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Message |
    
Becky Anderson
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 4, 2000 - 10:16 pm: |   |
Dr.O
I'm new to this site and have read with much interest your comments on this subject. I hope you will be able to give me a direction that my vet and I can go to try to find out what my horses problem maybe. I have a 6 yr old quarter/morgan cross. I have had him since he was 2. Last year he foundered and my vet took a blood test to see if he had hypothyroidism which came back that he did. His condition was such that he had gained alot of weight and had a very chresty neck which prompted the test as well as the founder. After he foundered he was put on Thyo-L which he has been on for over a year. This year he again foundered without being on the lush pasture much.
He has not lost weight or the cresty neck which has suprised my vet. She did some blood work and it all seemed to come back normal or within the safe range. Another thyroid test showed that his levels were up also. When I first got him I noticed that he had a lump at his throat latch area on both sides I was told not to worry about it that it was nothing. He also seems to lose his engery fast. Because of the founder I have not been able to ride or work him much. He also grazes with a muzzle on so he can be in the field with the other horses.
My vet is an equine only vet and I have all the respect in the world for her but sometimes a fresh prospective can help. Because he has done this twice and doesn't seem to be able to drop the weight I have done alot of reseach into founder and hypothyroidism and I beginning to think that maybe it may be some other sort of endocrine or metabolic disorder but I don't know what. He's my best friend and I hate to see him this way. Any comments or suggestion you have would be helpful. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jul 5, 2000 - 10:04 am: | |
This is a very common problem in horses with Morgan blood and it just is this simple: He is too fat. You have to reduce his caloric intake to the point he looses some weight.
This may require no pasture, a stemmy but clean hay, and just enough concentrate (a cup at most once daily) to feed him a general vitamin supplement. He needs to have his condition reduced to a 4 or 5 on the Henneke scale (see The Horseman's Advisor: Care for Horses: General Care: Weight, Condition, and Eventual Height Estimation).
DrO |
Linda Julien (Skidog)
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 18, 2000 - 3:16 pm: | |
Dr. O,
I also have a pinto Morgan mare who was put on Thyro-L a few months ago because of abnormal blood draw. She had lumps on both sides of her neck and a cresting of her neck. She is a very portly pony, 14 hands. Her lumps seem to be decreasing somewhat, improved attitude, but very fat. After reading some of this and other posts as well as your article, I feel I should put her on a diet. Should I continue with the Thyro-L. She has not foundered. She had one follow-up thyroid draw which showed normal levels on the Thyro-L. |
Linda Julien (Skidog)
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 18, 2000 - 3:32 pm: | |
Dr. O,
I am sorry for the confusion, but the case above as well as the one I described with my pinto Morgan mare, I guess I am a little confused. Are you saying that the cresting neck, lumps in the neck even in combination with abnormal thyroid blood levels does not indicate hypothyroidism, but merely obesity? |
Administration (Admin)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 19, 2000 - 8:52 am: | |
Linda,
Before you post a new forum discussion be sure to review the already existing articles and forum discussions on your subject. Many of your questions are answered there. This is the appropriate topic for your subject, so just back up to the article using the navigation bar at the top of this page and then select the article by clicking on its title.
After reviewing the article and the already existing discussions your question remains unanswered or you think of something else select New Discussions off the topic page. Then choose a title that is descriptive and will help other members find your questions.
Thank You for helping make The Advisor better,
The Advisor Administration |
Geraldine C. Crane
Member
Username: Geraldin
Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 27, 2004 - 2:00 pm: | |
What should the T3/T4 blood sample readings be to be consider in the safe zone? |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 10038
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Monday, Mar 1, 2004 - 9:37 am: | |
Hello Geraldine,
We intentionally avoid printing numbers because reference values vary from lab to lab. Each lab should establish their normal values. For a treaty on evaluating your results see the article associated with this forum.
DrO
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