Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse has a twitch in its front leg after injury - what to do?
By Beech, J·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1982·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Forelimb tic in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A young 18-month-old male Quarter Horse developed a tic in his right front leg after injuring it four weeks prior. The tic caused constant twitching that was strong enough to move his entire body, and it even occurred while he was sleeping. Despite various treatments and medications, the twitching persisted during a 21-day hospital stay but eventually stopped on its own ten weeks after he returned home. The veterinarians suspected that the injury may have caused nerve issues, but tests showed no significant abnormalities.
People also search for: horse leg twitching treatment · Quarter Horse forelimb injury · horse tic after injury
Abstract
An 18-month-old male Quarter Horse was referred for evaluation of a tic that had started after injury to the right forelimb 4 weeks earlier. The right forelimb appeared paretic and had constant regular twitches of variable intensity that were usually sufficiently forceful to move the trunk, neck, and head. The horse frequently threw the limb forward. The twitch persisted during sleep but disappeared during general anesthesia and following sedation with xylazine. It was unaffected by acetylpromazine, diphenylhydantoin, diazepam, carbamazepine, trimethadione, procainamide, quinidine, propranolol, dantrolene, methocarbamol, dimethyl sulfoxide mixed with xylocaine, or by low volar nerve anesthesia. It remained unchanged during 21 days of hospitalization but had stopped 10 weeks after discharge. Electromyographic tracings of the limb and neck and radiographs of the cervical and proximal thoracic spine, scapulohumeral joints, and adjacent ribs were normal. A localized spinal cord lesion or peripheral neuropathy and neuralgia secondary to trauma were suspected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7199039/