I’m so sorry.
Count me as another who has never heard of CVID before.
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I’m another one who had never heard of CVID. So sorry for you and your boy. But, good on you for keeping after this until you got an answer. No one on earth could have been a better advocate for your horse, and no one could have done more for him than you did. He’s very lucky that he belongs to you.
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It’s remarkable that my exhaustive hours of research to find out what could be wrong with him never uncovered CVID. No mention of it anywhere no matter how far I went down a rabbit hole.
But now that I have a name for it it’s easily found – even MadBarn has a brief discussion about it.
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So the way forward from here is:
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Help him gain enough weight back by October/November to make it through our cold NY winter months. Right now he’s a 2.5 and seems to be holding there. Apparently CVID causes weight loss due to the tremendous toll that ‘fighting infections’ takes on the body as well as parasites. CVID horses can’t manage worms like normal horses can.
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Worm him more often + fecals on regular basis to monitor him.
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Treat infections as swiftly as possible.
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Maybe vaccinate him with innactive vaccines against certain diseases like west nile etc. I’m on the fence about this.
Things in my favor: I have a closed herd and none of my horses ever leave my farm = no communicable diseases will be brought in from elsewhere. He leads a very stress free life and stress can exaserbate CVID. West nile, Potomac etc. are currently not in my area.
Things NOT in my favor: My guy is not at all easy when it comes to giving him any sort of oral medication by mouth syringe like dissoved SMZ’s etc. After a few days he can’t tolerate it = major stress. He also gets wize to anything different in his feed and will go on a hunger strike.
Bottom line: Internal med vet believes that CVID horses do have some antibodies and being that my guy is still eating, is still somewhat spunky in spite of his muscle/weight loss and presents as a happy horse, we have a chance. Supportive care until the care isn’t supportive anymore 
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Major jingles and prayers for him:heartpulse:
. Sending you a pm.
Maybe see if any of these things can be given IM rather than orally? One of my horses is VERY opposed to anything syringed orally, but doesn’t mind an IM shot at all.
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Thank you for taking the time to share the updates and the steps you will take. It very well may help someone in the future, so as hard as I’m sure it is for you to put this out in the world, you are likely helping other horses too. We will all be pulling for you and your horse!
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If he’s not IR, could you mix something tasty in w the medication in the syringe?? You probably already thought of that…
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I use a gadget that people use to infuse meat…or whatever it’s called…without the needle, of course. They seem to tolerate that better than a dose syringe.
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I am so very sorry, Danacat
If you want to move forward, maybe his antibiotics can be compounded into something he won’t object to?
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I don’t thinks it’s particularly the taste (molasses mixed in is his favorite) it’s more so the delivery = a bulky syringe being stuck in his mouth over and over. I can’t blame him.
Why can’t someone invent a horse dosing syringe that’s long and skinny like a wormer syringe?
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I’ll give that a think! But historically he won’t eat compunded powdered bute mixed in his feed in either the peppermint flavor or molasses.
Have you ever tried a dosing syringe?
Here’s one, but they come in different sizes.
I think I have this one (100 cc is a nice size)
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/duratek-reusuable-nylon-drenching-feeding-syringe-32-514
Bute is pretty awful tasting, so he might think a compounded abx + flavoring is okay. I like adding peppermint coffee syrup when I’ve had to dose for long periods. There are a lot of flavors available if he’s not a peppermint fan, too.
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I like the look of those! But does all the medication make its way into the horses’s mouth or does some of it remain stuck in the long metal tube part?
I guess if you leave extra air space in this type of syringe it will push everything through?
Hmmm peppermint coffee syrup etc. I’ll get some! He does like peppermint treats. Probably the bute itself is yuck to him.
Removed link that didn’t work.
I also use item number 40017 from Valley Vet in the 20 ml size. I unscrew the silver tip and just use the syringe. The barrel is much smaller than most. My horse does not mind this one. I tried to attach a link to no avail.
I’ll find it.
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