Unless severe, the signs and symptoms of wobblers are generally not noticed until the animal has started training. Diagnosis of wobbler syndrome is made through clinical signs and symptoms, case history and radiography showing vertebral malformation. Radiography is difficult in the horse due to its size. Myelogram, CT scan & MRI are also very useful in the diagnosis of Wobblers. EPM, EDM, EHV-1 & other trauma should be ruled out. Treatment of wobblers is generally symptomatic, though chiropractic adjustment may be able to correct vertebral luxations that are the result of trauma. Surgical correction via a Seattle Slew implant has been successful. Massage therapy may be used to increase to muscle tone of the hind limb and to relieve compensatory tension in the back and the forelimb of affected horses. Surgical stabilization of the vertebrae may be successful in cases of dynamic wobblers. Prognosis is poor for those who do not receive treatment. For young horses with successful treatment prognosis is good. Older horses or those with boney changes prognosis is poor and often S&S become permanent for life.
Equine Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy (EDM)
Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) or neuroaxonal Dystrophy (NAD) is a neurological disease of the motor neurons.
Its cause is idiopathic, though genetic factors and be of importance in the onset of clinical disease.
insufficiency are known to
It is thought that damage of the axons of the bulbospinal neurons causes swelling of the axon and subsequent atrophy. A lipofuscin-like pigment is deposited into the atrophied neural tissue further impairing nervous function. and other stock horse breeds. Morgans & Lusitanos can also be affected more commonly. EDM affects young horses with the clinical onset starting at about six months of age and a progressive worsening of symptoms lasting until the horse is about three years of age. Horses that have little or no assess to green forage or those who ingest wood preservatives or insecticides are at higher risk. EDM is known to run in families and to be most common in EDM is clinically seen as ataxia, symmetric muscular weakness, symmetric paresis, symmetric dysmetria, wide base stance & gait, pacing gait, hyporeflexia of the face and neck reflexes and muscle spasticity. S&S tend to be more severe of the hind limbs. , Diagnosis of EDM can be made through the clinical signs and symptoms, the absence of the cutaneous , and blood analysis revealing low circulating levels of vitamin
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