Jan 9 2021
The following work up (was scheduled within four days (with Specialist Veterinary Hospital) of the initial observed collapse (Jan 4 2021) after my local vet performed bloodwork that returned unremarkable results and the physical examination was within normal limits.
Diagnostics Performed:
- Upper airway Endoscopy: within normal limits
- Ultrasound: Both sides stomach: clear
- Repeat Bloodwork: Within normal limits
- Gastroscopy: Bleeding squamous ulcers and polyp like lesion at pylorus
- Ross River Titer: Clear
- ACTH: Normal
- Oral Sugar Test: Normal
- Cardiac Troponin: Clear
Follow up
Endoscope repeat in one month – Due W/c Feb 8
PROGNOSIS: Open: Acclaim has Grade 3 gastric ulcers that need treatment. We are ruling out Equine Metabolic Disease as well as Ross River. A cardiac troponin was performed to evaluate whether the sudden collapse was due to underlying heart disease.
After all considered pain triggers or explanation prove to be a continued mystery Acclaim was admitted to The University of Queensland, Equine Specialist Hospital Jan 29, 2021.
CCTV monitoring showed 3 narcoleptic symptomatic episodes during his admission. Neurological examination showed no abnormalities.
Lameness examination: Acclaim is symmetrically muscled. Negative to hoof testers on all four hooves. No lesions, swellings or effusions were detected. Flexion of forelimbs and both hind limbs were normal.
Skull and dental radiographs revealed clear temporomandibular joints and clear sinuses. There was dense mineral opacity between 307 and 308 teeth with no other abnormalities detected. A mandibular bupivacaine block was administered in an attempt to rule out sleep deprivation due to dental pain however there was no change in his camera observed behaviour overnight.
The follow up Gastroscopy showed normal squamous and glandular mucosa. The guttural pouches were also normal.
Feb 2, 2021
Acclaim was discharged and having been turned inside out and upside down by the elite veterinary minds and equine hospitals in the country with still no answer!
It is at this point, as owners, panic sets in…….you are on your own and a tremendous amount of intestinal fortitude is required to get yourself and your horse through this.
My advice is to pay the utmost particular attention to your horses environment: Most sleep deprivation is triggered by a move to new environments. Invest in a camera and monitor him 24/7 best you can manage. A hunters trail camera is ideal as you can use it either inside a stable or put it in a tree if he is paddocked only.
Are there humming electrical power lines close by? Loud music at night? Barking dogs? Disgruntled stable neighbour intimidating him? Running water or leaking tap drips? Lights from traffic? Continual visual disturbances either day or night, ie. Is your stable block close to a neighbours boundary fence? You could even spend a night with him!
It takes some sleuthing in order to get a handle on what you can and can’t rule out regarding pain triggered vs environmental – or a combination of both! I put up a new acoustic fence to buffer music noise from neighbours.
9 Feb 2021
After contacting Cath of McDowells Herbals, Acclaim was started on a herbal regime to support his failing endochrine system. For a horse in crisis such as Acclaim, feeding a whole food natural diet that is anti inflammatory was at its core is essential.
His basic feed program now looks like this:
- 3 scoops of wheaten chaff/lucerne chaff
- 1 cup of rice bran
- 1 cup of copra meal
- 300-400gms dry weight speedy beet
- 1 tablespoon of Rosehips
- 1 cup of crushed millet and linseed (or McDowells Tendon & Bone supplement)
- 10 grms Kelp if I wasnt feeding the Tendon and Bone
His initial herbal supplements:
- Metabolic-S
- Equigesta-Pre
- Nerve Regeneration
- Alleviate
- Mag-A-GG
Your horses musculature and skeletal system, especially his stay apparatus is under huge stress. Continue regular body work or engage it if you don’t already have it in place to support him. The focus should be on the superficial quadratus and gluteals and also the lumbroscrale region. I was fortunate that my bodyworker noticed these big changes early and we were able to at least support him through the worst of the episodes.
A huge help in supporting Acclaims recovery is his ongoing acupuncture program of weekly visits. I cannot recommend this therapy’s benefits enough. I believe it has been crucial to him during the very worst of his journey.
19 May 2021
Acclaim was observed during a penile retraction to almost present an “internal body jerk reaction” best I can do to describe this one! So he was presented to Dr Louise Cosgrove for a Gelding Castration Scar Manipulation. AND we may just about have our answer!!
He was found to have adhesions which caused the right urether to kink and his kidney viscera to be congested. The right iliopsoas is extremely atrophied and fatigued. The left psoas had a small amount of contraction present but was also extremely undersized. The tip of the caecum was also adhered to the spleen.
So, extensive psoas rehabilitation to rebuild strength in the psoas muscles and an external/neural release (body work) to be performed within two weeks of the internal procedure to break up the adhesions.
The internal procedure correcting the cause of his issues and the external procedure plus rehabilitation program to correct the symptoms.
25 May 2021
Acclaim’s saddle was remeasured and shims put in place to alleviate the pressure and unevenness presented because of his caudal high-lows in the front feet. His right shoulder was found to actually be higher than the left – all this due to the atrophied psoas. Shims will be reviewed at six weeks and shoulder and wither measurements reviewed a further six weeks after. If all is well then the saddle will be reflocked accordingly.
His rehab exercises continue and he has actually been observed in a full REM sleep during daylight hours in the paddock……so I am taking that as a win and a huge step.
