Health Topics

Health Topics

Belgian draft horse

Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa (JEB)

  • by Amy Young, Dr. Rebecca Bellone, and Dr. Carrie Finno
Junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) is an inherited skin disorder that causes skin lesions to develop and progress over time.
head and neck of an Arabian horse

Juvenile Idiopathic Epilepsy (JIE)

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Carrie Finno
Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy (JIE) is an inherited disease in some Arabian foals of Egyptian lineage characterized by recurrent seizures, which are due to abnormal electrical activity of the brain.
Close up view of the right eye of a bay horse

Keratitis

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Bianca da Costa Martins
Keratitis is a common disease of the equine eye that involves inflammation of the cornea.
dressage horse

Kissing Spines

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Sarah le Jeune
Overriding dorsal spinous processes, “kissing spines”, occur when vertebrae in the spine are too close together.
close up of white horse walking in pasture

Laminitis

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Emily Berryhill
Laminitis is inflammation and damage of the tissue between the hoof and the underlying coffin bone.
Arabian horse

Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS)

  • by Amy Young, Dr. Rebecca Bellone, and Dr. Carrie Finno
Lavender foal syndrome (LFS) is an inherited disease that causes neurological dysfunction in newborn Arabian foals.
Frame overo Paint horse

Lethal White Overo Syndrome (LWO)

  • by Amy Young, Dr. Rebecca Bellone, and Dr. Carrie Finno
Lethal white overo (LWO) syndrome is an inherited disease in Paint horses. Horses with a particular white spotting pattern known as frame overo can produce affected offspring.
horses running in field

Malignant Hyperthermia (MH)

  • by Amy Young, Dr. Rebecca Bellone, and Dr. Carrie Finno
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare inherited disease that can cause a life-threatening condition triggered by anesthesia drugs.
gray horse

Melanoma in Horses

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Carrie Finno
Melanoma is a commonly diagnosed skin cancer in horses (especially gray horses).
horse galloping in field

Mitral Valve Regurgitation

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Jessica Morgan
Mitral valve regurgitation is a common heart condition in horses.
Horse showing clinical signs of narcolepsy

Narcolepsy

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Carrie Finno
Narcolepsy is a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorder that results in excessive sleepiness and “attacks” of sleep accompanied by rapid eye movements.
picture of a palomino foal standing at its mother's side

Neonatal Maladjustment Syndrome in Foals

  • by Amy Young and Dr. John Madigan
Foals with neonatal maladjustment syndrome, also known as “dummy foals”, appear healthy at birth, but soon exhibit neurological abnormalities.
mare and foal

Nutritional Myodegeneration (NMD)

  • by Amy Young and Dr. Emily Berryhill
Nutritional myodegeneration (NMD), also known as white muscle disease, occurs in newborn foals that do not receive enough selenium from their dams.
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