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Ask The Vet: Emergency Care - October 08
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Has your horse ever been involved in an emergency situation? Pose your questions for Dr. Elisha Dickinson during the month of October regarding the topic of emergency care and what you can do for your horse while waiting for your vet to arrive.
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Question: I have a 6-month-old colt that has a swollen lymph node under the right jaw the size of an small orange he does not have any clinical signs of illness, eating well, drinking and is playing with the other foals. There have never been any strangles on the place or any of the other horses have never had it. He has not had any nasal discharge or cough. Could you could please give me advice on a possibility what this might be?
Answer: Click To View
If your foal has been vaccinated recently, lymph node enlargement can be a normal side effect. Lymph nodes will swell when the cells within the node perceive foreign material, usually material from the surface of a bacteria, virus, or vaccine. If your colt received adequate immunity from its mare, natural exposure to a virus can cause lymph node enlargement, but the immune system may be adequate enough to prevent clinical signs (nasal discharge, cough, fever, etc).
Occasionally, an abscess will erupt in this location due to entry of foreign material (straw, thorn) under the skin. Hot packing the swelling for several days should soften any abscess formation, and may promote drainage.
In older horses (2 to 4 years), eruption cysts in this exact location are very common. These swellings are usually firm, nonpainful, poorly moveable and occasionally drain.
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Question: I run a small equine rescue and I recently took in two mares. They will not socialize with others horses since one of the mare's is so dominant, and she acts like a Stallion, herding the other mare away from the other horses. If any horse comes near her and her stable mate, she attacks. Could this be a physical problem? They also cannot be separated since I have tried to separate them to ride one and they go insane. What can I do to help them get over this separation anxiety?
Answer: Click To View
There is a great article on separation anxiety in November’s the Horse Magazine. In summary, the article looks at the inherent nature of the horse as a herd animal, and how that relates to the social bonds the horse establishes. Interestingly, there is evidence that more dominant horses tend to suffer from separation anxiety more commonly, as may be the case with your mare. It is best not to separate the two mares until they are better adjusted to their new home, and not feeling threatened. The article in the Horse recommends separating slowly by simply leading the horse away from the herd (continue until the horse remains calm), and progress to lunging the horse away from herd mates. The article also suggests leading the stressed horse next to a calm herd mate.
The most important element in mixing new horses is to be patient. A new social structure needs to be developed, and this takes time. If possible, it would be helpful to turn the new mares out together, and have them share a fence line with the other horses for a period of time. It is possible that the mare may be more aggressive temporarily because she is in heat. You may notice a difference in a few days. Other times, a cystic ovary or hormone imbalance can be the source of the aggressive behavior; a reproductive ultrasound may give you some answers.
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Question: After 12 hours of watching my horse colic, and two shots of Banamine later, not to mention walking my horse for what seemed like a million miles, we resorted to pumping in a gallon of mineral oil with no results. When we contacted our regular vet, he said this was not an emergency and could wait until morning. Is colic a real emergency or were we just panicking?
Answer: Click To View
Certainly, it is not unreasonable to feel that your horse is an emergency during a case of colic. In fact, it is always important to update your vet of any case of colic you are observing and/or treating.
It is important to appreciate that your vet is gathering much more information over the phone than you realize. A vet is in the unique position of triaging cases based on the information they gather from the owners over the phone. Information that will help your vet determine the severity of the case includes the exact behaviors your horse is showing (pawing, stretching, rolling, sweating, trembling, laying on his side, etc), the presence or absence of manure, consistency of manure, temperature, heart rate, and the presence of abdominal distension (bloat). You should also record the duration of the symptoms, as well as the timing of any medications that were administered. This information can create a mental image for your vet so that they can better make a medical decision regarding the urgency of the case.
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Question: I found a dead desert mouse and live ones in the feed bag. I have no idea how long the dead one was in the bag of feed, but I threw it away as soon as I saw it.! Unfortunately, I had fed the feed to my horses. What do I need to look for if they develop a rodent/mouse born illness? I live in Arizona and I don't know what illnesses or diseases are thriving in the southwest region. Any advice would be great.
Answer: Click To View
The southwest is quite a distance from my home here in Canada, but I will do my best to answer your question.
The short answer is should your horses show any signs of illness or demonstrate unusual behaviours, you should consult your veterinarian. You should monitor personality, appetite, urine output and manure production.
More simply, a decomposing carcass can spoil the feed, and your horses may develop GI upset, colic or diarrhea. Other diseases such as salmonella, listeriosis, rabies and various parasites (Trichinella) can be transmitted. The risk of each of these conditions is low, so please don’t panic! You should consult your local vet for more geographically specific conditions.
