Name: Herbal Treatment for Sleep Disorders in Horses 25 Days / 250g
Brand: Alphamed® Human- und Veterinärmedizintechnik GmbH
SKU: V-31
Price: 20.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

Alphamed® Human- und Veterinärmedizintechnik GmbH

Herbal Treatment for Sleep Disorders in Horses 25 Days / 250g

€20,00 €8,00 / 100 g

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Pickup available at Alphamed® Human- und Veterinärmedizintechnik GmbH

Description

Narcolepsy in horses – a pathological sleep disorder

Narcolepsy is a chronic, neurological sleep-wake disorder caused by a lack of the neurotransmitter hypocretin in the brain. A disease that is better known in humans and dogs than in horses.

Signs include seizures, usually accompanied by a loss of muscle tone (cataplexy) and triggered by strong, usually positive emotions. Affected horses stagger, stagger, stumble and are excessively sleepy.

The disease is considered rare among horses. Studies have shown a certain tendency to develop the disease among foals of certain breeds, such as Suffolk, Icelandic, Shetland Pony, Fell Pony, Lipizzaner, Warmblood and Miniature Horse, as well as a familial connection in several closely related foals.

Narcolepsy is considered incurable. The course of the disease, which can be observed from a few hours to weeks after birth, varies from individual to individual. There are cases in which the foal concerned must be euthanized due to extreme symptoms. In other animals, the intensity, duration and frequency of the episodes decrease. There are also horses in which the symptoms disappear completely as they get older.

As in human medicine, the antidepressant imipramine is administered as a therapeutic approach. It is intended to control the loss of muscle tone in the case of a narcoleptic episode. In proven cases, an improvement has been observed in excessive daytime sleepiness - but not in attacks triggered by strong emotions. In addition, above a certain dosage there is a risk of serious side effects.

REM sleep deficiency – pseudo-narcolepsy

In 2014, veterinarians Christine Fuchs and Lena Charlotte Kiefner from the University of Munich, in collaboration with the horse magazine CAVALLO, started a study on the sleeping behavior of horses in connection with the clinical picture of narcolepsy.

In response to a call from Cavallo, 177 horse owners whose animals suffered from sleep disorders responded. A result that far exceeded the veterinarians' expectations. Based on a comprehensive online questionnaire, 39 horses were ultimately selected for the study.

After recording the horses' living situation, conducting detailed examinations of their general condition and taking blood tests, the animals' sleeping and resting behavior was observed. The recordings were made using video surveillance and by wiring the horses to a mobile sleep laboratory to measure brain waves, eye movements and muscle tension.

The result was clear: “All horses suffered from lack of sleep,” explained Fuchs.

The animals spent just 24 minutes sleeping in a chest or side position. And that only applied to two horses; the remaining 35 animals did not lie down to sleep at all.

The lack of dream or REM sleep is so great that the horses permanently

are overtired and ultimately suffer repeated incomplete or complete atonic collapse. They fall into REM sleep while standing, muscle tension decreases, the head sinks almost to the ground, they begin to stagger or shake, shift their weight more to the hind limbs, the forelimbs buckle and the animals fall onto the pastern or pastern joint. This causes the horses to wake up and jump up with a start, or fall completely to the ground and then wake up with a start.

The consequences are repeated injuries to the head and front limbs, and in the worst case, open wounds and fractures.

Seven study horses had to be euthanized because of injuries or psychological problems.

Various factors can be considered as causes for the development of a permanent REM sleep deficiency, such as frequently changing herds, hierarchy problems, restless environments, health problems (when horses have difficulty getting up), ground conditions and extreme weather conditions.

The veterinary study shows the following three situations as the main triggers:

stable changes and frequent travel
an insufficient lying area (playpen/open stable) or floor space (individual box)
Stereotypes that horses develop to cope with inadequacies in their attitude and handling when their ability to adapt is overwhelmed
Source: Hofreitschule News

Sources: Kiefner, Lena Charlotte (2016): Investigations into sleep disorders in horses: Narcolepsy versus REM sleep deficiency; Inaugural dissertation for the doctorate of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Composition of the herbal treatment to support narcolepsy:

Gingko, rosemary, lemon balm, hawthorn, valerian and nettle