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  Discussion on EMS Mini with Elevated Resp Rate
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New Member:
dwfaith

Posted on Monday, Oct 25, 2010 - 6:47 pm:

Hello Sir, I have a 6 yr old Mini gelding, 38 inches 355#, Hx of founder, Dx with EMS one month ago. He is being hand walked 1 mile day, on Purina Weight Control, Formula4Feet, Platinum mineral, soaked hay twice a day, kept in a dry lot. Last week while walking he stopped splayed leg with a resp rate of 120. We picked him up in the trailer brought him home and after calling the vet, hosed him down, gave him one gram Bute, and monitored his temp which, after the hosing, was 103.2. His temp stayed in the 95.5 region for two days though he stilled displayed bouts of elevated resp rate.

He has no cough, no abnormal breath sounds, pulse elevates to the 75-80 range during his tachypnic bouts. No flu/rhino symptoms, no hives, has regular bowel/urine habits, no colic symptoms, no sweating (though he does sweat in our Texas heat). Bright eyed but a little depressed during the height of the attacks. When he spiked another 103 temp, we took him to the clinic.

His CBC, lytes, and chem panel were WNL. No rales, rhonchi, stridor, wheezes, crackles, or fremitus. Just a rapid resp rate, with shallow breaths and nasal flaring. Normal gut sounds, no bounding pulses in his hooves or other signs of recurring founder issues. No lesions, lacerations, or obvious signs of infection. Nothing new in his pasture, same paddock buddies, no unusual weather changes, no changes to diet, on same hay delivery from 8 weeks ago.

The vet suggested we clip him as he Dx heat stress due to heavy coat. We have clipped him and this morning he had another episode. We are waiting on thyroid and Fibrinogen tests. I declined a Cushing test as I believe he is a bit young for that condition. His temp remains in the 95.5 - 100.8 range.

Ah, I'm clueless, what else could be causing this problem?
Member:
scooter

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 26, 2010 - 6:58 am:

Hi Dianne if everything tests out ok I wonder if the pain of the founder could cause this? I know it has raised my horses resp. rate. I'm not sure when your pony foundered but if it was only a month ago, walking a mile seems like a lot, depending on how badly he foundered. Do you use any kind of hoof protection when walking him? Is he on deep bedding or out walking around? If he hasn't stabilized he could be tearing more lamanaie if he is out walking around, especially if he is still on any sort of pain killer. Just a thought, been there done that, sounds like my horse Hank when I moved him around to much and left him out too early.... I don't think he got a temp. though, I didn't check.

Hope your little guy is better soon, and maybe Dr.O. can shed some light on it.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 27, 2010 - 1:03 pm:

Hi Dianne,
You are getting rectal temperatures of 95 degrees and this suggests a thermoregulatory problem of some sort. This is partially a function of the brain and may suggest a disease (tumor? seizure?) of some areas of the primitive autonomic sections of the brain. This might effect respiration and heart rate. Also peripheral catecholamine secreting tumors like adrenal gland pheochromocytomas can cause these type symptoms. I would also consider unlocalized pain like heart disease and angina. Lastly disorders of acid/base metabolism could cause tachypnea though I am at a loss of coming up with a primary acid/base disease in horses right now.

I would start with radiography of the chest possibly followed with a ECG. If still the cause is not evident I would try for measurements of norepinephrine and blood ph.
DrO
New Member:
dwfaith

Posted on Thursday, Oct 28, 2010 - 2:09 pm:

DianE.

Bilbo's founder was several years ago and since we adopted him he has had no founder issues. His x-rays show just an ever so slight rotation, but nothing that careful trimming hasn't been able to address. He does not display any foot pain or any signs of any other pain.

My first concerns with his fever was he would suffer another metabolic insult that would inflame his laminae, but the newest x-rays show no further rotation and there are no other clinical signs he has exacerbated the condition.

Dr O.

The T4 and Fibrinogen also came back WNL. He has had two more observed episodes, with no pattern that we can determine at all. I was thinking some type of Thyroid storm, but with his normal T4, I guess it is time to look elsewhere. The tests you recommend are not dependent on symptoms, correct? If he had heart disease from malformation or arteriosclerosis it would show. But angina does not always have an apparent cause, such as arterial spasm. Should we try to get him in for tests when he is actually symptomatic or does it matter? Thank-you

Dianne
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Oct 29, 2010 - 7:31 am:

The radiographs would not be symptom dependent but the other tests might be best done once when asymptomatic and then again when symptoms are showing.
DrO
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