Jingles and advice requested for my gelding

[OverandOnward]

@widge

Thank you. I don’t feel like I have a lot of options regarding changing turnout. He is not a good candidate to live in a stall or with limited turnout, even with trazadone onboard. It was hard during his last two recoveries and he was very unhappy.

Reserpine. (“reh - SIR - peen” is the correct pronunciation. But you will hear everything, even from vets.)

The ‘chill’ drug. Doesn’t make them drowsy, just calm. Long-lasting. Re temperament, can ride normally on this drug.

It’s cheap and easy to administer. Dosage may be once a week, or once a month after it’s started.

Reserpine is a calmer par excellance. In my experience, most vets will prescribe it if asked.

There are some cautions that a handful of horses react badly, but not life-threatening. Most respond well.

Illegal in USEF showing. Takes around 28 days to clear the system. Just to be aware if you plan to show.

[widge]

Thank you for the ideas. I wrote down his feed and am trying to figure out how to read the nutrition labels and what he should get for his size. I think I will have the time to puzzle that over tomorrow, if I don’t get the chance to talk to my trainer about it today.
The feet could be a factor. I changed farriers when I changed barns in October and the new one is definitely making some changes. The foot is less constricted now than it had been. Maybe once that all grows out he will carry himself differently.
Thank you for mentioning EPM. A barnmate suggested this in February and I forgot until your note. I can ask my vet to test for this.

[widge]

I’m glad your gelding managed okay between flare ups, that is an interesting story. Where I am (western PA) it is usually pretty wet and the June/February timing makes me wonder if the climate played a role. It was the same bacteria that was found on cultures both times but I don’t know where that bacteria lives. I can look into this.
I’m trying to remember if we initially suspected a wasp sting when he was lame last June or if that was another lameness event

[widge]

I’m sorry about your stallion, that is so so sad.

[widge]

Thank you, I will keep this in my back pocket.

[Simkie]

FeedXL is an easy way to get a good look at stuff like this, or at least a start.

Unfortunately the numbers sometimes don’t tell the whole story, because some things can interfere with absorption. And there’s also just so much we don’t know about nutrition. So while the diet might look FINE on paper, the horses themselves can tell a different story.

Some things that have indicated mine need more are: frequent infections like cellulitis, scratches & hoof abscess. Coats that fade in the sun in a really unreasonably fast/extreme way. I even have a gelding that was losing pigment in the skin around his eye. Those are all things that have resolved getting their copper & zinc right.

[fjordmom]

Not saying your horse has Pigieon Fever, but this article from UC Davis has some good info on it and the bacteria that causes it. Pigeon Fever is (or was in the past) more common in the western states than in our midwest area or further east where you are. Since it wasn’t common in our area, my day to day vet kind of brushed the idea off when I brought it up as a possiblity.

Once he was at the university clinic and I mentioned that he had been born in California (although be then he was 12 or 12 years old and left there as a young racehorse) on of the clinicians immediately asked if we had considered Pigeon fever. They did culture the bacteria and treated with appropriate antibiotic, but none of us were totally convinced that was the real culprit. Foreing body or wasp stig was still at the top of everybody’s list.

Jingles for your guy. Hope you can get to the bottom of it.

[widge]

Thanks everyone for the replies and ideas. I am still working through the diet evaluation (work blew up yesterday) and will be asking my regular vet about EMP at least.
Fortunately, this instance turned out to be nothing (or it was something that we drew out quickly enough with the animalintex?). I am sort of glad I hit the panic button and posted on here though because now I have time and am feeling less frantic as I investigate these other ideas. My trainer and I agreed that our default for any unexplained lameness/leg swelling will be basically what we did this time - animalintex for 2 days, monitor temp/swelling/lameness, and text the vet early for remote guidance. Of course will escalate as needed. On Saturday I was ready to say “he’s not getting on a trailer no matter what” but I don’t know how I will react next time. I want to do what’s right for him overall and I think that will become clearer as I learn more.
Thanks again