Neurological disease in ruminants

Abstract

WORKING up a neurological case in farm animals is not always an easy task. One of the most useful skills is a sound understanding of the principles of characterising the abnormality and localising the lesion. Successfully mastering this aspect reduces the different possible diagnoses, typically from many to just a handful. For example, the ability to distinguish weakness from ataxia will lead to a completely different set of differentials. Equally, this skill often allows narrowing down the likely aetiology. In particular, whether the patient suffers from an acute condition (like a toxicosis or deficiency) requiring swift treatment for optimal prognosis, or a more chronic disease process where treatment may be less urgent or prognosis more guarded. Many metabolic conditions can present in animals as impaired neurological function, such as D-lactic acidosis in calves 1 and drunken lamb or floppy kid syndrome, hypothermia and hypoglycaemia in neonates, 2 and hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia in older animals. 3 If promptly recognised, early treatment often