Akhal-Teke stallion battles dangerous infection

Emilee Lacey, VMD, with Kiergen (Image courtesy of Margie Christianson for Virginia Tech)

Kiergen, a 19-year-old Akhal-Teke stallion, was brought to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital after his caretakers noticed he appeared to be in distress. Kevin Matthews and Patricia Johnson, Kiregen’s owners, and owners of the Akhal-Teke Foundation, and his caregivers noticed Kiergen was lethargic, and his neck was stiff and swollen. Matthews noted that Kiergen’s neck was, “Almost like a caterpillar, swollen and bulging.”

Kiergen’s caretakers were referred to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital where Kiergen was diagnosed with clostridial myositis, a painful bacterial infection. According to the release, with clostridial myositis, bacteria enters the body through an intramuscular injection, and would then quickly turn muscle tissue necrotic.¹ The infection can then cause skin to slough off and can turn fatal without treatment. At the hospital, an ultrasound showed the veterinary team Kiergen had pockets in his neck where the bacteria had released gas.

Kiergen received around-the-clock care, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, fluids, and pain reliever intravenously to fight the pain and infection. However despite treatment, the team was very concerned about the amount of swelling in close proximity to Kiergen’s trachea.

"The constant monitoring during those first 48 hours was crucial to make sure the swelling wasn't cutting off his airway,” said Emilee Lacey, VMD, a large animal internal medicine resident at Virginia-Marlyand College of Veterinary Medicine, in the organizational release.¹ "He really is a fighter. He's defied the odds and responded well to the high doses of antibiotics and the really good support from our staff, too."

Matthews shared that, by the third day in the hospital, there was a tentative schedule for surgery, and Kiergen healed to the point where there wasn’t enough of a pocket to drain. Then, after 9 days, he was discharged and returned home to the Akhal-Teke Foundation where he regained his appetite and energy over time. The Akhal-Teke Foundation was created to help continue the legacy of Phil and Margot Case who are credited for bringing the breed to America in the 1970s, to preserve and promote the breed.¹

The Akhal-Teke’s are originally from Turkmen, the southern region of modern day Turkmenistan and are considered one of the rarest horse breeds with only 3,000 registered purebreds in North America.^2,3 Commonly referred to as the most beautiful horse on earth, this breed is athletic, sensitive, and excels in endurance.¹ Kiergen’s great-grandfather, Absent, is one of the most famous Akhal-Teke’s who also brought home 4 Olympic medals in dressage.

Reference

1. Boudreau S. Rare stallion fights dangerous infection at Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Virginia Tech. Published October 2, 2024. Accessed October 8, 2024. https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/10/vetmed-vth-success-story-kiergen.html
2. Akhal-Teke Horses - Oklahoma State University. breeds.okstate.edu. Published January 21, 2021. https://breeds.okstate.edu/horses/akhal-teke-horses.html
3. Akhal-Teke Foundation. The Akhal-Teke Breed - Akhal-Teke Foundation. Akhaltekefoundation.org. Published 2020. Accessed October 8, 2024. https://www.akhaltekefoundation.org/akhal-teke.html