Equine Grass Sickness (Equine Dysautonomia)

This disease is life-threatening and should be treated by a veterinarian swiftly.

Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a frequently fatal disease of the nervous system of affected horses, ponies and donkeys. Although EGS has been recognised since the beginning of the 20th Century, research has, as yet, failed to identify a specific cause.

Symptoms

Common in

Treatment

The prognosis is incredibly poor; all acute/subacute cases are incurable and euthanasia on humane groups is unavoidable.

Recovery from the chronic form may be possible, but there is no specific treatment.

Mildly affected chronic cases may respond to intensive nursing care, during which it is important to keep the horse warm and comfortable, maintain grooming and walking, and provide fresh, palatable, easy-to-eat succulent feed.

Prevention

Avoid grazing areas where there have been previous cases of grass sickness or recent soil disturbance, for example, from harrowing. Minimise soil exposure by moving horses before grazing gets too short or fields are poached. Avoid sudden changes to your horse’s diet.

How Happie can help you manage your horse's health

Digital health management offers numerous benefits in modern equine healthcare.

With the Happie Horse App, you can track symptom patterns and body values, such as Temperature, Pulse and Respiration. Allowing you to notice abnormal changes in body and behaviour early on, leading to more successful treatments.

The Happie symptom checker allows you to add all of your horse's abnormal symptoms in order to present potential causes and diseases.

Equine Dysautonomia is a severe and often fatal gastrointestinal disorder affecting horses, typically associated with grazing on pasture, with symptoms including colic, weight loss, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

Neurological