Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Canadian Veterinary Journal logoLink to The Canadian Veterinary Journal
. 1986 Jul;27(7):264-266, 267.

Thyroid Hormone Levels in Foals with Congenital Musculoskeletal Lesions

B G McLaughlin, C E Doige, P S McLaughlin
PMCID: PMC1680276  PMID: 17422675

Abstract

Fourteen foals with congenital or neonatal musculoskeletal abnormalities are described. Ten of the fourteen foals had abnormally low total serum T3 and/or T4 concentrations suggesting hypothyroidism. Response to thyroid-stimulating hormone was determined in two foals and found to be poor. Seven of the foals were necropsied and six of these had histological evidence of thyroid hyperplasia. These findings suggest hypothyroidism as a cause of congenital musculoskeletal lesions.

Keywords: Hypothyroid, goiter, musculoskeletal lesions, thyroxine, triidothyronine, equine

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baker H. J., Lindsey J. R. Equine goiter due to excess dietary iodide. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1968 Dec 15;153(12):1618–1630. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baker J. R., Wyn-Jones G., Eley J. L. Case of equine goitre. Vet Rec. 1983 Apr 23;112(17):407–408. doi: 10.1136/vr.112.17.407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blackmore D. J., Greenwood R. E., Johnson C. Observations on thyroid hormones in the blood of thoroughbreds. Res Vet Sci. 1978 Nov;25(3):294–297. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cavalieri R. R. Impaired peripheral conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine,. Annu Rev Med. 1977;28:57–65. doi: 10.1146/annurev.me.28.020177.000421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chen C. L., Riley A. M. Serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations in neonatal foals and mature horses. Am J Vet Res. 1981 Aug;42(8):1415–1417. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chopra I. J., Solomon D. H., Chopra U., Wu S. Y., Fisher D. A., Nakamura Y. Pathways of metabolism of thyroid hormones. Recent Prog Horm Res. 1978;34:521–567. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-571134-0.50018-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Doige C. E., McLaughlin B. G. Hyperplastic goitre in newborn foals in Western Canada. Can Vet J. 1981 Feb;22(2):42–45. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Drew B., Barber W. P., Williams D. G. The effect of excess dietary iodine on pregnant mares and foals. Vet Rec. 1975 Aug 2;97(05):93–95. doi: 10.1136/vr.97.5.93. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Driscoll J., Hintz H. F., Schryver H. F. Goiter in foals caused by excessive iodine. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1978 Oct 1;173(7):858–859. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ferguson D. C. Thyroid function tests in the dog. Recent concepts. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1984 Jul;14(4):783–808. doi: 10.1016/s0195-5616(84)50081-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fisher D. A., Klein A. H. Thyroid development and disorders of thyroid function in the newborn. N Engl J Med. 1981 Mar 19;304(12):702–712. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198103193041205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fretz P. B. Angular limb deformities in foals. Vet Clin North Am Large Anim Pract. 1980 May;2(1):125–150. doi: 10.1016/s0196-9846(17)30178-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Held J. P., Oliver J. W. A sampling protocol for the thyrotropin-stimulation test in the horse. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1984 Feb 1;184(3):326–327. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hightower D., Miller L., Kyzar J. R. Comparison of serum and plasma thyroxine determinations in horses. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1971 Aug 15;159(4):449–450. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Irvine C. H., Evans M. J. Postnatal changes in total and free thyroxine and triiodothyronine in foal serum. J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 1975 Oct;(23):709–715. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Irvine C. H. Hypothyroidism in the foal. Equine Vet J. 1984 Jul;16(4):302–306. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1984.tb01932.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kelley S. T., Oehme F. W. Circulating thyroid levels in dogs, horses and cattle. Vet Med Small Anim Clin. 1974 Dec;69(12):1531–1533. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. McLaughlin B. G., Doige C. E. A study of ossification of carpal and tarsal bones in normal and hypothyroid foals. Can Vet J. 1982 May;23(5):164–168. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McLaughlin B. G., Doige C. E. Congenital musculosketal lesions and hyperplastic goitre in foals. Can Vet J. 1981 May;22(5):130–133. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. McLaughlin B. G., Doige C. E., Fretz P. B., Pharr J. W. Carpal bone lesions associated with angular limb deformities in foals. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1981 Feb 1;178(3):224–230. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Morris D. D., Garcia M. Thyroid-stimulating hormone: response test in healthy horses, and effect of phenylbutazone on equine thyroid hormones. Am J Vet Res. 1983 Mar;44(3):503–507. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rooney J. R. Contracted foals. Cornell Vet. 1966 Apr;56(2):172–187. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sterling K., Lazarus J. H. The thyroid and its control. Annu Rev Physiol. 1977;39:349–371. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ph.39.030177.002025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Stevenson W. L., Stevenson W. G. Rupture of the Common Digital Extensor. Can J Comp Med Vet Sci. 1942 Jul;6(7):197–203. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Thomas C. L., Jr, Adams J. C. Radioimmunoassay of equine serum for thyroxine: reference values. Am J Vet Res. 1978 Jul;39(7):1239–1239. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Vivrette S. L., Reimers T. J., Krook L. Skeletal disease in a hypothyroid foal. Cornell Vet. 1984 Oct;74(4):373–386. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Canadian Veterinary Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

RESOURCES