Hello, I'm Leah, and I want to share a remarkable journey of recovery that my beloved 16hh Skewbald Cob, PJ, embarked on. PJ is 17 years old, and I've been fortunate to have him as my companion for the past seven years. Throughout our time together, PJ has always been a picture of health and vitality, but in May, something changed.
It all began with a couple of unsettling incidents during our rides. PJ, who had always been sure-footed, suddenly lost his balance and fell twice within a short period. This was incredibly unusual, and I couldn't help but worry that something was wrong. I promptly had him thoroughly checked by a veterinarian, hoping to pinpoint the cause of his unusual behavior, but to my surprise, everything appeared to be in order.
As the weeks passed, I observed PJ drinking more water and urinating frequently. Concerned about his age and the fact that he hadn't shed his winter coat, I started to consider the possibility of Cushing's disease. Our trusted vets from Hampden's came out to perform some blood tests to investigate further. To our relief, the results came back negative for Cushing's disease. However, they revealed a different issue—PJ had liver failure. It was a diagnosis that left us puzzled since I had always been diligent about removing any ragwort from his surroundings, and none of the other horses had experienced liver problems.
Hampden's recommended a course of action: PJ needed to be taken out of work, given plenty of rest, and put on Hepalyte Liver Tonic by Hestevard. We would then reevaluate his condition with follow-up blood tests the next month.
PJ began his journey to recovery by taking 60ml of Hepalyte daily, which we mixed into his feed, consisting of simple molasses-free chaff and Milk Thistle. June felt like an eternity, but when the end of the month arrived, the results were nothing short of miraculous. The Hepalyte Liver Tonic had worked its magic, and PJ's liver was on the path to repair.
PJ continued his field rest regimen and stayed on Hepalyte for an additional two months before undergoing another round of blood tests in September. This time, the results were a cause for celebration—PJ was completely in the clear! All of his levels had returned to within the normal range, and he was slowly starting to return to work.
Hepalyte had saved my horse. This miracle tonic had done wonders, and PJ was back to being his vibrant self. He was out in the field, galloping, bucking, and playing with his friends, and we were determined to make the most of the autumn before winter set in. I'm immensely grateful to Hampden Vets and Hestevard for saving my precious boy.
In six months, we'll run blood tests again to ensure that PJ is still on track and that his levels don't begin to creep back up. PJ's three sets of blood results, which show the normal ranges in brackets and his journey from where he started to where he is now, are listed below:
- ALP (20-180): Down from 327 to 292 to 171
- AST (150-600): Down from 927 to 602 to 368
- GGT (10-60): Down from 327 to 129 to 22
Thank you, Hestevard, for giving PJ a second lease on life. We look forward to many more happy and healthy years together.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Leah and PJ X
