Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs of liver disease in two mares after foaling
By Messer, N T & Johnson, P J·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1994·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum hepatitis in two brood mares.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two Quarter Horse mares developed liver problems about two months after giving birth. One mare showed swelling in her legs and skin issues, while the other had severe liver failure and unfortunately passed away. The second mare's symptoms were consistent with serum hepatitis (also known as Theiler's disease), a condition linked to receiving certain medications after foaling. The first mare had a milder form of the same disease. The farm was checked for toxic plants or chemicals, but none were found.
People also search for: Quarter Horse liver disease · serum hepatitis in horses · mare health after foaling
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 on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8063602/