Need info about horse with ataxia

[Lori Bertolucci]

Hi all. 

You guys are to go to people when it comes to good info about horse issues, so I am turning to you for help for a friend.

Her horse has just been diagnosed as a wobbler, he has ataxia. Here is what she wrote about her situation...

"...the big, beautiful horse that I have been riding for the last year has been diagnosed as a 'wobbler' with a cervical vertebral malformation. The only time that he's ever felt to be unbalanced while I've had him, is when going down hills (I get off and hand walk him) and on narrow cliff trails (we will be avoiding those!). He does not appear to be in any pain and I'm hoping to keep riding (on flat ground only).
Asking my horsey friends out there... do you have, or know of someone who has a horse with ataxia and is still riding? If so, would you/they be willing to share their 
experiences with me?..."

Thanks for any info you can provide. I will forward everything to her.

Lori

[Ruth Anne Heilgeist]

Hi Lori,

My sympathies to your friend.  I owned a horse from 2000 to 2007 that became ataxic.  Besides the vet, I hired an equine neurologist, a chiropractor, an accupuncturist and an equine sports massage therapist to help this mare.  There were conflicting opinions as to whether the cause was wobblers or whether she developed a spinal injury from a fall.  Anyway, with careful management, she was ridden on flat land but only at a walk and successfully gave birth to a foal.  Unfortunately, I let a friend care for her one winter who pastured her in a very steep pasture...although she had four other level pastures available.  The steep inclines, ice and snow caused the mare to fall, seriously injure herself and she had to be put down. 

 

We also had a horse at a barn I boarded at who also developed ataxia due to a spinal issue (I was never clear what happened) but this horse, Devo, had surgery and what many people call the Seattle Slew cage (a spine stablization cage) was implanted.  Devo, prior to its back injury, had been shortlisted for the 2004 Olympics for the Australian team.  After Devo recovered, he competed in dressage.  My daughter rode him for a bit over jumps, but every once in a while Devo would suddenly fall on a jump course, so the owner confined his activites to dressage.  As far as I know, Devo is still alive and well.

 

Based on my experience, if your friend rides her horse conservatively and keeps him on stable, flat terrain, he should do fine.  I became a certified equine sports massage therapist for my horse and, during the seven years she was alive, gave her massages at least twice a week.  I like to think it helped...it certainly made us closer and made me feel there was something I could do for her.  Best wishes to your friend. 

 

Ruth Heilgeist

 

Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply,

to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.

-Storm Jameson

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[endurancehorsemt]

The emails below caught my eye because they both talk about issues going down hill, and fine on the flats.

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[K. Lynd]

 

Lori,

 

In May 2011 my almost 4 year old Arabian/Connemara cross gelding ran into something (tree or post) in the pasture, fractured his cervical vertebra and compressed his spinal cord.  I came home from work and found him down on the ground, fighting to rise.  He called/screamed at me when he saw me and was able to get to his feet after falling several times.  He presented with acute ataxia, head and neck tilt and weaving, and nystagmus (dancing eyes).  He was barely able to stand or walk and could not back up.  I had been at work and did not see the collision, so we had no idea what was wrong with him.  My veterinarian initially diagnosed him with some type of acute onset encephalitis caused by EPM or tick or mosquito borne illnesses.  My vet also mentioned Wobbles, but really resisted the idea of a fracture.  It turned out he had fractured a cervical vertebra, and the trauma from the blow that fractured his vertebra caused swelling which compressed his spinal cord.  My vet consistently pushed for euthanasia, which I declined.  She gave him a ONE percent chance of recovery.  He has made almost a 100% recovery in the past 14 months, although the first 7 months were extremely difficult.  I don't know if he is rideable yet or at what level, although I suspect he will be fine as all evidence of neurological issues are almost gone and he appears to have no balance issues.  He is currently on a pasture with a steep hill that he gallops up and down with no problem.  Of course, I kept him off the hill until I deemed him 95% recovered.

 

While I was researching his condition, I discovered a wonderful website on Wobblers.  http://www.equinewobblers.com/  Make sure to click through the menu on the left as well and check out the page:  http://www.equinewobblers.com/wobblersyndrome/About-Wobbler_Syndrome.html.  My horse's injury (cervical fracture) is discussed at http://www.equinewobblers.com/wobblersyndrome/Fractures.html.  I found this website to be very helpful and accurate.   

 

During the past 14 months I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about neurological injuries for horses.  One thing I have concluded from my own experiences and many anecdotal narratives from owners of horses with neurological symptoms is that fracture seem to be under diagnosed.  My vet ruled out fracture until I insisted on X-Rays on day 6.  By then she had ruled out West Nile, EEE and WEE and was focusing on EPM.  I know my situation doesn't exactly answer your question, but I thought the website I found would be of help.  Plus, my horse has gone through a miraculous, if difficult, recovery of a severe neurologic injury which my vet virtually promised me could not happen.  He came galloping up the steep hill yesterday and slammed to a stop right in front of me.  I had the confidence in him not to jump out of the way.  :-)  Last year he could barely stand, and I was told not to stall him as we would have to drag his body out of the barn because he WAS going to die.   :-( 

 

I posted to Ridecamp last year after he was injured, but before we had a diagnosis.  I received many supportive and helpful replies regarding West Nile, EPM and mechanical injuries.  Several of you reported your horse had injured himself, suffered a neurologic deficit and recovered.  That was extremely helpful information and helped me resist my vet's continued push to euthanize him.  It also made me insist on X-Rays.  Lori, you replied with information about West Nile, and I really appreciated all the information you gave me.  I want to thank all of you who replied to me and gave me encouragement.  I really needed it, and it helped me save my horse's life.

