Stroke in Equines - Inc Mules??

[harleydales]

My little mule Monty is in his mid 30s, and has always been a lively and happy boy, and a total pest most of the time. He winters well, doesn't lose or gain weight, and mid 30s isn't that old for a mule.

After Christmas I noticed he was VERY thin, to the point that his hips were showing. It had been awful weather, very wet and windy and he'd been rugged, but it was a marked difference when I took his rug off. At this time he still seemed pretty compos mentis, trotting over for his tea, but sometimes I had to go and look for him.

I upped his feed, and they've got hay in front of them all the time (he's in with Lady and Harley) and he has gradually gained a bit of weight, though his neck is still very scrawny and his rump isn't as round as it could be.

Over the last 5 or 6 weeks I've noticed he's gone very 'vacant' - once I was chatting to him, rubbing his head, so he knew I was there, then I went behind him and patted his rump as I passed and he jumped out of his skin! In the evening all 3 horses come down the field to watch the sheep being fed, waiting for me to go up with their feed - when I get back in the jeep they go mad, rear and buck, and gallop back up the field to their buckets. Except Monty - he keeps staring at the sheep! I have to yell REALLY loud or hoot the horn several times before he seems to twig that I'm there, then he comes after me, sometimes canters but mainly walks or trots.

Tonight he cantered up withLlady, but although he was only 10 feet from me, seemed unaware that I'd put food in his tub.

He's not blind or deaf, I'm sure of that. He seems happy enough in himself, but doesn't seem to have any short term memory. He eats and drinks fine, and from what I can see his pees and poos are fine. His coat is normal, his movement is normal. He's quiet too.

I was in at the vets tonight collecting stuff for lambing, and asked them what they thought, and they said stroke or tumour. I've looked up stroke in equines on the net and can't find much.

Has anyone any thoughts or experiences of stroke/brain problems in horses, donkeys or mules? I'm a bit stumped!

[Fi]

My only experience of 'brain' things is Cushings with Sam. He gets 'blank' when his hormone levels are high. Also lethargy, and weight/muscle loss are symptoms. But so is peeing lots too. I guess your vet could do a blood test that'd see how his functions are. It's not too expensive to test for ACTH levels.

[harleydales]

Hadn't thought about Cushings - but he doesn't look Cushings-y, he hasn't got the long coat or the eye thing. Could be though, might be worth testing for. He's not peeing any more than usual.

[cadeby]

I was thinking Cushings too. Lass has recently been diagnosed with this and she has "vacant" moments and is prone to staring wistfully into space, then she seems to click and careers about like a youngster She has lost her hindquarter musculature and has a scrawny neck, but doesn't have the coat changes associated with Cushings.
It might be worth having Monty tested at your next vet visit?

My friend's Suffolk Punch had a brain tumour and this manifested itself as violent aggression - rearing, striking, kicking, biting. He would not allow anyone within his personal space and this came on quickly (about a month I think). I have no idea if this behaviour is typical for equines with brain tumours but thankfully Monty isn't acting like that

[leannwithconnie]

Poor boy
Do hope you can find out what is wrong...I was thinking maybe his eye sight is going and that is why he just stares and then jumped when you went to the rear end of him. [but that wouldn't explain the weight loss though.

[jap]

horses cant have a stroke, we thought poor fin was having one so called the emergency vet out who explained this to us.She was having seizures. This wasnt like you are describing though, cant help with that.Hope it all gets better.

[valerie n scout]

oh what a shame Jane X hope you get to the bottom of things X

[heathera]

Bonnie was a bit like this towards the end as well, almost as if he'd gone into his own little world. He was cushinoid but I think it was more an old age, sort of like dementia thing, reminded me of my addled granny who just drifted away from us in the last few years of her life.

I hope the vets can help and you manage to find out what's going on with him.

[harveydales]

Winnie also had moments like that towards the end and I put it down to his age, like Heather says a bit like a human with dimentia.

I hope you get to the bottom of the problem.

[harleydales]

Dementia was the first thing that came to my mind to be honest, I was pretty sure I'd heard that horses couldn't have a stroke, but can't remember (or see) why not from a biological point of view, as why shouldn't they lose blood to the brain like anything else can?

He can definitely see, he spotted a small dog from the other side of the field and homed in on it to bite it - he's always had a thing about small animals!!

I think I'll get him checked for Cushings when they get their vaccines and see what that shows, but yes, maybe it is just age.

Edited to add - he seems perfectly happy in himself, whatever world he's living in!

Thanks for your collective help xx

[Debbie]

I encountered a very similar problem with Galahad about 2 years ago. He was mentally withdrawing into himself. I could stand right alongside him, and shout his name at the top of my lungs and have minimal response, but he would come out of it when he heard the slight sound of the chain clinking on the metal gate.

It reached a point where I warned Eldon not to go in the field with him, because I did feel Galahad was becoming dangerous. I know he would never intentionally harm any human, but with him being so unaware of his surroundings, it was becoming dangerous. Even worse to me was that I was beginning to scare him. I had to stand still for up to ten minutes at a time, quietly waiting for him to piece together who I was, where he was, and so on.

I found this product www.qlinkproducts.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=101

Actually his is in the shape of a pendant. I can't find the actual pendant he has, but its a leather pendant with the qlink inside.

Galahad had an instant positive reaction to it, doing tons of yawning, stretching and trying to be near it. He has worn it incessantly since we found it for him. I have it either attached to his fly mask, or in the winter, it attaches to his blanket.

Without a doubt it gave me back my Galahad! It was like the fuzzy mental fog instantly lifted.

I think for our case, we are surrounded by a cell phone tower on one side and a prison on the other and I've no doubts the electricity in our region is different. I think they were having a massive impact on Galahad. At least in our case, it was a very fast, and easy cure.

Knock on wood, he shows no signs of Cushings, and the vet and his assistant couldn't get over the glowing health that Galahad was in for his last set of jabs and yearly exam.

...just editing to add this link. This is the exact type of pendant Galahad wears

www.intheholegolf.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ITHG&Product_Code=QLINK-EQP&utm_source=Nextag&utm_medium=CSE&zmam=66642684&zmas=1&zmac=3&zmap=QLINK-EQP

[heathera]

Just wondering how Monty is doing now?