# Stroke in horses.......



## Chestnutmare (16 October 2011)

Can anyone describe the symptoms of a stroke in a horse for instance, is it the same as us humans?

How would it effect the animal in walking, would it possibly make them drunk looking? 
not lifting head up very high?

I ask this, as I am trying to help my neighbour with her mare since she had colic a few weeks ago, she has not been the same at all, not the horse we know anyway, she has a nasty cut on her hip that appeared from wearing her normal rugs it also bleeds all the time (she's rugged up at night) on vets recommendations after her colic and she is currently living out.

She walks like she is drunk all the time, stamps her legs alot (vet said could be pins and needles)...hmmm??? she's currently out of work for obvious reasons.
It is really frustrating not being able to help her... we hate seeing her like she is but were all baffled with her...
she is usually highly spirited, bargy and typical mare.

Eats like there's no tomorrow, she has not got great grazing where she is a present, but is due to move yard at end of month but she is hayed, haylaged and hard feed, morning and night she has lost an awful lot of muscle over her whole body she seems to be loosing the weight ,yet she eats loads too, oh also forgot to mention she is also fed a bucket of readigrass.

She has started drinking an awful lot way more than her usual amounts.
She doesn't graze instead she will stand all day and night at the fence next to the young pony in the field.

Vet came out last week took bloods, for PCV? (checks the cells, liver, kidneys etc) and Cushings (hope to get results for this one tomorrow) the pcv test came back negative.

So if anyone has their thinking cap on, any input would be appreciated.
Thanks and hope this all makes some kind of sense????


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## china (16 October 2011)

liver (i think)problems can cause neuro signs. the bloods may come back with something.


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## Chestnutmare (16 October 2011)

the liver test came back negative had them results back on weds... 

It's just so frustrating to see her like it without knowing what's going on... bless her heart.


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## Marydoll (16 October 2011)

This sounds like my old mare who had a stroke and then made a good recovery.

Her s&s
Staring expression
Staggering gait
Low head and lethargy, at times just standing in the field.
Stamping her feet
Inability to eat long stalk forage which along with not grazing and picking hard feed left her with a huge drop in condition, i couldnt take her rug off and look at her without crying.
At one point the vet gave 2 her weeks for a change or he would have put her to sleep on welfare grounds 

Vet diagnosed stroke
Her calcium phosphorus level was only thing off in her bloods.
We started her on steroids and daily asprin which picked up her appetite and almost seemed to kick start it again
She was so weak then she had to be on her own for turnout which needed to be flat with no ditches streams or collections of water and couldnt be left 
unattended when out.
Thankfully she started eating again, i fed her 3x  max amount feeds a day of 
sugarbeet 
alfa a oil
Baileys no 4
Outshine
Brewers yeast.
Overnight she had watery beet over big buckets of halleys just grass

She has made a great recovery, still struggles a bit with haylage but manages soaked hay overnight, she will skip and buck in the field now, but still has a crab like walking gait,  great to see, but im really aware of her every move 
now
Pm me if you want my moby number to chat


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## Chestnutmare (16 October 2011)

OMG that sounds just like Moo at the moment!!
I've just told my neighbour to check this thread out so she can see your reply.

Could I ask how old your mare is/was at the time?
Moo is 24 now but is usually so full of beans which is why this is so hard to understand.


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## Marydoll (16 October 2011)

My mare is 26 now and was 25 when she had the stroke


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## joelb (16 October 2011)

I lost my first horse after a series of small strokes. Some of the symptoms certainly sound the same, hung head, pottery gait, vacant staring almost trance like at times.  Sometimes she hardly seemed to recognise me then half an hour later she pinged back to normal.  She would also have episodes of irrational fear (normally completely bomb proof) and would gallop up and down the fence line until the sweat dripped off her.  Toughest decision of my life having her PTS as my vet was happy for her to carry on but I couldnt bear the thought of her having a major one and suffering whilst I was at work or overnight.  I still feel guilt now that I called it a day after only 5 months but at 38 I knew she had less years ahead than behind her and I so wanted her to have a peaceful and dignified end.


