Question of the Day

This presentation is consistent with lavender foal syndrome (LFS), an inherited lethal neurologic disorder that affects Arabian foals with a dilute coat color.

LFS is a recessive genetic disorder and newborn foals present as in this case. Affected foals are typically euthanized within days of birth. There is no treatment.

A genetic test is available and affected animals should not be bred.

Botulism in foals less than ~1 month old (i.e., “shaker foal syndrome”) is characterized by progressive symmetric motor paralysis with muscular tremors. Affected foals cannot stand for more than a few minutes at a time.

Overo lethal white syndrome is characterized by colic and meconium impaction due to ileocolonic agangliosis. It occurs in Paint foals with blue eyes that are the result breeding two Overos (a type of coat pattern in Paint horses).

Myasthenia gravis is not reported in horses.

Neurologic signs seen with hyperammonemia associated with portosystemic vascular anomalies (PSVAs, also referred to as portosystemic shunts) are not seen until affected foals are 2–3 months old and eating more grain and forage.

Image courtesy of Dr. Yael Giora.