This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Carol, Fjords and drafts usually show lower PCV's than a lot of other breeds. but 25 IS low..my Bjarne, when he had the shoulder infection and surgery (staph infection) had a long course of antibiotics..which dropped his red cell count. So something like that could be happening.
Another thing to check out is EPSM, for the stiffness, lameness, etc. check out Dr. Beth Valentine's articles on the Rural Heritage Website, EPSM is quite common in draft breeds, and found in many other breeds as well..including Fjords. EquinePolySaccharideMyopathy. EPSM is a muscle disease in which carbohydrates are not properly utilizd, and the diet change adding oil and reducing the grains and other carbohydraes is necessary. from Dr. Valentines article: http://www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/epsm.htm "The muscle disease Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (EPSM) has been confirmed or suspected in over 100 draft horses, includin Belgians, Percherons, Clydesdales, Shires, Haflinger, Norwegian Fjord, Irish Draught, Friesian, draft crosses, and a draft mule. This newly-recognized disease, under research at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University, has likely been around for hundreds of years. It has been identified in many breeds of horse, but appears to be particularly common, severe, and difficult to detect in the draft breeds." Other articles can be found at: http://www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/index.htm There is also a very good discussion forum: http://www.ruralheritage.com/messageboard/virtualvet/index1.htm Cehck out the archives. Jean in cold and rainy Fairbanks, Alaska, no snow yet... and I went >to back him out of the straight stall, and he was reluctant to back up. >When I got him out I noticed he was very stocked up in all four legs. -- >We gave him a bute, hosed him with cold water, walked him, and the swelling >went down, and he was moving much better. > >Then, this Friday morning when we went to bring him in from the field, he >was walking like an old arthritic horse. He seemed off on the left >ront. -- I got the vet to come out, and he examined him thoroughly >including nerve blocks and x-rays, and a blood test. -- The nerve blocks >showed nothing. The x-rays were clean, but the bloodtest came back with the >PCVs at 24 when the norm is 30 - 45 (or close to those numbers -- I can't >remember exactly).
