Adult horse and foal normal vital signs

Adult horse deworming chart:

COLIC AFTERCARE

After your horse has been treated for colic it is important to monitor signs carefully.  Note attitude, water intake, passage of manure (consistency and amount) and gas, urination, gut sounds, gum color (pink is normal), hydration (check gum moisture and skin pinch on point of shoulder), and temperature (<101.0F).  Look for any signs of discomfort such as pawing at ground, looking or kicking at belly, a distended or tucked-up abdomen, rolling, swishing tail frequently, or holding tail higher than normal.  If your horse is exhibiting signs of discomfort, call your veterinarian.

Most horses drink 8-10 gallons of water per day.  Horses that colic usually have a reduced water intake that may last several days.  Warm, clean water should be provided for your horse – if the horse does not drink, try providing a bucket of electrolyte water in addition to the bucket of fresh water.  The recipe for electrolyte water is 5 gallons water + 2 oz table salt + 1 oz “Lite” salt (potassium chloride) and 1 can of apple juice (or ½ can of frozen apple juice concentrate).  If your horse is comfortable but not drinking the plain or electrolyte water, another way to hydrate your horse is to make a dilute bran mash (bran is purchased at the feed store).  If your horse likes bran, mix 1quart bran to 2 gallons of warm water in a flat plastic container and stir it will.  If your horse will not eat it, try starting with a thicker mash and then add water as the horse eats it.  Apple or carrot pieces, molasses, and/or applesauce can also be added.  This can be given 2-3 times daily.  If you are unable to get your horse to drink or if the skin pinch test is very slow, call your veterinarian.  It is important for your horse to drink and pass manure before feeding significant amounts of hay.  Do not feed grain for several days following a colic episode.

If your horse is drinking water and passing manure, feed approximately one quarter to one third the normal volume of hay that is normally fed in the morning.  Gradually increase the volume of hay fed over the next few feedings, continuing to monitor water intake and manure.  Walking your horse for 10-15 minutes several times a day will help improve gut motility as well as attitude. Turning him out in a paddock from 40 min to a few hours a day is also very helpful, however it must be a paddock where he or she has not access to grass or hay.  Do not hesitate to call your veterinarian with any questions or concerns.

If your horse has had an episode of sand colic, it is very important that your horse continues to receive 1-2 cups of psyllium daily for at least 2 weeks to prevent recurrence. Metamucil ® contains a relatively small amount of psyllium and is not a good substitute for pure psyllium.  Some horses resist eating psyllium.  Adding molasses, applesauce, corn syrup, honey, apple or carrot pieces, or grain will sometimes encourage them to eat it.  Check your horse’s manure several times for sand before discontinuing psyllium treatment.

 PREVENTION OF COLIC

Ø      Feed at least 2 meals per day, 3 to 4 would be better.

Ø      Deworming – consult your veterinarian about parasite control.  Deworm at least every 6 to 8 weeks.

Ø      Provide fresh, clean water – warm it on cold days.

Ø      Don’t feed on the ground.  Feed the horse in a stall with a dry floor if at all possible.

Ø      Change diets gradually over several days.

Ø      Avoid stemmy hay, especially in older horses and miniture horses.

Ø      Feed the minimum amount of grain necessary – most horses do well on alfalfa/grass or timothy hay mix with a small amount of grain.

Ø      Regular exercise – turn horses out as much as possible.

Ø      Annual dental exams.

Ø      Regular fecal exams for sand at 4 month intervals.

CHECKING MANURE FOR SAND

Ø      Collect the equivalent of 6-7 fresh fecal balls.  Make sure that you do not collect any dirt or sand from the ground with the sample.

Ø      Place the sample in a large, clear, glass or plastic container.  Add enough water to completely dissolve the sample.  Agitate or mix the sample thoroughly.

Ø      Look through the bottom of the container in good lighting to visualize the sand that has settled out of the sample.

Ø      If the sample contains > one teaspoon of sand, this suggests that your horse is carrying a significant amount of sand, and requires treatment.  A small amount of sand is normal.

