Muscles quivering under skin? Any ideas?

[Huntertwo]

Very strange thing happened to my POA today. I didn't get a chance to ride over the weekend and I free lunged her today, which she loves.

Got back to the barn and noticed that the skin was raised on both sides of her belly. Not round hives, but looked like a "Wash board" pattern. Like someone had raked her sides.

But even stranger, the muscles underneath those areas were quivering.
:confused:
It must have been bothering her too as she kept looking at her sides while on the cross ties.

Soon as she cooled down, it stopped.

Only thing I have changed in diet is stopping the Quiessence and adding Vita Plus, MSM, and Nutra Flax for her Uveitis. Other than that she is of good weight, ridden several times a week. 10 years old.

Any ideas? I'll exercise her tomorrow and if it happens again, I'll call the Vet. In the mean time, it is bothering me. Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Roan]

If your POA is registered, check her pedigree for any Impressive blood. If you find anything, get your vet out and have them do a test for HYPP.

The symptoms you are describing sound very much like it.

http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/hypp.php

Eileen

[Huntertwo]

Thanks Roan,
That was something that crossed my mind. She is registered, so I will check her papers and have her tested if I see anything suspicious.

Besides switching supplements, the only thing that has changed is the bedding. My BO buys in bulk and I can definitely smell Cedar in these shavings. But I wouldn't think that would cause the quivering of the muscles.:confused:

I'm going to the feed store today to pick up a few bags of the pelleted bedding and strip her stall today.

I'll probably go back to the original supplements too.

[Helicon]

I have known three horses who developed muscle twitches. Once you rule out HYPP, look for a possible mineral deficiency. One, a lactating mare, was cured by adding alfalfa (calcium) to her diet. The other two were cured by a adding a magnesium supplement to their diet.

[FindersKeepers]

If you rule out HYPP and mineral deficiency, I'd be getting a full neuro exam, and likely at a clinic. It's a stretch, but could be seizure activity.

[Buffyblue]

Sounds like thumps. I had an older mare who would get that now and again.

[twofatponies]

Is it possible that the marks on her sides (hives?) were itchy, and she was twitching to try to get rid of the irritation? Even so, you'd want to figure out what was causing the irritation. Hope it's not something serious.

[Huntertwo]

I have known three horses who developed muscle twitches. Once you rule out HYPP, look for a possible mineral deficiency. One, a lactating mare, was cured by adding alfalfa (calcium) to her diet. The other two were cured by a adding a magnesium supplement to their diet.

I looked at her papers and there isn't Impressive in her background.

Although I did stop her Quiessence which has Magnesium in it. I guess I'll be re-ordering it. Thanks.

[Huntertwo]

Is it possible that the marks on her sides (hives?) were itchy, and she was twitching to try to get rid of the irritation? Even so, you'd want to figure out what was causing the irritation. Hope it's not something serious.

That is exactly what I was thinking as I tossed and turned last night. I've never seen anything like it and couldn't figure out what the heck it was.

My BO does get the shavings from a mill and I think they get what ever kind is on hand. This particular batch has Cedar in it. The marks and quivering were on either side of her belly, smack where her belly would be on the ground while laying down. And she does have sensitive skin.

It seemed to have flared up after free lunging her. Possibly when she got hot and sweaty it felt more uncomfortable leading to the twitching?

Soon as she cooled down, it stopped.

Today I totally stripped her stall and added pelleted bedding, along with giving her a bath.

I'll also check out the symptoms of Thumps as Buffyblue suggested.

[Roan]

I looked at her papers and there isn't Impressive in her background. . . .

Good. It's not a pretty thing.

My BO was given a quarter "pony" for lesson use and she displayed the same symptoms. No pedigree available, so she had her tested. It was positive.

Eileen

[Huntertwo]

The marks were not visible yesterday, although she wasn't exercised.

I'll bring my camera today and exercise her a bit. Hopefully I'll have nothing to photograph, but just in case...

[RiddleMeThis]

Huntertwo...I would still personally test her for HYPP. While she supposedly doesnt have Impressive in her lines, not all people are 100% honest, especially before DNA testing.

Its possible that your mare truly DOES have Impressive behind her, but someone mess up the papers, either intentionally of unintentionally.

[Huntertwo]

Huntertwo...I would still personally test her for HYPP. While she supposedly doesnt have Impressive in her lines, not all people are 100% honest, especially before DNA testing.

Its possible that your mare truly DOES have Impressive behind her, but someone mess up the papers, either intentionally of unintentionally.

This is something worth discussing with my Vet on his next visit out.

But I'm wondering if it was the Cedar in the shavings. As I mentioned in a previous post, I stripped her stall, added pelleted bedding and gave her a bath yesterday.

I went to the barn after work today and free lunged her as I did when the weird lumpy pattern and quivering occurred.

Watched and waited and she was normal. I'm hoping that is what it was.

[ShayDarra]

After smelling a wonderful, all natural fly spray at a friend's barn, I immediately bought some. One of the primary ingredients was cedar. Sprayed it on my three horses and by evening when I returned home from work, two of the three had numerous large welts all over their body, especially on their mid section. Never used that spray again and the problem never recurred.

Good luck,

SD

[Baroquecoco]

Both of my horses developed symptoms like this last summer. It turned out they were eating pokeberry in their pasture. Once we switched pastures the symptoms went away.

:(Before we realized what was going on one of more horses flipped me pretty badly and my friends that were watching said she had that washboard/twitching muscle thing right before she tossed me.

[Huntertwo]

Both of my horses developed symptoms like this last summer. It turned out they were eating pokeberry in their pasture. Once we switched pastures the symptoms went away.

:(Before we realized what was going on one of more horses flipped me pretty badly and my friends that were watching said she had that washboard/twitching muscle thing right before she tossed me.

That is my other process of elimination today. After I free lunged her, I did hand graze her a little. I'll let her eat from that same spot today and see what happens.