And so it continues

Cortrasna

Cortrasna

Grumpy old nag
Aug 5, 2009
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Well another update. Yesterday was a very good day - Dolly really bright her almost normal self - very interested when vet came and gave him a little stroppy opinion when he took yet more bloods, we were delighted to see as every other time she stands with low head and barely seems to notice him or the the taking of large amounts of blood. He remarked she was like a different horse, we hoped it was the Xcell she had been on, but only for 2 days but he did say he has seen a very quick marked improvement before.

Myself and Mr C took the new lot of bloods to the irish Equine Centre in Kildare to get quicker results. - he hoped to have the results same day but unfortunately some weren't good so he has been consulting and researching elsewhere , just now he phoned. Definitely not cushings - so that is now totally ruled out. her white blood cells arent brilliant either - but there is a small improvement on both reds and whites, but not enough to cheer about apparently. They are still critically low. And somewhere she is fighting an infection - but of course we dont know where, which in turn makes it problematic to know which antibiotic is best to hit her with ASAP. and somewhere she is losing blood, could be anything ulcers, tumour, huge worm burden who knows.

He mentioned a couple of very rare conditions/diseases that could bring most of her symptoms under the same umbrella (and worryingly one is connected with donkeys not lung worm BTW - her companions are donkeys) - and for that reason he would want her to go in to UCD as they have more experience with the rare and unusual......but we have compromised. I might be wrong but to me she does not need a 2 hour journey and then a strange environment at this moment in time as she is seriously depressed yet again, but I appreciate he feels this might become our last alternative and if that is the case then I will go with that as last week he didnt want to even risk travelling her so I am guessing he is more concerned overall now.

so he is talking to a colleague in the morning to try and best decide which antibiotic to try her on - keep her on the Xcell and perhaps try ulcer guard too., we will go down to his tomorrow and pick up whatever he decides. As he said we really are just struggling int he dark now - but he warns she is probably a very sick horse. Gutted - yet again :(
 
Oh, I'm so sorry to read this, I can't think of anything useful to say, but I do hope your excellent vet manages to come up with a solution and Dolly has something treatable. Keeping everything crossed for you x
 
Oh noooo.... I felt so optimistic when I started reading....then dropped like a stone again. I am SO sorry that it's so difficult to find out what's wrong, C.

Huge hugs...and big kisses to Dolly xxx
 
Sorry to read this.
I know the cobs bloods were all over the place when she was poorly with a virus that made her anemic.
Have they suggested you worm and they retest bloods. Taken poo samples. Is she losing protein anywhere? That's what happened to us.
 
Yes I had wormed her recently and the vet injected for worms that I would not have covered since last November before she was retested but I am taking a dung sample down to him tomorrow just for a belt and braces back up to rule that out. I think he said her protein levels were ok - sorry I was taking in so much information on board and from a laymans point of view I was getting slightly lost I have to confess. He mentioned EIA as a rare but possible explanation - her bloods are being tested for that tomorrow at the Equine centre I think., but I dont think there have been any cases in Ireland for some years now, although we often joke about all the very foreign looking midges and flys we get these past few summers so again - who knows?
 
Oh no sorry that you are still none the wiser. It does sound all very baffling. I will of course send tons of healing vibes for Dolly and stay strong vibes to you.
 
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Belt and braces to rule out worms for sure.
As with flies the weather is all over the place. It's been so wet and the weather we had wasn't is it got blown from Russia didn't it?
Worth ruling that out as well even if rare.

Poor Dolly and you.
 
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Aw shucks, I was so hoping to read you had made progress in the right direction, sending lots more strength and healing vibes for you and Dolly xx
 
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Oh no Cortrasna, I am so sorry to hear this news. I've nothing useful to add, just hope that the vets can figure it out and it's treatable. Sending huge hugs to you and healing vibes to Dolly x
 
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So sorry to read this I really hoping for good news. Again no words of wisdom but thinking of you and sending healing vibes to Dolly whatever it is.
 
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Well not any major new to be honest. Still seriously anaemic - absolutely every single test bar the red and white cell blood comes back negative. At the moment just finishing a course of very high dose of antibiotics combined with gastrogard to protect her tum from any adverse affects from the high doses she us having. She did seem a little happier and more her normal self but of course sweet itch has now kicked in with the warmer weather so that clouds the issue of assessing how her temperament is, frankly she is a bad tempered grumpy mare - but then that is almost certainly the sweet itch driving her nuts. No more personal attacks on any of us walking through the fields or handling her - so that has to be a positive, but at the cost of her lethargy and general disinterest so really dont know what is good and what is bad just now.

More blood tests this coming week - if no improvement on the anaemia she is going into UCD for a short holiday for them to try and pinpoint exactly where the issue is. My vet did warn me this could be a long haul...I guess he is right. :(
 
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