Equine grass sickness is a devastating disease with an 80 percent mortality rate and is almost exclusively seen in horses eating fresh, green grass ,in pasture. EGS is more widespread than initially thought, writes Tanith Harte, PhD who is working to expand knowledge and record the prevalence.
Keep EGS in the back of your mind the next time you’re faced with an unresponsive colic with some unusual clinical signs.”
Source: EquiManagement, May 7, 2024. Link. While not a new disease little is known about what causes EGS. The disease causes severe damage to the autonomic nervous system, leading to liver damage, heart damage, and total GI stasis. EGS is often mistaken for colic because the main sign of acute EGS is intestinal paralysis, with loss of all gut sounds.