You have completed the most important task; throwing the feed away. To keep these pesky rodents out of the feed bags, it is essential to keep feed within a sealed tub or container. Other measures, such as mouse traps and strong barn hygiene, are essential components to a rodent control program. Any spilled feed should be cleaned promptly and disposed of in sealed garbage. Any obvious foundation cracks, holes in walls, or poorly fitted doors/windows should be sealed. Long grass surrounding the foundation should be cut. Of course, most barn cats will help prevent and/or control a problem. Please avoid toxic rodent bait (such as bait with the ingredients brodifacoum, bromadiolone or warfarin) as they can cause severe illness and death in children and pets.
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Question: I have a 6-year-old Quarter mare that foundered a couple of months ago. She has been on a diet and needs to lose quite a few pounds. Is there any possibility that in the future I could let her out in the pasture for a couple of hours or so?
Answer: Click To View
Often it is possible for horses to return to pasture after an episode of laminitis. This cannot even be considered until your horse has completely recovered from the acute episode of laminitis. After the acute episode has subsided and the condition is under control, you may introduce exercise gradually by your vet. If your horse is tolerating the controlled exercise well, you can consider turning her out in a small paddock or dry lot for a short period of time. Starting with 15 minutes and gradually increasing the time spent in 15 minute increments, you can best prevent a relapse.
With regards to grazing, the same principle applies: Go slowly and gradually. Initially, it may be best to allow short periods (5 mins) of grazing while handwalking your horse. Turnout in a dry lot with a perimeter of grass may be the next best step, depending on the setup of your farm. Ultimately, if you are considering turning your mare out on a grass paddock, she should be wearing a grazing muzzle. Horses can strategically consume large amounts of grass through the muzzle, and so turnout time must continue to be restricted. Lush, rich paddocks should be avoided at all times, even with a muzzle. The sugar content of grass will vary greatly depending of the season and time of day.
With this knowledge, you can strategically select to turn your horse out during times when grass sugar content is lowest. Most already know that Spring grass is very rich and should be avoided. Conversely, in the Fall when the first few frosts stress the grass, the grass will concentrate sugars. Sensitive horses should not be turned out in the Fall when the frost first arrives. Similarly, during the hottest time of the day in the summer, the grass will become stressed and the sugar content will increase. Ideally, during the summer, your mare would do best turned out at night.
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Question: I have a pregnant Tennessee mare with a cut on her left back leg on the outside joint. What could I do to treat it? I put peroxide and blue antiseptic spray on it. It was recommended by another vet. What do you recommend I do to treat her?
Answer: Click To View
The first and most important step is to determine which structures/tissues are affected by the cut. If you are certain that only the skin is cut, then you may proceed by keeping the wound clean. Peroxide and Blue spray can be irritating to the tissues. Any irritated tissue will dry out quickly and become nonviable (dead). An alternative approach would involve cleaning the wound with warm water and applying an ointment or cream to cover the wound and keep it moist. This is assuming the cut is only small and not in a fragile location, is not draining, and the horse is bearing full weight. If the limb becomes hot and stocked up, please call your vet since an infection, or cellulitis, has ensued.
If you are in doubt as to whether there are internal structures affected (joint, tendon sheath, tendon, etc), you should call your vet immediately. In particular, a cut which extends into a joint or tendon sheath is a life threatening situation and should be treated immediately by a professional.
Finally, if your horse is non-weight bearing, you should have your vet out as soon as possible. Please also ensure your horse is up-to-date with her tetanus vaccination.
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Question: I have a 6-year-old Quarter horse and recently I noticed that his left breast muscle seems to be sagging. Now he is walking lame. We walk him slowly several times a week, but we have not run or trot him at all. The left front breast muscle seems to be loose and sagging instead of firm and solid. We just noticed this morning that he is walking very slowly and seems to be in pain.
Answer: Click To View
I have seen this commonly when a horse traumatizes his chest, for example, by running into a fence post or other firm structure. The highly vascular muscle in this region will bleed profusely under the skin and, combined with inflammation, a fluid sac will develop. This fluid sac will cause this region to appear very saggy. Due to gravity, all of the fluid will tend to aggregate in a dependent location; ie., below the pectoral muscle. The traumatic injury, as well as the fluid accumulation, will cause the horse to be painful and stiff.
Another potential is that your horse has developed generalized edema. Please also check his sheath and throat latch regions for evidence of edema.
A veterinary exam can best determine a definitive cause. In the case of trauma to this region, it can be managed conservatively. The horse should be kept on stall rest with handwalking only. Cold hosing the “saggy” region will help reduce the swelling. Topical ointments (Surpass, DMSO) can be used to help attenuate the swelling, assuming there is no disruption to the skin surface. Fluid absorption in this area is notoriously slow to dissipate, try to be patient. You may speak with your vet regarding anti-inflammatory therapy, which will help your horse feel better, and will help with the swelling as well.
