1. Enzootic calcinosis in horses grazing Solanum glaucophyllum in Argentina
- Author
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Juan Francisco Micheloud, Rubén D. Caffarena, Fortunato B. Iseas, Ernesto Odriozola, Germán J. Cantón, Federico Giannitti, Eduardo Juan Gimeno, Alejandro Martin Rodriguez, Pedro Gardey, and José J. Bodega
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Enzootic calcinosis ,Veterinary medicine ,040301 veterinary sciences ,Argentina ,Solanum glaucophyllum ,POISONING ,Diagnosis, Differential ,0403 veterinary science ,03 medical and health sciences ,Calcinosis ,Ruminant ,Grazing ,medicine ,Animals ,Horses ,equine ,ENZOOTIC CALCINOSIS ,Plant Poisoning ,TOXIC PLANTS ,General Veterinary ,biology ,Ciencias Veterinarias ,030111 toxicology ,Monogastric ,Outbreak ,toxic plants ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,poisoning ,Plants, Toxic ,EQUINE ,Toxic plants ,Enzootic ,Female ,Horse Diseases ,purl.org/becyt/ford/4.3 [https] ,Brief Communications ,SOLANUM GLAUCOPHYLLUM ,purl.org/becyt/ford/4 [https] - Abstract
Solanum glaucophyllum, a toxic plant known for its calcinogenic effects, causes enzootic calcinosis in ruminant and monogastric animals. We describe an outbreak of enzootic calcinosis that occurred in a herd of 110 horses grazing pastureland heavily contaminated with S. glaucophyllum in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Ten horses developed clinical signs, and 6 horses died. Clinical signs included abnormal gait (stiff-legged action, short strides), stiffness, thoracolumbar kyphosis, reluctance to move, wide stance, chronic weight loss, weakness, recumbency, and difficulty standing. Autopsy of 2 horses revealed severe mineralization of the aorta, pulmonary arteries, heart, and lungs, consistent with enzootic calcinosis. Although horses usually have very selective grazing behavior, under food restriction conditions, they can ingest the toxic plants and can develop the disease. Enzootic calcinosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in horses grazing S. glaucophyllum–invaded pasturelands with compatible clinical signs and lesions., Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias
- Published
- 2017