Devil May Care out of Breeder's Cup

[Jasonm921]

Hepatitis.....this is a new one. And apparently Careless Jewel was still racing this year as they just announced her retirement.

[Turkoman]

Hepatitis.....this is a new one. And apparently Careless Jewel was still racing this year as they just announced her retirement.

Hepatitis? First time I hear a horse has that.

[joanied]

I was also surprised with this news...and from what I've read, it's a good thing they found out as soon as they did...
this is from a basic article on equine hepatitis...just the causes...but one has to realize there are several types of the illness...

Acute hepatitis is usually caused by some type of viral infection and is due to the ingestion of toxins. These toxins may be biological, chemical, or both. Chronic hepatitis, on the other hand, is caused by ragwort, a poisonous weed that possesses toxins which slowly eat away at the cells in the liver. And while a horse will not eat ragwort purposely, it occasionally makes it way into the hay and can go undetected, as it does not have any particular taste. Another effect of the toxins on the liver is cirrhosis, which can be fatal.

This next one is a detailed article from TB Times:
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/horse-health/1999/august/21/liver-damage-in-horses.aspx

I just couldn't find many articles on NON INFECTIOUS hepatitis...but it seems that Devil May Care probably ingested something with a toxin...and considering this is a race horse, it could have come from many sources...and we'll probably never know what caused it with her...it's just lucky they are treating it early, and I suppose they'll have to monitor her very carefuly for the rest of her life.
Hope she gets well and returns as a healthy 4 yr old.