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Question: My horse coliced on friday and we took to him to the vet saturday. The vet said his bowel sounds were good, but administered oil anyway. Now he will not eat regular feed, but will eat oats. What should I do now?
Answer: Click To View
This question is difficult to answer without a few more details. For example, the findings from the physical exam would also include hydration status, mucous membrane color, heart rate and the presence of abdominal distension to name a few. I am also assuming that when your vet passed the nasogastric tube into the stomach there was no reflux, and the ingesta was not thick or malodorous. In addition, a rectal exam is often performed for diagnostic purposes.
Please keep in mind that anytime a horse colics, there are internal changes to the GI tract with respect to motility, inflammation and microbial flora. The horse should be fasted for a period of time after the colic episode, until they are feeling better and passing normal manure. After fasting, feed should be slowly and gradually introduced so as to not stress the already damaged gut. Feeding the horse back too quickly or early can cause setbacks.
Another issue you may be dealing with in this case is gastric ulceration. Ulcers will cause a horse to colic, despite normal gastrointestinal sounds and the passage of normal manure. Affected horses will also have a reduced appetite, and in particular will not eat grain well. Confirmation of gastric ulceration includes fasting your horse and having gastroscopy performed. Gastroscopy includes passing a small camera into your horse’s stomach to visualize the lining. Alternatively, if gastroscopy is not readily available to you, treatment for ulcers can be pursued if this issue continues or reoccurs. The only drug which treats ulcers is Omeprazole. Other feed supplements and antacids may temporarily make your horse feel better, but will not reverse the changes.
The most important point here is that your horse is not showing active signs of colic (pawing, laying down, stretching out, depression, etc) and is passing normal manure. You should contact the vet that initially performed the exam to update him/her and to possibly schedule a recheck exam. Bloodwork can also give you more answers.
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Question: I have 4-year-old draft cross that I would like to have gelded. He is very well endowed and someone mentioned that he may need to have an in hospital surgery (to stitch him up) as opposed to a regular gelding due to his size - and that his intestines could possibly come out of the (inguinal ring) opening after gelding and if that were to happen, there would be a very slim chance of survival. The cost of a hospital surgery is just not something I can afford right now, but I hate to risk loosing him as well. I am wondering what you would suggest?
Answer: Click To View
You are exactly right. Regardless of size, mature horses (>2 years) tend to have larger inguinal rings. The ring is essentially a hole in the body wall, which separates the internal abdominal organs from the scrotum. Select breeds also have larger rings (Standardbreds, Drafts). When a horse is castrated, the scrotum is opened. If the scrotum is not sutured closed, then there exists a direct communication between the abdominal organs and the outside world. In rare cases, after the surgery, a portion of bowel will slip through the ring and will fall out through the incision onto the ground (evisceration). This emergency situation is life-threatening and carries a poor prognosis for survival. The alternative to this “open” castration, is to have both the inguinal ring and the scrotal skin sutured closed (closed castration).
To minimize your risk, I would suggest saving up a bit longer for the surgery and pursue the closed castration. The closed castration is more expensive because it is more difficult to perform, it takes longer, more drugs are required, and in some cases gas anesthetic is used. In-hospital surgeries are also preferable since post-surgical monitoring is performed so that you don’t have to worry about what is normal and what is not.
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Question: Last week we got a new addition, a 5-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. We did not turn him out with my other two until today as I wanted them to adjust to each other. I turned him out this afternoon and at first they were fine, but then he and my 6-year-old mare got into it about 1/2 an hour later. They were standing rump to rump and kicking violently. I heard them make contact several times as I ran out there to separate them. By the time I got them apart, my gelding had been injured. My mare is not shod, so the injury was simply from her hind foot. He received several small scratches, but my concern is the blow he took to his right hind leg just above his ankle on the outside and back of the cannon bone. He immediately started limping. Once I got him out of the pasture, I looked at it and it was immediately swelling. There is only a small patch of hair missing and no open wound so I believe it is all bruising or internal. I hosed his leg with cool water for about 1/2 an hour and then wrapped ice in a towel and wrapped his leg with it. At first he wouldn't put any weight on it, but is now putting some weight. I don't think it's broke due to him putting pressure on it. Unfortunately, I'm still worried as I'm not certain if a horse could put weight on a hairline fracture or not? I'm hoping it's all soft tissue injury. Please advise with any treatment help and options.
Answer: Click To View
Let’s hope it is nothing more than pain due to bruising and swelling. You should keep your horse on stall rest until it is looked at by your vet. Incomplete fractures can be difficult to detect by observation and palpation alone. Radiographs are a must in these cases to rule out bone damage, stress lines, fractures, etc. Furthermore, the lower limb bones (cannon, pastern) are much more fragile and it is important to be conservative.
