FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice1997; 13(1); 169-185; doi: 10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30262-6

White muscle disease of foals.

Abstract: White muscle disease (nutritional myodegeneration) of foals is a peracute to subacute myodegenerative disease affecting skeletal and cardiac muscle. It is caused by a dietary deficiency of selenium and vitamin E, usually in association with predisposing factors such as a high intake of dietary unsaturated fats or unaccustomed exercise. White muscle disease has been observed in foals from birth to 1 year of age, particularly those foals born to dams fed selenium-deficient diets, during gestation. The disease in foals may present as an acute, fulminant syndrome, which is rapidly fatal, or a subacute syndrome characterized by profound muscular weakness. Failure of passive transfer, aspiration pneumonia, and stunting are frequent complications. Markedly increased muscle enzyme and low glutathione peroxidase activities are common findings in affected foals. Foals with the subacute form of the disease may survive if they are supplemented early with selenium; however, mortality rates ranging from 30% to 45% have been reported, even for this form of the disease.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 1997-04-01 PubMed ID: 9106350DOI: 10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30262-6Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Review

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.

This research article discusses White Muscle Disease, a serious and often fatal illness in foals attributed to a deficiency in selenium and vitamin E, and further aggravated by factors such as high unsaturated fat intake or rigorous exercise. Foals affected by the disease usually present with two main types of symptoms, an acute, fatal version of the syndrome or a subtler form characterized by muscular weakness.

Overview of White Muscle Disease

  • White muscle disease, also known as nutritional myodegeneration, primarily affect the skeletal and cardiac muscles in foals. The affliction ranges from highly acute to subacute, indicating the varying severities of the disease.
  • This disease is caused by a lack of dietary selenium and vitamin E. These deficiencies may be further worsened by high intake of unsaturated fats or rigorous physical activity.

Incidence and Presentation of Disease

  • White muscle disease has been noted in foals that range from newborns to 1-year-old, especially those born to mother horses on selenium-deficient diets during their pregnancy.
  • The disease can either present itself in an acute, rapidly fatal form or a subacute form that is characterized by major muscle weakness.

Complications and Prognosis

  • Complications frequently seen in afflicted foals include failure of passive transfer, aspiration pneumonia, and stunting.
  • Common findings in foals suffering from this disease include significantly elevated muscle enzyme activities and lowered glutathione peroxidase activities.
  • While early supplementation with selenium can potentially help foals with the subacute form of the disease, 30% to 45% mortality rates have still been reported.

Cite This Article

APA
Löfstedt J. (1997). White muscle disease of foals. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 13(1), 169-185. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30262-6

Publication

The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
ISSN: 0749-0739
NlmUniqueID: 8511904
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Pages: 169-185

Researcher Affiliations

Löfstedt, J
  • Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horse Diseases / therapy
  • Horses
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal
  • Selenium / therapeutic use
  • Vitamin E / therapeutic use
  • White Muscle Disease / diagnosis
  • White Muscle Disease / etiology
  • White Muscle Disease / therapy

