Narcolepsy in Horses

I am requesting information regarding narcolepsy. I haven’t found any sources with any information.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

I am requesting information regarding narcolepsy. I haven’t found any sources with any information.

AIn a book I edited with Warwick Bayly, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, entitled Equine Internal Medicine (published by W.B. Saunders in 1998), there is a section on narcolepsy (page 454). In part, it reads: "Narcolepsy is a rare, incurable sleep disorder of the central nervous system characterized by uncontrolled episodes of loss of muscle tone (cataplexy) and sleep. The disease has been reported in Suffolk and Shetland foals (the fainting disease), Welsh ponies, a miniature horse, and in the Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Morgan, Appaloosa, and Standardbred breeds. A familial occurrence (heredity within a specific breeding line) is thought to exist in affected Suffolk and Shetland pony foals.

"Clinical signs of narcolepsy vary from mild muscle weakness to complete collapse. Adult horses may drop their heads, buckle at the knees, and stumble. If forced to walk, the horse may be ataxic (uncoordinated). Pony breeds are more likely to become recumbent. Horses and ponies that collapse may show absent spinal reflexes and REM sleep. Episodes may last from a few seconds to 10 minutes.

"The prognosis for narcolepsy is variable. Some newborn Thoroughbreds and miniature horses may have severe attacks, but recover fully. In Shetland and Suffolk ponies, the disease may persist throughout life, as is true with the adult-onset form

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:

Steve Reed, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, earned his DVM at The Ohio State University, followed by a residency at Michigan State University. He started his academic teaching career at Washington State University from 1979-1983, and then returned to Ohio State where he spent 26 years as a professor and mentor in the equine medicine department. Reed is a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and is a noted author and editor of numerous scientific articles and textbooks. He has spoken at many state, national, and international meetings. His primary research interests include equine neurologic diseases. He is currently an internal medicine specialist and shareholder at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Emeritus Professor of The Ohio State University, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Kentucky, and the chairman of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Advisory Committee.

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:

How much time do you usually spend grooming your horse?
439 votes · 439 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!