It is promising that he is able to bear full weight for now. While waiting for radiographs to be taken, continue to ice and wrap the limb. You may want to apply a stable wrap on the other forelimb as well, as it will be bearing more weight than usual. Stall rest is a must at least until the radiographs prove that there is no fracture, and then until your horse is sound at the walk.
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Question: Please discuss emergency treatment for eye injuries including corneal abrasions and more severe injury such as embedded foreign objects.
Answer: Click To View
Eye emergencies can proceed very quickly into dangerous territory. ALL eye injuries should be examined by a vet. While waiting for your vet, the horse should be kept in a dark stall. If you have access to Banamine, ask your vet if they prefer that it be given. Do not attempt to remove any embedded material. Do not administer any eye medications, unless approved by your vet, since some medications can lead to further deterioration of the cornea. Please be cautious around your horse since, if vision is reduced, they may become easily startled.
If you note that the surface of the eye appears to have a thick, marshmallow-consistency white film, or if the eye appears to be displaced from the eye socket, please update your vet with this information.
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Question: I had a wonderful 4-year-old filly (my mare's 3rd foal and my favorite of 4 foals) that was coming in from pasture for dinner at a full run and stumbled across some rocks that were buried beneath some grass. She fell and cut open a large gash under her left fetlock. The vet arrived later to clean the wound and stitch the cut and left an opening for drainage. She also gave me some sulfa tablets to give to her(12 tabs-twice a day) and to change the bandage daily. She was lame for a few days and I had the vet come back out to take x-rays to make sure there was no problem with her sesamoids or any broken bones. The x-rays came back negative and clean. However, a few days later, she started to get an infection. I had the vet come back and he cleaned it out and flushed her joint capsule and we made sure that there was no leakage from the joint capsule itself (making sure that there was no hole in the capsule) and changed the antibiotic to intramuscular injection (10cc each side) of penicillin. The infection seemed to get worse and I was on this horse day and night for 16 days trying to get the infection under control but to no avail. At that time, the infection was in the tendon sheath and was beginning to get a couple of small abscesses so I called the vet and he said to get her up to the equine clinic so that they could get the situation under control. I immediately called a horse transport company that came and got her and had her transported up to the clinic two hours away. During the van ride to the clinic, upon unloading her, her toe was coming up from the ground (which was NOT happening before she was loaded into the van) and the vet at the clinic said that she had ruptured her deep digital flexor tendon during the trip up to the clinic. He told me the surgery was $5,000 to repair the tendon but was concerned about the infection also. I was not concerned about the money as much as I was concerned about the quality of my filly's life afterward. He told me the prognosis was very poor for her to return back to a sound horse and I had to make a decision on what to do. I had to make an extremely difficult decision and one that I did NOT want to make but I had her euthanized at that point and I was with her when I had it done. I was emotionally devastated!! The question I keep asking myself is "did I do the right thing? Is there anything else I could have done? Did I make the right decision? I miss her terribly bad and I am still grieving over my loss. Could I have done anymore? Would have she been able to come back to live a normal live? I still have a sense of guilt and wishing it could have turned out differently than it did.
Answer: Click To View
I am so sorry to hear of your tragic outcome. It sounds to me like everyone worked very hard to save your filly’s life. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts, your filly did not respond to treatment. This is truly a sad case. Rupture of the deep digital flexor tendon is a very terrible injury, and as you know, the prognosis is poor. The risk of post-surgical complication includes failure of the repair, laminitis (in either or both front feet) and chronic lameness. You did what you felt was right for your beloved filly, and following your gut instinct is always the best decision.
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Question: My mare is 22-years-old and has swelling in the neck behind the ears on both sides. Her neck becomes so bad that she can't put her head down. This has been drained twice by my vet, but it keeps filling up with clear fluid. We don't know of any injury and he doesn't know what to make of it, but is on penicillin.
Answer: Click To View
Your description may be consistent with the rare condition Poll Evil (Supra-atlantal bursitis). This translates to mean inflammation of the bursa (fluid sac) above the atlas (which is the name of the first vertebra in the neck). Essentially, inflammation develops within this fluid sac, which will distend and eventually drain. The initial insult may be caused by trauma or a generalized infection. In some cases, the bacterial organism Brucella can be isolated in the draining fluid or antibodies to this organism can be tested in the blood. Sometimes, the infection is linked to exposure to cattle infected by the same bacteria. Specific antibiotics may help, but the bursa may need to be surgically removed. Similarly, trauma to the poll region can cause inflammation of the bursa. A culture of the draining fluid in this case will be negative (ie., the fluid is sterile). Radiographs may be necessary to evaluate the cervical (neck) vertebrae in these cases. Surgical removal or the direct injection of irritants may help in these cases.
