Ataxia
Ataxia ia decreased coordination of the skeletan muscles. The nervous system is damaged and so the cooperation between muscles and nerves is disturbed. Because of this the walk of the horse van become divergent.
Cause:
This condition knows many causes. One of them is the herpesvirus. This virus brings damage to the nerves around the spinal cord, wherefor the signal doesn't go that well anymore from the brain to the muscle. Also an acute trauma can be at the basis. A fall, a kick or a sudden, forceful movement can be cause damage to the spinal canal or the nerves that run around it.
Symptoms:
Horses that suffer from a severe form of ataxia seems to swing and seems drunk. You can see this the best at the hindquarter. Often the power of the tail has decreased and sometimes also the front legs participate.
If the herpesvirus is the cause, then it's possible that the horse can't stand on its legs anymore.
Diagnosis and treatement:
To establish that it's ataxia, a few tests must be performed.
One of the tests is testing the connection reflexes. The hoof of the horse gets lifted and bended after which the front of the hoof or the pastern gets put back on the ground. Normally this position is corrected immediately, but a horse that has ataxia will do this slower or not at all.
Another test is crossing the legs. You put one leg in front of the other and try if the horse wants to put weight on the crossed leg. If the horse has ataxia, then it will correct this late or not at all.
If it concerns a condition of the cervical vertebrae, the horse can't, or barely, move its nose towards its breast. To be absolutely possitive that it's ataxia, an x-ray can be made of the vertebrae.
If it is established that the herpesvirus is the cause, you can only constrain the inflammation with anti-inflammatories and give substances that will protect the spinal cord the best way possible.
If it is a mechanical damage, then fysiotherapy, anti-inflammatories and chiropraxis can lighten the symptoms.
Also vitamin B should help since it has a favourable effect on the recovery of the nervous tissue.
Enough rest is adviced and a large stable where the floor isn't too slippery to avoid more injuries is also necessary.
EMND
EMND is a condition seen in horses since the age of 2 years, that causes regression of the motor neurones in the brainstem and the spinal cord, but is most often seen in older horses.
Cause:
The cause is still unknown, but assumed is a lack of vitamin E and selenium in the nourishment.
Symptoms:
The horse looses weight rapidly eventhough it has a good appetite. It can't hold its head and neck up very well anymore, because of the muscle weakness. Shivering, sweating and lying down are also symptoms.
Diagnosis and treatement:
An electromyogram can confirm the disease. With an EMG an action stream of the muscle contraction is measured.
Als a muscle biopsy can confirm this.
Unfortunately there is still no effective treatement. If the horse is given plentiful of vitamin E it will recover a little bit, but it will never heal completely.
EDM
EDM is a disease of the spinal cord in horses seen since weaning until 2-3 years of age. Especially the white matter of the spinal cord is here damaged in the area around the neck.
Cause:
What the is, is still unknown. Just like with ataxia is assumed that a lack of vitamin E/ selenium is a cause. But also heredity could be a cause.
Symptoms:
Sometimes there are prior symptoms like a stiff neck or wanting to stand on 3 legs. But mostly the disease is suddenly very visible. Often ataxia starts, but also when getting up gets more difficult, lying down a lot, movement disorders of the neck and loss of power in the tail muscles are symptoms.
Diagnosis and treatement:
Because it isn't very easy to distinguish it from Wobbler syndrome at first sight, you can only confirm it during section.
Being early with this and a quick treatement of vitamin E in the nurture can be effective, but the recovery takes months.
The horse needs also a lot rest and a large stable with a floor that isn't slippery to avoid injuries.
Grass sickness
This disease causes damage to parts of the nervous system that is responsible for the movement of the involuntary muscles. Because of this the intestines come to a halt.
Usually this occurs in spring, but it can occur the whole year. Often it concerns horses that eat primarily grass.
Cause:
Here the cause is also unknown. One thinks toxine, possibly caused by a bacteria, but also a lack of vitamin E and selenium.
Symptoms:
In general the horse is listless, has a too rapid heartrate, slow intestinal functioning and colic. But each form is different.
The symptoms of an acute form are very serious. The horse had trouble swallowing and drools, it shows similarities with a colic attack and suffers from shivering and sweating.
If the horse suffers from a sub-acute form, then the symptoms are similar to the acute form, but less severe. But the horse looses also weight, although it can eat small amounts of food.
Finally there is also the chronical form. Some horses suffer from a mild form of colic. The appetite decreases and swallowing gets harder. The most important symptom is therefor quick and sever weight loss.
Diagnosis and treatement:
Unfortunately you can only establish the disease during an autopsy, since there are no reliable test to perform on a living animal.
Also there is unfortunately no treatement. With each form the horse will eventually die and sometimes euthanising the horse is the best solution. This way the horse doesn't have to suffer for too long.
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