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Discussion on Digital pulse
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 8:04 am:
Hi, Dr.O I monitor my horses digital pulse daily, because of his previous bout with founder. I have noticed they all have a pulse that is more remarkable when it is hot out. When the horse is warmer than usual, without exercise, increase the digital pulse? In the morning, after the cool night, they disappear. The pulses in the evening are more remarkable than i prefer, however only when it is very warm out. Thanks
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Member:
Miamoo
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Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 8:24 am:
I have a mare that I monitor very closely because of a previous issue of inflamation in her feet. It is the same for her.
Ella 
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 9:47 am:
That's interesting Ella, so when it's hot out her digital pulse becomes more pronounced? (bounding)so to speak? Thanks
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 9:42 pm:
Though the quality of a horse's pulse is variable from time to time, this is not a pattern I have noticed. It is an interesting observation. There are many factors that might effect the pulses perceived strength Diane but if we look at just this one factor, the environmental temperature we can find a logical explanation of why this might be: When the feet are cool, it is hypothesized that arterio-venous shunts open so that more blood flows through the foot. This helps regulate the internal temperature of the feet. The result of opening these shunts would be the back pressure on the arteries would go down and might explain this phenomena.
DrO
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Member:
Suzeb
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Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 11:38 pm:
I too have noticed that pulses seem elevated when the outdoor temperature is hot.
I do wonder though, if it would make a difference if the foot was elevated or standing on the ground when checking for pulses. Perhaps taking your horse for a walk before and after a pulse check might reveal something???
Food for thought,
Susan B.
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 11:40 pm:
Thanks Dr.O. I am just worried that he may be giving me a sign of impending laminitis. The fact that the other horses do this settles me a little. We have had remarkable rain the last few weeks and the grass is VERY lush. I have slowly worked them up to 2.5 hours of grazing and think that is all they will get for now. (just too risky) I monitor their pulses morning and night, sometimes more, and am very familiar with each individuals variance. It is quite consistent that when it is hotter than it should be for this time of year, their pulse thumps more as the day wears on. In the morning they are completely gone. At night they are on 1/4 acre pasture with slim pickings, but enough to keep them occupied. In the morning they go into a bigger pasture where the grass is more abundant, for2-2.5 hrs. then back to the little pasture. I wonder if the turnout is responsible for the pulses, however it mostly happens on very warm days. I really don't completely want to take away their turnout on the bigger pasture, but maybe will scale back the time some. They all have lost weight and would say they have gone from being 9's to 6's on the body score. They are still DrOpping pounds just a little slower. ( I weight tape them every 2 weeks) What do ya think Dr.O. should I eliminate the big pasture turnout, or could these be transiet pulses. I would like to keep them somewhat adjusted to grass if possible or am I asking for trouble? Thanks
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 11:48 pm:
Thanks Susan the horses usually are moving most of the day, accept at nap time of course.
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 9:06 pm:
Well today the horses had their normal turnout and actually a bit longer as I was tied up and couldn't get them in. The day was cooler than it has been by about 15 degrees and no pulses. I rode them tonight and everyone seems 100% sound so I guess it has been the unseasonaly warm weather. Hmmmm
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 10:47 pm:
I thought we had discussed this before. I do not think that you can monitor and predict an impending founder crisis or base management decisions on monitoring digital pulses: they are too variable as you have found. If the problem has been spring grass founders before you should consider limiting access to rich pasture.
DrO
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Friday, May 5, 2006 - 6:56 am:
DrO. So my obsessive pulse checking is a waste of time then? I don't base my management on their pulses. I just thought that sometimes low grade laminitis doesn't always present it self in the normal fashion and catching a BOUNDING pulse may be the way to ward off a full blown episode? My management, thanks to you and my vet have these horses looking their best in years. they are still losing weight 1 is in perfect weight, 2 still need to DrOp about 75#'s, but I can now feel everyones ribs. (thats a first}. The thought of founder just tends to make me a bit neurotic. Thanks
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, May 5, 2006 - 7:16 am:
It is never a waste of time to carefully observe your horses but as you have found the digital pulse can go up and down for many normal reasons and therefore has poorly predictive properties for founder and leads to unnecessary worry.
