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[RC] Horse problem/interpreting blood analysis - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Sally Hafkemeyer hafke7@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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I have a horse with some new problems.  Hoping you Ridecampers can help.  I'll 
try to keep it fairly short.  He's a now 14 yr arab gelding that I completed 
460 endurance miles with last year.

At the end of ride season in late Oct. I'd had blood drawn.
Vet said he had low hemoglobin and was (ideopathic) anemic.  Advised Red Cell 
supplementation. I was reluctant to supplement additional iron w/o really 
knowing more. I'd asked about possibility of ulcer (gelding has 
anxiety/behavior issues sometimes), but vet thought not likely due to his 
lifestyle and eating habits.

Horse has been out to pasture since Nov.  Always a good eater/drinker, has 10 
acre pasture/hay 24/7 with his best pals.  Has no history of colic, wormed 
regularly(including tapeworms
in late fall), heated water tank, etc.

In January he had first colic episode.  Two weeks later coliced again. Another 
week later he coliced a third time.  All fairly mild.  Between the first and 
last episodes, we rewormed, added soaked beet pulp, changed water tank and 
checked for stray voltage. After the last colic, I started giving him aloe vera 
juice with his feed (1 cup 2x daily).  It's now been one month w/o further 
incidences.

I had vet draw another blood sample in mid Feb.  I have results and vet says 
all within normal ranges except Na+ @ 153, but still o.k.  But some of these 
exams are on the low side of normal (i.e.,Hb, MCHC,MCH,RBC,Mon.,Lym#,Mon#) and 
others (Gra.,RDW,MPV,PDW,Na+) are on the high side.

Questions:
If I have sample taken when horse is under
no physical/situational/environmental stress, and some of these numbers are 
close to the "edge" of normal range, would any stress such as conditioning or 
hauling or whatever, be likely
to send them outside normal range?

I intend to continue to draw samples...what would be a good schedule?  At least 
monthly?  Or dependent on health/work load?

Can anyone point me to a good website or book that will help me educate myself 
on how to read these results?

I have to say that I'm considering the benefit of adding aloe vera juice to his 
diet regularly.  Or at least before, during, and immediately after any major 
stress.  Perhaps this would be a good additive to our beet pulp mashes for 
rides.  Unlike other ulcer meds, no side effects whatsoever.  No worry about 
drug issue that I'm aware of.

I'm hoping for some good discussions and great ideas.
Thanks to anyone who's willing to help,
Sally H.




===========================================================REAL endurance is 
sleeping in the tack compartment of your trailer w/the
door open, and your horse snorts/snots on your forehead every 30 min!
~ Heidi Sowards

ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/

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