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  Discussion on Weakness and lying down a lot
Author Message
New Member:
whitefox

Posted on Monday, Jul 20, 2009 - 3:58 pm:

I have a 7 yr old Paso Fino with a 2 month old filly by her side. She began showing signs of weakness in her hind legs late in her pregnancy. I thought it was due to the extra weight, but since she gave birth, she still seems weak and lays down to rest a lot. Her lower back legs are a little swollen, and it takes her a while to get her balance when she gets up. My vet came to see her before she gave birth and recommended I take her to an Equine hospital for testing of neurological diseases. Her front legs seem fine.
She has always had long pasterns and low fetlocks, but this seems to be a common trait of the paso fino blood line.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 8:51 am:

Hello Veronica,
You don't ask any questions so am uncertain what you would like to have addressed but I find several interesting observations in your post.

"Weak" suggests to me several different possibilities: muscular weakness, neurological weakness, and the weakness that comes from a painful situation. Can you describe what you see that causes you to label the mare as weak and having trouble getting her balance?

The swelling and that she works out of it does suggest stiffness and pain and being a Paso and your description of DrOpped fetlocks suggest DSLD. For more on this see Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Lower Limb » Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis (DSLD).

That all said it sounds like the veterinarian saw something that suggested neurological disease and the article associated with this discussion explains some of things looked for to label a horse with neurological disease.
DrO
Member:
kerrief

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 10:00 am:

Hi Veronica,
I'm sorry to hear about your mare. I have a Paso Fino mare and have been living with a chronic condition with her fetlocks, pasterns, more give to her pasterns.I'm scheduling a biopsy of the nuchial (sp?) ligament to confirm or rule out DSLD in my horse.

I by no means am trying to Dx your mare, as I'm not a vet. With that said, please check out the DSLD/ESPA group on yahoo.

Her symptoms sound very much like DSLD/ESPA- laying down, low fetlocks, swelling. Where is the swelling? The body or branches of the suspensories?

I would investigate this dx before going the neurological route if you have swelling/heat, and or lameness. Have you done a flexion test?

The website DSLD.org has information for veterinarians to guide in diagnosis.
Member:
kerrief

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 21, 2009 - 6:12 pm:

Veronica,

Please email me (removed for security reasons) thanks!
DrO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 - 8:58 am:

Hello Kerrie,
Though we allow it, we caution members against posting their email address in public areas because it will be harvested by spam bots and greatly increase your email spam load. But I would also like to put in a plug for keeping discussions on posted questions on the board. The purpose for these discussions is two fold one is to help folks with their questions but also to provide folks with similar questions information.
DrO
Member:
kerrief

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 - 9:51 am:

Thank you Dr. O. I was unaware of the potential harm to my computer....ewww.

And yes, my intent is to keep the thread on going on this discussion on this forum. My request for a private email is a side bar not directly related to this discussion.
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