VETERINARY ARTICLES
SARCOIDS
Sarcoids are the most common skin cancer of horses and donkeys, although, interestingly, they are less common in Quarter horses and Lipizzaners. All ages are susceptible but they occur more frequently in horses between two and nine years. Genetic factors affect the number, type and severity of sarcoids and the tendency to recur, and some genetic lines have an increased risk. Although the incidence is increasing, the risk factors and best treatment are not yet completely unravelled.
WOUNDS THAT WON’T HEAL
We all know that horses and wounds go hand in hand – a certain example of when, not if! With so much information, opinion, antiseptics, disinfectants, lotions, potions, salves, dressings, treatments and bandages available, wound management can easily become confusing and overwhelming. But the longer a wound takes to heal the larger the scar and the longer the recovery period.
Pneumonia - An inflammatory condition of the lungs
Although any horse can be affected, generally stressed horses that travel and compete, old, undernourished, debilitated horses and foals are most at risk.
Pneumonia is usually classified by the cause: bacterial, viral, fungal, chlamydial, parasitic, aspiration, allergic or toxic/chemical – but in many cases no cause can be identified. In Arabian horses, combined immunodeficiency (CID) should also be considered.
I CAN HEAR SAND…
Not all horses intentionally eat sand as part of their diet, but they do consume a certain amount when grazing pasture that is already grazed down to the roots, or pasture based in loose soil, as they invariably pull up the roots along with dirt/sand with each mouthful.
Hay fed on the ground or even on the sand bedding in the stable can also be a way horses ingest sand, and there are always those horses that are ‘vacuum cleaners’ that sift through the dirt looking for the very last bit of hay or grain, invariably consuming sand as they go.
HEADSHAKING - A PLETHORA OF POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THIS PERPLEXING PROBLEM
‘Headshaking’ is one of the most distressing, frustrating syndromes from which horses can suffer – and often leaves vets, owners and riders shaking their heads! Many conditions can cause headshaking, but by a process of elimination the exact cause in an individual horse can often be found and the range of treatment options explored. Keep in mind that successful treatment depends on careful assessment and sometimes a trial and error approach. The fundamental requirement when confronted with headshaking is a detailed history, careful observation and heaps of patience, perseverance and persistence – in other words don’t give up!
Stress - How do we know if our horse is stressed?
Stress…. a generic concept defined as any demand or threat; it can be physical, emotional or psychological. From a welfare and stress perspective, there are five ‘freedoms’ a domestic animals should have:
Freedom from hunger, thirst & malnutrition
Freedom from physical and thermal discomfort……..
The Vital Signs
Horsemen and women appear to have this inbuilt ability to ‘scan’ their horse or horses and do so automatically each time they see them. We all do it, and in most cases it is without conscious thought. Even while chatting with someone you can see a horse owner’s eyes running over their horse and they notice anything different.
However, it is often the changes that we can’t see that are more important and recognising and taking steps to check when something is ‘not quite right’ is an important aspect of horse management.
Swollen Legs
Swelling in horses’ lower legs is pretty common and usually happens if horses move less than normal - like standing in a yard or stable at night. However, not all swollen legs are so easily diagnosed.
Swelling in horses’ lower legs is pretty common and usually happens if horses move less than normal - like standing in a yard or stable at night. This is especially evident in situations where your horse is turned out all day and locked up at night. The swellings are usually about the same size in all affected legs and may extend the length of the cannon bone. These are cool, nonpainful and the horse is absolutely fine otherwise.
Dehydration, Rehydration and Electrolytes
With summer upon us it’s time for a refresher on the impact of hot weather on horses and their need for salt. Horses sweat to control their body temperature. As the weather warms air temperature increases - meaning there is less difference between the air temperature and body temperature. This makes it harder for horses to cool themselves – and if the weather is humid as well the ability to cool via sweating is also reduced. Even if the horse increases sweat production, less evaporation occurs when the air is warm and humid. A major consequence of sweating is the loss of large quantities of water and electrolytes – and dehydration.
Biosecurity
Would your horse be protected if there was an outbreak? Biosecurity is the things you do to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases in plants, animals and people. For your property, it means taking steps to protect paddocks from weeds and horse worms, and your horses from diseases – including infectious and non-infectious diseases, toxins, pollutants and even bush fires. This article will focus on infectious diseases.