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Question: I have a 3-year-old mare that has lost all her weight while eating good hay, oats, sweet feed and grass. She has been dewormed, her feces checked for ringworm, bloodwork done, given B-12 shots, placed on ulcer guard, and now we are trying cylium for sand. Do you have a clue what could be wrong? I'm afraid I'll lose her any day now. She eats well and her stools are a very soft like cow patty, but not watery.
Answer: Click To View
I can sense your deep concern. This is indeed alarming. I do not have enough information concerning your horse’s health to specify a cause with certainty. I will outline some of the main issues with weight loss so that perhaps something may apply to your situation. I am assuming that the weight loss is in the face of an otherwise healthy (energetic, bright) horse.
Weight loss due to inadequate intake:
FEED: quantity does not seem to be an issue here. To promote more weight gain without filling your horse full of carbohydrates, I would perhaps rely on a higher fat diet. You may try a product such as High Fat/High Fiber and supplement with a high fat balanced pellet (minimum of 25% fat). Oats create a lot of gas upon fermentation and can create an unbalanced bacterial flora within the cecum; you may want to wean your horse off of oats. An unbalanced bacterial flora can cause loose manure, and inadequate nutrient absorption. You may also want to consider a Probiotic to add to the protocol. This will help restore the normal GI flora. Psyllium will help with irritation of the bowel caused by potential sand consumption. Since the manure is loose, you may want to avoid coarse, bulky hay. Look for a soft, leafy hay. Chopped hay will also lessen the stress load on the colon. Make any feed changes very slowly and gradually.
DENTITION: ensure that your horse has had a thorough dental/oral exam. Young horses can have dental problems. Swallowed food, which is poorly chewed will not be digested or absorbed properly. In addition, oral pain will discourage your horse from eating the provided feed.
Weight loss due to nutrient loss:
PARASITISM: in young horses (usually a bit younger than 3 years, however) roundworm resistance is common. A fecal exam should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the dewormers you are using, and to rule out parasitic resistance. It sounds like you may have completed one before, more likely to evaluate for roundworm.
GI ULCERATION: this is not uncommon in young horses. Particularly if your horse prefers hay to grain, or shows signs of discomfort upon eating grain, you may be dealing with ulcers. Ulcer Gard is a great product for prevention of ulcers, but does not HEAL ulcers as well. The drug Omeprazole is superior for treating aggressive GI ulcers, where there is a suspicion of ulcers, or confirmation on gastroscopy.
DISEASE: a variety of illnesses can cause weight loss. More extensive diagnostics would be warranted to further investigate this problem.
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Question: My pony was vaccinated against West Nile virus on December (two doses 4 weeks apart). She is now showing light signs of the disease. She looks very stiff and lame on one foreleg and her hindquarters seem stiff. Could it be she is showing a lesser effect of the disease because of the vaccine? How should we treat her?
Answer: Click To View
These clinical signs are not typical of West Nile virus. Neurological signs of WNV include loss of bladder tone/urinary incontinence, weakness in the hindend, depression, anorexia and loss of anal and tail tone. Stiffness is not a reported effect, in fact, horses display laxity and incoordination in the hindend. Your concerns can best be addressed by a thorough examination by your veterinarian. Musculoskeletal injury must first be ruled out.
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Question: Can acorns harm your horse or change his behavior?
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That is a great question. In general, the average horse will not prefer to eat acorns over roughage (hay, grass). More typically, when the grass is grazed down and there is not enough forage supplemented, the horse looks for an alternative source of food. Most horses will not eat enough acorns to cause a problem. The risk when horses eat large amounts of acorns from oak trees is due to the toxin tannic acid. This toxin can directly cause the GI tract to slow down, and colic may result.
The best solution is to ensure your horse has plenty of free access to hay or grass. This will minimize consumption of acorns, dried up leaves and weeds which can cause illness. In addition, scour your paddock and pick up large congregations of acorns if the horses seem to be eating them.
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Question: My mare has what looks like sratches. She also has it on her nose too. It's on her fetlock area but also on the front as well as a spot on her flank. Tonight I found a spot on one of my gelding's forhead and the other gelding's fetlock. These areas seem to be very sensitive with large crusty scabs. What can I do to stop this and any idea what it is?
Answer: Click To View
If your geographic region is anything like mine this year, then “scratches” (pastern dermatitis) has been a very big problem. However, I am a bit concerned with your description about how quickly it is progressing and spreading. By definition, scratches is confined to the lower limbs. Other areas of the body can be similarly affected by moist conditions where bacteria and fungi subsequently invade. This will appear as a crusting skin condition. Since there are other potential causes for your described skin condition, then it would be best to have your animals examined by a veterinarian.
Even for more advanced cases of “scratches”, simply picking the scabs off and trying to keep the area clean and dry will not suffice. Often prescription medications are necessary to gain control of the problem.
In the meantime, while waiting for a vet exam, try to keep your horses in the driest paddocks. You may also prefer to bring them in during wet conditions. Bathing each horse and removal of the scabs will assist to some degree.
