The only means of fully preventing HYPP is to prevent the breeding of HYPP positive individuals. Other prevention measures may help to control the frequency and severity of HYPP episodes in positive individuals but will not be able to prevent every instance of HYPP in all individuals. These measures include feeding a low potassium diet, feeding at regular intervals, allow as much turnout as possible, maintain a regular exercise routine, and introduce any changes in environment or schedule slowly as this may trigger an episode of HYPP. Nutritional Myodegeneration Nutritional myodegeneration also known as white muscle disease is a condition in which cardiac and skeletal muscle is broken down by damage.
This condition is caused by a nutritional deficiency of vitamin ,
or both.
The selenium-vitamin E complex is a powerful that can neutralize free radicals before they can damage tissue. Without sufficient amounts of selenium or vitamin E the free radicals attack and damage the cell membranes of cardiac and skeletal muscle causing the necrosis of muscle tissue and the degeneration of muscles. and usually does not occur once the foal is weaned. Offspring of mares feed low-selenium diets may be more prone to developing nutritional myodegeneration. Ontario has selenium deficient soil making grains and hay grown in Ontario selenium deficient as well. Horses living in selenium deficient locations such as Ontario should receive selenium supplementation. Nutritional myodegeneration is seen most commonly in the very Clinically damage can be seen to occur in two patterns, one involves cardiac muscle while the other is restricted to skeletal muscle. The form of nutritional myodegeneration is seen as the sudden onset of respiratory stridor, foamy nasal discharge, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrhythmia and death. The muscle form is seen as the gradual onset of stiffness and pain in the muscles of the hindquarters and trunk accompanied by swelling of the muscles of those regions. Eventually dyspnea occurs due to the progressive weakening of the diaphragm and other muscles of inspiration, followed by recumbency. As skeletal muscle is broken down the serum levels of CK and AST rise as is seen in exertional rhabdomyolysis.
Diagnosis of nutritional myodegeneration can be made through clinical signs and symptoms as well as serology to assess the levels of circulating vitamin E and selenium.
Treatment is the administration of IV vitamin E and selenium though treatment is often unsuccessful.
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