Fate of thoroughbreds suffering from wobbler’s syndrome
Wobblers Syndrome is believed to be found in a thoroughbred when he shows symptoms of an unsteady gait and weakness.
Known as cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy in medical terminology, this disease has proven to be fatal for some thoroughbreds.
It is usually caused by any damage done to a thoroughbred’s spinal cord. When the vertebral canal of a thoroughbred gets narrowed, his spinal cord gets compressed resulting in overall incoordination of his limbs and causing a wobbly gait and unsteadiness.
Wobbler’s syndrome is more likely to occur in male thoroughbreds than fillies. A thoroughbred can suffer from this deadly disease from a very young age. Research has shown that thoroughbred as young as three months have suffered from wobbler’s syndrome.
As the ailing thoroughbred ages, the disease gets a stronger hold of the thoroughbred’s body.
There are three ways to check a thoroughbred for this ailment. Veterinary surgeons take cervical myelogram and radiographs of his cervix. A myelogram is an X-ray which detects any cervical compression in the thoroughbred’s spinal cord.
In order to check whether there is any inflammation or infection in the spinal cord, the thoroughbred’s cerebrospinal fluid is tested.
Lastly the veterinary surgeon does a neurological examination of the thoroughbred.
In order to heal a thoroughbred suffering from wobbler’s syndrome, there are two options namely, surgery and conservative treatment.
If a pony is diagnosed with this syndrome, veterinary surgeons recommend that the method of conservative treatment should e employed. Conservative treatment is comprised of a diet, prescribed by the doctor, and minimum exercise for the ailing thoroughbred.
The thoroughbred’s diet should be very healthy and it should be comprised of calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and manganese in balance. Apart from this, his diet should have Vitamin E and Selenium.
A diet high in protein and fibre is highly discouraged by the veterinary surgeon as it causes rapid growth of the pony into an adult horse but does not allow sufficient time for optimum bone-formation.
In certain cases the conservative treatment has worked wonders on adult thoroughbred as well. But surgery is considered the primary option in treating adult thoroughbreds.
The surgical procedure employed for treatment of wobbler’s syndrome involves inserting a metal piece called the ‘basket’. The basket holds the spinal cord in an upright reduces compression and within one year of the surgery the thoroughbred is up and running
as they say.
However, it always remains a risk to ride a thoroughbred whose been operated upon. Therefore, a thoroughbred might live a healthy and stable life after the surgery but he would not be able to race anymore.
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