Ø      Some horses carrying significant amounts of sand will pass it in the stool intermittently.  We suggest checking several samples for each horse.

By Chantal Rothschild, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM

Colic is one of the main causes of death in horses of our days. Sand colic is a common type of colic and can occur in horses of all breeds and ages including foals. It does not only occur in horses housed on sand but in those with access to dirt, concrete, gravel, rocks, and decomposed granite. Most horses tend to eat sand or dirt when they eat directly off the ground and during winter time when pasture is limited. However, some horses seem to develop a taste for sand or concrete and eat it out of habit, off the ground, walls, and posts or from wherever they can access it! Horses are constant grazers and by nature prefer to eat small, frequent meals of good-quality fiber.  Horses that eat in large boluses once or twice a day tend to finish their feed quickly leading them to later scrounge for feed off the ground accidentally ingesting sand or dirt or even intentionally eating those out of hunger or boredom.

What does the sand do internally?

As the horse ingests the sand or similar mater it passes through it’s stomach and small intestine accumulating in the horse’s large intestine (many times preferring the right dorsal colon, at the end of the large intestine). While in the large intestine the sand tends to drag back and forth over the mucosa (the lining of the intestine) causing a sand paper effect which leads to irritation, swelling, redness, and thickening of the bowel. This may interfere with the normal absorption/loss of nutrients and water from the bowel leading to weight loss and diarrhea. Additionally, the abrasion suffered by the intestine allows for absorption of toxins, endotoxins and occasionally even bacteria normally present in the horses bowel leading to fevers, depression and occasionally severe sickness.  After many months or even years the accumulation becomes severe enough to cause obstruction of the large intestine leading to more obvious and severe colic signs with gas accumulation and in some occasions even leading to a twisted colon. In moderate cases the obstruction may resolve with some pain killers, water, mineral oil and walking but recurs after a short period as the sand only moved away spreading along the intestine not being truly eliminated.  

What are the clinical signs of horses with sand?

• “ADR” = Ain’t doing right. Horses frequently do not perform well, are unhappy, unthrifty, lethargic, have a decreased appetite as their intestines hurt, among other non-specific signs.
• Weight loss and/or unable to gain weight despite receiving a good quality diet.
• Frequent diarrhea. Horses may have continuous severe diarrhea or occasional bouts of soft to pasty feces. Low grade fevers (101-102º F) may also be associated.
• Intermittent mild to moderate colic episodes. These horses seem to frequently colic but respond to medical therapy.
• Severe or fulminant colic. These are related to severe obstructions with gas distension and in some instances resulting in complications such as twists or rupturing of the inflamed intestine. Colic surgery is often required in these cases.

How to diagnose sand in a horse’s intestine?

• History: horses with intermittent colic episodes housed in sandy areas are common findings in horses with sand colic.
• Auscultation: your veterinarian may be able to hear sand when listening to your horses intestines. Many horses may have sand and at certain times not have any sounds consistent with sand but it is still helpful to try to listen for it if you suspect it as if it is present then it is proof it is there.
• Fecal sedimentation: this is an easy test where 6-8 fecal balls are collected in a rectal sleeve or plastic bag, water is added and the contents are well mixed. Then the sleeve or bag is hung for 5-10 min allowing any present sand or sediment to accumulate on the bottom of the sleeve or bag allowing for determination of its presence. It is important to notice that not all horses with sand in their intestine will be passing the sand in their feces, but if you find sand you know there is more in the horse’s intestine. In some very sandy areas a small amount in the feces can be normal.
• Abdominal radiographs (X-rays): taking radiographs of the horse’s abdomen is one of the most definite methods of determining if sand is present. This diagnostic modality is not available in most practices as it requires a large and very powerful machine typically only available in teaching or referral hospitals.
• Abdominal ultrasonography: in some occasions especially when radiography is not available ultrasonography of the horse’s abdomen can be useful as there are common changes in the intestine that can be visualized with the ultrasound. 