 

I hope your friend's horse recovers.  I know some spinal injuries can heal.  Make sure to recommend supplementing with Natural Vitamin E, at least 5,000 IU per day. http://kppusa.com/wp1431/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Influence-of-Source-and-Quantity-of-Supplemental-Vitamin-E-on-Equine-Serum-and-Cerebrospinal-Fluid-a-Tocopherol-and-Its-Implication-for-Neurologic-Diseases-Kane-et-al-AAEP-2010.pdf   This seems to be important supportive therapy.

 

Good luck!

 

Karen Lynd 

 

 

From: Lori Bertolucci <loriber...@sbcglobal.net>
To: ridecamp <ride...@endurance.net>
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 7:50 AM
Subject: [RC] Need info about horse with ataxia

[Lori Bertolucci]

Thank you!

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From: endurancehorsemt <enduranc...@gmail.com>
To: ride...@endurance.net
Sent: Fri, July 27, 2012 7:16:30 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Need info about horse with ataxia

[Lori Bertolucci]

I want to thank everyone that replied to this request. You have been very helpful. I will be forwarding everything to her and hopefully, even if it doesn't help the horse, she will know there are people out there that were trying to help her find a way.

In talking with her some more, two vets. confirmed the diagnosis. The second vet. opinion came without having any knowledge of the first vet's diagnosis. So it is pretty certain that is the issue presented here.

Thank you, everyone for your help!

Lori

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From: Ruth Anne Heilgeist <ruthanne...@yahoo.com>
To: "loriber...@sbcglobal.net" <loriber...@sbcglobal.net>; ridecamp <ride...@endurance.net>
Sent: Fri, July 27, 2012 6:20:36 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Need info about horse with ataxia

[Ruth Anne Heilgeist]

Second horse in as many weeks?  Are the vets sure it isn't EPM which can be contracted from opossum feces...either in the hay or water supply?  Wobblers is typically hereditary.

 

See link:  http://horses.about.com/od/diseasesandillness/p/epmhoirse.htm

 

Although this isn't an academic site, Wikipedia has this to say about Wobblers:

 

Wobbler disease is also found in horses, where it is often called Wobbler's Syndrome, refers to several conditions beyond those listed above, including equine wobbles anemia. It is also used as a catchall phrase within the horse community to designate a neurological problem that has no more specific diagnosis. Some forms, such as cervical vertebral malformation (CVM), are not thought to be hereditary, but rather a congenital condition or a growth disorder. Other forms, such as Equine wobbles anemia, are concentrated in certain breeds and may be hereditary to some extent. Horses with wobbler disease often exhibit ataxia (implying dysfunction of parts of the nervous system), show weakness in the hindquarters, or may knuckle over in their fetlocks, particularly in the rear. With advanced stages of the disease they are prone to falling. While some cases are successfully treated with nutritional and medical management, surgery is also used. One method is the use of Titanium baskets, placed to fuse the vertebrae, thereby preventing compression of the spinal cord. Some horses are able to return to work, with a few able to reach competitive levels. There is currently no complete "cure" for the condition.

 

Because wobbler's is the best known of the neurological conditions that affect horses, other, unrelated conditions, such as Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis and cerebellar abiotrophy are sometimes misdiagnosed as wobbler's, even though the causes and symptoms differ.

 Best wishes to your friend and her horse.

 

Ruth Heilgeist

 

Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply,

to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.

-Storm Jameson

From: Lori Bertolucci <loriber...@sbcglobal.net>
To: Ruth Anne Heilgeist <ruthanne...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2012 8:34 AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Need info about horse with ataxia

Ruth, thank you. 

I have forwarded your email on to my friend. Needless to say, she is devastated about this. It is the second horse in as many weeks to be confirmed with serious issues, and not fault of hers that they are happening. And both horses are outstanding horses...

Thank you, again!

Lori

From: Ruth Anne Heilgeist <ruthanne...@yahoo.com>
To: "loriber...@sbcglobal.net" <loriber...@sbcglobal.net>; ridecamp <ride...@endurance.net>

[Lori Bertolucci]

Ruth, I am sorry, I meant the second horse to have issues that keeps them from being ridden, not with wobblers.  My mistake...I wasn't clear...sorry!!

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From: Ruth Anne Heilgeist <ruthanne...@yahoo.com>

To: Lori Bertolucci <loriber...@sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "ride...@endurance.net" <ride...@endurance.net>
Sent: Sat, July 28, 2012 11:35:18 AM

[Maryben Stover]

My old Rushcreek Olson had those symptoms many years ago.  We had him up at Davis for 5 days.  At that time, not much was known about EPM but in hindsight many years later, my vets thought that is probably what happened to him.


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Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:35:04 -0700
From: ruthanne...@yahoo.com

Subject: Re: [RC] Need info about horse with ataxia

To: loriber...@sbcglobal.net
CC: ride...@endurance.net