Diagnosis and Treatment of Rhabdomyolysis in Foals

We hear a lot about a horse experiencing rhabdomyolysis (tying-up) during or after exercise. However, foals are also susceptible to muscle damage. Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, presented “A Review of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Rhabdomyolysis in Foals” at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioner’s Convention. She began her presentation with a

Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

We hear a lot about a horse experiencing rhabdomyolysis (tying-up) during or after exercise. However, foals are also susceptible to muscle damage. Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, presented "A Review of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Rhabdomyolysis in Foals" at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioner's Convention. She began her presentation with a discussion of what a practitioner might do when presented with a possible case of tying-up.

Diagnosis

To assess the damage to the muscles, a practitioner might indicate that a serum chemistry profile is necessary, said Valberg. The activity of specific enzymes such as creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate transaminase (AST) provide information about muscle damage. Serum CK values will peak about four to six hours after muscle damage, and they will return to normal between three to seven days after the muscle damage stops occurring. "Thus, high serum CK activity indicates acute muscle degeneration, and persistently elevated serum CK activity over time indicates ongoing rhabdomyolysis," she said.

Increases in LDH and AST activity can also indicate tying-up, but they can also point to liver damage. LDH peaks 12 hours after muscle damage, with values returning to normal seven to 10 days after damage. AST peaks one to two days after muscle damage and won't return to normal for five to 14 days. To rule out liver disease, a biochemistry profile will also measure glutamyl transferase (GGT) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH)

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Sarah Evers Conrad has a bachelor’s of arts in journalism and equine science from Western Kentucky University. As a lifelong horse lover and equestrian, Conrad started her career at The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care magazine. She has also worked for the United States Equestrian Federation as the managing editor of Equestrian magazine and director of e-communications and served as content manager/travel writer for a Caribbean travel agency. When she isn’t freelancing, Conrad spends her free time enjoying her family, reading, practicing photography, traveling, crocheting, and being around animals in her Lexington, Kentucky, home.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
313 votes · 313 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!