How to treat if your horse has sand?

There is much debate as to what works better to treat horses with intestinal sand accumulation, however one thing seems to be well know. It is much easier to prevent a horse from eating sand then to try to get rid of it once it is inside it!

• Mild cases: cases where horses have sand accumulation in their intestines and are in the stage of being ADR, loosing weight or are having occasional mild diarrhea and/or colic episodes that easily resolve they can be treated by:
• Removing them from the sandy environment or preventing them from further ingesting sand (see prevention strategies below). In some cases this alone has been shown to be sufficient in clearing the horses intestine of the sand, however this may take several months to a year and meanwhile the horse must be medically managed for the clinical signs he or she is presenting.
• Psyllium therapy: psyllium is available as a powder or pellet form and is believed to form a gelatin in the horse’s intestine trapping the sand and dragging it out in with the feces. The success of this therapy has been debated in some studies being shown to be very helpful in eliminating large amounts of sand while in others not showing much effect. This may be due to the kind of sand or matter involved and the severity of the case. In very mild cases your veterinarian may recommend you feed 1 or 2 cups of psyllium a day to your horse on a one week per month basis or something alike. It is important to realize that frequently large amounts of psyllium (1-2 Lbs) are necessary to be effective in sand removal and this may only be accomplished by repeated nasogastric (stomach) tubings.

·        Moderate cases: cases where the horse is having a painful episode with a sand obstruction of the large colon causing constipation and gas accumulation can be treated by:

• Pain killers (Banamine, Bute, Buscopan, etc…)
• Mineral oil and water via nasogastric (stomach) intubation (to help lubricate the intestine so the obstruction can slide through and to soothe the lining of the intestine so that the sand and feces cause less friction causing less inflammation).
• Psyllium: tubing of large amounts (1-2 Lbs) of psyllium 2-4 times a day mixed in mineral oil has a better chance of being effective in trapping sand and removing it from the horse’s intestine in cases where passing of feces can be achieved.
• Fluid therapy: in some cases in addition to the nasogastric water administration intravenous (IV) fluid therapy is necessary to re-hydrate the horse and soften the feces mixed with sand in the horse’s intestine so that the obstruction can be broken down and ultimately passed.
• Other laxatives: other laxative alternatives such as magnesium sulfate, DSS among others have been used to assist in passing of the obstruction.
• Removal from sand and maintenance therapy must be continued as described above for mild cases.

• Severe cases: cases where all of the above therapy have been tried but have not been effective in relieving the obstruction and/or the colic pain ultimately require colic surgery, especially if a twist or torsion is involved. Surgery can be risky in these cases as it is important to remember than in addition to all the risks of a regular colic these horses have the additional risk that they have an intestine that has been chronically irritated by the sand and is consequently inflamed, thickened, swollen and friable being more likely to tear and rupture during surgical manipulations.

 How to prevent sand colic?

This is the most important part of this article, please read with attention and try to implement these precautions if your horses have access to sand or similar matters. Many times the diagnosis of sand colic comes as a complete surprise to many owners that because they do not see their horse(s) eating sand or similar matter do not realize how much sand they ingest just grazing or searching for left-overs on the ground. Here are some important strategies:

• Maintain the feeding area free of sand or dust by using rubber mats, concrete or wood. Ensure that a large area is covered as horses tend to scatter their feed around their eating area and search for those later.
• Feed in bins, buckets, troughs, or feeders.
• Feed adequate amounts of good-quality forage and fiber to your horse (s) to decrease the inclination to eat dirt or sand.
• Feed smaller amounts of hay as frequently as possible. A three times a day feeding seems to be a good compromise for most horses.
• Avoid overgrazing of pastures in order to make horses less likely to eat dirt when searching for grass.
• Avoid turning horses out on dirt or sand paddocks during hungry hours of the day; plan to turn them out after eating their hay.
• Ensure horses have free access to a mineral block and fresh good quality water.

