Mal Seco

A condition considered to be the same as EGS occurs in Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Isles where it is termed ‘mal seco’.  Two forms of mal seco occur similar to the acute and chronic forms of EGS.  The clinical signs and histopathological findings of horses diagnosed with mal seco are similar to EGS and there are common factor in their aetiology leading researchers to consider the two diseases are almost certainly the same.    

This picture shows a rectal glove with faeces removed from an EGS case.  The faeces are hard, small balls covered in white, cheesy, foul-smelling mucus due to paralysis of the gut and consequent stasis of lower GIT contents.