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## ladyt25 (16 October 2011)

Does sound like could be stroke. We think our donkey had stroked although he actually would be down in the field and we'd have to help him get up. He'd seem very odd afterwards, confused, didn't seem to know where he was, not interested in food etc. He would then perk up and be fine for a couple of weeks but eventually he just must have had a bad episode and just wasn't him anymore, he was totally disinterested in food and ddn't seem very aware of anything. He'd also grazed his head where he'd taken his most recent fall. We made the decision then to get the vet as it was pretty obvious he had really given up the fight.


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## Marydoll (16 October 2011)

joelb said:



			I lost my first horse after a series of small strokes. Some of the symptoms certainly sound the same, hung head, pottery gait, vacant staring almost trance like at times.  Sometimes she hardly seemed to recognise me then half an hour later she pinged back to normal.  She would also have episodes of irrational fear (normally completely bomb proof) and would gallop up and down the fence line until the sweat dripped off her.  Toughest decision of my life having her PTS as my vet was happy for her to carry on but I couldnt bear the thought of her having a major one and suffering whilst I was at work or overnight.  I still feel guilt now that I called it a day after only 5 months but at 38 I knew she had less years ahead than behind her and I so wanted her to have a peaceful and dignified end.
		
Click to expand...

I know that awful feeling, i have spoke to my vet about having her pts, but  i see such a difference in her again for the better that ive put it on hold just now. Ive only seen her have s&s of 1 stroke
She snorts and trots out to the field at the end of the rope towing me some days, then bucks and runs off cantering to the bottom of the field when turned out.
I still think shes got a good quality of life just now, maintained on her asprin to prevent clotting and danilon for her arthritis. All bloods are within normal limits and i get lft's done every 6 months
I'll see how she copes in winter, shes good at the moment, she can get down and roll in the soft arena, but doesnt in the field.
She is still a wee bossy boots with her field mate as well.
I fully understand why you had your horse pts, and when my girl is at that stage, i hope i can be as strong as you to ensure her dignity as she deserves that. I have spoken to my vet and we have a plan that will swing into action if she deteriorates where he will remind me that its better to pts a week to soon than a minute to late.


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## Chestnutmare (16 October 2011)

So it does sound like it could be then?.... I just thought of it when I popped into see her mare on way back from my yard, I crouched down in her field with a treat she wimbled over still quite unsteady on her legs she came to see what I had, she had the treat whickered a little then walked back over to her little man, I just thought hang on what about a stroke??

She does seem not with it quite a bit too then would snap back again later... all very odd behaviour for her.

Just feel so useless not being able to help her much, hoping bloods come back clean for Cushings tomorrow, although I have spoken to my neighbour, for her to speak to her vet about the possibility of a stroke.

well I guess tomorrow will tell another story on the subject.

I really appreciate your input everyone and am very sorry for your losses too.


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## mil1212 (16 October 2011)

I had an old mare who had a stroke, think she was 28. She must have had it in the morning and spent the most part of the day pacing up and down the field looking lost, unsteady on her feet but also doing some strange crossing and chomping of her jaw. Her outcome was bleak


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## Chestnutmare (16 October 2011)

Thank you I do hope there is something that can be done with her she is a diamond of a mare too I love her to bits but will also be there for my neighbour if and when the time does come!! hoping not for a very longtime.

I only thought of it today really whilst sat in her field watching her come to me...


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## Marydoll (16 October 2011)

She might respond well to treatment, my wee mare did, hopefully so will your friends horse


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## Dizzydancer (17 October 2011)

our yard had an old mare we think had a stroke. She was fine first thing in morning then YO noticed that she was stumbling round like she was drunk then stood in a funny stance legs quite splayed trying to help her balance i think. She didnt flinch on one side when you waved your hands by her eyes. 
Basically she was like this for about 3hours, she wouldnt eat either or drink, we had her pts straight as soon as knacker men could come, however by time they came she had gone back to her usual self but did walk quite wierdly. It wa skindest to have her pts though as not knowing what had happened and she was 30.


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