Head shaking syndrome

[Tiz]

Has anyone had experience with this, and if so, did you find an effective remedy?

[LB]

This month's issue of Practical Horseman has a great article about it. It's well worth reading.

[wilf]

I had a filly do that a few years ago,it had to do with photo sensitization on the horses nose and it occurred only in daylight ,probably brought on by alfalfa consumption. I kept a fly mask on her with a home made extension over the nose and kept her inside during the day,outside at night. I took her north where she was on timothy and it seemed to fade with time. Perhaps this is similar?

[Tiz]

Thanks, wilf. I don't think her's is light induced because it's present before daylight, and doesn't change after the sun comes up.

What about alfalfa do you think contributed to your horse's problem?

[wilf]

I really hate to sound off like the voice of experience because horses will make a liar out of you again and again but try anything and cover the nasal area as it seems to be really sensitive to stuff! I mean it's not like "HOUSE" where every medication will cost you the farm! Good luck and talk to as many vets as you can!

[Tiz]

Yeah, I've done that. Even emailed the vet at UC Davis that is doing research on the syndrome. So far, nothing has worked.

[wilf]

That's odd because I thought at first it was because of the flies but quickly changed my mind and called a lady vet friend of mine from the track and she hit it in a second. If you google"Equine Photosensitization" and click onto the link "Manual of Equine Dermatology" you will learn a lot in a short time even if your case is different ,it's very interesting reading about how this reaction occurs and why.

[Tiz]

Just wanted to keep this near the top, in the hope of hearing anyone's successful treatment experience.

[Laurierace]

This is what I used

www.headshaking.com

[Tiz]

Did it work, Laurie?

[Laurierace]

It did for the one horse I tried it on. There is a bit of trial and error involved as they customize the product for you. My guy was most likely due to allergies as he got better over the winter. It came on right around the first or second week in March and went away in November. They are very strict about no vaccinations though so you have to be committed to going through with that or they won't work with you.

[Susan09]

We had a colt that developed severe head shaking. Had 3 vets check his ears,nose, cranial nerves, flush his guttural pouches,and scope his throat. Tried Azium, cyproheptadine, and other antihistamines. They also had us using an intranasal flush containing DMSO & cortisone for a week. Just prior to the head shaking, he had been worked on by an equine dentist who uses motorized tools. Beause the horse was heavily sedated his head was allowed to rest on a U-shaped piece of steel and his head was crooked on the yoke. Since the headshaking occurred less than 24 hours later, there had to be some connection. His head shaking was severe--he couldn't safely be ridden, he was constantly flipping his head, blowing his nose even in the dark, he was miserable. Taking him out in the light only made it worse.

After all the other meds and masks were tried, we settled on having him allergy tested. It cost us $100 for the test, and another $100 for the shots which we gave ourselves. Surprisingly, it took some time but gradually went away. It started in May and was gone by fall. It did start to recur the following spring, but we started the shots right away, and it was gone in a week. He has never had another problem with it.

Looking back, three days before the head shaking started, he had a vaccination for flu. After hearing about more head shaking horses in the area, it seemed to be a common theme. I spoke with my vet about it, and he said it probably wasn't the vaccine he was allergic to, but to the culture medium--usually chicken eggs. He suggested checking with the vaccine manufacturer to make sure he wasn't revaccinated with the same type of culture and I really believe this could be the cause of the problem. We all know of horses who have had severe reactions to vaccines and sensitivity to chickens could be more of a problem than we know.

I looked at the homeopathic site and although their assessment of the cause seems to be accurate, I still think it's important to vaccinate my horses. With a head shaker, it might help to vaccinate earlier or later in the season if possible.

Good Luck. I hope this helps your horse.

[Tiz]

Thank you so much. Yes, your info is helpful. My filly developed this problem soon after having her teeth done. In fact, I had the vet come back and check her mouth again because I thought he had missed something. The onset of her symptoms also began as she was getting over a bout with a cold/flu. She was vaccinated 2 months before the symptoms started.

The allergy angle will be the next thing I try. Thank you again.

[Tiz]

Just bringing this up to the top.