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  Discussion on Seizures??
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 9, 1999 - 12:44 pm:

DrO or anyone else....

background: 22 YO Reg. QH mare, in a retirement home. She came very underweight, and due to dental condition she is on a mash diet for life. She gets alfalfa cubes, a special senior formulated for the area, and oil, plus a small amount of vitamin/mineral supplement. This is fed three times daily due to quantity of the mash, with plenty of water. The mare is gaining, and generally seems to be bright, alert and active. Two weeks ago I got a frantic call from the owner-she had a strange episode of *something*. She had taken a few bites of her breakfast, coughed hard a few times, then turned away, twisted her head up and sideways, lips smacking and DrOol pouring out, whilst almost running in a circle. When she stopped a minute or so later, she had an episode of "muscle spasms" or what I'd call full body starts. After this, she appeared normal and appetite and behavior were as before. A vet call produced not much, except for advising a bunch of tests. Since the mare didn';t seem in distress, the owner chose not to go forward with the expense. I had thought *maybe* it was a choke event, which she'd cleared on her own.

This morning she had a worse episode. This time it involved strange leg posturing, the muscle spasms, and heavy sighing on the exhale. She is still twitching ever so slightly as I type, but the frequency is lessening. She had the lip smacking, and twisting the head up and sideways as before. It is unknown if she could possibly be Impressive bred (I think she's too old??) so I'm wondering maybe stroke? Any ideas? Is there anything that can be done to help her?

Posted on Friday, Dec 10, 1999 - 5:22 am:

Hi Tiani. I read your post with alot of interest as your horse's episodes bear a remarkable resemblance to my mare's epilepsy-type seizures. I say type as there is still alot of debate as to whether horses can actually have epilepsy. Did the latest episode occur at feeding time too? My mare only ever had them when she got the feed she was clammering for (twice letting her go for a nibble of grass when she was very hungry, otherwise invariably at breakfast time). One or two bites of food and away she would go, twisting first her top lip and then her head and neck around to her hindquarters. Lately she took to falling down almost immediately still stuck in this horrible position. Then that spasm would release her and she would get up and lean heavily against the wall with her legs right out like a ladder. This years seizures were obviously that, twitching and ticcing of her head and front legs and generally blundering from wall to wall. I'm positive she is conscious during this stage as she seems so frightened by what is happening to her. Gradually the spasms die down unless there is a sudden noise and she starts to blink and peer about as though looking for the cause of her distress. Generally she then goes back to her food as though nothing has happened! Does all this sound familiar? Ask your vet to do a full blood test and neurological survey. Mine turned out to show slight brain damage on the left side. Last year the seizures were found to be caused by residue of pesticides on the carrots I was giving her and after I changed to organic ones we had no more problems for 6 months (up to then she was having a seizure every 10 days). In January of this year she started again, only worse in terms of severity and being unable to positively determine a cause I had her put onto phenobarbitone twice daily. She had 6 weeks holiday and then went back slowly into normal work. Today she is able to do everything, jumping, galloping etc. Incidentally I didn't stop riding her while the seizures were happening as I figured that if she didn't flip out with her breakfast she was ok for the day!
One last thought - I know of several mares that have seizures, but only two geldings and I don't think that is just coincidence.
I would advise you to get these tests done asap. They only cost me a couple of hundred pounds sterling and the insurance picked up the tab. There is a horrible risk of injury to the horse when they have a seizure due to their considerable weight. Keep a note of what she was doing before the episode started, its duration and form. Ideally video it. My own vet always said he'd love to see my mare 'in action' so I asked him if he'd like to go and feed her every morning (grin). Sadly he decline the offer!

Posted on Friday, Dec 10, 1999 - 7:21 am:

Hello Tiana,
I do not think your horse is having seizures but is experiencing repeated episodes of choke better described as esophageal obstruction. This is a very common problem in horses. Occurs after beginning eating and characterized by signs of discomfort and DrOoling, sometimes saliva and food will come out the nose. We have an article on this condition at Equine Diseases: Colic and GI Diseases: Mouth, Esophagus, and Liver.
DrO

Posted on Friday, Dec 10, 1999 - 4:54 pm:

DrO and Cara-

Thank you for your replies. I have fed and handled a number of horses with choke, so I am familiar with the usual symptoms. What leads me to wonder about possible seizures is the inclusion of full body muscle spasms, plus the raising of the hind leg. A rudimentary blood screen was done, which showed no evidence of infection, cancers, or compromised liver or kidney function. An physical exam is scheduled for next week, with further testing as indicated by those results. On DrO's suggestion, I will go over in detail with the owner as to the quantity and consistency of the mashes as fed, to see if the culprit is the feed. I too, suspect choke as the root cause but I have never seen muscle spasms during an episode. Am I right in that horses experiencing choke should have their feed tubs/buckets elevated so that feed does not get aspirated?

Posted on Saturday, Dec 11, 1999 - 8:47 am:

Hello All,
No, elevating the head increases the chance of aspiration by allowing food and saliva to collect in the back of the throat. I have seen horses, particular those during their first couple of episodes of chole that went as far as throwing themselves to the ground and rolling. Raising of the leg is indicitive of discomfort. The muscle spasms you describe, particularly in the neck and shoulders are pretty common: think of times you where vomiting and how the whole body is racked. Though horses do not vomit well the reaction is pretty much the same.

This is in contrast to old time chokers will usually just sit around calmly with their heads down waiting for it to pass.
DrO
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