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  Discussion on Confirmed PHF
Author Message
Member:
mpulsar1

Posted on Thursday, Sep 1, 2011 - 10:02 pm:

I am hoping you can give me some insight. I just lost a phenominal 4 year old show horse from PHF. We live in Illinois and have always vaccinated our horses due to our vet's recommendations. Approx 3 weeks ago this horse started exhibiting some colic like symptoms outside. We brought him in and called our vet. He had a temp somewhere between 102-103. Vet arrived, rectaled him as he has had impaction colics before(no impaction). Due to his temp gave him a long acting antibiotic, we went ahead and tube him with mineral oil and electrolyes, got IV banamine and dypyrone. He progressively got worse and we rushed him to a university hospital that evening. Initially he had a high temp, colic symptoms, thicken bowel upon ultrasound, low protein levels, and low white count. They started him on fluids and low doses of pain medication and put him on isolation. He seemed to not respond well to treatment...tested him for PHF and salmonella as the bowel wall inflammation increased...wall thickening was 1.2mm. 5 days into this he began showing signs of laminitis. We discussed PHF and even though the testing came back negative I suggested that they treat him for it anyway...they said no as he was developing a pretty severe case of right dorsal colitis, low protein levels and were afraid it was from the NSAIDS being used for the laminitis. They took him off of banamine, kept him on ace and put him on an injectable cox 2 nsaid. The initial rads on all four feet showed no rotation. 7 days later there was 5 and 7 degrees rotation in the front with sinking. 7 days from that he had progressed to 8 degree rotation and increased sinking and was more painful at which time we received authorization from the insurance company and euthanized him. The autopsy showed PHF from the intestinal studies done on the inflammed area. They ran vaccine titres which showed that he was adequately vaccinated. Why the heck was this so sever when he was vaccinated? No other horses that I know of had this? I am struggling with the fact that I wanted him treated for PHF even though the initial testing came back normal and they would not do this...If he had been treated with the correct antibiotics before the rotation had occurred....could we have changed this outcome????
Member:
canter

Posted on Friday, Sep 2, 2011 - 7:25 am:

I don't have answers to your questions, but wanted to express my condolances for your loss.
Member:
npo33901

Posted on Friday, Sep 2, 2011 - 12:33 pm:

Signe - you are a brave girl - to take your horse out of suffering. My deepest condolences .
How terrible.....
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Sep 2, 2011 - 3:07 pm:

My condolences signe,

We discuss the problem with the vaccine in the article associated with this discussion area and it will answer your questions on this subject.

As to would have treatment changed the outcome, we have no way to predict this. I can say some who are treated early still go on to develop severe laminitis so it would not have been a guarantee.

Are you located on or near a body of water and have you been seeing caddisflies in the pasture recently?
DrO
Member:
lilo

Posted on Saturday, Sep 3, 2011 - 1:19 pm:

My condolences on losing your young and promising horse. These are the hardest decisions we animal owners have to make.
So sorry to hear about this outcome,
Lilo
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Saturday, Sep 3, 2011 - 11:23 pm:

So sorry about this sad experience for you and your young horse.
Member:
divamare

Posted on Saturday, Sep 3, 2011 - 11:57 pm:

SS, So sorry to hear about your horse and PHF. I had a friend lose two horses, one in 2009 and one in 2010 to PHF. Hers were also vaccinated. The following link states that the vaccine does not protect the horse from all of the six identified strains of PHF. Perhaps Dr. O can comment regarding the link's accuracy?
https://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_potomac.htm
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Sep 4, 2011 - 11:33 am:

Hello Vicki,
We cover this in our article on PHF.
DrO
Member:
mpulsar1

Posted on Sunday, Sep 4, 2011 - 4:16 pm:

Thanks for all the input. No we are not around any water and none of us have seen the caddisflies in the pasture...guess we will never know.
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