Wobbler Disease - Wobbler Disease in Horses

Wobbler Disease in Horses

Wobbler disease is also found in horses, where it is often called Wobbler's Syndrome, refers to several conditions beyond those listed above, including equine wobbles anemia. It is also used as a catchall phrase within the horse community to designate a neurological problem that has no more specific diagnosis. Some forms, such as cervical vertebral malformation (CVM), are not thought to be hereditary, but rather a congenital condition or a growth disorder. Other forms, such as Equine wobbles anemia, are concentrated in certain breeds and may be hereditary to some extent. Horses with wobbler disease often exhibit ataxia (implying dysfunction of parts of the nervous system), show weakness in the hindquarters, or may knuckle over in their fetlocks, particularly in the rear. With advanced stages of the disease they are prone to falling. While some cases are successfully treated with nutritional and medical management, surgery is also used. One method is the use of Titanium baskets, placed to fuse the vertebrae, thereby preventing compression of the spinal cord. Some horses are able to return to work, with a few able to reach competitive levels. There is currently no complete "cure" for the condition.

Because wobbler's is the best known of the neurological conditions that affect horses, other, unrelated conditions, such as Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis and cerebellar abiotrophy are sometimes misdiagnosed as wobbler's, even though the causes and symptoms differ.