29 August 2008 10:28
My six-year-old Thoroughbred mare is in poor condition and has constant swelling in her hindlegs and belly. I believe she was neglected and, after I bought her, she was seen by a back man who worked on her lumbar vertebrae. I now know she has windgalls on her hind fetlocks, which may be the cause of the swelling. However, I’m baffled about what can be wrong with her – she’s bright enough, eating well but not gaining weight and continues to get this swelling on her belly. What can I do?
Answer
By Your Horse
Malene Jørgensen replies:
The chronically poor condition linked with ventral (abdomen) and distal (leg) oedema can be signs of a protein-losing condition. Proteins are the building blocks for many tissues and substances in the body, but can be lost through the kidneys (protein-losing nephropathy), the gut (protein-losing enteropathy) or the skin (cutaneous plasma loss).
Symptoms include weight loss and poor condition despite a good appetite, poor performance and general debilitation, diarrhoea and increased urine production, anaemia and, in severe cases, death or loss of use. The list of possible causes is long but can cover:
● Bacterial infection including Salmonellosis.
● Severe worm infestation.
● Cancer.
● Vasculitis.
● Multiple gastro-intestinal syndromes including malabsorption and inflammatory disease.
● A kidney condition causing proteins to leak into the urine.
● Blood loss due to, for example, parasite infestation.Diagnostic procedures include extensive blood analysis to assess liver and kidney function, urine analysis, faecal samples, or biopsies from the gut and kidneys. Treatment depends on the cause and might include fluid therapy, switching to an easily-digestible feed with the right amount of energy and protein, plasma transfusion and supportive medication. Your vet will monitor the horse’s progress with repeated blood and urine samples.