Two horses sick, one went to rainbow bridge

[mandisue]

Just a story for those of you interested. Friend of moms, Going to call her Jane for reference.

Jane went out to the barn about 3 weeks ago and two of her older horses (8-14 years) had swollen legs and couldn't get up. They were like this for about a week.... she called two vets eventually, both did tests, ( NUMEROUS TESTS, blood tests etc) and neither one knew what they had. One said laminitus, ( both at the same time????Dont' think so..) the other had no clue. So the horses continued, laying down, getting up occassionally. They seemed to have little control of themselves, they tried banamine, penicilyn (sp) etc. Eventually one had to be shot. The other is still trying to stay with us. We were thinking they may have WEST NILE. We think. I'm not sure on all the symptoms they have but my mom took all the info she could gather and with searching the internet and seeing other wnv cases this is the most correct conclusions it seems. The vets said there is no test for WNV. Ryle said there is a test for it, she thought maybe a toxic thing. What do you guys think you would have done?

[WashingtonBay]

Gosh... I have no idea what it might be, if it's got the vets involved stumped.

I certainly hope for the best though, for the one who is still struggling!

[alittleoffkey]

http://www.equinewestnile.com/About.htm

That's a good website to list the symptoms of West Nile. I really don't know, I'm just glad I've never had to deal with anything like that. :(

[Ranger44]

Good luck with it. It's bad enough when one is ill with something you know but unknown illneses are scary as can be.

[Country Girl 43]

awww...hoping for the best for the rest. :(

[SedonaThunder]

But there is a test for WNV! I know a couple people who have gone through WNV with their horses and although the laying down and some loss of control sounds familiar - the swelling does not. The swelling legs (that are painful and cause them to lay down) sounds more like a lymph back up - often caused by bacteria or fungal infection. Some horses get those swollen legs from bad cases of scratches. Keep us posted!

[vicklynn]

Man, that is awful. I have NO clue, but sure hope they save the other horse. Both are so young.

[Equine_Woman]

How terrible!!!!! I have no clue either but I just wanted to say your Mom's friend will be in my thoughts!!!! I hope her remaining horse recovers!!! And I hope they figure out what it is!!! Keep us posted!

[oursarge]

That is just so sad. It's bad enough to have one horse sick but two and have one die. Just makes me want to cry. I hope they will find out what is wrong with the one that is still alive so they can save it. Poor baby.

[mandisue]

The fact that it stumped the vets was something interesting because both vets are up to date on stuff and intelligent. They tested for everything they could think of and did tons of tests. They're basically waiting to see what happens with the second one. Nothing much they can do i guess. She waited a week before even calling the vets....

I was just confused, because BOTH of them has/had it....

[Jump The Moon]

I can't offer any help, but I hope they get better... RIP to the one trotting over rainbow bridge.

[Cat]

I would suspect weeds. Hoary Alyssum has been a common problem due to the weather conditions of the last 2 years, especially the drought.

[42many]

My first thought was WNV, but surely they would be able to diagnose that. Cat's suggestion of weeds is a good one!! It hadn't even occurred to me, but it would make sense for both of them having the same symptoms at the same time. If a certain weed came into bloom in the pasture...

If it is weeds (in the pasture or in the hay), my suggestion would be to switch the horse off pasture and/or to a different feed asap.

Were they on Alfalfa? Could it be one of those blister beetles?

What a sad, sad thing for your friend. I very much hope she can get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, for the sake of the remaining horse. RIP.

[AppyLady]

My first thought was black walnut shavings in the stalls, since both horses were affected. But I'm sure the vet would have ruled that out right away.

[Remali]

Are there any other areas of swelling? Under the belly? When Kara, my mare, got so sick last year, her legs swelled up like tree trunks and she had edema (swelling due to fluid) under her belly too.....I had two vets look at her and both said it was no doubt due to congestive heart failure. Kara also had a couple other things going on too.

[JackieB]

God Bless the horse that passed over to the Rainbow Bridge. I would be inclined to think of something poison, like the weeds that Cat mentioned.

[lovesfortune]

Sending prayers for the other horse. Please update us when you can. I hope that some of these suggestions from others might lead to finding the problem.

[mandisue]

Thanks for all the suggestions and caring words everyone. They didn't have shavings as far as I knew in the stall, they are hardly ever in. The weeds theory makes sense but what I don't get is there are 10 horses altogether here and only those two got sick. Swelling was only in the legs, whatever it is its got all the symptoms of west nile. Not sure what IT is.....lol. It's just a waiting game with the mare now, haven't heard anything lately, I'll talk to mom and let you know how shes making out.

[AppyLady]

I sure hope the mare comes out of it alright. When Buddy got West Nile, he didn't have any swelling in his legs. But he was very wobbly and uncoordinated, especially in his hindquarters. By the second day, he was falling down a lot.

