Vet Med - Czech, 2007, 52(6):267-272 | DOI: 10.17221/1880-VETMED

Nutritional myodegeneration as a cause of dysphagia in adult horses: three case reports

E. Ludvikova1, P. Jahn1, Z. Lukas2
1 Equine Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Three cases of nutritional myodegeneration caused by selenium deficiency in adult horses are described. Difficulty in eating and drinking was a common clinical sign in all horses. Blood biochemistry revealed a marked elevation of muscle enzymes and low glutathione peroxidase activity or low selenium concentration in whole blood in all cases. The treatment with sodium selenite and vitamin E was instituted in all horses. Two of them were euthanized because of continuing muscle injuries, one patient was cured. The post-mortem examination of euthanized horses revealed pale muscles that were distributed with bilateral symmetry on hind and thoracic limbs, diaphragm, tongue, masticatory and intercostal muscles and the myocardium. Histopathology revealed the areas of degeneration and necrosis. Large groups of regenerating fibres and pronounced lymphoplasmocytic reaction among the groups of intact fibres were also present. The clinical outcome of the disease is probably influenced by timely diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: selenium; α-tocopherol acetate; vitamin E; myopathy; glutathione peroxidase

Published: June 30, 2007  Show citation

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Ludvikova E, Jahn P, Lukas Z. Nutritional myodegeneration as a cause of dysphagia in adult horses: three case reports. Vet Med - Czech. 2007;52(6):267-272. doi: 10.17221/1880-VETMED.
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