Changes

In horses where the condition is found without other concurrent heart disease, treatment is with the drug '''quinidine sulphate'''. The necessity for this depends on the requirement of the horse to perform work, as horses can be retired or used as broodmares and can live a normal life with the condition.

In horses where the condition is found without other concurrent heart disease, treatment is with the drug '''quinidine sulphate'''. The necessity for this depends on the requirement of the horse to perform work, as horses can be retired or used as broodmares and can live a normal life with the condition.

Quinidine sulfate acts by prolonging the effective refractory period. The horse should be given quinidine sulphate concurrently with '''digoxin''', which will have been started two days prior to commencing quinidine sulphate. Quinidine sulphate should be given every two hours by stomach tube until conversion to sinus rhythm, or until six doses have been given. There are some severe '''side effects''' which can occur with this treatment and they include [[Ventricular Tachycatdia|ventricular tachycardia]], [[:Category:Colic in Horses|colic]], diarrhoea and hypotension.

Quinidine sulfate acts by prolonging the effective refractory period. The horse should be given quinidine sulphate concurrently with '''digoxin''', which will have been started two days prior to commencing quinidine sulphate. Quinidine sulphate should be given every two hours by stomach tube until conversion to sinus rhythm, or until six doses have been given. There are some severe '''side effects''' which can occur with this treatment and they include [[Ventricular Tachycardia|ventricular tachycardia]], [[:Category:Colic in Horses|colic]], diarrhoea and hypotension.

There is a greater success with conversion in young horses and when conversion is attempted shortly following the onset of the arrythmia. If the arrythmia has been present for more than 4 months, therapeutic success is much less common and there is a higher recurrence rate.

There is a greater success with conversion in young horses and when conversion is attempted shortly following the onset of the arrythmia. If the arrythmia has been present for more than 4 months, therapeutic success is much less common and there is a higher recurrence rate.