grass sickness disease acute / Chronic causes death symptoms sweating extended bowels muscle tremors death
2006-06-12 04:52:32 · 9 answers · asked by gobbyget 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I had a pony which died from grass sickness.
there are several schools of thought but one that is extremely popular with most vets at the moment that it is linked to a virus on the grass which may or may not be carried by hares (the rabbit type creature not hair!). there is as yet no cure for grass sickness but there is ongoing research at most of the vet schools in the UK to try to find the cause & therefore a vaccine for this killer disease.
My pony was recovering nicely from grass sickness until he was allowed to eat. sadly his gut had shut down so that although his appetite returned, his gut was unable to digest food so he then had an impaction in his small intestine & we had no choice but to euthanse. He had already been opened up once when he first became ill which was when a biospy was performed which is usually how diagnosis of grass sickness is performed.
As an equine vet nurse I have seen many cases of grass sickness which are often initally mistaken for colic, but tragically very very few horses recover
The web link I have added below is for the equine grass sickness fund website which can tell you far more than I can in this small space with information on all the up to date research
2006-06-12 06:57:46 · answer #1 · answered by ATP 3 · 4⤊ 4⤋
Grass sickness? There are two illness related to a horse getting to much grass. 1) founder 2) colic.
Founder is a condition of the feet. Too much grass when a horse is not used to it caused this condition in the feet.
Colic is a stomach condition, like a tummy ache in people, but worse. Horses cannot throw up so their intestines get impacted. If not caught quickly, it can be fatal.
2006-06-12 12:16:20 · answer #2 · answered by b_kokoruda 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is caused by a horse eating to much grass in short period of time, if they have been eating hay regularly, then they just start eating grass, they will get the sickness.
2006-06-12 15:06:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anna Banana 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is it not caused by eating too much grass? My neighbour's Shetland pony had to be 'weaned' onto the grass each summer otherwise she gorged herself and got really ill.
2006-06-12 12:01:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sometimes too much grass or the wrong type. Sometimes, bugs.
2006-06-12 12:11:02 · answer #5 · answered by WYO68 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
never heard this before? sure your not talking about laminitis? sounds like ragwort poisoning to me. Or overly rich grass?
2006-06-12 13:39:22 · answer #6 · answered by wolfstorm 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This seems to be a knowledgable website.http://www.cee.hw.ac.uk/~rose/equine/gs-paper2.html
2006-06-12 11:58:35 · answer #7 · answered by Lilli_white_lies 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
colic
2006-06-12 14:17:13 · answer #8 · answered by Lynette D 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
its not hayfever is it?
2006-06-12 11:59:07 · answer #9 · answered by Paul S 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