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Question: I have a horse I use for my carriage company that I noticed a couple of months ago was getting a sore from his bridle rubbing him. It started out very small and I just thought it would go away. I got a pad for the top of the bridle to make it more comfortable. It just kept pulling the scab off of the wound. Now it is bigger and am afraid it could be infected. I have started putting straight betadine on it. Is there anything else I should do? I have managed to fix it to where his bridle doesn't touch the wound. Does he need a shot? If so, what kind?
Answer: Click To View
It is difficult to determine if the wound is infected without an examination. Monitor the site for heat, pain, drainage and swelling. Be cautious as the wound will persist if there is continuous irritation. This may be from rubbing of the bridle (make sure it does not move/rub when you are riding), or from irritants such as Betadine. Betadine is a great disinfectant, but can be irritating if it is used too often or aggressively. Always ensure the Betadine is diluted (to an approximately 0.75 percent to 1 percent solution), usually it comes already diluted, and the percentage should be written on the label. Too much scrubbing of the wound can also be irritating. If there is not any drainage, you may try just wiping the area with warm water and applying a sterile ointment.
There are no particular shots per say that will clear this up. If you are in doubt as to whether it is infected or is progressing, you should most definitely have your veterinarian examine the area. In some cases, what appear as sores can be precursors to other things such as sarcoids. Your veterinarian can help rule these things out.
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Question: My horse has an open wound on her forehead, which was done inside a horse trailer while she was being transferred. How should I treat the open wound?
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Head wounds tend to heal very quickly. Generally, it is preferable if you can clip the surrounding hair to create a cleaner surface. The site should be scrubbed with a dilute disinfectant daily and rinsed off with warm water. You may apply a sterile ointment, which serves mainly to keep the wound hydrated and the tissues fresh. If flies are still a problem in your area, a fly mask should be worn. Most of the wound should be filled in within the next 5 days. Your horse’s tetanus vaccination must be up-to-date. Please call your veterinarian if you note any excessive pain, heat, drainage or swelling.
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Question: I recently found out that my sister's boyfriend has been feeding my llamas and horses dry dog food. I was not happy in the least. Could you please provide information regarding what this could do to my animals?
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As long as dog food was not the only thing your horse was getting, there should be no long term consequences. Of course, horses cannot survive on dog food and nutritionally would eventually lose body condition. In the short term, horses may develop signs of colic, GI upset or diarrhea. These effects would be observed quite soon after consumption. Please consult your veterinarian should you observe any unusual symptoms.
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Question: I have known of several horses that have become entangled or cast in wood plank fencing. Please provide information on extrication. When and how should it be attempted or when should someone wait for a vet's assistance?
Answer: Click To View
Indeed this is a common occurrence. This is a difficult question to answer, however, because there are so many different presentations. More often than not, a particularly calm horse will figure out a simple entanglement and sort itself out. You may facilitate the horse if you feel comfortable, and if the horse is not likely to cause injury to any helping individuals. When helping the horse, always stay away from the limbs. You may pull out or manipulate the horse’s position by using the tail or mane, always approaching the horse from its back.
Other times, a limb, head or other appendage, will become entrapped and the horse will panic. This is the more dangerous situation. If the horse is not found promptly, it will struggle to the point of exhaustion. These horses should be evaluated by a vet as an emergency, since they can sustain electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, muscle injury and other traumas. In addition, in many cases the affected horse will require a sedative in order to facilitate extrication. Horses that panic are much more likely to cause injury to helping individuals and caution should be exercised.
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Question: I have a 17-month-old Thoroughbred that was gelded yesterday and I put him out this morning in the pasture with my other horse as my vet instructed. They were doing fine until they got to running and the baby tripped and rolled head over heals. The older horse had to jump him to avoid running him over. The older horse is fine, but the baby has a cut about 4 inches long and an inch wide across his rear fetlock and the bone is visible.
I took him to the vet immediatly and dropped him off but am worried about him possibly hurting his neck or back when he rolled. He was walking fine when I brought him back to the barn and loaded him in the trailer, but by the time we got to the vet, he seemed slightly disoriented and refuesd to unload.
Could this just be soreness from the combination of the gelding and cut on his leg? What can I do to make sure he exercises enough to keep from swelling up too much without stressing out his leg? He's a big guy (15.3 hands) and normally very calm and sweet. I don't want him to get too stressed by being kept in his stall. Any suggestions?
Answer: Click To View
Wow, what a dramatic 24 hours for your poor horse!
To address your first concern, horses can injure their head or neck during these falls. Your vet will have to conduct a thorough neurological evaluation to ensure vital structures have not been involved. Often, however, although the fall looks very dramatic, the horse will be fine. Do not be alarmed yet by the disorientation and refusal to unload; the horse has been through a lot in the last 24 hours.
