Member:
vickija
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Posted on Monday, Jun 15, 2009 - 2:05 pm:
Dear Dr.O:
With all of the rain and lush grass in our valley this year there has been a heightened worry around our barn to be on the lookout for signs of founder. My experience has always been that indication for early signs are as described in your articles on founder and lamanitus. One woman told me the other day that you can "see" the onset of founder in the neck first manifesting in a stiff and "tight" crest before the actual onset of the symptoms for founder. I have never heard that before and have always associated the stiffness in the neck area with obvious signs of lameness. Is there any truth to this? I couldn't see any reference to this in any articles or threads I pulled up on your site.
Thank you in advance for any light you or anyone else can shed on this.
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Member:
juliem
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Posted on Monday, Jun 15, 2009 - 4:42 pm:
Victoria, when I had a gelding with EMS or IR--not sure which is the current term--he had a crest that got very hard and thick when he was in danger of a laminitis attack. When I could keep him thin enough that the crest wasn't so thick or as hard, he was fine. It was many years ago, but I learned to gauge the hardness and thickness of that crest between my thumb and middle finger and could manage him that way. A few years later, new thinking about EMS and IR helped me keep him sound until I lost him to a tortion colic. Maybe that's what this person was refering to.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 - 7:42 am:
I am not sure I understand you correctly Victoria. As horses become increasingly obese they develop a cresty neck. As horses become more obese they become more prone to founder. The crest is not the onset of founder it is the onset of obesity and therefore an increased susceptibility to foundering.
DrO
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Member:
vickija
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 18, 2009 - 12:15 pm:
Thanks Dr. O. I have always believed as you say that is is a sign of susceptibility but this woman was saying that the hardness of the crest was an indicator of the onset of founder. Sounds like she is confusing susceptability with certainty of onset. Anyway thank you for verifying that I am not crazy. Sorry for the delay in post as I have been out of town for the past 2 days.
Vicki J
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Jun 21, 2009 - 10:30 am:
Victoria, you may also be interested in an ongoing discussion at Diseases of Horses » Endocrine System » Equine Metabolic SynDrOme (Peripheral Cushings) » EMS and the cersty neck experiment.
DrO
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