Another Sad Story

Here's another horse euthanized due to DSLD-ESPA:  A Sad Story

Esmeralda is a Paso, a Peruvian breed of horse with a smooth swaying gait. They are charming animals, but their breed is prone to DSLD, a disease where little tears form in the ligaments, but do not repair with the same elasticity as before. Eventually a horse with DSLD cannot walk or stand. They are in constant pain. There is no cure.

While this is tragic for the family, I hope they find some peace and comfort in knowing they allowed their beloved mare to pass away peacefully and with dignity.  Until the research provides us with more answers, that's about all any of us can do.

Hot Potato

Someone referred me to a post (regarding DSLD-ESPA and a certain report) on another website.  Please click here to refer back to a previous blog entry that addresses the "report" referred to on the other website.  Incidentally, that "report" was NOT accepted by NAPHA. 

In addition, the information below is from an article by Dr Eleanor Kellon found in the Feb '06 issue of The Horse Journal.

In fact, Dr. Gus Cothran is hot on the trail of genes that may be linked with DSLD and is focusing on areas where genetic changes have been described in association with human diseases that bear a strong resemblance to equine DSLD, such as the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 

Ehlers-Danlos is actually a constellation of several different types of connective tissue disorders, with different genetic changes, so pinning this down could take some time if the situation in horses is similar. There are many clinical similarities between E-D and DSLD.  In addition to the abnormal ligaments and tendons, human patients may have changes in their intestinal-tract walls, which leads to bouts of abdominal pain, eye changes, arterial changes and odd progeria (premature aging) or very loose skin. The hope is that the genetic work will eventually lead to a diagnostic test for DSLD. For the moment, most involved with this disease feel very strongly that affected horses should not be bred.

(Click on image to enlarge)

High Suspensory Ligament Injuries in Horses

Interesting article on suspensory ligament injuries. Note the last sentence in the quote below. I wonder if any of the nonresponsive horses were examined for DSLD/ESPA according to Dr Mero's protocols.

High Suspensory Ligament Injuries in Horses: "While shock wave therapy is able to help most of the non-resolving cases, there are specifically difficult situations. First, older horses seem not to respond as well to therapy and in my experience seem prone to re-injury. Second, horses with hind limb high suspensory injuries are often career threatening. While the horse can return to a reasonable degree of athleticism it is often at a lower level than where they were at the time of injury. And finally, horses with progressive chronic dropping of the fetlock are often not responsive to therapy."