Wobblers Syndrome

[Oakbrooke Farm]

If anyone has had any experience with wobbler's syndrome and treatments other than surgery, please let me know. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[txminipinto]

It depends on the severity. It usually requires a myelogram (contrast injected into the spinal column and then radiographed) to determine how bad and what the prognosis is. Personally, its a condition that I probably wouldn't try to manage or treat and would euthanize the horse.

I'm sorry you're dealing with one. :no:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree unfortunately- the only horse I have had with this problem was euthanized.

I have known Dobes with wobblers have the op- with varying degrees of success but not a horse.

 

[Miniv]

I googled the subject. Some drugs were mentioned for treatment if the case isn't too severe.

Here's the link.

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/pubs/asc133.pdf

I'm so sorry you are going through this.

 

[crponies]

I had to go to thehorse.com and read an article there about it. It made me curious about what tests your vet has done to diagnose your boy. Has he actually done the one where he is put out and dye is put in? According to that article that is the only way to be sure that it is in fact Wobblers. It did mention that nutrition can play a role in recovery and specifically mentioned vitamin E as helping to heal injuries to the spinal chord including those caused by compression as in Wobblers.

 

[gimp]

I had a rottie with Wobbler's that was helped greatly with acupuncture. It could be a whole different thing with a horse however. So very sorry :no:

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING depends on how bad it is.

Overnight my Arab filly could not stand unsupported.

On the other hand my Dobe dog, diagnosed at three years old by X-ray not dye, went on to compete in Agility until he was ten and lived to nearly 14- and even then it was not the Spondylitis that got him it was a stroke!!

I have also known Dobes (it is prevalent in the breed) who could not walk and I have known Dobes like mine that you would never have guessed they had it.

All treatment, prognosis and advise etc depends on the severity.

 

[wildoak]

I had a QH gelding years ago who was diagnosed as a wobbler. It was, at the time, kind of the "disease of the year", lots being diagnosed too quickly. I was devastated and took him to 2 other vets and then to Tx A&M for opinions. No one else agreed with the diagnosis (which was made strictly by visual observation, NO tests, at a large surgical clinic!). The final diagnosis at A&M was that he was just a bit clumsy and not terribly athletic. His presentation was nowhere near as serious as the wobblers I have since seen.

Point of all that is, be sure your horse is tested appropriately before you accept the diagnosis.

Jan