[Peggy Sue]

did they open a new bag of feed for these two ?? What is different? I can't think of any diesease that would show up exactly the same on two horses at the same time... but I am sure it is possible

I would be looking for Myotoxins and Afloxtins

[IrisGreen]

When I started reading your thread I thought West Nile right off the bat too. I sure hope the vets can figure it out and pull the horse through it. How sad to not know what is going on. Let your friend know we are pulling together for her horse and wish the best. I sure hope it's treatable if the vets can figure out what started it.

Did she give her horses the west nile vaccine?

[Remali]

Well, if it were me....I would try another vet....kind of odd the vet didn't know!

[cowgirldude]

I hope the one still with her will get better. Hopefully they will find out what it is, and give the WN shot next year just to be sure.

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

Is the Mare better today? I sure hope she can pull thru this. RIP to the sweet thing that has gone over the Rainbow Bridge.

[vicklynn]

Any update on the other horse?

[Dixie]

How awful.

The first thing that came to my mind with mention of the swollen legs was Purpura haemorrhagica, which usually is a form of bastard strangles or a complication to vaccinations. Did the horses drop weight quickly? Did they have swelling any where else? Have strangles recently or around any horses that had it? Had recent vaccs?

I hope the other horse pulls through, how awful to have 2 come down with a mysterious illness.

[mandisue]

Well the mare is still there, barely but shes there, it's doubtful she'll make it through winter, kind of one of those situations where since you don't know what it is, you don't know whether to wait it out or put her out of her misery....


In answer to Remali and Dixie, all the horses were vaccd last year, SOME were this year but not these two. There were two different vets who did tests and could find nothing. Both vets are pretty good with horses and very knowledgeable. These two horses haven't been anywhere lately but the barn, the only thing they did with them and not anyone else is they took them on a trail ride a bit down the road from the farm before they got sick, I thought maybe they snuck a bite of something they shouldn't have on the trail???? No strangles either.

[mandisue]

Oh not that it matters prob, but the gelding that passed away had BAD navicular arthiritus.

[Peggy Sue]

have they ruled out EPM, Lymes ?? I am still thinking toxins in the feed

[mandisue]

Feed I would probably rule out as these horses get the same grain mine gets, ( same store same stuff etc) unless it got into the feed can after the store fact. HAY part I'm not sure of or what they get but all the horses get the same stuff , the only thing different was these two went on that trail ride. I thought maybe they got into a plant they shouldn't have.

[Peggy Sue]

BUT ... here's the kicker if theirs was a different BATCH then the others ... but if that was the case the others would have gotten it by now it seems ... hmmm

[42many]

Can the steps be retraced of the trail ride they took? Looking for anything "odd" or standout that might have caused the issue.

[42many]

Any update on this mare? I was thinking about her today and wondering if she was still alive and if they were ever able to find out what was wrong.

[vicklynn]

Im wondering too. Any news?

[Ryle]

Toxicity would be the first thing I would think of, but infectious disease could also be a possibility.

[mandisue]

I updated on page three friday, the mare is still here but it's doubtful ( they said) that she'll make it through winter. With the vets not knowing what it is, they dont' know whether to put her down or let her try and fight it.. It's a sad situation. And its' still weird that all the other horses are perfectly healthy...

RYLE! Glad to see you could join us. I found out, ( not sure if you read through all this or not) but the two that are/were sick had been taken on a trail ride a week or two before they were sick , that was the only thing done different with them from the rest. Do you think maybe they got into somethign they shouldnt' have ate?

[vicklynn]

I updated on page three friday

You sure did, and that is so appreciated.
Ya know how it is with horses though, they could die in an instant, so Friday was a long ways off from Sunday.
Horse people, what are ya gonna do with them, we need to know minute by minute how the sick are doing.
((HUGS))

[mandisue]

Lol, I wasn't being rude when I said I had updated friday, just didn't want anyone thinking I forgot! LOL.

[vicklynn]

I didnt take it that way my dear. :cowboy:
Were just needy for info on the sicken...
Sure hope she makes it.

[Ryle]

Yes, they could have gotten into something on the trail ride if they were allowed to graze. They could also have been exposed to more biting insects, sick horses, etc that could have been a source of infectious disease.

What exactly was the timeline on symptoms and what symptoms were seen?

[mandisue]

From what I've been told, about a week after the trail ride they both were found down one morning, took a LONG time to get them up and once they did they had little control ( of body movement) and legs were swollen, Vets did all kinds of tests, nothing. Had no idea. One farrier said Laminitus ???? I HIGHLY doubt it...

[Ryle]

Were necrospies done and samples sent for histopath?