LA Spinal Cord Disease Exam 2

What are the components of a neuroexam in a horse?

-assess muscle mass and symmetry from all angles

-muscle tone and reflexes when animal is recumbent

-no traditional postural reaction testing

What is used in large animals to test postural reactions?

-foot placement tests

-head elevation

-circling

-backing

-hills

-curbs

-tail-pull

How does LMN dysfunction present in large animals?

-short-stride

-trembling

-hypotonic

-atrophy

-weakness

-recumbency

How does UMN dysfunction present in large animals?

-long and lopey

-stumbling/tripping

-truncal sway

-traveling on multiple tracks

-weakness

-recumbency

What are the traits of equine protozoal myelitis?

-CNS migration of sarcocysts neurona

-exposed via ingestion of possum feces

-high prevalence, low clinical disease

What are the signs of EPM?

-ataxia

-atrophy

-asymmetry

-sometimes just poor performance

How to diagnose EPM?

-MRI locating parasite in CNS

-consistent clinical signs

-proven exposure

-positive antibody serology

What CSF ratio suggests EMP?

What is the surface antigen titer on serum and CSF for EPM?

4/3/2 titer

How to treat and prevent EPM?

-antiprotozoals like ponazuril, diclazurl, sulfadiazine

-usually treat for months despite labelled use

-possum management

-good prognosis but takes a while

What are the traits of equnie herpes?

-most common strain is EHV-1 and EHV-4

-almost all horses are infected as foals

-latent in trigeminal ganglia and lymph nodes

-often subclinical until adulthood

-shedding up to 3 weeks

What is the pathogenesis of EHV?

respiratory epithelial infection -> spread to CNS endothelium -> vasculitis -> microthrombi and local hemorrhage -> disseminated ischemic CNS necrosis

T or F: neurological signs are extremely common with EHV

False

What are the clinical signs of EHV?

-fever first

-+/- respiratory disease

-ataxia with pelvic limbs worse

-incontinence

-loss of tail tone

How to diagnose EHV?

-protein and mononuclear pleiocytosis on CSF

-PCR using nasal swab

-typically takes 10-14 days after infection to appear

What is the treatment for EHV?

-supportive care

-anti-inflammatories

-anti-virals

-anti-coagulants

How to prevent EHV?

-vaccination

-prevent spread by early diagnosis and isolation

What are the traits of EEE/WEE/VEE?

-alpha virus

-ataxia

-prosencephalon signs

-seen in young or unvaccinated horses

-rapid progression and onset

-diagnose with WBC in CSF, serology, IHC

-supportive care

-poor prognosis

T or F: there is a vaccine for EEE/WEE/VEE

True

What are the traits of WNV?

-seen in summer and early fall

-varying in clinical severity

-flavivirus

-rare in foals

What are the signs of WNV?

-fever

-depression

-ataxia

-muscle fasciculation

-+/- prosencephalon or CN deficits

-acute onset

-28% mortality

How to diagnose WNV?

IgM capture ELISA

How to treat and prevent WNV?

-supportive care

-vaccine

-mosquito control

What are the traits of rabies?

-rhabdovirus

-wildlife hosts

-signs appear days-weeks-months after bite

-death within 3-5 days of clinical signs

-diagnose with IFA

T or F: discospondylitis is common in horses?

True

T or F: bacterial meningitis is common in horses

False

When does bacterial meningitis occur in horses?

-septic neonatal foals

-adults with immunodeficiencies

-adult horses with lyme

What is P. tenius?

-affects sheep, goats, llamas, and alpacas

-larvae can travel anywhere in the CNS

What are the signs of P. tenius?

-asymmetric ataxia

-multifocal lesions

-acute presentation

-eosiniophilic CSF

How to treat P. tenius?

anthelminthic that cross BBB like fenbendazole

What are the traits of thrombotic meningoencephalitis?

-gram negative

-coccobacillus

-seen in recently weaned feeder calves

-often co-infection with other respiratory pathogens

What is the pathogenesis of thrombotic meningoencephalitis?

inhaled -> enters blood stream -> adheres to endothelium -> thrombi -> ischemia and necrosis

What are the clinical signs of thrombotic meningoencephalitis?

-fever

-respiratory signs

-ataxia

-recumbency

-death

How to diagnose thrombotc meningoencephalitis?

lesion culture and PCR at necropsy

T or F: there is a vaccine for thrombotic meningoencephalitis

True

What is the pathogenesis of scrapie?

oral cavity -> tonsils -> GI lymphoid tissue -> enteric nerves -> autonomic nerves -> CNS

What are the signs of scrapie?

-isolation

-ataxia

-pruritis

-weight loss

-recumbency

-death

What large animals are effected by cervical certebral stenotic myelopathy?

young, large, male horses

T or F: cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy is infectious

False

What can result in CVSM?

-genetics

-carb overload resulting in rapid growth

-low copper

-high zinc

-trauma

What limbs are often more severely impacted with CVSM?

pelvic

What are the radiographic presentations of CVSM?

-facet arthritis

-collapsed discs

-subluxation

-narrow canal

T or F: CVSM can result in spinal root damage

True

How to treat CVSM?

-surgical fusion

-dorsal decompression

-6-12 months of rest

-paced diet

-euthanasia

How does equine degenerative myelopathy present?

cervical spinal cord, gray, and white matter lesions

How does equine neuroaxonal dystrophy present?

brainstem nuclei lesions

What contributes to the development of EDM and eNAD?

-genetics

-oxidative damage

-vitamin E deficiency

-copper deficiency

-toxin exposure

What are the clinical signs of EDM and eNAD?

-c1-c5 ataxia

-abnormal resting stance

-mentation changes

T or F: there is treatment for EDM and eNAD

False

T or F: there is an antemortem test for EDM and eNAD

False

What are the traits of bovine leukosis virus?

-retrovirus

-persistent infection

-high prevalence

-blood transmission

What are the signs of BLV?

-mostly asymptomatic

-5% develop lymphosarcoma extradurally in lumbosacral region

-ataxia

-weakness

T or F: there is treatment for BLV

False