Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serum hepatitis in two brood mares.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1994
- Authors:
- Messer, N T & Johnson, P J
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two adult Quarter Horse mares from the same farm showed signs of liver disease about two months after giving birth. One mare developed swelling in her legs, skin issues on her light-colored areas, and high levels of liver enzymes in her blood. The other mare experienced severe liver failure, which included yellowing of her skin and eyes, confusion, and also had high liver enzyme levels, and unfortunately, she died. The second mare's condition was typical of serum hepatitis (a liver disease linked to certain vaccinations), while the first mare had a milder, unusual form of the same disease. No harmful substances were found on the farm that could have caused their liver problems.
Abstract
Two adult Quarter Horse mares from the same farm developed signs of hepatic disease approximately 2 months after parturition. Both mares had received tetanus antitoxin at the time of foaling. One mare developed subcutaneous edema of the distal aspect of all 4 limbs, photodermatitis involving unpigmented areas of skin, and high serum activities of liver-specific enzymes. The other mare had signs of acute hepatic failure, including icterus, hepatic encephalopathy, and high serum activities of liver-specific enzymes, and died. The second mare had signs typical of serum hepatitis (Theiler's disease) and the first mare was believed to have had an atypical, less-severe form of serum hepatitis. Hepatotoxic agents (eg, poisonous plants, aflatoxins, toxic chemicals) were not found on the farm.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8063602/