Anyone able to help with horse emergency?

[saltandpepper2]

I would definately check out your pasture. Toxic plants can cause similar symptoms and often the horses won't touch it until the good grass and such are gone. Also with fall and such you get leaves blown in and some of them can be toxic if accidentally ingested. I had a friend who had nightshade all in her field and didn't know it for 4-5 years. Then the horses decided to get into it and she was able to save one of the two that got into it. To be on the safe side you might want to put the other horses up until you can sort it out. I would talk to the vet to see what you need to do until they can get there. I know that horses can make 48 hours laying down and when my horse impact colicked the vet said to let him lay as long as he wasn't rolling around. It gave him just enough energy to make the 6 hour trip to the vet school for surgery. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. On a side note, as your vet is so far away you might discuss with him what you might need to have a heavy duty first aide kit available for future emergencies. My vet keeps me well stocked (I am 45 min away) so that I can handle some things until he gets there.

We will keep hoping all goes well.

x2 heres a list of toxic plants to check for http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/php/plants.php?action=display&ispecies=horses

 

[HorseGirl81]

All vitals are normal, scarily normal to be honest, same with everyone else.. These 2( gelding that's down n mare we lost this morning) are turned out in a separate area from the rest bc of their ages and past issues.. It's not a big area, I can easily walk and check every inch in less than 10 minutes and these 2 always have/had access to hay 24/7 and were watched like anytime they were on grass time.. Thanks so very much on the info about being able to be down for that long.. I've been around horses my entire life n it was always a "get them up 10 minutes ago " situation.. I usually have banamine and gave the mare the last dose n vet didn't have extra to leave this morning and I didn't push it bc everyone was perfect.. He wants to get up, he's not down mentally or emotionally at all.. He still talks to me everytime he hears me, nibbling on my pants like he nibbles my sleeves when he's on his feet..I hatw to sound so vague in my symptoms, but he honestly has no other symptoms other than his hind legs.. And it came on fast.. I'm looking up NAD now..

 

[HorseGirl81]

Well right off the bat I see it affects certain breeds.. The mare looked like a QH cross but the gelding is a medicine hat paint..

 

[saltandpepper2]

Oh! Forgot to ask, what breed is the gelding? Is he a quarter horse by chance??

 

[HorseGirl81]

Boy other than mostly presenting in young horses it does sound very similar.. But I'm leaning towards it being something airborne or picked up in the ground or hay(been on this farm for 3 years so no recent changes there) .. I mean I guess that there is chance the 2 cases are completely unrelated.. I'm lost.. I honestly have a ton of experience.. I have a BS in Equine Science, worked at a huge breeding barn from 14 til 33 and in a horse vet clinic from 15 to 28 and I've never seen anything like it

 

[saltandpepper2]

Boy other than mostly presenting in young horses it does sound very similar.. But I'm leaning towards it being something airborne or picked up in the ground or hay(been on this farm for 3 years so no recent changes there) .. I mean I guess that there is chance the 2 cases are completely unrelated.. I'm lost.. I honestly have a ton of experience.. I have a BS in Equine Science, worked at a huge breeding barn from 14 til 33 and in a horse vet clinic from 15 to 28 and I've never seen anything like it

I was thinking HYPP, but almost never seen in horses other than AQH/ AQH mixes. West Nile can cause this type of paralysis, but not really common this time of year since most misquotes are gone... I'm running out of ideas! I'm really sorry this is happening

 

[HorseGirl81]

The only difference between the 2 horses is attitude... She had no fight left, no desire to get up.. Their stalls are visible from 3 windows in my house and I check on them put the windows around the clock.. The mare was standing eating at 6am, ate her grain.. Water intake over night was normal, amount of piles and wet spots in their stalls were normal... By 730/8 she was down and had completely given up

 

[HorseGirl81]

The geldings previous "owner" said he was a registered paint, but he has QH in him for sure.. But he's a true medicine hat

 

[saltandpepper2]

Gah, those things I've listed are really all I can think of... How hot is it where you are? How old are the horses?

 

[HorseGirl81]

And thank you.. All the ideas help more than you'll ever know.. It's got to be a process of elimatation and keep fingers crossed that he hangs on til vet gets here tomorrow and can do lab work.. His clinic is only about 40 minutes away so if he does have to make a trip it won't be far