HEALTH CARE
The Healthy Horse
Sign
Normal
o
o
Temperature
99.5 F to 101.5 F
Heart rate
30-45 bpm
Respiratory rate
8-20 breaths per minute
Mucous membranes
Pink
Capillary refill time
1-2 seconds
Signs of Disease






Temp. - Pyrexia
Anorexia
Dehydration
Behavior Change
Tears
Diarrhea, constipation
Signs of Disease
 Floppy ears or lips,
outstretched nose
 Dry coat
 Delay in change of coat
 Nasal discharge
 Cough
 Lameness
 Shaking or trembling
 Rolling or thrashing
EQUINE EMERGENCIES
• Acute Fever
• Lacerations
• Acute swelling of legs &
body
• Founder
• Colic
• Acute Eye
Colic
Temperature Normal
Raised Temperature
Membranes
Jaundiced
Membranes
Normal
Standing
Increased
bowel
sounds
Membranes
bluish
color
Intermittent pain
becomes
continuous
Very acute
pain
Impaction of
small
intestine
Impaction
Indigestion
Gastric
indigestion
Indigestion
Displacement e.g
twisted bowel
Spasmodic
colic
Gastric
impaction
Grass
sickness
COLIC
MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS

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

Lying down more than usual
Getting up & lying down repeatedly
Standing stretched out
Standing frequently as if to urinate
Turning the head towards the flank
Repeatedly curling lip
Pawing at ground
Kicking at abdomen
Rolling
COLIC
PREVENTION
 TPR
 What has his appetite been?
 Consistency & frequency of
defecation?
 Water intake normal?
 Gums normal color?
 Access to any unusual
feedstuffs?
 Change in management?
 24-hr ACCESS TO WATER
 MULTIPLE MEALS
 REGULAR FEEDING
SCHEDULE
 ADAPT TO NEW DIETS, NEW
ROUTINES
 GOOD QUALITY ROUGHAGE
 KEEP FEED, CHEMICALS
LOCKED UP
 EXERCISE PROGRAM
COLIC
PREVENTION
 CHECK HORSES AT
NIGHT
 CRIBBING STRAP
 TEETH CARE
 DO NOT LET HORSES
BOLT FEED
 WORMING PROGRAM
 DON’T WATER A HOT
HORSE
TETANUS
(Lockjaw)
Disease
Tetanus
Agent
Bacteria
Clostridium
tetani
Major Means
of Spread
Contaminated
Wounds









TETANUS
(Lock Jaw)
Muscle spasms
Sound & tactile stimuli
Lockjaw
Erect ears, flare nostrils
Salivation
Saw horse stance
Sweat
Recumbent
Death
EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
(Sleeping Sickness)
Disease
Agent
Virus
Eastern (EEE), Western
(WEE)
Venezuelan equine
encephalomyelitis
(VEE), Japanese B, St.
Louis, West Nile
(WNV),
Major Means of
Spread
Biting Insects
EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
(Sleeping Sickness)
SYMPTOMS
 Pyrexia
 Anorexia
 Acute depression
 Demented-behavior
changes
 Sleeping posture
 Crash through stall
 Blindness
 Circling
 Photophobia
Influenza
Disease
Influenza
Agent
Virus
Major Means of
Spread
Direct contact or
contamination of
utensils, water,
etc. with infected
secretion
INFLUENZA
SYMPTOMS







Sudden
Cough up to 3 wks.
Pyrexia
Watery nasal discharge.
Depressed
Weakness, stiffness
Anorexia
EQUINE VIRAL RHINOPHEUMONITIS
Disease
Rhinopneumonitis
abortion (EHV1)virus
Rhinopneumonitis
respiratory (EHV4)virus
Agent
Virus
Major Means of
Spread
direct contact or
EHV-1 infection
contamination of
extend beyond
utensils, water, etc.
the respiratory
with infected
tract.
secretion
EHV-4 replication
restricted to
URT mucosal
epithelium and
regional
lymphoid
tissue
EQUINE VIRAL
RHINOPHEUMONITIS
EQUINE VIRAL
RHINOPHEUMONITIS
Respiratory form
(EHV-1 & 4)
• Bilateral nasal
discharge
• Pyrexia
• Swollen eyelids
• Dry Cough
• Anorexia
• Constipation or
diarrhea
EQUINE VIRAL
RHINOPHEUMONITIS
EHV-1
 PREGNANT MARES
 Asymptomatic
 Abortion 4-5 mo later
 Last trimester (7-11 mo)
 FULL TERM FOALS
 General weakness
 Pneumonia
 Death
 Neurological
 Incoordination
 Lower leg swelling
 Inability to pass urine or manure
Clinical Signs of West Nile Virus
• Ataxia or stumbling and
incoordination
• Depression or
apprehension
• Weakness of limbs, partial
paralysis, or the inability
to stand
• Muscle twitching
• Death
STRANGLES
(Distemper)
Disease
Strangles
Agent
Bacteria
Streptococcus
equi
Major
Means of
Spread
direct contact or
environmental
contamination
(individual
horses can be
carriers,
maintaining
the bacteria in
the guttural
pouches)
STRANGLES
(Distemper)
 SYMPTOMS





