Equine Diseases
Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)
 A ______________ diseases that affects the equine’s _____________
system resulting in recurrent ________________, weight
_____________ and __________________.
 Once an equine is infected, it remains infected for the rest of its life.
 Chronically infected equine may go for years without showing signs
of _______________ only to have the sign recur when stress,
environmental conditions or other disease affects the equine.
 ___________________ and ___________________ are the major
natural transmitters of the virus from one equine to another
 Detection- A blood test called the “_________________ test” is used
to detect the presence of EIA.
 Equine must have a negative Coggins test before they can compete or
be placed in events in North Carolina
 Prevention involves __________________ from equine that are not
infected and protection from biting, flying insects.
 Treatment
o There is no effective treatment or vaccination for the disease
o In some cases, equine with EIA are required to be __________.
Equine Influenza
 There are two common features of this _______________ infection
o Extremely rapid spread of _________________
o Frequent, dry cough
 Equine with influenza have an elevated temperature of
_________________ degrees F which persist up to _______ days
 The death rate from influenza is very ___________
 The virus is spread to other equine when the equine
_______________ or ________________ and may be carried by
__________________ on equipment that have been in contact with an
infected equine.
 Prevention
o Use two __________________ injections of influenza vaccine
scheduled 2-4 weeks apart followed by a booster shot at 3-4
month intervals for horses at risk.
o __________________ of infected equine and screening animals
prior to transportation will reduce the spread of the disease.
 Treatment
o One _______________ of stall rest is recommended for each
day the equine has an elevated temperature due to influenza
o Maintain a ______________ free environment during the
illness and recovery by _______________ hay and providing
clean bedding.
Equine Rhinopneumonitis
 This is a _____________ disease caused by _____________ virus.
 The infection is accompanied by a ____________ colored
_______________ discharge among foals.
 The virus associated with this disease also may cause
_______________ in pregnant mares and occasional _____________.
 Equine may develop a temperature of ______________ degrees F
which lasts for ______________________.
 Equine become infected when they ________________ the virus
exhaled by sick or even apparently healthy equine that are infected.
 Prevention requires a combination of
o Sensible management practice
o Mares should be isolated and separated from other equine
o Thorough cleaning and sanitation in the event of
_______________ or _______________ fetus
 Vaccination
o Vaccinate pregnant mares in the ______, _________, and
______________ month of pregnancy.
o Young equine should receive two injections followed by a
booster according to manufacturer’s recommendations
 Treatment is limited as there is not specific anti-viral therapy
available.
Strangles
 A highly _______________ _________________ infection most
commonly found in __________ equine from one to five years of age.
 Early signs of strangles include ______________, _____________
and loss of _______________ due to difficulty with swallowing.
 As strangles progresses, the ______________ _____________ and
_______________ region may become hot, swollen and painful with
_________________ forming and rupturing onto the skin.
 _______________ from ruptured abscesses may ______________
water buckets and _________________ feeders for months.
 When strangles develop and abscesses from on internal organs,
mortality may be as high as ____________%.
 Prevention and treatment are used in conjunction.
o Treat ruptured abscesses with a mild _______________
solution to hasten healing
o Administer _______________ _________________ ____ as an
antibiotic treatment until clinical signs no longer exist for five
days.
o _____________ affected animals from all other equine
 Vaccinate with 2 or 3 injections one month apart and apply a
__________ annually.
Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA)
 EVA is a ___________ infection that causes ____________ illness
with ____________ and ______________ discharges, ___________
(stocking up) of the hind limbs and other areas of the body and
sometimes _____________.
 EVA may be passed by respiratory transmission when equine come in
close contact.
 Equine invariable make uneventful clinical recoveries even without
treatment
 Perhaps EVA is most pronounced as a breeding disease through the
_______________ spread of the disease by acutely affected stallions.
 Viral persistence in the stallion can range from several ____________
to the entire _____________ of the equine
 Mares can be infected either at time of natural breeding or artificial
breeding.
 Prevention
o Immunize the breeding stallion population with ______vaccine.
o Immunize all mares if they are inseminated with EVA positive
semen.
 Treatment
o There is no specific anti-viral treatment for equine with EVA
o Infected stallions should receive forced rest if they show
symptoms of the disease.
Eastern, Western and Venzuelan Equine Encepalomyelitis (EEE, WEE,
and VEE)
 EEE, WEE, and VEE are ____________ infections that result in the
________________ of the __________________.
 The viral infections are spread by ________________ contact.
 The virus my live in reservoir hosts such as ___________ and
_________________ for long periods of time without harming the
host.
 The virus is transmitted and spread by ________________
(____________) to equine and humans.
 The viral infection is ___________ transmitted between equine and
humans.
 The disease has high mortality rates:
o EEE is _________________%
o WEE is _________________%
o VEE is _________________%
 Complete recovery is ____________ with equine frequently
continuing to exhibit clumsiness, depression and abnormal behavior.
