DSLD/ESPA

learningthedance · DSLD/ESPA

Anyone have any first hand experience with this?

Katharine

Sadly, yes I do. What would you like to know?

learningthedance

Are you still dealing with this??

Dr. Kellon has a study group that is running currently but you have to be able to submit ultrasounds on an ongoing basis by the sounds of it. I am just not sure I can afford to trailer my one mare to Guelf University to have them done.

The Dr. Kellon group study is showing really good results (and reversal of the degeneration) using AAKG (contains the amino acid arginine) and Jiaogulan. I can get both of these from my Natural Health food store but need to know dosage for 1100 pounds.

I have been feeling like something was amiss for a very long time now. Dropped swollen pasterns, and digging holes in shavings to park both hind feet in toe down. Weakness in the hind end, loss of muscle and sometimes difficulty placing hind feet. The vet say's Arthritis, but I am really thinking this is DSLD. I started her on a good supplement, Cortaflx, but there is no change and she may be even a little worse since starting it three weeks ago. http://www.corta-flx.com/pages/002product_cortaflx_pow.html

Katharine

Yes, I am dealing with this currently. My gelding Kota was diagnosed (without ultrasounds) two years ago. It seems that some horses progress quickly and others plateau and can stay comfortable for longer. I think he is somewhere in the middle. He has dropped in the hind, and has started in the front, he has skin sensitivity, is swollen under his chin and down the ventral line. He only walks unless he feels very threatened and then he will trot a few steps. What other symptoms does your horse show?

For at least a year before he was diagnosed I could tell that something was up. He would just look at me as if to say, "Oh please don't ask me to do that today."

Have you joined the yahoo group? Dr Kellon participates in it, so you can ask her questions and Bunny, the group moderator is very helpful. She can tell you the amounts. I found that a low sugar diet has really helped my horse.

I will look around for the other resources that I used.
Hope the Kellon protocol works for your horse!
Katharine

PasoBaby_CarolU

I lost a mare to DSLD. There wasn't a lot understood about it at the time, but it is a degenerative disease that affects suspensory systems all through the body, not just the legs.

I like Dr. Kellon and her help with Bien's IR. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to try anything to save my horse.

Good luck.

learningthedance

cokey

Forgive me for butting in here, but I'd never heard of this before. Having looked at the symptoms, I suspect it's possible that this is what Angel has.

He's got degradation in both stifles and hocks. When he rests his hind legs with his toe on the ground, his suspensory ligament "bows". He's choked and showed mild colic symptoms repeatedly and my vet/osteo/acupuncturist believes that he had a duodenal ulcer which we've successfully treated. He's been operated on for kissing spines. He's had severe mud fever/rainscald, which took a LONG time to heal, but was 3 years ago and I don't know whether he's ever had it again.

He doesn't show pain as far as I'm aware when the suspensory is palpated, but then he's only 7.

Does this sound likely? I'm not sure that my vets have even heard of it, so I want to get my facts straight before I suggest it to them..

PasoBaby_CarolU

Chloe, it shows up on ultrasound and they were working on a blood test but it isn't 100% accurate. DSLD is pretty common and is hereditary. They just didn't realize it until fairly recently. Horses with it should not be bred and their offspring have a 50:50 chance of developing it. This article has information on diagnosis.

http://www.angelfire.com/bc/curlygait/diagnose.html

I believe a vet has to know what they are looking for to do the ultrasound correctly.

I did not have any colic issues with my horse. She just fell down in the pasterns and lost more and more muscle tone over time. When she was in a lot of pain, with no cure in sight, I put her down.

Katharine

Elise,
How is your horse with DSLD/ESPA doing? Have you started the supplement yet? Hoping you get results!