A doping scandal in dressage brought this condition to the attention of riders. An increasing number of horses, particularly competition horses, are now affected by this neuromuscular disorder. The causes remain largely unknown. Shivering is considered incurable and can severely impair the horse in some cases. Large, heavy, and male horses between the ages of four and seven, as well as horses with naturally high muscle tone, are particularly at risk.
You often notice the first signs of this condition while grooming your horse. Symptoms include muscle tremors, jerky movements, and muscle stiffness. The horses show reluctance to give their hooves and sometimes jerk their hooves sharply upward when they are lifted. The entire leg may spasm, and affected horses visibly struggle to put the trembling leg back down. They also have difficulty moving backward, which is particularly noticeable when unloading from a trailer. In most cases, the hindquarters are affected, but uncontrolled twitching can also occur in the head or forequarters. The intensity of the symptoms varies greatly. In some cases, the twitching occurs only intermittently. It can intensify under stress. In the advanced stages of the disease, significant muscle wasting is evident.
The clinical presentation of this condition is not always clear to you as a horse owner, so you should always consult your veterinarian. It is not uncommon for the symptoms to be confused with those of rooster-step or patellar luxation (see the relevant articles). A blood test can be performed, but it does not provide a definitive indication of the disease, as the levels of characteristic muscle enzymes do not differ from those of healthy horses. The results can nevertheless provide clues to possible causes or underlying conditions. Particular attention should be paid here to the analysis of minerals and trace elements, which are important components of muscle metabolism.
There is currently no solid scientific evidence regarding the causes of shivering syndrome. Possible causes under discussion include muscular, neurological, genetic, traumatic, and hormonal factors.
Since the exact causes are still unknown, the goal of treatment is to alleviate symptoms. Many affected horses show only mild signs and can be ridden in competition with almost no restrictions.
You can support your horse with shivering by taking the following steps to help it lead a pain-free life as a riding horse:
The condition is still considered incurable, which is why the prognosis must be classified as poor. Under the conditions described above, however, your horse can still lead a pain-free life and, although limited, continue to be used as a riding horse.
"My horse isn't too fat." That's what many horse owners think – and they're wrong. Assessing a horse's weight isn't easy, and horse scales aren't usually available on site. With a little practice, you can use body condition scoring to assess your horse's nutritional status yourself.
This infectious disease caused by the coronavirus affects only cats and occurs worldwide. The disease remains one of the most common causes of death in cats. The name is derived from the most common symptom of this disease, peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining).
The West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes between birds, but also to humans, horses, and other mammals. For a long time, it only occurred on the African continent. However, since 1999, the West Nile virus has also spread to the US. In 2018, it was detected for the first time in birds and two horses in Germany (Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt). Since then, infections have occurred in the summer and fall months. Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony are particularly affected. However, more and more cases are now also occurring in Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bavaria. West Nile infection is a notifiable animal disease.
Testicular tumors are the second most common type of tumor in male dogs and account for four to seven percent of all tumors in dogs overall. There are different types of tumors, with dogs with one or two undescended testicles (= cryptorchidism) having a significantly increased risk of developing a testicular tumor.
Laryngeal whistle syndrome, also known as hemiplegia laryngis or recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), describes the paralysis of one side of the laryngeal muscles caused by a disorder of the nerve responsible for controlling them. The disease manifests itself through a typical sound during inhalation, which is why riders often say that the horse has a "tone." Large horses are particularly affected, with geldings and stallions more commonly affected than mares.
Liver disease has a complex effect on metabolism. Symptoms are nonspecific and only appear when 70% of the liver is no longer functioning. This means that liver disease is only detected once it is at an advanced stage.
The word distichiasis comes from Greek and means "two rows." In this condition, an extra row of eyelash-like hairs (distichia) grows out of the sebaceous gland openings at the edge of the eyelid. Since these misplaced, hard hairs grow toward the eyeball, they cause permanent irritation and damage to the cornea. Another form of distichiasis is ectopic cilia. These are scattered hair follicles that grow out of the inside of the eyelid as individual bristly hairs or as a whole tuft of hair, standing perpendicular to the cornea and causing permanent irritation to the eye. Ectopic cilia are most commonly found on the upper eyelid in dogs and very rarely in cats.
For people who have always been around dogs, talking to their four-legged friends is probably easy and almost second nature. But at the beginning of the relationship, it is important to immerse yourself in the dog's world and meet it where it is coming from. So you have to learn its language—not the other way around.
Some dogs have long hair, others short, others trimmed... Dog groomers are becoming increasingly popular. And even dogs that don't really need a haircut can relax during a wash, cut, and blow-dry.
A hernia is a bulge in the abdominal wall through which the peritoneum and intestines can protrude. Perianal hernia, also known as perineal hernia, is a condition that occurs in 90% of older, unneutered male dogs, in which fat and abdominal organs protrude under the skin in the perineal area (the area between the anus and the external genitalia).
This eye disease, also known as Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA), is a hereditary condition affecting Collies, Shelties, and some related breeds. It is a congenital developmental disorder of the back of both eyes that can lead to visual impairment or even blindness.
This brain disorder, which has not yet been fully researched in dogs, causes seizures that can be very frightening for dog owners. Epilepsy can be treated very effectively with medication, but its cause is still not fully understood.
