The liver is the chemical factory
of the body and one of the most important and largest organs in
your horse. You or your vet may only begin to suspect a liver
problem when around 70% of the tissue in the liver is badly
damaged. Therefore liver disease is always a serious disease and
one from which horses rarely recover completely.
Causes of liver disease are:
- Ragwort poisoning (see separate
section)
- Viruses and bacteria
- Chemical toxins
- Tumours
Signs of Liver disease in horses:
1. Weight loss and poor starry coat and tiredness.
2. Poor appetite
3. Photosensitisation
4. Jaundice
5. Stomach pain and/or diarrhoea
6. Tiredness
7. Restlessness
When the condition gets a lot worse
horses may show serious nervous signs.
Treatment: In the conventional
medicine kit there is no specific treatment for liver disease. A
horse should be given complete rest and fed high energy food low
in protein. B vitamins and glucose by mouth can be helpful and
antibiotics to control secondary infections can be important.
Alternative veterinary surgeons find that herbs can be
particularly useful in liver disease.
Free veterinary advice helpline: 01243
773363 (UK)
Free veterinary advice helpline: 0044 1243 773363 (International)
Mobile veterinary advice line: 07734 240 709 (UK)
All numbers available 9am - 5.30pm UK time.
Out of hours try mobile number.
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