Ross River Virus
Ground breaking new research is paving the way to understanding and addressing the transmission of Ross River virus into the equine population. The most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia, the Ross River virus is not only contracted by approximately 5000 people each year but also affects a number of animal species - including horses. While in humans, the infection generally results in a flu-like period of illness often coupled with joint pain and fatigue, many horses that are exposed to the disease show no outward clinical signs, yet raised antibody levels (indicating the presence of an infection) can usually be detected in their blood. In other equine cases, the Ross River virus can cause lethargy, poor performance, stiffness, joint disease and nervous system disruption.
Stifle Lock - Upward Fixation of the Patella
A horse’s ability to sleep while standing is a brilliant survival technique, enabling it to rest on its feet,
ready to flee at a moment’s notice. It’s a great skill for a prey animal and involves hooking one of the stifle ligaments over the end of the femur. But sometimes the ligament won’t unhook and the joint can remain locked when the horse doesn’t want it to. This distressing condition is commonly known as stifle lock.
Poultice It
Depending on the ingredients and how they are applied, poultices are designed to ease bruising and relieve pain, swelling, inflammation and infections.
Compresses, concoctions, pads, plasters, poultices, potions, wrappings and wads. Comprised of a combination of clays, herbs, salts, essential oils, medications and minerals, generations of humans and animals have found relief from mixtures that have been applied as poultices to the body’s surface.
Pain in the Joints
Arthritis in equines is similiar to that in humans in that it is a degeneration of the articular surfaces of the joint caused by inflammation. Over time, this wear and tear on the joints leads to an erosion of joint structures. It can occur in horses of any age but is more commonly found in older horses. The complexity of joints means the causes of arthritis are many. Generally, changes to the joint structures are progressive.
Equine Anaemia
It’s not an illness - it is a symptom of something wrong elsewhere in the horse’s body. In both acute and chronic anaemias the signs will vary with the cause and the rate at which the anaemia develops. Horses with mild -to-moderate anaemia often have no signs or they may seem slightly lethargic and have slightly pale mucous membranes (gums, eyelids, nasal passages). In cases of severe anaemia, the clinical signs will vary depending upon the cause and rate at which anaemia develops. In acute, sudden-onset anaemia, horses may have increased heart and respiration rates, weakness, prolonged capillary refill time, low body temperature, weakness and eventually cardiovascular collapse.
When a SNOTTY Nose isn’t just a Snotty Nose
When you arrive at the stable first thing in the morning and notice a discharge from your horse’s nostrils your inclination is to grab a cloth and wipe that nose clean, but before you do that you need to take a minute to determine what of discharge is being produced. This will indicate if your horse just has a case of the sniffles or if this is a sign of a more serious illness that requires further veterinary investigation.
Toxins in Ticks
The word ‘host’ is generally used to denote someone who provides hospitality. For over 225 million years, ticks have used animals as hosts. Feeding only on blood, ticks have two major host-seeking strategies — the ambush strategy where they climb up vegetation and, with their front legs held out, wait for passing animals; and the hunter strategy, where they emerge from their habitat and run towards and chase animals. Many ticks lack eyes and instead have a variety of sensory organs, including hair-like structures on the body, leg, and mouthparts that can smell and feel – enabling them to locate their hosts and also to communicate with other ticks.
TETANUS a cruel, easily - prevented disease
Tetanus is not uncommon in unvaccinated horses. Most cases end with the death of the horse. At first glance, tetanus and botulism appear unrelated as the symptoms are opposite - spastic paralysis in tetanus and flaccid paralysis in botulism. Both however are caused by nerve toxins produced by clostridial bacteria that interfere with normal muscle contractions, have a worldwide distribution, affect nearly all species, have a high death rate and have been known for centuries - and still occur today.
WORM CONTROL - PART 1 – What worms do and which ones to watch out for
How do I know if my horse has worms? The common signs are weight loss, diarrhoea, colic and tail rubbing - but to find out which worms, what wormer to use and when, you need to do a faecal egg count (FEC). Unnecessary treatments can be avoided by regular FECs because they allow you to plan a strategic worming program. This saves money on un-necessary worming treatments, helps prevent worms becoming resistant and lets you develop the best control program for your horses and your property. In terms of management priorities - a balanced diet, regular dental, vaccination and farriery - establishing an effective worm control program for your pastures and horses is part of being an owner. Now let’s have a peep into the lifestyles of horse worms – because there-in lies the key to controlling them.