Secondly, I will comment on the hind fetlock injury, but it is difficult to know which structures have been affected. For exercise, you have to keep in mind that he has been both recently gelded and had surgical repair of his limb. Depending on what your vet advises, you may be looking at stall rest with handwalking for at least a few days. Hopefully, no vital structures were injured, which would require a prolonged period of stall rest. A few days in the stall shouldn’t stress the average horse. You may try keeping a buddy in to stay with him, and his grain should be cut back as well. If he is very upset, you may require a mild sedative to keep him quiet.
Handwalking will help minimize the scrotal swelling from the castration site; cold hosing can help as well. You may attempt to cold hose 15 minutes once daily as he will permit. Anti-inflammatory medications (example, Bute or Banamine) can also reduce the swelling.
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Question: I would like to know about emergency treatment of nail wounds to the hoof, including puncture wounds and fully or partially embedded nails.
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Puncture wounds, often caused by nails, are a very common occurrence. Ideally, depending on your comfort level, the nail should be pulled out immediately upon presentation. If you are not comfortable doing this, you should wait for your vet to arrive. A vet should be called upon for evaluation of the puncture wound and tract. Tetanus should be boostered if the horse has not been vaccinated for tetanus in the last six months. Often it is advisable to have the foot radiographed to determine the extent of the injury. Following extraction of the nail, the foot should be soaked in warm water with a disinfectant and Epsom salts. This will help disinfect the tract and osmotically draw any trapped infection or debris out of the foot. This should be continued 1 to 2 times daily for 5 days or as necessary. If at any point in time the horse shows severe lameness in the affected foot, then often it is caused by closure of the draining tract, trapping of bacteria and abscess formation. In this case, it is more beneficial to poultice the foot for 24 hours at a time until the abscess ruptures. Update your veterinarian of any changes during the course of treatment. Antibiotics are usually not indicated, as penetration of the drugs into the hoof is difficult. In addition, antibiotics can delay rupture of an abscess. Your vet will decide whether antibiotics are necessary for a selected case. If, for example, involvement of the coffin bone is confirmed or likely, then antibiotics may be advised.
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Question: My beautiful 15-year-old Quarter horse died suddenly last night. She went from standing and eating, to not breathing in less than 10 minutes. She had just rec'd 10cc of a steroid/antibiotic for a hoof problem - it was the 3rd or 4th injection. About two minutes after the injection, her upper lip flared, she foundered and down she went. She had a brief seizure and she was gone. The vet came and said it was probably a twisted gut (she LOVED to roll, if that is any help to you). Of course, my heart is broken. I am wondering if a necropsy is in order, (the vet offered) and if so, what would it prove?
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I am so sorry for your sudden loss. Since I have never examined your horse, it is difficult for me to comment on a likely cause. These sudden tragedies are never easy. I would pursue a necropsy if you feel that you need more answers. The necropsy is more for your own peace of mind. Since this does not sound like an infectious or toxic etiology, there is little reason to suspect that it could affect any other potential horses at your barn. Listen to your instincts, there is no right or wrong answer.
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Question: I returned from an overnight trip to find my Quarter horse mare (5-years-old), body condition score of 6, walking like she was on egg shells. Her feet were very warm, she had laminitis. I left premeasured food, bermuda hay (it was December) and 24/7 turnout. My vet had no idea why she developed laminitis, possibly stress. I kept her up in my round pen on the sand and her stall. Fortunately, she is fine. Now, when I travel, she receives only bermuda hay. Not knowing what caused the problem, it is hard to prevent. Is there anything else that I can do, and is there anything that I can give to a horse that will stop the effects of laminitis immediately while waiting for the vet to arrive?
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The most important, yet simple, thing that you can do for your foundering horse while waiting for the vet is to support the soles of the feet. Supporting the soles can prevent further inflammation of the lamina, and rotation. This may imply stall rest in a deeply bedded stall (peat moss, sand, straw or shavings), confinement within a deep sand ring or applying support pads/boots to the feet. In addition, you may ice the feet (have horse stand in ice water, or place each foot in a plastic bag, fill with ice and tie the bags directly to the feet). You should ask the vet if they prefer anything further. If the vet will not be arriving promptly, they may advise Bute administration.
Any concurrent steroid administration (example, for heaves) should be discontinued. No treats or grain should be offered during this acute phase. It is always difficult to not have concrete answers for the original cause of laminitis. Bloodwork (complete blood cell count, biochemistry and metabolic testing) and radiographs are usually recommended to further investigate the trigger and determine a prognosis.
