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---- 22 - "WEEKEND STAR" FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2000 Sanh realize 1. am not your typical horse: owner, 'but | still have a very. important i Question for you 3 -Y re Answer: My impression is that Tony suffers from hyperlipidemia, an impressive word for a deranged fat-metabolism. It occurs most fre- quently in overweight ponies and some- times donkeys. It is more commonly seen in females than in males and pregnancy and lactation increase the risk of this disease. Underlying diseases (for example para- sitism) often play a role and the onset of the disease is often triggered by sudden stress- ful changes. If Tony has been working away at a good hay field all by himself all summer long, | am positive that he will be overweight. Due to a variety of circumstances such as transport, pregnancy, other diseases, food deprivation, etc the body will start mobilizing enormous amounts of fatty acids from the fat tissue. The products of this fat metabolism become too much for the liver to handle, sending the metabolism of the entire body into a tailspin with several enzymes out of control. Various organs will start to malfunction as a result. The first symptoms that are seen are depression, loss of appetite and weight loss. The body temperature is normal or slightly elevated and heart rate and respiration rate will be increased. Compulsive behaviour could develop in a few days and some ponies will also show signs of colic. If a blood sample is taken, the serum or plasma phase will be cloudy due to the circulating fat. Blood tests will mostly show derailed kidney and liver function. Although the liver malfunction plays a big role in this illness, jaundice is rarely seen. The liver will in some cases swell so severe- ly that it will rupture, leading to internal hemorrhaging. Diarrhea will develop in ter- minal stages, and if left untreated or not responding to treatment, the pony will eventually go into a coma. Most ponies will die within 7 - 10 days if left untreated. However, even treated ponies have a poor chance of survival. The treatment, which could prove to be very intensive and costly, concentrates on restoring and maintaining a positive energy balance using oral preparations that can be administrated by stomach tube if the pony refuses to eat them. Glucose can also be administered intravenously. Any defects in hydration, acid - base status and electrolyte balance should be corrected with intra- venous fluids. Insulin is also used some- times to control the blood sugar level. If there is evidence of underlying disease, for example parasitism, it should be treated properly. It might be helpful to abort preg- nant mares and, definitely, lactating mares should have their foals weaned. Despite intensive care, a lot of ponies with this ill- ness will not recover so the emphasis should obviously be on prevention. Body condition should always be monitored and the pony should not be allowed to get overweight. A good parasite control program should be in place and the pony"s vaccination status should be up to date. Avoid sudden feed changes. Transport of animals at risk (preg- nant mares and overweight animals) should be avoided. Teeth should also be kept in good condition. Tony was indeed one of my patients: he was severely overweight due to too much lush pasture and too little exercise. His owner said to me: "He never seems to lift his head out of the alfalfa field". When he was first presented to me he was still eating a lit- tle but mainly suffering from acute laminitis (founders). He responded well to the treat- ments administered and his weight loss pro- gram. Unfortunately, six weeks after | had first seen Tony, he developed colic due to a twist in the large intestine. He was eutha- nized at that time. | have often wondered if 'this was somehow triggered by his troubled metabolism. Peter Brouwers, DVM, graduated from the University of Utrecht, Netherlands in 1986. He came to Canada in 1988 and is a large animal practitioner in the Kawarthas with Peterborough Veterinary Services. Feather Jtauble Boarding e Training e Coaching e Lessons (706) 277 8402 R.R. #5 L1Y 1A2 S.L.0. ACRES LTD. CLAREMONT, ONT. PHONE: (905) 649-5603 BARN: (905) 649-6205 E-MAIL: S.L.O@SYMPATICO.CA eee eet teeter eee eee Atte ete teeters ee GRIMETAL eo BADGER | SMALE - Also Carrying ' FENCING, RUBBER MATS & WATERERS RISSLER Sunderland Co-op Hwy. 7 & 12 ive us atry! Sunderland, Ont g = Oakwood, Ont. (705) 357-3491 <=. oF) 4 > [2 )RSE BLANKE E Oa wood Elevator R.R. #1 Be fore Naan ~~ VARI ERRT0) EE ---------- TWICE AROUND TACK 43 Brock St., West, Uxbridge, Ont. 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