So my aunt took the plunge into horse ownership this July and got a lovely yearling belgium filly. Tall, correct and such a good mind. 2 weeks after she came to live with me she punctured herself on something in the pasture (more than likely a stick) and the wound wont heal. To top it off in the last week or so I have noticed her gait becoming more and more off. We took her to the vet this last Thursday and they want to do surgery on the leg as they feel that the original injury may have now led to an infection of the bone (near a growth plate no less) but due to her possible wobblers and how unsteady she is they want to hold off. So on to a new antibiotic after x-rays and ultrasound to determine that there isn't anything still in the leg. Has any one had a horse with wobblers? The vet suggested a natural vitamin e supplement wich is supposed to help with muscles, but from everything that I have read, the gait ataxia is due to a possible fracture, or trauma to the spinal cord. This is such a nightmare. For her first horse nothing has gone right and I fear we may have to eauthanize Rose. My aunt cant afford the surgery to plate her neck if it is a fracture, and cant afford 2 horses either. Any suggestions? Thanks DeesMom

a sad story....i have no ideas on the subjects, but, my prayers go out to you guys.

--gail

As with humans, a second opinion is always warranted with any surgery. Check with the closest veterinarian teaching hospital. Even if it requires hauling the filly somewhere, it's worth it to get a second opinion. Even a different vet in the same area may have another opinion. Not all vets are good, regardless of graduating from vet school.

Vitamin E is an exceptional anti-oxidant and is known to help horses with known neurological issues so I'm assuming the vet prescibed it for her possible wobblers.  I've never known a horse with wobblers, but one I've known with Shivers and 2 I've known with EPM the vitamin E helped them alot.  The vitamin E they were given was a prescribtion liquid that was just squirted over the top of their food each morning.  They also benefitted greatly from regular massage and chiro.  

Try not to get ahead of yourself and get your aunt and yourself upset by reading horror stories online.  Wait for what the vet tells you and go from there.   Good luck and let us know what films say.

This was the second opinion. The first vet clinic didn't really want to do anything with her. I am leaning more to EPM right now, as the Vit e and Selenium supp has seemed to help. She's been on it about a week and she dosen't seem quite as unstable.  The new antibiotic seems to have helped a bit, but if she dose have an infection sequestered near the bone, she will eventually need surgery any how.

My aunt cant afford the trip to Madison to have the x-rays of her neck etc at this point. If she fails to improve significantly I am afraid that due to her being unsafe to be arround we will more than likely have to euth her. Its sad, but at this point we are going to have to wait and see.

Fingers crossed that she improves significantly!

 

I took a horse I was caring for up to my vet (who is awesome btw...) because he would walk a little drunk sometimes, held his tail to the side funny and had some muscle atrophy in his left shoulder.  I suspected a neuro problem so went out in the field and did the tail pull test and sure enough...he couldn't pull against me.  My vet said with his symptoms it was either neck arthritis or EPM, but because of the muscle atrophy in his shoulder we would treat him for EPM.  We started him on the Marquis and Vitamin E.  I noticed a difference in him after about 2 weeks.  I'm no longer caring for him, but from what I've heard he's doing well.  He also gets regular visits from an MT/Chiro.

If the vet feels it's EPM, you could just treat with the Marquis and see if that helps.  Doing a spinal tap to test for EPM is very expensive and if you get ANY blood in the sample it's tainted. 

Jingles for the girl!  A diet low in starch and sugar would also benefit her.

Thanks for the info! I will talk to my aunt about the Chiro, and talk to the vet about the Marquis. At a year and a half old, this filly is way to young to give up on.

Testing for Lyme might not be a bad idea either. Being young is in her favor too :) Good Luck!

As an update. We had to eauthanize Rose last friday. Her motor control was so severly affected by what ever was going on with her that she could barely move her hind legs when the vet came out. Such a sad ending to this.

I know my aunt is scarred for life, and so am I. I just hope the next horse she gets dosent end up like this.

I'm so sorry to hear this!  I was really hoping for a positive update.  Godspeed Rose!

Oh, I'm so sorry about Rose. I hate to hear of putting a horse down, but in tis case it was the best outcome. Will a necropsy be done? A teaching hospital may want to do one.

it's awful to be the decision maker when the horse had the problem before they came to you.  i had that experience last year.  but, you fall in love with them even if they are with you a short time.

but, it is a strong, caring person that can make this awful decision that should not be theirs to make.  i hope your aunt isn't too scared off of horse ownership and will try again.  there's always a loving horse that needs a home.

Oh I'm sorry to hear this.  That's a hard decision to make, even when there's really no choice.  So sad that your aunt had such bad luck with her first horse.  I hope it doesn't put her off horse ownership entirely and in the future she will feel ready to take another horse into her life.

 Geez, what a terrible experience.  I am so sorry for the filly and your aunt, my condolences.

Thanks guys. We did not have a necropsy done, just dont have the funds at this time. She is on the hunt for another horse to welcome into her life. She is understandably sad, but we have all looked at it this way. She was ment to come into our lives for a reason, and however much it hurts right now, it was a learning experiance. She is as horse crazy as I am, and we will only grow from this.

We are going to an auction this wekeend, and she has looked at a couple others as well. My uncle is the most gun shy at this point. But like both my aunt and I have told him, you just never know.

Thanks all.