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Question: Just yesterday, my filly was biting on a gate and pulled back and cut herself inside her mouth on the metal. The blood was coming out so fast, it flowed over her chin and puddled on the ground. I couldn't even see where it was coming from. I tried to rinse it and she lapped the dripping blood like a puppy lapping up water. After 5 minutes, it slowed down so that I could see it was coming from just her inside lip. She started pawing and layed down, probably from swallowing so much blood, and slept for approx. 30 minutes, got up to drink and nibbled on fresh hay. My vet had just started a surgery and was unavailable to come out. She didn't want me probing in there and eventually the blood was clotting and hanging off her chin like thick saliva. It seems okay now and she is eating and drinking normal. She is a yearling and was pretty patient and kept leaning her head on me as if asking for help but didn't want me to explore in her mouth. My vet's office called and said to leave it alone as long as she is eating and drinking normally and doesn't show signs of colic and that it would heal on it's own. What, if anything, can you do for a mouth wound, if she had sliced her tongue in half or other until the vet arrives?
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These wounds LOOK terrible, but appear much worse than the actual damage sustained. Keep in mind that the oral cavity, and all mucous membranes for that matter, is very rich in blood supply. Therefore, any injury will bleed profusely. The same is true in people, just at a smaller scale. Although it may look like a lot of blood, horses have quite a reserve (on average 40 liters) and they only loose a small percentage of the blood in their system. As you observed, a healthy horse will eventually produce a blood clot and the bleeding will slowly stop. Ideally, it will help to keep a horse’s head low while hemorrhaging so that most of the blood is lost onto the ground. The most important rule while waiting for the vet to arrive is to keep the horse calm. This may imply leaving him alone in the stall, handwalking or bringing his buddy in from the field for company. The more upset/stressed the horse becomes, the higher his blood pressure will be, and the more blood that will be lost. In the long-term, the oral cavity heals very rapidly due to the enormous blood perfusion to these tissues. The majority of the wound will be healed in 3 to 5 days. There is very little that is necessary for you to do, other than wait. If the horse is reluctant to eat, then feeding a soft, moist feed is justified (examples, soaked pellets, soaked hay cubes, etc). It is also advisable to wait until the wound is healed to resume any enforced exercise (riding, lunging).
For this type of injury, it is important to ensure that your horse’s tetanus status is up-to-date.
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Question: I recently received a 6-year-old gelding from my parents in Nebraska, and he had injured his knee in the pasture there. I wanted to know if my 2 year old son could eventually ride him. After getting him home, I am running into a couple problems. Their vet said he would be fine, but I am starting to wonder since his knee has doubled in size, but he doesn't act as though he is lame or act as if it is giving him any problems. When he walks, he seems to bend it back farther than he should. Also, he has a gash right on his knee that I have been doctoring, but we are having a hard time keeping it wrapped during the fly season here in Missouri. I have to re-bandage it a couple times a day because when he is out running around or just walking about in a stall, he gets it down below the wound. I have been told to apply duct tape above the bandage to hold it up and under to keep it from sliding but he is a bit of a wizard and when I go to check on him he always seems to be getting it off.
I was just wondering if there was a trick to keep this knee bandaged and even though their vet says he will be fine to ride when the wound is healed, the size of the knee worries me as well as how he has that extra bend in it. Do you think that since it isn't hurting him he will be fine? He will just be used for a trail horse and no showing, kids and maybe husband riding him. I am keeping everyone off until spring to make sure that we don't stress anything.
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I understand the frustration you must be facing!
I am assuming, based on your post, that this injury is still fairly fresh. The first priority is to keep the knee bandaged. The best way to keep the knee bandage from slipping downward is to apply a stack wrap. There is a picture of this bandage in this month’s Equus magazine if you need a visual. The basic principle is to apply a standard bandage (cotton layer and then an adhesive wrap) to the lower part of the limb (from the ankle to below the knee) and then apply a second bandage to the knee, overlapping with the lower limb bandage below. The knee bandage should include a dressing, a thin layer of cotton, and then an adhesive wrap. Elastikon can be used above and below the bandage to prevent slipping and destruction. Specifics of the bandage (including dressing type, etc) should be obtained from the vet who originally treated the injury. Your concern regarding the size of the knee is completely justified, however, please realize that if there is a concurrent open wound, much of the swelling may be caused by inflammation under the skin. Through wound management and rest, the swelling should come down. Other modalities to get the swelling down include cold hosing or icing the limb. Anti-inflammatory medications (such as Banamine or Phenylbutazone) may also help. If the swelling persists, particularly after the wound is healed, you should consult your regular vet for further evaluation. Radiographs may be needed to rule out problems within the bones and/or joint. Your description of a gait abnormality is not alarming at this point. If the knee is swollen and stiff, the horse will not be moving properly. Allow time for the wound to heal and the swelling to go down before concerning yourself about his movement. I like your suggestion of giving the horse time off until next Spring. My recommendation is to have the knee re-assessed by your vet prior to bringing the horse back to work.
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