If you believe your horse (s) may be suffering from intestinal sand accumulation or would like assistance to better develop a program to prevent sand colic on your facility please do not hesitate to contact us. This is important to us and we will be glad to help you!

First time horse owner course 101!

By Chantal Rothschild, DVM Dipl. ACVIM

This is a must read for any person that has just joined the club of horse ownership! Congratulations! You are in for a wonderful experience that is likely going to involve you and your horse getting to know each other, gaining mutual trust and understanding of each ones ways, reciprocal respect, love, possibly some injuries, lot’s of hard work and perhaps some sleepless nights. And don’t forget some financial investments too! It is usually a very steep learning curve… But it will be so worth it, it will change you and your family in a positive way forever…

Here is a list of important things about your horse’s care that you should know. Let’s start with your horse’s minimal maintenance requirements:

Nutrition: Good quality hay is the most important part of a horses diet. Most horses do not need grain unless they are being exercised frequently or have trouble keeping their weight. Most horses do well on good local hays, Timothy, and mixed Alfalfa hays. Straight Alfalfa is not usually necessary and should be avoided in some instances, Orchard grass is a good hay but some horses tend to have looser stool on it so in case your horse does switch him/her to one of the others. Most horses eat 1 ½ - 2 flakes of hay twice a day. If you can feed your horse three times a day that is even better (smaller amounts more frequently are more natural to horses). Do not feed hay that looks or smells bad, appears moldy, dusty, too stemy, has weeds mixed in or very green hay. Also, in addition to hay if you horse can be turn out where he can graze for a few hours a day that will keep his digestive system even more healthy! However, be careful with grass. If your horse is not used to being turned out please introduce him/her gradually (start at 20-30 min/day). Lush grass is a common cause of laminitis and this can be a very sad disease. During the freezing times of the year keep your horse off the grass or only on for a few minutes a day.

If placing your horse on grain look for those without too much sweet feed, molasses or corn. The lower carb and higher fat diets tend to cause fewer problems with colics, laminitis, muscle conditions, etc… Be consistent with your feeding times and do not make sudden changes to your horses diet, mixed the new diet in with the current one and go gradually switching over to the new one over the course of 1 to 2 weeks. Sudden changes in diet are a common cause for colic in horses. Do not casually feed your horse inappropriate foods such as bread, vegetables, left overs, etc… Horses are not goats! Their GI tract is very sensitive! Even with treats you must be careful and not over do it, only give a few per day avoid treats with too much molasses or sugar. Avoid allowing your horse to be overweight as this can lead to many metabolic problems in the future especially those related to laminitis that can be very serious and difficult to treat. All horses must receive mineral supplementation unless you feed a grain that already has that included. Most owners provide a salt block for their horses to lick at their leisure and that is an adequate form of mineral supplementation. But, avoid those with molasses and grain.

Clean and fresh water that does not freeze during winter is also very important to prevent colic episodes and keep your horse healthy (buy a water heater if necessary). Horses normally drink 5 to 12 gallons of water a day.

Housing: Horses like to be turned out as much as possible. Being stalled for most of the day is not desirable as many horses develop vices and are more prone to health problems such as colic.

They should have at least a few hours a day to walk around and graze if possible. Living outdoors exclusively is acceptable as long as they have access to a good and protective shed that has at least 3 sides to shield them from the wind and rain. On the other hand, standing in excessive mud should be avoided as this can lead to many skin diseases such as “mud fever” among others. In our area this can be challenging and a good drainage system must be implemented or a rotation of paddocks done to prevent this problem. When searching for a boarding facility make sure to inquire about the mud condition during the rainy season. Also ensure fencing is safe and sturdy, no barbwire, or broken wood or pipes that could cut or impale your horse.

