Abstract
This report describes a four-day-old, full-term Connemara colt, presented for the evaluation of a progressive inability to rise unassisted. A diagnosis of nutritional muscular dystrophy was made based on muscular weakness, elevated muscle enzymes and low vitamin E, selenium and glutathione peroxidase activity. The foal was treated with intramuscular vitamin E-selenium and made a full recovery.
Highlights
Nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD), known as white muscle disease or nutritional myodegeneration, is a noninflammatory degenerative disease affecting both skeletal and cardiac muscles, with animals presenting either in an acute or subacute form (Dill and Rebhun 1985; Moore and Kohn 1991; Lofstedt 1997)
We report a case of diffuse muscular weakness in a fourday-old foal in which NMD was diagnosed based on the clinical presentation and laboratory findings including low serum vitamin E and Se concentrations
Foals deficient in Se, such as the foal described in this report, will have low glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity when red blood cells (RBC) that had matured in a period of adequate Se are replaced with RBCs that had matured during a period of Se deficiency (Moore and Kohn 1991)
Summary
Nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD), known as white muscle disease or nutritional myodegeneration, is a noninflammatory degenerative disease affecting both skeletal and cardiac muscles, with animals presenting either in an acute or subacute form (Dill and Rebhun 1985; Moore and Kohn 1991; Lofstedt 1997) It is most commonly observed in regions in which there is selenium (Se)-deficient soil, grains and forages (Dill and Rebhun 1985; Lofstedt 1997). Selenium toxicity has been reported in horses (as well as cattle and sheep) in the Republic of Ireland (Rogers et al 1990), to the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of NMD in a foal in the Republic of Ireland
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
