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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #170: Equine Hyperlipaemia

Horse veterinary case - Hard - August 20, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. An overweight pony becomes anorexic after a stressful transport and quickly deteriorates.
  2. The owner says the pony now seems profoundly dull and weak.
  3. Blood collected for testing has a visibly milky appearance.
  4. The pony shows evidence of liver dysfunction and metabolic compromise.
  5. Markedly increased serum triglycerides are identified.
  6. Negative energy balance in ponies and donkeys can trigger severe lipid mobilisation known as hyperlipaemia.

Diagnosis

Equine Hyperlipaemia

This case is most consistent with Equine Hyperlipaemia because the pony is anorexic, depressed, and has grossly lipaemic blood with very high triglycerides. The most important clues are the pony signalment and metabolic collapse after stress, which make a primary colic lesion less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this horse case supports the provided diagnosis, Equine Hyperlipaemia, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: An overweight pony becomes anorexic after a stressful transport and quickly deteriorates.
  2. Clue 2: The owner says the pony now seems profoundly dull and weak.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: Blood collected for testing has a visibly milky appearance.
  2. Clue 4: The pony shows evidence of liver dysfunction and metabolic compromise.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Markedly increased serum triglycerides are identified.
  2. Clue 6: Negative energy balance in ponies and donkeys can trigger severe lipid mobilisation known as hyperlipaemia.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this horse case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Equine Hyperlipaemia?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Equine Hyperlipaemia?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.