Esophageal Problem Hereditary in Friesians?

Megaesophagus, a chronic dilation of the esophagus in conjunction with a lack of normal tone or strength, appears to occur at an atypically high rate in Friesian horses. The report authors suggested that this might be considered a hereditary problem in the breed.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Megaesophagus, a chronic dilation of the esophagus in conjunction with a lack of normal tone or strength, appears to occur at an atypically high rate in Friesian horses, according to a report in the proceedings from the 10th International Congress of the World Equine Veterinary Association. The report authors suggested that this might be considered a hereditary problem in the breed.

Researchers identified an apparent increase in the diagnosis of megaesophagus between July 2002 and July 2007 in Friesian horses in The Netherlands. Siebren Boerma, DVM, Spec. Equine Internal Medicine, and Marianne Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, DVM, PhD, Dipl ECEIM, Specialist KNMvD Equine Internal Medicine, from the department of equine sciences at Utrecht University, relayed the research results.

Boerma and Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan recorded 45 cases of megaesophagus at the Garyp private practice and Utrecht University large animal clinic during the study period (2002-2007). Of these patients, 41 were Friesians. The researchers also noted a familial predisposition among affected horses, suggesting the condition might be hereditary.

Clinical signs of megaesophagus include loss of appetite, muscle wasting, salivation, and mild colic. Further, horses with megaesophagus are prone to esophageal obstruction (choke)

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:

Stacey Oke, MSc, DVM, is a practicing veterinarian and freelance medical writer and editor. She is interested in both large and small animals, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Since 2005, she’s worked as a research consultant for nutritional supplement companies, assisted physicians and veterinarians in publishing research articles and textbooks, and written for a number of educational magazines and websites.

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?
328 votes · 328 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!