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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(10); doi: 10.3390/ani15101447

Can Acute Neurological Disease Cause Cardiomyopathy in Horses?

Abstract: In human medicine, neurological diseases have been associated with transient cardiac abnormalities. In horses, myocardial disease is rarely diagnosed and has been associated with a wide variety of causes. The aim of this article is to describe three horses with no previous cardiac disease, which all developed severe cardiomyopathy following neurological disease. A 5-year-old Shetland pony stallion was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy with arrhythmias following an episode of seizures caused by an accidental intra-arterial xylazine injection. A 20-year-old crossbred mare was hospitalised for an open fracture of the left maxillary bone with copious epistaxis from both nostrils and developed acute cardiomyopathy with arrhythmias following a venous air embolism. Both had elevated troponin concentrations. Multifocal areas of haemorrhages and coagulative necrosis within the myocardium were found at the post-mortem examination of a 4-year-old thoroughbred gelding who died shortly after suffering acute brain injury following a backward fall. Based on this report, we suggest that myocardial injury can also occur in horses following neurological disease. Equine patients with acute neurological disease may benefit from cardiac monitoring; otherwise, patients with unspecific or mild symptoms of cardiomyopathy are likely to remain unidentified. The prognosis associated with this type of cardiac disease remains to be defined.
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Publication Date: 2025-05-16 PubMed ID: 40427323PubMed Central: PMC12108328DOI: 10.3390/ani15101447Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study is centered on the hypothesis that acute neurological diseases can induce cardiomyopathy, a serious heart disease, in horses. The researchers aimed to prove this by presenting cases of three horses that developed severe cardiomyopathy following incidents of neurological disease.

Objective and Methodology

  • The study’s focus was on a potentially new cause of cardiomyopathy in horses; an acute neurological disease. The research was based on three distinct cases of horses that suffered severe cardiomyopathy after episodes of neurological disorders.
  • The method used was a case study review, wherein the researchers studied the horse’s health history, and the onset and progression of their respective neurological diseases, and subsequent heart conditions.

Synopsis of the Cases

  • The first case revolved around a 5-year-old Shetland pony stallion, with a history of seizures induced by an accidental intra-arterial injection of Xylazine. The pony was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy along with arrhythmias.
  • The second case was of a 20-year-old crossbred mare that was brought in for the treatment of an open fracture in the left maxillary bone, combined with severe nosebleeds. Post-treatment, the mare developed acute cardiomyopathy with arrhythmias due to a venous air embolism.
  • The third case mentioned a 4-year-old thoroughbred gelding, which suffered from acute brain injury after a backward fall. The gelding passed away shortly after the incident, and post-mortem tests revealed multifocal areas of hemorrhage and coagulative necrosis within the myocardium.

Conclusions and Recommendations

  • Based on the cases reviewed, the researchers concluded that myocardial injury can occur in horses following neurological diseases. These injuries can lead to severe cardiomyopathy, disrupting the normal heart functions.
  • However, it was also observed that such cardiac abnormalities remain largely unidentified due to their unspecific or mild symptoms.
  • The researchers suggested that horses with acute neurological diseases might benefit from routine cardiac monitoring, which could help in early detection and treatment of developing heart conditions.
  • Finally, they argued that the prognosis of this type of cardiac disease needs to be further researched and defined.

Cite This Article

APA
Vitale V, Velloso Álvarez A, de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Neira-Egea P, Vandecandelaere M, Tee E, Gimeno M, van Galen G. (2025). Can Acute Neurological Disease Cause Cardiomyopathy in Horses? Animals (Basel), 15(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15101447

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 10

Researcher Affiliations

Vitale, Valentina
  • Hospital Clínico Veterinario, Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca, 46115 Valencia, Spain.
  • Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Velloso Álvarez, Ana
  • Hospital Clínico Veterinario, Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca, 46115 Valencia, Spain.
de la Cuesta-Torrado, María
  • Hospital Clínico Veterinario, Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca, 46115 Valencia, Spain.
Neira-Egea, Patricia
  • Hospital Clínico Veterinario, Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca, 46115 Valencia, Spain.
Vandecandelaere, Marie
  • Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
  • Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, Congupna, VIC 3633, Australia.
Tee, Elizabeth
  • Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Gimeno, Marina
  • Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
  • Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Woodbridge Road, Menangle, Sydney, NSW 2568, Australia.
van Galen, Gaby
  • Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
  • Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, Congupna, VIC 3633, Australia.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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