Saturday, November 23, 2019

New Neurological Disease in Icelandic Horses? Or Bad Ponies?

In 2011, several horses in southern Iceland were exhibiting strange neurological symptoms.  "These included shaking, poor coordination, and a vastly increased appetite. The matter was brought to the attention of several veterinarians, none of whom were able to determine a cause..."   They were concerned that the horses might be showing signs of a new neurological disease in horses.  The clue in solving the mystery was the symptom "increased appetite" since sick animals usually don't eat.

Veterinarian Mia Hellsten shared the case with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP).  One of its members had seen similar symptoms in a dog. 

Blood work came back positive for marijuana.  Evidently the horses has encountered some plants growing outside and indulged.

Can you imagine an Icelandic horse with increased appetite?

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