Veterinární Medicína (Mar 2014)

Equine grass sickness in the Czech Republic a case report

  • P. Melkova,
  • P. Cizek,
  • E. Ludvikova,
  • B. Bezdekova

DOI
https://doi.org/10.17221/7381-VETMED
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 59, no. 3
pp. 137 – 140

Abstract

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Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a degenerative polyneuropathy affecting postganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic neurons. The major clinical signs relate to dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract and the condition is frequently fatal. EGS has been reported in different parts of the world including Europe. This paper describes the first case of equine dysautonomia in the Czech Republic. The ante mortem diagnosis was based on typical clinical signs and a positive phenylephrine eye-drop test and was confirmed at necropsy following observation of pathognomic histopathological lesions in the enteric neural system of the ileum.

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