 Signs of EEE, WEE, and VEE include _____________, propulsive
walking, _____________, and a number of things that indicate the
equine is ________________.
 Prevention focuses on mosquito control.
o Use insecticides and repellants when possible and practical
o Eliminate _______________ water
o Screen stalls, use fans to move air, and limit the use of
_____________________ lights in stall areas
o Brings equine inside prior to dusk
o ____________ with 3 injections at 3, 4, and 6 months of age
and give a booster at the beginning of insect season
 Treatment
o There is not specific treatment available
Equine Colic
 Colic is the behavioral signs of __________________ pain in equine
characterized by various activities including, but not limited to:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
 True colic is due to ____________ _______________ or disease
which causes pain
 __________% of all colic cases are from two causes
o __________________ causes where there is intestinal spasm
caused by numerous things such as stress, anxiety, diet change,
parasite damage, dewormers, etc.
o Large intestinal impaction (__________________) caused most
often by improper diet and exercise (Human management is
often culprit)
 Prevention
o Use a _____________ management program to avoid problems
o Careful rotation of pasture helps reduce levels of parasites
o Avoid overstocking pastures
o Use “Ivermectin” as a deworming compound
o ___________________________________________________
 Treatment
o Place the equine in a safe environment
o Treat with _______________ for pain relief
o Treat with _____________ ______________ as a laxative
o ________________ feed until the equine has improved and
then reintroduce feed gradually
o Do not allow the equine to eat too much hay or roughage
(lightly grazing the pasture is recommended)
Founder
 Characterized by the hoof collapsing as a result of _____________
(inflammation of the supporting tissue between the hoof wall and
pedal bone)
 Causes lameness in the horse and if left unchecked can cause
permanent _________________ or even require ________________.
 The leading cause of founder is _____________________ disturbance
from any number of factors such as ___________________________
________________________________________________________
 Other factors that cause founder are exhaustion, excessive concussion
(road founder) contact with black walnut shavings, etc.
 Prevention
o ________________________________
o Avoid ________________ the equine
 Treatment
o Identify cause and direct treatment toward alleviating the
problem
o Increase blood flow to the _________________ through the use
of drugs and IV fluids
o Use _________________or ________________ to thin blood
o Use anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs (______________)
to reduce laminar swelling
o Pack the frog and sole to increase support
o Use specialized shoes to relieve ___________ to the hoof area.
Tetanus (Lockjaw)
 Caused by a _______________ that allows uncontrolled muscle
contraction and muscle spasms
 Affected horses most often have sustained a wound from
__________________ prior to the onset of tetanus; however, tetanus
bacteria also live in the equine’s _________________ tract
 Tetanus has become less common due to vaccination, but is still
highly _________________
 Equine usually die from __________________, cardiac arrest or
starvation since their _________________ system does not function
 Prevention
o Vaccination with two doses of toxoid _____________ given
one month apart followed by a booster shot annually
o Equine that are injured should receive the toxoid booster if
there is no record of prior shots
 Treatment
o Administer ________________________
o Aggressively clean the wound
o Administer tetanus anitoxin
o Use __________________ and muscle _______________ to
relieve spasms and muscle pain
o Provide IV fluids and nutritional support
Potamac Horse Fever (PHF)
 PHF is a disease which in its extreme form results in _____________
___________________________________________________________
 The occurrence of PHF disease is consistently within __________
miles of a _____________________
 PHF is caused by an ______________ that can survive within living
cells and must be transmitted through blood cells by insects such as
_____________
 Equine with PHF are not considered _____________ to other equine
 Prevention
o Vaccinate with two injections one month apart
o Give a booster injection annually in May or June
 Treatment
o A veterinarian should use _________________ (anti-microbial
drug) for 4-5 days
o IV fluids, frog pads, sole support, and anti-inflammatory drugs
also help
Borreliosis (_____________________)
 Lyme disease is a _______________ infection transmitted primarily
by certain ticks
 Rare among equine and only a problem where Lyme disease is found
among human populations
 ______________ is the most commonly reported sign of Lyme
disease in equine
 Prevention
o Careful grooming to remove ticks
o Avoiding ____________-infested areas
 Treatment
o Use antibiotics such as tetracycline and ________________
o Prolonged treatment of 10-30 days usual
West Nile Virus (WNV)
 _____________ infection that can cause inflammation of the brain
and often mimics ______________ in equine
 First introduced in western hemisphere in ____________________
 Equine are more often affected by WNV than any other domesticated
animal
 WNV is spread by ___________________ when they bite an infected
bird and then bite a human or an equine
 Equine are not _______________ and do not pose a health risk to
other animals or humans
 About ____________% of horses who show clinical signs either
__________ or have to be euthanized
 Clinical sign of WNV may include ______________, aimless
wandering, head pressing, impaired vision, hyper excitability, etc.
 Prevention
o See mosquito and control techniques listed for EEE, WEE and
VEE
o A veterinarian should vaccinate with “protocol” and follow
with a booster injection three weeks later
 Treatment is still developing