Thanks, IPEsq, for your thoughts! The “big name” vet is coming this Thursday and can do the ultrasound. I will let folks here know what he says.
Test for PSSM 1. It costs $40 and you can do it with hair analysis through UC Davis yourself . Results pretty quick. We spent thousands $, full body scan, neck injections, shockwave therapy, full ulcer treatment .Long story but had I known about this test, would have done that first Horse is heterozygousfor PSSM 1
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In addition, if your horse has PSSM 1, it does not mean other things are not going on, however, without treating the PSSM you will go in circles trying to diagnose.
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Thanks, Pepsy, for your recommendation. According to my vet, PSSM is managed through diet and exercise. I have already switched to TC Senior Gold and Balancer Gold to achieve lower starch and NSC levels and her overall body condition looks much better. However, she is still not comfortable.
@KarenRO, Balancer gold lists an NSC of 16.3%. Regular Balancer (the old 30%) is I believe 9.8.
Senior and Senior Gold are very close in NSC and both are low, so either is appropriate.
Just a heads up in case it makes a difference in your feed program. I have been feeding the Balancer Gold and I swear I thought it was in the 13% range the last time I checked, but I could certainly be wrong. 16% is a little high for my comfort level.
Consider though that 16% applies to a very small serving size of balancer. Your overall diet NSC is not going to be greatly impacted by this.
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True, but as stb pointed out, you increased the NSC in the Balancer to Balancer Gold change. It’s just under 30gm more per pound, so not huge in the context of 22lb of 10% NSC forage for a total of 998gm. Is it important here? Maybe, probably not
What may be the bigger change here is the removal of soymeal in going to the Gold line. Sr Gold still has soy hulls, but no meal, and Balancer Gold is totally soy-free
PSSM1 is managed by not only reducing sugar and starch, similar to managing an IR horse, but adding fat. So if you’re adding TC Sr for calories, consider replacing some or all of that with some oil or some prilled (solid) fat. Some PSSM horses tolerate rice bran, but the NSC it brings is too much for some.
Ah, you’re right, thanks!
Ugh! I did not realize that the Balancer Gold had 16.3% NSC whereas the regular Balancer has only 9.8%. Yes, Emma only gets 1 lb of Balancer Gold a day but I have a feeling that regular Balancer is less expensive! Thanks to everyone for flagging these issues!
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Hmm. Just tried to order the PSSM test from UC-Davis. I am told that I need to create an account and when I try to do so, I receive a message that no new clients are being accepted at this time. I’ve sent an email inquiring about this.
But again, 30gm extra NSC in the context of what’s easily at least 1000gm is nothing. The fact that she improved some with this change strongly suggests that isn’t a big deal
Hi, I tested my horse December 2020. Early this summer I got an email from UCDavis that lab was closing for a break for workers and would reopen, can’t remember if 1 or 2 weeks
University of Minnesota does testing However due to covid, suspended PSSM 1 testing July 2020 according to their website
I just checked Equiseq the company that checks for PSSM 2, and although they talk about PSSM 1, it doesn’t look like they check for it.
Prior to my horses genetic test, we were feeding a diet that should not have triggered PSSM, that is why I think knowing if horse has gene or not is important I have had to tweak the diet. What works for one horse… Quality fat in the diet seems to be working, and at the very least we have a more comfortable horse.
I just received the following response from UC-Davis to my inquiry: “Until about October 15 our laboratory is temporarily unable to accept new clients due to the extreme increase in demand.” It appears the lab does not have sufficient staffing to accommodate all the requests.
@KarenRO - without typing out a novel, I’ll just say that so much of this story sounds like PSSM1. The outfit I used for testing was Animal Genetics Inc. in Tallahassee FL —www.animalgenetics.com. I mailed my sample from Canada, had my answer in less than two weeks — that answer was a total game changer. PSSM1 is not a picnic to deal with, but it is manageable. Good luck and keep us posted!
How frustrating , but check out fargaloos suggestion, animal genetics . I agree PSSM 1is not a diagnosis that is easy to deal with, I would not knowingly buy a horse with this diagnosis. But this diagnosis made sense of a seemingly nonsensical situation. I actually felt some relief when we got the news our horse has one copy of the gene mutation He is doing better now.
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UPDATE The “big name” lameness vet came out this morning. When Emma was jogged out, she was actually lame on the right hind, which was a new development since last Friday’s vet visit. The vet did an ultrasound and his conclusion was a small core lesion mid body of suspensory ligament (mild suspensory desmitis).
So, the new plan of treatment is: stall rest during the day and turnout at night; an anti-inflammatory powder added to her food for 5 days; cold hosing at least once a day; application of Volteran once a day (just happen to have some!); have the farrier add "suspensory shoes to her hind feet; and, 3 sessions of shockwave therapy over the next 3 months. He also said to tack her up a walk her on a loose rein on flat terrain.
I asked him about PSSM, and like the other vet, he thought I had already made the appropriate dietary changes but needed to add a little more fat (same suggestion a lot of folks on this thread have made!).
Fingers crossed that she recovers completely from the injury!
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There’s a lot more to effectively managing a PSSM1 horse than reducing sugar and adding fat – those are important, but it’s just the beginning.
I know I sound like a broken clock, but after having a PSSM1 horse, there’s no question I’d do the test with the symptoms you describe. You yank a few hairs and spend $40. If it’s negative, you’ve ruled out something significant with little cost (what vet bill is ever less than $40?!). If it’s positive, you will be taking a whole different approach to managing her – including how you’ll bring her back into work after her suspensory injury. Just my 2 cents though – wishing you both good luck!
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Sorry to gang up on you but I agree with Fargaloo. There is a lot involved with managing a PSSM 1 horse, not just diet.(I wish it was just diet.)
Good Luck to you and your horse.
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Pepsy and Fargaloo, thank you for your thoughts! I actually have the application from animalgenetics.com completed and am pulling hair today. 
I’ll keep everyone posted!
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