Equine Seuzures Flashcards
What are you trying to assess with a walking tail pull?
UMN
What are you trying to assess with a standing tail pull?
LMN
How many cervical vertebrae do mammals have?
7
What things can cause seizures in horses?
Neonatal Congenital Metabolic Toxic Trauma Neoplastic (rare) Iatrogenic Infectious (rare) Primary idiopathic (most common)
What is a focal seizure?
partial, usually just one muscle group, usually repeatable can progress to become generalised
What is a generalised seizure?
Involves multiple muscle groups, might involve loss of consciousness & collapse
What is status epilepticus?
Loss of consciousness and severe generalised muscle contraction spasm with collapse
What should you do with a seizuring horse?
Nothing - too dangerous
What is the proper name for the condition that ‘dummy foals’ have?
hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy
What are the signs of seizuring in dummy foals?
Chewing gum fits
Nystagmus
Paddling
May mimic colic
How should you treat a dummy foal with seizures?
Can give a one off benzodiazepine, midazolam or diazepam
Which breed often has benign epilepsy that they grow out of at around 2 years old?
Arabians
respond to phenobarb treatment
What electrolyte disorders can cause seizures?
hypocalcaemia
hypomagnesaemia
hypochloraemia
What is a cholesteatoma?
Benign growth in choroid plexus of ventricles. Often found as incidental at PME but sometimes grow big and obstruct CSF outflow causing secondary hydrocephalus
Rare
How might you get an iatrogenic seizure?
Air embolism
Intra-carotid injection
Post myelography (avoid metrizamide)
