Heart Infections More Common Among Young Horses by: Christa Lest�-Lasserre February 07 2009, Article # 13582
Heart disease isn't just for the aging or overworked horse. Recent research in Belgium has shown that vegetative endocarditis, a bacterial infection of the heart, is actually much more likely to occur in younger horses than their older counterparts. Relatively rare in horses, endocarditis develops from bacteria circulating in the blood secondary to a primary infection elsewhere in the body.
In a review published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, horses with a confirmed diagnosis of vegetative endocarditis had an average age of 4.84 years compared to an average age of 10.8 years in a control group of horses presenting similar clinical signs. This might be because younger horses are at greater risk of developing the primary infections necessary to spur on the endocarditis, according to the study.
Phlebitis, septic laminitis, and foot abscesses have been reported as potential primary infection sources, but most of the time the source remains unknown, said Sarah Porter, DMV, MSc, PhD candidate in the Equine Teaching Hospital at the University of Li�ge and principal author of the study.
The most common clinical signs of endocarditis are fever, lameness, and swelling of the joints. Surprisingly, common heart problems such as murmurs and abnormal heart rate were not as frequently related to the disease, the study reported. Such vague clinical signs, which might also point to other conditions (such as Lyme disease), can make endocarditis difficult to diagnose, Porter said, particularly as it is a rare disease.
Early detection is key in treating endocarditis, which requires high doses of antibiotics for four to six weeks. However, prevention is the best plan, according to Porter. "The only way to protect your horse from endocarditis is to treat primary infections quickly and with the appropriate treatment," she said.