Sudden onset
Fever 2-6 d after exposure
Swelling & abscess
Anorexic
Nasal discharge
RABIES
Disease
Rabies
Agent
Virus
Major
Means
of
Spread
bite from
an
infected
animal
RABIES
SYMPTOMS
 Dysfunction of nerves &
brain
 Behavior changes
 Salivate
 Furious form
 Dumb form
 Paralytic form
POTOMAC HORSE FEVER
Disease
Potomac
Horse
Fever
Agent
Rickettsia
Major
Means of
Spread
unclear, but
aquatic snails
have been
identified as
an
intermediary
host
 Symptoms
 Acute colitis
 Depression
 Diarrhea
–
perfuse, watery
 Laminitis
 Vaccinate
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis
(EPM)
Disease
Equine protozoal
myeloencephalitis
(EPM)
Agent
Protozoa
Sarcocystis
neurona
Major
Means of
Spread
contamination of
feed with
opossum feces
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis
(EPM)
• Incubation period: 2 wks to 2
yrs
• CSF tap
EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA
(Swamp Fever)
Disease
Agent
virus
Equine
infectious
anemia (EIA)
Major
Means
of
Spread
biting
insects,
contamin
ated
needles
EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA
SYMPTOMS
Acute – Die within 3 wks
Chronic – Recurring
 Intermittent fever
 Blood colored spots
mucous membranes
 Depression
 Wt. loss
 Edema
 Anemia
 Inapparent
on
Disease Prevention
• Vaccinate
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
TETANUS
Influenza
EEE, WEE
VEE?
EHV 1 & EHV 4
West Niles
Potomac Horse Fever?
Strangles?
EPM?
Disease Prevention
• Equine Infectious
Anemia
– Coggins Test
Some steps to reduce the risk of
introducing infectious diseases:
• Limit people's access to brood mare and foaling
barn(s).
• Separate breeding horses from others
• Limit people's access to barns housing horses
returning from major shows or events
• Have a separate area for horses that are
continually moving to and from the farm to
shows, races and competitions.
Some steps to reduce the risk of
introducing infectious diseases:
• Use new sterile needles and syringes for all
medications.
• Use separate halters and lead shanks for each
horse or, at least, limit their use to one group of
horses.
• Keep horses coming to the farm for short periods
of time separate from the resident horses
PARASITES
•
•
•
•
•
Strongyles (bloodworms)
Ascarids (roundworms)
Bots
Pinworms
Strongyloides
(threadworms
Signs of Parasitism
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dull, rough haircoat
Lethargy
Wt. Loss
Coughing &/or nasal discharge
Tail rubbing
Colic
Summer sores
ASCARIDS
(Parascaris equorum)
ASCARID
• Small Intestine
• Signs
– Respiratory problems
– Pot belly
PINWORM (Oxyuris equi)
Large intestine
Adults: gut
contents
Larvae: mucosa
•Hair loss on base of tail
LARGE STRONGYLE
• Adults: cecum & large
colon
– Suck blood
– Ulcers
• Larvae: abdominal tissues
& organs
– Severe tissue damage
LARGE STRONGYLE
SMALL STRONGYLE
• Large intestine – cecum &
colon
• Irritate intestinal wall
causing thickening &
nodules
• Dark or black manure,
soft feces with foul odor
BOTS
(Gastrophilus intestinalis, G. nasalis, G. hemorrhoidalsis)
BOTS
• Stomach, gums
• Inflammation, perforation
of stomach wall, gum
irritation
STOMACH WORM
(Habronema muscae, H. microstoma,
Drashia megastoma)
• Stomach, injured skin
• Signs
– Gastritis
– Summer sores
• Damage
– Tumors of wall
– Ulcers in skin
TAPEWORM
(Anoplocephala magna)
•Small intestine, cecum
•Ulceration of ileocecal
valve, intestine
inflammation
THREADWORM
(Strongyloides westeri)
• Small intestine
• Mare’s milk
• Erosion of intestinal
mucosa, inflammation of
intestines
• Worms disappear by 6
months of age
MANAGEMENT FOR CONTROL
OF INTERNAL PARASITES
•
•
•
•
Proper manure disposal
Pastures
Feed
Water
MANAGEMENT FOR CONTROL
OF INTERNAL PARASITES
• Drug control
• Rotational Dewormers
– Optimum – Every 6-8 wks
– 4X/year – Strongyles,
ascarids, pinworms
– 2X/year – Above + bots
• Daily wormer