Can anyone diagnos my horse?

Question

he is staggering and we do not know what to do plz help

Answer 1

Not enough symptoms.  West Nile? Rabies? Pneumonia? Heaves?

Answer 2

The best diagnosis you could get would be from a vet that comes out to your farm and actually sees your horse. Instead of sitting on the computer asking us, call up the vet. It sounds like something serious, so make an emergency call.

Answer 3

That's not a lot of information.  But the first things to do to diagnose a problem witn a horse is to find out what system is having the meltdown.  It's best if you have someone with you to help you especially if you are freaked out.  Someone can help you kep calm.  

Put a halter and lead on your horse and have your assistant hold his head.  Then stand facing his butt, doesn't matter what side.  I always put my arm across the back and listen to the stomach with my whole body.  That might sound strange, but the more of the gut you feel, the more of the gut is moving and the better off the horse is.  You want to hear a loud rumbly gurgling noise.  If you have your arm across his back you will often feel it too.  Look around the stall, if he's been in a stall and check out the most recent poops.  You probably know what they usually look like and see if they look different.  Runny, hard, compacted, loose, especially stinky or a funky color - take note of when he last pooped and if he farts or how often.  This should tell you if his gut is OK.  This should dispell any concerns about colic.  Staggering is not usually a sign of colic, but could be.  If you hear no noise in the gut, call the vet.  If he has not pooped in more than 6 hours call the vet, ESPECIALLY if he is not making gut noises.  And keep him from rolling (this is where the hours and hours of walking a horse come in).  

Next tent the skin on his neck.  Use your thumb and the top of your fist to pull a big two inch piece of skin up away from his neck and let it go again.  If it pulls back toward his neck like you expect it to, he is well hydrated and you can move on the the next test.  If it stays tented up he needs electrolytes.

Push his lips away from his teeth and push a finger against a pink part of the gums until it turns white, then let it go.  It should turn pink right away.  This is pretty much as good as you will get for taking his pulse.  The heart rate of a horse will vary with the direction of the wind, so I just make sure they have enough of a hear rate to get the capillaries filled in a reasonable amount of time and go on to the next test.  (All of this can be done in less than 30 seconds, basically one motion, in the stall and back out again).

I was taught to always look at the legs first.  Even if you don't know what you're looking at of for, look at the legs first.  When something is wrong, you will see it.  So I've already seen the legs, now I really LOOK at them closely.  I run the palms of both hands down the same spot on both legs.  There is more feeling in your palms and you want to compare the two legs.  Most lameness is in the front legs and most of that lameness is in the lower legs and the majority is in the lowest part of the leg (hoof).  

Your horse staggering could be laminitis in the front, which is where it usually shows up.  If you find heat there and he is actually lame in both front feet, you can cold hose him or stand him in a stream.  Don't allow any more grass untill he is diagnosed by a vet.  If his gut sounds fine then grass hay, not alfalfa should be OK and then only to keep him busy until the vet arrives.  

Ayway, that's about the only quick help I can give you on so little information.  Check the systems: fuel (gut), coolant (fluid) and engine (legs)

I imagine that by now you have called the vet, but at least you can give him or her some information when asked about gut noises and capilary refill time..

I hope your guy is OK.  Will you keep up posted?

Answer 4

I dont think theres enough information and I also dont think its right to be asking strangers. You could fall for the wrong disease or something and be treating it wrong. So maybe you could call up a vet and have them check it. Good luck with your horse. :)