Diseases

10 flagship equine conditions, linked to anatomy and imaging.

Laminitis

Laminitis

Bilateral forelimb lameness, sawhorse stance, bounding digital pulses, hoof tester sensitivity at the toe.

foot
endocrine
emergency
1 affected structure

Navicular syndrome (podotrochlosis)

Syndroma podotrochleare

Insidious bilateral forelimb lameness, short stride, toe-first landing, improves with palmar digital nerve block.

foot
lameness
MRI
3 affected structures

Proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD)

Forelimb: subtle lameness, improves with lateral palmar nerve block. Hindlimb: poor performance, behavioural changes, lameness on circle.

distal limb
performance
MRI
2 affected structures

SDFT tendinopathy ('bowed tendon')

Heat, swelling, pain on palpation of mid-metacarpal SDFT; variable lameness.

distal limb
racing
rehab
1 affected structure

Kissing spines (impingement of dorsal spinous processes)

Poor performance, back pain, resistance to saddling, bucking.

back
performance
surgical
2 affected structures

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS)

Poor appetite, weight loss, behavioural changes, low-grade colic.

GI
performance
1 affected structure

Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (roaring)

Inspiratory noise at exercise ('roaring'), exercise intolerance.

upper airway
surgical
racing
1 affected structure

Guttural pouch mycosis

Spontaneous epistaxis (often fatal), dysphagia, Horner's syndrome.

upper airway
emergency
vascular
1 affected structure

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) — stifle

Stifle effusion, variable lameness, often bilateral.

young horse
stifle
arthroscopy
1 affected structure

Cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (Wobbler syndrome)

Symmetric ataxia (hindlimbs > forelimbs), proprioceptive deficits.

neuro
young horse
surgical
1 affected structure