It never stops. Now, EMS

[starsandsun]

Reaching the end of my rope here.

Past three years have included OCD lesion surgery, 3 years of ulcers coming and going, continued/remarkable difficulties losing weight, a few dramatic hospital stays with nonspecified colitis, muscle pain (including chronic edema), and now EMS.

The other stuff seems to be sorting out (maybe). Trying Assure Guard Gold for ulcers, and we’ll see if that works over the next 3 months.

He finally feels good in his body and we can actually start doing something.

But now, diagnosed with EMS. While not a surprise, it feels like the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

I am having the hay tested (and fwiw he’s been eating first cutting super stalky hay for the past 6 month), he’s been turned out for only a few hours in a weed field with a muzzle for 7 months now, and has lost maybe 125 pounds. Vets want another 75-100 and his leptin levels down from 7 to below 4.

Can anyone share some success stories? I’m really depressed.

[walkinthewalk]

It depends on what you mean by “success”:).

If that means back to 100% performance, it likely won’t happen.

If that means getting him pasture sound, living a good quality life and doing some light hacking, the chances are 50-50.

The three most important tools you need (and are probably already frayed) are:

Deep pockets
Plenty of patience
Ability to continually micromanage him.

One of my horses (the sweetest most loving to ever have graced my barn) has a 2X fractured sacrum, severely foundered in 2012 during which time that loser farrier took too much heel and tore his tendons,(There were ultrasounds) costing him 11 months rehab for for that. He sees a therapeutic farrier for palliative care. He is IR remission but was diagnosed with Cushings in 2019 and Low Ringbone In 2020.

If this horse had a duck it would drown but he keeps going and he WANTS to keep going so I take things one heartbeat at a time and we both push through. Not easy for me as I am well into retirement and old aches and pains do not get better with age.

You didn’t ask for maintenance advice so I won’t give any but it is up to you how you define “success” and what that means for your horse.

My horse is 26 and was a great “point him” trail horse on pretty rough trails and river crossings. He will stay on this farm until his end time and be laid to rest here. In the meantime my idea of success is to hear him nicker every morning and see his ears forward, ready to blow in my ear better than anyone and start a new day:). It doesn’t hurt he is the favorite of all his professional caregivers; he knows how to win them over

I hope this helps:)

[Obsidian_Fire]

I can’t share any success stories, but I can offer you a “hug”. So sorry you’re going thru this. Seems like it never ends.

[ndirish07]

My foxhunter has PSSM. He’s a first fielder and does back up duty to my eventer in the event he throws a shoe before a show. We’re blessed with super lush fields so he lives in a muzzle almost year round. Low starch feed (<12% NSC), a vitamin E supplement (emcelle or nano E), and steady, consistent work year round. Since his diagnosis 18 months ago he’s not had a reoccurrence/tying up episode.

[Fiesta01]

You just warmed my heart. Thanks for being such a wonderful owner to your very lucky old guy.

[Peggy]

EMS as in equine metabolic syndrome?

It could have been causing some of your other problems given that my understanding is that it enhances inflammation and causes things to heal more slowly. OK, maybe not the ulcers unless indirectly by increasing the level of pain via inflammation.

My horse has, or at least we assume he does. It was something of a presumptive diagnosis. We replaced some of his timothy (already in a slow feeder) with Bermuda hay pellets. Concentrates are all low NSC. No carrots, apples, grass… We live in Southern California so no grass; not even weeds. He dropped weight and lost the fat pockets pretty readily on this diet.

[starsandsun]

Really interesting perspective. I wonder if the couple of bouts of colitis have been caused by increased inflammation.

My sweet husband just went out to get him sugar free peppermints.

My vet suggested metaboral so I’ll try that. Blood tests for leptin in another month, and an insulin test in 2 months so I’ll report back on how we’re all surviving and hopefully making progress.

On the better news side, I rode today and he felt super in his body.

[LSMarnell]

You really need to join the ECIR group and spend some time reading there. They have the most up-to-date information on EMS & PPID. Unfortunately, a lot of what the vets are telling us is not actually right. PLEASE, specifically read the feeding instructions closely.

main groups.io Group

[Snowdenfarm]

A second vote for the ECIR group. There is so much information that it will seem overwhelming at first. But just read, read and re-ead. It will actually become very simple. It is just the type two diabetes of the horse world — too much sugar/starch in the diet and too little exercise. Lose weight. Low sugar diet. Lots of exercise. The difference between this and the other issues you’ve been dealing with is that the answer is to ride more. How often do horses have an issue that means we have to ride more instead of less? When he is really fit, the weight stays off and insulin levels stay down effortlessly.