Citations

This article has been cited 21 times.
  1. Wesolowski LT, Semanchik PL, White-Springer SH. Beyond antioxidants: Selenium and skeletal muscle mitochondria. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:1011159.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1011159pubmed: 36532343google scholar: lookup
  2. Rahman A, Uzal FA, Hassebroek AM, Carvallo FR. Retrospective study of pneumonia in non-racing horses in California. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022 Jul;34(4):587-593.
    doi: 10.1177/10406387221094273pubmed: 35535386google scholar: lookup
  3. Shimada BK, Alfulaij N, Seale LA. The Impact of Selenium Deficiency on Cardiovascular Function. Int J Mol Sci 2021 Oct 2;22(19).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms221910713pubmed: 34639053google scholar: lookup
  4. Quaresma M, Marín C, Bacellar D, Nóvoa M, Navas FJ, McLean A. Selenium and Vitamin E Concentrations in Miranda Jennies and Foals (Equus asinus) in Northeast Portugal. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jun 14;11(6).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11061772pubmed: 34198534google scholar: lookup
  5. Shi Y, Yang W, Tang X, Yan Q, Cai X, Wu F. Keshan Disease: A Potentially Fatal Endemic Cardiomyopathy in Remote Mountains of China. Front Pediatr 2021;9:576916.
    doi: 10.3389/fped.2021.576916pubmed: 33768083google scholar: lookup
  6. Delvescovo B, Mullen KR, Eicker SW, Ivanek R, Ainsworth DM. The effect of neonatal dysphagia on subsequent racing performance in Standardbred horses. Equine Vet J 2021 May;53(3):481-487.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.13326pubmed: 32725699google scholar: lookup
  7. Fodor J, Al-Gaadi D, Czirják T, Oláh T, Dienes B, Csernoch L, Szentesi P. Improved Calcium Homeostasis and Force by Selenium Treatment and Training in Aged Mouse Skeletal Muscle. Sci Rep 2020 Feb 3;10(1):1707.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-58500-xpubmed: 32015413google scholar: lookup
  8. Farries G, Bryan K, McGivney CL, McGettigan PA, Gough KF, Browne JA, MacHugh DE, Katz LM, Hill EW. Expression Quantitative Trait Loci in Equine Skeletal Muscle Reveals Heritable Variation in Metabolism and the Training Responsive Transcriptome. Front Genet 2019;10:1215.
    doi: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01215pubmed: 31850069google scholar: lookup
  9. Delesalle C, de Bruijn M, Wilmink S, Vandendriessche H, Mol G, Boshuizen B, Plancke L, Grinwis G. White muscle disease in foals: focus on selenium soil content. A case series. BMC Vet Res 2017 May 3;13(1):121.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1040-5pubmed: 28468621google scholar: lookup
  10. Bodnár D, Ruzsnavszky O, Oláh T, Dienes B, Balatoni I, Ungvári É, Benkő I, Babka B, Prokisch J, Csernoch L, Szentesi P. Dietary selenium augments sarcoplasmic calcium release and mechanical performance in mice. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2016;13:76.
    doi: 10.1186/s12986-016-0134-6pubmed: 27822290google scholar: lookup
  11. Gomez DE, Valberg SJ, Magdesian KG, Hanna PE, Lofstedt J. Acquired multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and marked selenium deficiency causing severe rhabdomyolysis in a horse. Can Vet J 2015 Nov;56(11):1166-71.
    pubmed: 26538673
  12. Montgomery JB, Wichtel JJ, Wichtel MG, McNiven MA, McClure JT, Markham F, Horohov DW. Effects of selenium source on measures of selenium status and immune function in horses. Can J Vet Res 2012 Oct;76(4):281-91.
    pubmed: 23543954
  13. Katz L, O'Dwyer S, Pollock P. Nutritional muscular dystrophy in a four-day-old Connemara foal. Ir Vet J 2009 Feb 1;62(2):119-24.
    doi: 10.1186/2046-0481-62-2-119pubmed: 21851729google scholar: lookup
  14. Muirhead TL, Wichtel JJ, Stryhn H, McClure JT. The selenium and vitamin E status of horses in Prince Edward Island. Can Vet J 2010 Sep;51(9):979-85.
    pubmed: 21119864
  15. Lauretani F, Semba RD, Bandinelli S, Ray AL, Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L. Association of low plasma selenium concentrations with poor muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults: the InCHIANTI Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2007 Aug;86(2):347-52.
    doi: 10.1093/ajcn/86.2.347pubmed: 17684204google scholar: lookup
  16. Beck J, Ferrucci L, Sun K, Walston J, Fried LP, Varadhan R, Guralnik JM, Semba RD. Low serum selenium concentrations are associated with poor grip strength among older women living in the community. Biofactors 2007;29(1):37-44.
    doi: 10.1002/biof.5520290104pubmed: 17611292google scholar: lookup
  17. Valentine BA, Hammock PD, Lemiski D, Hughes FE, Gerstner L, Bird KE. Severe diaphragmatic necrosis in 4 horses with degenerative myopathy. Can Vet J 2002 Aug;43(8):614-6.
    pubmed: 12170838
  18. De Luca E, Del Piero F. Animal Tissue Mineralization: An Overview of Disease Processes, Comparative Pathology, and Diagnostic Approaches. Biomolecules 2026 Jan 7;16(1).
    doi: 10.3390/biom16010096pubmed: 41594636google scholar: lookup
  19. Baird JD, Arroyo LG, Lumsden JH. Whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity in Standardbred broodmares supplemented with vitamin E and selenium. Can J Vet Res 2026 Jan;90(1):25-29.
    pubmed: 41585003
  20. Hasan D, Russo CJ, McLaughlin KR, Pirelli G, Bionaz M. Status of Selenium and Other Essential and Toxic Elements in Oregon Grazing Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 18;15(12).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15121799pubmed: 40564350google scholar: lookup
  21. Stahl LT, Büttner K, Krohn J, Wehrend A. Serum selenium concentrations in neonatal calves: Influence of postnatal selenium injection and health status. Can Vet J 2024 Oct;65(10):1041-1047.
    pubmed: 39355699
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,780 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.