Miniature horses, ponies and donkeys are highly susceptible to Hepatic Lipidosis/Hyperlipemia and in layman's terms "Fatty Liver". The condition is NOT rare in small equines and, in fact, occurs much more often in miniatures than in large horses. The problem is, that Vets tend to treat minis just like large horses and, as a result, this condition often goes undiagnosed and it is assumed that the primary illness is what caused the animal's death. Large animal vets just don't generally have enough miniature horse patients to know how often this condition arises, unless they live in an area with several large miniature breeding and training farms. Thus, the reporting of this condition in miniature horses is low.
Miniature horses can NOT handle going off their feed for a day or two. They can begin to break down their fat reserves in less than 12 hours. The fat cells entering their blood stream can damage their liver and in worst cases can kill a miniature within 6 to 10 days. In the past 4 years I have had this condition threaten 3 of my minis. We'd have lost all 3 if this had gone undiagnosed. And let me tell you that twice I had to put up a real fight to have the proper blood tests done to check for increased lipids and decreased glucose levels. Both times the vets came back with "You were right. It's good you knew and were insistent about that."
Our first experience involved our first baby, Desi. He was only 6 months old when he developed a mild case of flu. He didn't feel like eating. I sat in his stall with him, tempting him with feed from my hand. He nibbled a bit but didn't really eat. His aches and fever from the flu had subsided within 24 hours but the anorexia remained. I knew I'd read something about this being a bad problem for minis and I called my vet. He gave me the typical large horse advice, "give him a little time. If he's not running a fever and he's drinking, give him a day or two. If you want you can give him a little B-12 and some molasses to see if that perks him up." Minis don't have a day or two to wait on this. However, the molasses and B-12 were good advice. When a mini goes off feed, there are three things you need to do. A. Make a mush of his feed and syringe feed him. Otherwise, his body will begin breaking down his fat reserves for the energy he needs. I keep my horses used to eating a little bit of a Complete Feed, just for this purpose. I know that if nothing else works to get them eating (and I'm sure colic is not the issue), I can soak a complete feed and syringe feed them. B. Keep his glucose levels up. When a mini goes off feed their glucose levels begin to drop, compounding their issues. C. If he's not getting enough food via syringe feeding, get him to a Vet and make that vet pay attention to you. Do not leave that horse at that vet until blood is drawn to check Lipid and Glucose levels. Don't be an ass about it, just be firm. Once in a blue moon we do actually know more than our Vets and if your vet is telling you this is not necessary after your mini hasn't eaten for 24 hours, this is one of those times.
I listened to my Vet for 3 days before my son and I loaded little Desi into the back of a U-Haul van (shhhh don't tell U-Haul!) and hauled him to Chaparral Animal Hospital. When we got there Dr. Elaine Carpenter listened to our concerns, knew all about "Fatty Liver" and immediately checked Desi's lipid, cholesterol and glucose levels. His lipid levels were high and had we waited another day Desi would have had little chance of survival. His glucose levels were slightly lowered and we were told the molasses had helped keep those up and might well have saved him. He was immediately started on enteral feedings and Heparin. He was still alert, friendly and curious and, other than being a little weak, didn't look obviously ill, but the devils were loose in his blood stream. All we could do was wait, worry and hope for the best. Thankfully, he began to improve after about two days at the vet and by day 6 was able to come home where we continued with the supportive feedings.
While we were checking out of the clinic, a lady came in who had just lost 6 of her beloved minis to this condition compounded by their primary diagnisis of salmonella. It wasn't the salmonella that had killed them, although it might have ended up doing that, it was the Hepatic Lipidosis that had caused their deaths. There is always a primary illness that precedes the secondary condition of Hepatic Lipidosis. The severity of that primary illness has as much to do with the horse being able to survive the fatty liver issue as does rapid response and treatment. Please do not get your hopes up. Even when you're quick, with home treatment and get them to a Vet who understands and treats for this condition, if the condition is secondary to a serious illness you can lose the horse.
We could have lost our fabulous smoky black stallion, Handsome, because a Vet at Chaparral wasn't listening to me. He'd become ill one evening, he walked away from his feed. I sat up with him all that night and got him to the vet first thing in the morning because I wasn't sure he didn't have a mild colic and, thus, did not want to syringe feed him. I didn't know this particular Vet at Chaparral, and I asked her if she'd check his lipids. She balked. I was exhausted from no sleep, but I wasn't gonna budge. I told her what we'd learned from Dr. Carpenter, but she didn't seem like she wanted to listen to me. I insisted. She drew blood and I went home. I called that afternoon to check on him, and found that the blood tests she ordered were not, in fact, checking his lipid, cholesterol and glucose levels. I told them I'd hold until I could talk to her. I insisted again. I asked her to please call Dr. Carpenter. Finally she did talk to Dr. Carpenter, did run the correct tests and the next day, by golly imagine this, she found that his lipids had begun to rise. She hadn't treated enough minis yet to know how fast the condition can affect them.
Our little mare Blondie was stricken by a systemic infection from the simple tiny puncture wound from her spring vaccinations last year. She went off her feed and would spit out her feed mush when I'd syringe it into her cheek. She was stumbling blindly within 6 hours. We rushed her to Durango explained the situation, and after some debate they checked her levels, they'd already begun to rise in that short a time! She responded to antibiotics for the infection within a few hours and had started eating and drinking so no further measures were needed thank goodness.
If your mini is overweight he has more fat cells to go into his bloodstream so this is yet another extremely important reason to keep your miniatures at a healthy body condition.
I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing about the effects of anorexia on miniature horses. Mild colds, flu, stress, soreness, disease, a bad tooth, and an infinite number of other things can cause your mini to decide he doesn't feel like eating and, therefore, Hepatic Lipidosis/Hyperlipemia should be high on your list of concerns.
Here are some articles that explain the condition, if not always accurate on the effects on miniature horses:
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