Unusual winter coat
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Katherine Bartlett
Hi everyone,
Last year I bought a new horse, a 4 year old Lusitano gelding. He had been in Florida and I'm in Pa so I kept him blanketed all winter. This year I waited to see if he would grow a nice winter coat and he did, but it's quite odd looking. If you look at him from a distance, he looks like he has lumps all over him but if you feel him, there aren't any. It's like he has areas of hair that stand up more - in almost the same pattern you would see with dapples. I've seen this same thing once before, with Rosie the winter before she got laminitis. I've had bloodwork done on him a few times and his insulin has always been normal. But, I'm worried the hair coat means something is amiss. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks, Katie -- Katie August 2018, Elverson Pa https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Katie%20and%20Rosalien
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Lavinia Fiscaletti
Hi Katie,
What do you mean by "normal" on the insulin results? Would you please provide the actual numbers. Is he on a mineral balanced diet? He is just now reaching the age where possible IR would start to become evident as he's reaching maturity, so no longer using lots of energy for growth. -- Lavinia, George Too, Calvin (PPID) and Dinky (PPID/IR) Nappi, George and Dante Over the Bridge Jan 05, RI Moderator ECIR
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Katherine Bartlett
Hi Lavinia,
We ran bloodwork on 7/21/21. His insulin was 15.63. I'm planning on testing him again in January. Yes, he's on a mineral balanced diet and low sugar/starch hay. He does have access to some grass but is muzzled. I've been trying to manage him as if he was IR, considering his breed, but I have not gone into full blown lockdown since he shows no physical signs (sore feet, cresty neck, etc...). -- Katie August 2018, Elverson Pa https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Katie%20and%20Rosalien
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The texture of the fur around my boys dapples is a little different too. When he’s all fluffed out you can’t really see it as well, but after I ride him, the dapple part actually sticks out more than the surrounding fur. Some days it almost looks like he has hives but when you put your hand down over a dapple, you realize it’s just fur. He hasn’t foundered. I just figured it was the way the hair grew/a texture thing.
-- J.Green MA, USA 2021 https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Fergus%20Case%20History CaseHistory@ECIR.groups.io | Album
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Katherine Bartlett
Yes, that's what it looks like - as if he has hives, but when I feel his coat, everything is flat. I would not have said he has dapples but the raised patches are in a dapple pattern, just all the same color.
-- Katie August 2018, Elverson Pa https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Katie%20and%20Rosalien
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Sherry Morse
Hi Katie,
Was his bloodwork done fasting or not fasting? Can you post a picture of his current coat in a photo album so we can see it. -- Thanks, PA 2014 https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Sherry%20and%20Scutch_Scarlet/Scutch%20Case%20History.pdf https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=78891
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Katie, I have seen this before, in a horse with PPID before he was medicated and put on a mineral supplement balanced to his hay. According to the owner it has now resolved and his coat is flat. Not suggesting your 4 year-old is PPID, but it might be worthwhile going over his diet carefully again to make sure it's as tight and as well-balanced as possible.
-- Maxine and Indy (PPID) and Dangles (PPID) Canberra, Australia 2010 https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Maxine%20and%20Indy%20and%20Dangles
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Frances C
I'm familiar with these winter coat circular raised patches. I call them winter dapples. They do seem to occur in horses that dapple out in their summer coats.
-- - Frances C. December 2017, Washington & California Case history: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Frances%20and%20Phoenix Phoenix's Photo Album: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=12382
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Katherine Bartlett
His bloodwork was done while he was on his regular diet of hay and timothy pellets. My vet doesn't have me fast the horse unless they are getting grain. I can put a picture in the files but I can't figure out how.
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I actually saw the fluffy dapples today on Fergus after his morning workout, so I took a photo.
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On Wed, Dec 1, 2021 at 02:46 AM, Katherine Bartlett wrote:
I can put a picture in the files but I can't figure out how.Hi Katie instructions for creating a photo album were sent to you when you joined, along with how to create a case history. There are also instructions in the Wiki here: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main/wiki/1474 Basically, you go to the ‘photos’ tab in the case history group and create a photo album then upload from your device in the same way you uploaded your case history. -- Maxine and Indy (PPID) and Dangles (PPID) Canberra, Australia 2010 https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Maxine%20and%20Indy%20and%20Dangles
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Katherine Bartlett
Thanks Maxine, I uploaded a photo. It's at https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=270402
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Hi Katie,
His July insulin is typical for a well managed IR horse. Abnormal enough to confirm he's IR since he only had hay prior to testing, but well below the laminitic range. If he stays under 20 uIU/ml then he is doing great, and it's awesome you are being proactive and monitoring him now! Watch him as he matures and ages. He's still young to see problems with IR but after about 5 years old it can start to cause issues. -- Kirsten and Shaku (IR + PPID) - 2019 Kitimat, BC, Canada ECIR Group Moderator Shaku's Photo Album
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Katherine Bartlett
Thanks to everyone who answered my question.
I guess what I learned is that the hair coat could mean something, or not ... I'll continue to monitor him and hopefully if he does become IR, I'll catch it early. Katie -- Katie August 2018, Elverson Pa https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Katie%20and%20Rosalien
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Hi Katie, just to clarify, his bloodwork shows he IS insulin resistant. Its a genetic phenotype and not something that develops or that he will become. He was born with it and it just becomes more apparent at maturity and harder to manage with age. Right now his IR is well controlled. What you will be catching early will be signs that his IR is getting out of control and possibly proceeding towards the danger zone for laminitis. But by being proactive with testing and his lifestyle management, hopefully he will never have high enough insulin to cause laminitis.
-- Kirsten and Shaku (IR + PPID) - 2019 Kitimat, BC, Canada ECIR Group Moderator Shaku's Photo Album
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