Incidence and risk factors associated with rhabdomyolysis in italian standardbred racehorses

A questionnaire was used to determine the incidence and risk factors associated to exertional rabdomyolysis (RER) among 327 Italian Standarbred in 13 racing yards. The veterinarians and/or the trainers of the yards were interviewed monthly during a year. The cases were diagnosed on the base of the clinical signs and the serum biochemistry. For each horse affected by RML was registered sex, age, temperament, feeding methods, housing, training practices, driver, racing performances, days of rest, and lameness. Data from the horses affected were compared with the same data from two controls for each case randomly selected from the same yard. The incidence of RER was 8.6%. Females and horses undergoing changes in the driver were statistically most frequently affected. Age, temperament and management factors didn't significantly differ between controls and affected horses. The reason for increased frequency of RER in females remains unclear and the pathogenesis of this syndrome needs further investigations.