WORM CONTROL - PART 2 - an excursion into the lives of worms
The basics of worm control in the 21st century
Worm control programs developed mid last century were primarily to control the deadly large strongyles and bloodworms. Now our major threats in Australia and world-wide are roundworms (a major parasitic pathogen in foals and weanlings), tapeworms (implicated in most ileal impactions and colic) and multi-drug resistance of cyathostomes. Because of very different biology, life-cycles and host-parasite dynamics, the strategies designed for controlling large strongyles are not appropriate or very effective against roundworms, tapeworms and cyathostomes.
Soil - Fertiliser Retention
Grazing horses on correct pastures produces natural advantages compared to systems that rely on hand-feeding, including highly digestible energy, protein and minerals, and many vitamins that are lost in hay, chaff and hard feed. In addition, minerals are conserved through recycling in urine and manure (60-80% of minerals are returned to the soil). Horses experience fewer veterinary problems such as colic, tying up and wood chewing. Horses turned out to pasture also have the opportunity for exercise and social interaction.
Caterpillar Caused Abortion
White Cedar Trees & more Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS)
While the sight of a line of hairy caterpillars wending their way across the paddock may not immediately ring warning bells to owners of in-foal mares, according to new research these little insects are far more sinister than they may at first appear. Recent studies by veterinarians, universities and research organisations* have shown a link between caterpillars and pregnancy loss in mares in Australia
A DIFFICULT DECISION.....EQUINE EUTHANASIA
Sometimes the way forward for aged and ill horses is all downhill. If your horse can no longer experience the things it once enjoyed, cannot respond to you in its usual ways, appears to be experiencing more pain than pleasure, is terminally ill or critically injured, or if the financial or emotional cost of treatment is beyond your means, you may need to consider euthanasia.
MUD FEVER
The trouble with mud fever is that by the time you notice it, it’s usually already well-established. Immediate action is required to try and stop it progressing to a very painful condition (which often includes swelling, pain, lameness, scabs, discharge and cracks and splits in the skin), with multiple infections (bacteria, fungi, yeasts, ringworm and mites), prolonged treatment and a long convalescence.
WORMS - THEN AND NOW
Let’s blog worms – horse worms! It’s nearly 40 years since I took a research sabbatical from my veterinary degree and spent a year collecting manure from horses all over NSW, Queensland and Victoria to harvest and hatch worm eggs and identify resistance to worm pastes.
HEALTHY COAT
I’m sure we all feel the same - that amongst the finest and most beautiful things to see in the world, is a horse with a sleek and shiny coat!
We know a healthy horse has a smooth, glossy coat – the degree of shine depending on the time of year, feed and grooming. And when we see a coat lacking lustre and shine, long, harsh or coarse, it’s a sure sign that something is not right!
Flatulence - by any other name, would smell the same! …. and it’s not always a laughing matter!
Flatulence – a word that across all ages, languages and countries has a unique and powerful ability to provoke laughter. Known by many other terms, flatulence is a build-up of gas in the digestive system that can lead to abdominal discomfort. It often develops as the result of eating certain foods, but it can be a sign of a more serious condition and there is the potential for this gas to become temporarily trapped within the bowel causing colic.
Copyright ®Jenquine 2021. All rights reserved
Dr Jennifer Stewart CEO BVSc BSc PhD Dip BEP
Equine Veterinarian and Consultant Nutritionist
Dr Jen Stewart has been an equine veterinarian for more than 40 years and an equine nutritionist for more than 20 years. Jen has been developing premium formulas for studs, trainers and feed companies - such as Mitavite - in Australia and around the world. Consulting to leading international studs and trainers in various countries while working on research projects and being involved in nutritional management of a variety of equine clinical conditions, including colic, tying-up, laminitis, performance problems, developmental orthopaedic diseases and post-surgery.
Dr Jen is currently the only practicing equine veterinarian and clinical nutritionist in Australia and was also an official veterinarian at the Sydney Olympics 2000. Jen’s passion for nutrition along with her extensive experience and knowledge strives to continue to BRING SCIENCE TO YOUR FEED BIN