Re: Fainting/Collapse

mep12@cornell.edu
Thu, 5 Dec 1996 08:11:10 -0500 (EST)

Hi,
I have had experience with a narcoleptic pony, and during her
episodes (which were many) she would just drop her head, and then fall
all the way to the ground. Sometimes she would stay down and doze for
awhile, but usually she would attempt to get back up. This would happen
maybe five or more times walking her from the barn to the paddock, unless
you hurried her along and discouraged her from slowing down. She is a
yearling
and I would not ever recommend that she be used as a riding/driving pony
due to the danger of her falling at an inopportune time. She is being
treated with an antidepressant, and this seems to be helping her
somewhat, although the treatment is fairly expensive.

margie

On Wed, 4 Dec 1996, Phil Woods wrote:

> I agree that narcolepsy is a possibility, but narcoleptics do not tend
> to hit the ground, they catch themselves before that happens. Do not
> exclude other possibilities such as exercise-induced cardiac
> arrythmias or other cardiac disease; you would need to perform an ecg
> and echocardiography at the time of the episode, also get blood
> samples at that time to evaluate transient electrolyte abnormalities.
>
>
> Phil Woods.
>
>