Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pony with neck itching and unsteady walk from vertebra fracture
By Scheffer, C J et al.·Published in Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde·2001·Afdeling Neurochirurgie·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: [Ataxia and pruritus in a pony due to a cervical vertebral fracture].
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A mini-Shetland stallion was brought in because he was scratching his neck and having trouble walking steadily. After a thorough examination and imaging tests, the vet found an old fracture in his neck that was pressing on his spinal cord. This injury was likely causing both the itching and the unsteady movements. The stallion may need treatment to manage his symptoms and address the spinal injury, but the exact recovery plan would depend on further veterinary assessment.
People also search for: pony neck itching · mini-Shetland ataxia treatment · cervical vertebral fracture in horses
Abstract
A mini-Shetland stallion was referred with bilateral pruritus localized to the anterior neck. More detailed clinical examination also revealed ataxia, and diagnostic imaging, including pre- and post-contrast computed tomography, revealed an old fracture of C2. Spinal cord compression was diagnosed. The probable causal relation between the fracture, the ataxia, and the localized pruritus seems comparable to the 'contusio cervicalis posterior' in humans, in which spinal cord trauma may cause pruritus in the associated dermatome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11436607/