Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mare with severe selenium deficiency causes trouble giving birth
By Busse, Nicolas I & Uberti, Benjamin·Published in Journal of equine veterinary science·2020·Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Uterine Inertia due to Severe Selenium Deficiency in a Parturient Mare.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old mare was brought to the vet because she was seven days overdue and showing signs of mild colic. After ruling out other issues, the vet diagnosed her with uterine inertia, meaning her uterus wasn't contracting to help deliver the foal. Despite treatment with oxytocin, which usually helps with contractions, it didn't work, so the vet performed a C-section to deliver a live filly. Unfortunately, the filly was born with severe white muscle disease due to the mare's severe selenium deficiency, which was confirmed in both the mare and her herd. The filly needed intensive care after birth.
People also search for: mare overdue foaling · selenium deficiency in horses · white muscle disease treatment in foals
Abstract
A 12-year-old, multiparous, parturient show jumper embryo-recipient mare presented at a veterinary hospital, seven days past her due date and with a dilated cervix, for evaluation of mild colic. Gastrointestinal or metabolic abnormalities and fetal maldispositions were excluded as causes of dystocia, and a diagnosis of uterine inertia was made. There was no uterine response to oxytocin treatment. A live filly was delivered via C-section, and severe selenium deficiency was eventually confirmed in the mare, her offspring, and in the herd of origin. The filly was born with severe white muscle disease and required intensive treatment. This report suggests that selenium deficiency is an underlying cause of equine uterine inertia in the absence of other causes of dystocia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31952635/