Equine Motor Neuron Disease

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kempshills

Member
Joined
19 April 2007
Messages
23
Location
Staffordshire, UK
www.kempshills.co.uk
Does anyone have any knowledge about this please? I have googled it and read the article on here, which I am in total shock over as my 3 y.o. filly is out 24/7 on good grass and has a daily vitamin supplement so no mean posts about it being neglect please.

I will post Fleur's story if it is relevant or if you are interested. As you can imagine I am very upset and don't wish to be distracted by other diagnoses or suggestions. Sorry. That said the muscle biopsy is being taken tomorrow so we may have another diagnosis next week.

So does anyone have anything that could help?

Thanks in advance for your time.
Siobhain
 
Hi, sorry to hear about your filly; it is a horrible disease.

Presumably she is exhibiting signs of weakness and wasting and her glutathione peroxidase/selenium have been tested and found to be low. Horses with EMND usually have altered glucose metabolism and may have other trace element abnormalities.

Treatment-wise horses need to be supplemented with vit E/ selenium and fed an increased level of nutrition. Most horses who are well enough for treatment to be considered will show some response to this, although there is often a permanent degree of debilitation and not all motor neurons will regain function. If she is not too severly affected then the prognosis is reasonable.

I would advise testing your other horses' selenium levels and supplementing as required. So much land in the UK is deficient, but people are often not aware until problems occur.

Best of luck for a good outcome.
 
I will be interested in finding more about your horses diagnosis too as my pony has just been blood tested due to loss of weight and muscle loss and MND has been suggested. Will find out results shortly.

Again the H&H article seems to be very misleading as my pony lives out 24/7 and has done for the past 10 years and the grazing seems to be adequate, the other 3 horses he lives with are all very fat and their health is excellent so a very worrying time.

He is 22 so putting some of it down to age, but just cant get my head round it at all, he has been part of my life for 20 years so just devastated at the moment :(
 
Baldybear said:
I will be interested in finding more about your horses diagnosis too as my pony has just been blood tested due to loss of weight and muscle loss and MND has been suggested. Will find out results shortly.

Again the H&H article seems to be very misleading as my pony lives out 24/7 and has done for the past 10 years and the grazing seems to be adequate, the other 3 horses he lives with are all very fat and their health is excellent so a very worrying time.
Click to expand...

Her muscle biopsy came back negative for emnd but the vets and the specialist still think that is the most likely diagnosis. She's going to the RVC next week for further tests. I'll post as soon as I know anything.
 
Kempshill,

The team at the RVC are wonderful and experienced in the condition. My 15 year old gelding was showing all the symptoms, yet like you muscle biopsy came back negative. We treated with steroids and Vit E & Selenium with a low starch diet (Saracen Re-Leve)and he had a happy retirement. Gayle somebody was involved with my boy, and she's still there - the other treating vet I had moved on a couple of years ago. I hope all goes ok for you and your girl - sending you positive wishes
 
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