Nutritional Myopathy of Equids

Myodegeneration, associated with selenium or vitamin E deficiency, can be seen in adult horses, donkeys, and mules. The disease in adult equids may manifest in the acute form by sudden unexpected death or in the subacute form by staggering gait, myoglobinuria, dysphagia with swelling of the masseter and lingual muscles, dyspnea, and tachycardia. Lesions involve the skeletal muscles and myocardium. Diagnosis and treatment are as for ruminants ( Nutritional Myopathy of Calves and Lambs) and pigs ( Nutritional Myopathy of Pigs). In foals, a myopathy that appears similar to the vitamin E/selenium-responsive disorders of other species may be seen at birth or shortly thereafter and may be accompanied by steatitis or yellow fat ( Yellow Fat Disease). Stiffness and pain on palpation of subcutaneous fat masses are noticeable, and severely affected foals may be unable to suckle. Selenium and glutathione peroxidase levels in affected foals may be no different than in healthy ones. Treatment with vitamin E appears more effective than with selenium.