Diagnostic Approach To Equine Muscle Disorders

Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, professor of large animal medicine and director of the University of Minnesota's Equine Center, began the in-depth seminar on muscle disorders by discussing diagnosis of muscle disorders, beginning with a careful physical exam and concise history of the clinical problem. She said in most cases, a muscle disorder arises from one of the following situations: muscle strain, exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying-up), weakness and exercise intolerance, abnormal muscle contraction and nerve conduction, or muscle atrophy. Identifying the exact nature of a horse's muscle problem is dependent on characterizing the clinical signs to narrow down the problem.