Treatment for Seizures in Equines

According to Horse Owner's Veterinary Handbook, horses and ponies suffer from seizures for many reasons, including poisoning, brain injury, a sudden drop in blood calcium, colic and epilepsy. Treatment for horse seizures depends on the cause.

  1. Immediate Treatment

    • Sometimes the seizure is over in a couple of minutes. In this time, remove anything the horse may injure itself against should it fall over and begin thrashing.

    Time Frame

    • Horse Owner's Veterinary Handbook says that any horse suffering from seizures over two minutes or gets a series of seizures minutes apart needs an immediate call to the vet, as this may be a symptom of poisoning.

    Medications

    • According to Horse Rescue of North Scottsdale, Arizona, seizures can be calmed with phenobarbital. Other drugs of choice are pentobarbital or Valium (diazepam) given intravenously.

    Considerations

    • Horses suspected of poisoning first have their seizures stopped, then a stomach tube is pushed through their noses into their stomachs. Clean water tries to wash the poison out and then activated charcoal is introduced

    Breed

    • Current Therapy in Equine Medicine by renowned equine expert Monica Aleman, states that Arabian foals are genetically predisposed to suffering from juvenile epilepsy which tends to go away by itself by the time they are a one or two years old.