Seeking advice on rapid muscle/weight loss in mare

[appaloosalover1]

I am looking if anyone has any advice and insight. Note, I am currently waiting for my vet to come out in a few days but am anxiously trying to look for support or advice on what to look for.

My mare, who I believe to be in her early twenties, has shown very recent signs of rapid muscle loss and some weight loss. She has always been a very easy keeper, I ride 2-4 times per week, lunge her often, and my vet normally categorizes her as slightly overweight. She gets fed a round bale diet and Brooks All Phase, MSM supplement, and an Omega oil for joints.

I recently left for two weeks. When I returned, I could not believe how much muscle she had lost in her hip bone and shoulder area and she is very stiff and sore in the hind end. She is standing camped out and has been a lot slower to move when I tried to lightly lunge her.

As well, she also has a rash on both hind legs, that I had diagnosed myself as rain rot. I have been putting a rain rot medicated spray on it for quite a few weeks, and while it slightly improved, I cannot get fully rid of it. I am wondering if anyone has experience or advice, could this potentially be allergies? Could the allergies be affecting weight/muscle loss? Is there anything I can do in the meantime while I wait for the results/vet answers?

[Alterwho]

My first thought is PPID (cushings)

[NaturallyHappy]

EPM can cause prettty rapid muscle loss…

[RhythmNCruise]

Cushings is my first thought as well.

[JB]

PPID, EPM, Lyme, are all things I’d test for asap. I’d start with PPID. This is the last 2 maybe 3 weeks you can do the TRH Stim test but that’s what I’d try to get done if at all possible

[Pico_Banana]

Agree that PPID sounds like it may be the culprit. For the rain rot, especially if she has PPID, which typically means their immune response is weakened, start giving her a daily bath (I know - I’ve been there) with a medicated shampoo with chlorhexadine for a week. Switch to 2-3 times a week after that until it’s gone. If it’s really not going away, go back to a daily bath for a week or two, and this time switch back and forth between a chlorhexadine shampoo and one with benzoyl peroxide.

With my then 28 year old mare with PPID, I did the daily bath switching shampoos for about two weeks and then tapered down. It was exhausting but after trying to get rid of it literally for months with topicals, it was worth it to finally see it completely go away.

[GoodTimes]

PPID would be my first guess. I would probably also ask for blood work to check vitamin E and selenium levels.