|
Post by Rose on Feb 10, 2008 0:03:37 GMT -5
He looks fantastic Rose, good job! Thanks REDMOND! He's growing new hair already on those nasty sores he had. Just wait until he's all shed out and he really shines.
|
|
honeyfish
Full BB Member
Baskovia (Ben, CBER Stewart) 1984-2010
Posts: 130
|
Post by honeyfish on Feb 10, 2008 13:22:45 GMT -5
I love how I'm making a kissy face at him in every single picture... He looks 100% better after getting his hooves trimmed--which finally happened after 2 weeks of disorganized farrier! Rose did get a free trim out of his forgetfulness, though. Our only concern is I did notice some lameness at the walk. It's not like anything I have had any experience with...when he is walking, his rear leg tracks up right into his front's hoofprint (good), however, he hesitates for just a second before putting the hind foot down. So it's a up-swing forward-hang in the air-put down movement. My first inclination was to think he was walking with a modified movement due to soreness associated with his emaciated condition and his extremely long hooves (his backs were the longest I have ever seen on a horse in person). He is moving the same after the trim though. Hard to describe, but the farrier thought it might be stringhalt which I also have no personal experience with. Dr Hannah did not note any unusual movement in her check, but at the time he was too weak to do a soundness exam. Poor guy! Anyway, does anyone have any idea what might be going on here? I know my description leaves something to be desired...I'm sure we could take a video if I could ever remember to get my batteries charged. Right now only his right hind appears to be affected. He is doing very well under Rose's care. I was telling her to take as many pictures as possible because he already looks like a different horse, and pretty soon she won't even recognize him! He is very cute and starting to let his personality come through.
|
|
|
Post by trillium on Feb 10, 2008 14:03:38 GMT -5
Could that gait be stringhalt? I do not know too much about it, but it sounds like it might be. Maybe there are some experts out there with experience with this. I do know stringhalt can be associated with toxic weeds, but do not know how long it may take to get out of the horses system.
|
|
honeyfish
Full BB Member
Baskovia (Ben, CBER Stewart) 1984-2010
Posts: 130
|
Post by honeyfish on Feb 10, 2008 14:08:31 GMT -5
Yes, trillium, I think you're probably right...I don't have any experience with Stringhalt though, in person, to know what it looks like...but he was so emaciated I'm sure he was eating things in the pasture that a horse wouldn't normally touch. I know there are several other things that can lead to the disease as well. Do you think a video would be helpful?
|
|
|
Post by Rose on Feb 10, 2008 17:45:56 GMT -5
Megan,
I think Bruce (our farrier) called it "goose stepping". He thought it could be Stringhalt. Does anyone here have any experiences with it?
Rose
|
|
|
Post by cat67 on Feb 10, 2008 18:57:59 GMT -5
Unless I am imagining things, I believe stringhalt can be related to nutritional issues. I think that in recent years they've done some research about how to cure it nutritionally. I'd google it...I think there's info out there.
|
|
|
Post by trillium on Feb 10, 2008 19:35:23 GMT -5
Since I did not know what exactly stringhalt was, I looked it up. This is the discription from the Merek vet. book.
Springhalt
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stringhalt is a myoclonic affliction of one or both hindlimbs seen as spasmodic overflexion of the joints. The etiology is unknown, but lesions of a peripheral neuropathy have been identified in the sciatic, peroneal, and tibial nerves. Severe forms of the condition have been attributed to lathyrism (sweet pea poisoning) in the USA and possibly to flat weed intoxication in Australia. Horses of any breed may be affected; it is rare in foals. All degrees of hyperflexion are seen, from the mild, spasmodic lifting and grounding of the foot, to the extreme case in which the foot is drawn sharply up until it touches the belly and is then struck violently on the ground. In severe cases, there is atrophy of the lateral thigh muscles. In Australian stringhalt and lathyrism, the condition may be progressive, and the gait abnormality may become so severe that euthanasia is warranted. Mild stringhalt may be intermittent. The signs are most obvious when the horse is sharply turned or backed. In some cases, the condition is seen only on the first few steps after moving the horse out of its stall. The signs are often less intense or even absent during warmer weather. Although it is regarded as unsoundness, stringhalt may not materially hinder the horse’s ability to work, except in severe cases when the constant concussion gives rise to secondary complications. The condition may also make the horse unsuitable for equestrian sports (eg, dressage). Diagnosis is based on clinical signs but can be confirmed by electromyography. If the diagnosis is in doubt, the horse should be observed as it is backed out of the stall after hard work for 1-2 days. False stringhalt sometimes appears as a result of some temporary irritation to the lower pastern area or even a painful lesion in the foot. The occasional horse with momentary upward fixation of the patella may exhibit a stringhalt-like gait. When intoxication is suspected, removal to another paddock may be all that is required. Many of these cases apparently recover spontaneously. In chronic cases, tenectomy of the lateral extensor of the digit, including removal of a portion of the muscle, has given best results. Improvement may not be evident until 2-3 wk after surgery. Prognosis after surgery is guarded—not all cases respond. This is not surprising because the condition is a distal axonopathy. Other methods of treatment include large doses of thiamine and phenytoin.
