Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy in Gypsy Vanner horses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects young, genetically predisposed horses that are deficient in vitamin E. Equine NAD/EDM has not previously been documented in Gypsy Vanner horses (GVs).

Objectives

To evaluate: (1) the clinical phenotype, blood vitamin E concentrations before and after supplementation and pedigree in a cohort of GV horses with a high prevalence of neurologic disease suspicious for eNAD/EDM and (2) to confirm eNAD/EDM in GVs through postmortem evaluation.

Animals

Twenty-six GVs from 1 farm in California and 2 cases from the Midwestern U.S.

Methods

Prospective observational study on Californian horses; all 26 GVs underwent neurologic examination.

SUBMITTER: Powers A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11099697 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature