Bighead in Horses - Not an Ancient Disease

Authors: Wilson G, Liyou O, Stewart J
Publication: Australian Equine Veterinarian, Volume 29, Issue 1, pp 55-62, Feb 2010
Publisher: Equine Veterinarians Australia

Animal type: Horse
Subject Terms: Diagnostic procedures, Diet/rations/food, Endocrine/autocrine/paracrine, Head/neck, Nutrition/metabolism, Poisoning - plant, Toxicology, Treatment/therapy
Article class: Case Study

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Abstract:

In 1974 nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSH), osteodystrophia fibrosa (OF) or ‘bighead’ was first diagnosed in Australian horses grazing subtropical pastures. Since then it has been widely recognized in horses grazing buffel, pangola, setaria, kikuyu, green panic, guinea, signal and purple pigeon grasses. These tropical grasses, planted along the seaboards of Australia, contain oxalate – a chemical which significantly interferes with mineral utilization by horses. This article reviews the literature on NSH and presents evidence that the condition continues to occur 36 years after it was originally described in Australian horses grazing tropical and subtropical pastures.

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