|
|
|
Post by Rose on Feb 10, 2008 20:57:25 GMT -5
Here's an interesting article. www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/article.php?aid=88386Particularly the Fibrotic myopathy; it sounds closer to what he's doing but I won't know until a soundness check. My Vet doesn't think it would do any good to do a soundness check until he has recovered from his malnourishment.
|
|
|
Post by cat67 on Feb 11, 2008 1:05:31 GMT -5
OK, I haven't lost my mind - there are two types of stringhalt and one of them is caused by toxins in weeds. That's what I was thinking about - I knew it had something to do with what they ate and I believe they dose them with Vitamin E to help them get over it. www.equusite.com/articles/health/healthStringhaltAussie.shtml
|
|
|
Post by Rose on Feb 11, 2008 1:08:19 GMT -5
OK, I haven't lost my mind - there are two types of stringhalt and one of them is caused by toxins in weeds. That's what I was thinking about - I knew it had something to do with what they ate and I believe they dose them with Vitamin E to help them get over it. www.equusite.com/articles/health/healthStringhaltAussie.shtmlHe got a Selinium/Vit E injection yesterday. Hopefully it will help with his gait.
|
|
|
Post by jennywho on Feb 11, 2008 1:14:06 GMT -5
I have a mare that at 24 developed severe stringhalt in her right hind literally overnight. When she was 16 she got kicked in the gaskin on the same leg and developed a huge hematoma. The vet thinks that the stringhalt is related to her past injury.
The most recent nutritional info I read said it had to do with a magnesium deficiency.
If you can get a video, some of us could give you a good idea as to what we thought.
Judging by his condition there's a great chance that it could be nutritionally related. Is it bi or uni-lateral?
|
|
|
Post by Rose on Feb 11, 2008 1:40:42 GMT -5
I have a mare that at 24 developed severe stringhalt in her right hind literally overnight. When she was 16 she got kicked in the gaskin on the same leg and developed a huge hematoma. The vet thinks that the stringhalt is related to her past injury. The most recent nutritional info I read said it had to do with a magnesium deficiency. If you can get a video, some of us could give you a good idea as to what we thought. Judging by his condition there's a great chance that it could be nutritionally related. Is it bi or uni-lateral? It's uni-lateral, only does it on the right rear leg. He goose-steps, instead of picking his hoof up and curling it under as he walks it slaps down in front. I'll try to get a video of him sometime this week. Thanks for all of your replies.
|
|
crum
New BB Member
Posts: 49
|
Post by crum on Feb 11, 2008 9:51:09 GMT -5
It actually sounds a bit more like upward fixation of the patella. Stifled is the more layman's term for it. Exercise is one of the primary means of treatment recommended for this. There are additional treatments out there if that doesn't help though.
For it to be stringhalt there would typically be an exaggerated nature to the flexion which you didn't mention. The hesitation or "catching" sounds more typical of UPF.
|
|
|
Post by Rose on Feb 12, 2008 1:00:43 GMT -5
I got Cairo's registration today. He's offically mine. Yeah!
|
|
|
Post by Rose on Feb 18, 2008 21:47:19 GMT -5
A positive note on Cairo's strange gait. He hand walked him today and the strange gait is almost gone. There is a tiny hint of it still but for the most part not as bad as before.
He's loosing his winter coat very quickly. I put some MTG on his coat and the long hir and rain rot just sluff off. Unforetunately it leave bare spots behind. :-(
|
|