He received quite a work up, which is exactly what I wanted. Our vet agreed that he is a bit reactive but she characterized it as "spooky" more than "reactive." A thorough exam revealed soreness in his hind, particularly in his hocks. His sensitivity at the poll is at a pressure point related to his hocks.
His eyesight is fine in both eyes so his being uncomfortable approached from the right is not vision related.
His line breeding is far enough back to not be a concern; although she did mention that Driftwood horses can be "challenging."
He does not exhibit classical symptoms of PSSM but we are running the test just to be sure. We did not test for Lyme; it is not in our area.
It is very likely that he has ulcers.
She thinks Tex's spookiness is primarily pain driven but also has a component of mistreatment in his past; some fear that he can't let go of.
First, we addressed the pain. Tex had injections in both of his hocks and a full acupuncture treatment. He is starting on a regime of ulcer medication. If he responds, we will put him on a maintenance regime of a supplement that protects the stomach.
He is also starting on a magnesium supplement, with a high dose to start and then leveling off after a month. If this supplement doesn't help with the reactivity, she has another medication we can try.
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| Tex ready to load and go home |
Tex handled everything very well. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of walking into her treatment room, but he did it. He didn't react to his blood being drawn, or the injections or the acupuncture. He was sedated for the hock injections.
I was instructed to watch Tex for improvement -- and she recommended that I start riding him whenever I want (after a few days off). She said that Mark was probably concerned about liability when he advised that I not get on Tex, and his recommendation to get a full veterinary work-up before riding at home was sound advice. She also recommended that I continue with the Masterson work since anything that helps relieve tension and soreness is good.
I'm not going to rush things, but I'm feeling very optimistic -- both about getting Tex to a happier place and about the potential of him being a solid riding horse for me.
Glad you did that - ruling out/dealing with physical causes of problems is the beginning. Ulcers are a likely possibility (he wasn't scoped?) for sensitivity/reactivity.
ReplyDeleteHer comment that Mark was likely concerned about liability made me chuckle. The last thing Mark would every think about was his own liability - I expect he was giving you his honest opinion for your benefit. The ulcer treatment may make a big difference, and you're already building a real solid connection with Tex.
Good news from the vet and she sounds very thorough. My horses get the supplement...Vit. E, Selenium and magnesium. I hope magnesium helps Tex, along with the ulcer meds and hock injections. It will be very interesting to follow his progress. You and Brett are so responsible with your horses. Kudos.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like a very good vet!! Glad to hear your getting on top of things. He has such a cute face :)
ReplyDeleteGood news from the vet. Ulcers can lead to all sorts of issues so I hope that the medication helps.
ReplyDeleteI love your vet! Sounds like he's got everything on board that he needs to make him more comfortable and happier in life. I can't wait to see if his "real" personality comes out once he's feeling 100% himself!
ReplyDeleteHe is really a handsome horse, and will be a happy one, soon!
ReplyDeleteOh, that is good news all around!! I think riding him might help with some of the things he's experiencing. Cowboy has issues in his hips, but walking out always brings him relief. He never wants to go back to the trailer and will even pull me away so that I have to keep walking down the trail. I was wondering about Magnesium for Cowboy, too.
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