DrO
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Member:
Jojo15
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Posted on Friday, May 5, 2006 - 9:08 am:
Interesting thread, but wonder, WHAT is the reason for checking their digital pulse? and how is it different than their regular pulse rate, if you were to check it somewhere else? Can't you check for a pulse under their jaw?
When ahorse comes up lame, i check it. and when i see wind puffs, or if a horse is just off, not eating, not drinking, but temp is fine, i check it. Or when i think an abscess if forming? Sometimes i feel one, sometimes i don't.
I guess Dr. O is explaining it like taking their temperature. It raises and lowers throughout the day, and that in and of itself is not a cause for alarm. BUT, on a really cold day and its temp is 102. Than i would manage accordingly. call the vet, give bute...etc. would that same thought work with the DP?
But you know your horse. if checking it now, daily or weekly, than you will know when its OFF. or different. That's just good management on your part for your horse. I'm sure i've staved off certain things in the past because i picked up on something that others might not. Stuff not enough to call your vet, but enough for you to monitor more closely. i saved my parrots life like that. and only you know. (i remember when i called the vet about my parrot, she said i was just being paranoid, 6 hours later we were in the emergency room, had i gone to bed he'd be dead by morning)... But its a matter of owning one horse. Or a couple. A bunch of them with this kind of thinking and you'd never leave the barn...grin
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Member:
Scooter
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Posted on Friday, May 5, 2006 - 9:31 am:
Hi joj, it isn't the pulse rate I check but the degree of throbbing so to speak. So if a horse has inflamation in the foot such as founder or an abscess for an example it usually is what they call bounding, (quite pronounced). Not really faster, just throbbing. So it is different then the other pulses in that way. I hope I explained that right. My horses do vary thru the day and sometimes seem non exsistent. (the way I like em)
If they were to start to "bound" it would worry me.
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New Member:
zmoy
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 - 8:25 am:
hello all this is my first post,i am currently freaking out due to digital pulses my horse is just back home after an injury to his foot which he ended up in a cast a very nasty abcess and thankfully is sound now due the fantastic work of the vets i use here in ireland,but while he was gone the older companion horse foundered due to stress he is sound now and has no problem with any type of grass but i have been checking the pulses on both horses regularly and i have found they vary in strength a different times,,they are in a starvation paddock by day and a greener paddock with more grass at night,is this normal for the pulses i have been monitoring them for a month now and if this is founder starting in my own horse how long before it get worse,have spoken to my vets on the phone and there not concerned.. }
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 - 11:53 am:
Hi Zelda, Welcome to HA. As you can see from the above post DP's can vary quite a bit.
I monitor my founder prone horse daily...AM/PM. He has what I consider (sub clinical) DP's quite often.
Just from my experience, . I f his pulse is "bounding" more than normal for an extended amount of time...24 hrs, something is going on. When he is in good weight and getting exercised I can't hardly feel them ever, so I know when his is "bounding" he needs his diet changed...BUT he usually has a few other tell-tale signs to go with it
1. bounding DP's
2. slows down on hard ground or won't walk on it at all.
3. not as spunky on soft ground
4. stands a little differently.
If your horse doesn't seem to have any other problems I guess I wouldn't worry too much.(well I would...but I shouldn't )
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New Member:
zmoy
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 11, 2009 - 3:43 pm:
thanks diane,i worry terribly at the moment we have been thru a lot with him im terrified he will get laminitis but he seems very well went galoping and bucking into his paddock this evening,i will keep an eye on him...}}
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 12, 2009 - 1:34 am:
Zelda having lived through more founders than I care to think about I know exactly what you mean.
Monitor your horse closely for any change in gait...especially on hard ground. My horse usually looks good on soft, pasture type ground when he is having a "flare up." Hard ground always slows him up if there is a problem "brewing"
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