Hoof care: Horses need their hooves trimmed approximately every 6 weeks to remain well balanced and prevent long toes and cracks. Shoes are not always necessary but mostly when horses are being ridden with frequency and in some cases can be placed on the front feet only. A good farrier is very important. Many lameness problems are related to poor balancing and shoeing. Horses feet should be picked out and cleaned with a hoof pick and brush as often as possible (usually daily or at least 3 times a week) to prevent problems within the frog area (the soft part in the middle of the sole of the foot) and also between the bulb of the heels where rocks, dirt and rashes tend to accumulate and cause problems. Keep those areas clean and well ventilated and if severe foul odor develops call a veterinarian or a farrier to help clean and recommend a product to prevent further damage. Horses with particularly poor and weak hooves can be placed on supplements that contain biotin.

Vaccinations: Most vaccines in horses are given once a year and just a couple must be boostered at 6 months. The vaccines to be given depend on where your horse will be living and what diseases are most prevalent but in Western Washington the routine recommendations are: Equine herpesvirus (also called Rhinopneumonitis vaccine), Equine Eastern and Western encephalitis, Tetanus, Rabies, Equine Influenza (“Flu”), West Nile. In 6 months the Flu and Rhino vaccines should be boostered and West Nile depending on which brand was used initially. Other vaccines such as strangles, Potomac horse fever, among others should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Deworming: Horses need to be dewormed much more frequently than other species. Every 6 to 8 weeks is the most current recommendation. Some times every 3 months is acceptable if your horse is alone with no contact with other horses. Each time a different dewormer product must be used so the parasites don’t develop resistance to the dewormers, and these should include Pyrantel (Strongid), Fenbendazole (Panacur), Ivermectin combined with Praziquantel (Equimax), among others. Remember that all horses that mingle should be dewormed at the same time to prevent recontamination after deworming.

Dental care and teeth floating: Horses teeth are continuously growing and due to the way they chew very sharp edges can form on the sides of the cheek teeth (pre-molars and molars). Also large hooks and waves can form with time and age. These will prevent correct chewing and utilization of the feed and cause cuts and ulcers in the horse’s mouth leading them to have weight problems, drop their feed, quid (leave rolled up pieces of hay on the ground) and present behavior issues when being ridden. Therefore, horses must have their teeth floated (used to be called rasped) once a year or every year and a half starting at approximately 3 years of age for as long as they live. This is very important especially as they get older and more serious problems can occur and be more difficult to treat. Nowadays, instead of using only the manual rasps most equine veterinarians also use power tools such as dremels, which do a much better job, much faster and with fewer traumas to the horse.

Other tips:

Veterinary care: It is key to find a veterinarian that gets to really know you and your horse and to take on all of his/her health care. An initial complete examination is important if not already done during a pre-purchase exam so that you are sure your horse is healthy and sound. Also at this time a good quality vaccination, deworming and general health care plan can be designed custom-tailored to you and your horses needs.

Frequent examinations: When visiting your horse and especially before riding always check him/her over. Ensure that your horse looks bright and alert, is active, has a good appetite, well formed manure in the stall, has no swellings, cuts or lameness present. By greeting your horse, feeding or offering a treat, grooming and taking your horse for a short walk/trot all these items can be easily checked. Make this a routine and you will likely always pick up early on any signs of a problem.

Have emergency phone numbers posted: Have your phone numbers including alternative ones posted by your horse’s stall or barn as well as your veterinarians. Make sure friends and family have an idea of what you would instruct them to do in case you cannot be reached during an emergency. You can also make these kinds of pre-arrangements with your veterinarian. Have your veterinarians phone numbers on your refrigerator and on your cell phone. Severe lacerations, colics among others can be very urgent emergencies and with the distress of the situation it is very helpful to know exactly where those numbers are.

Transportation arrangements: If you do not have a horse trailer ensure you have a few numbers to call either friends or commercial transporters in case of an emergency where your horse needs to be transported. This happens often during colics, severe lacerations, and floods, among others. Do not wait for the last minute.

First-aid kit: Put together a first aid kit with important medications and materials and a cheat list or book of first-aid procedures in horses. Include lot’s of bandaging material (cotton sheets, cast padding, gauze, towels, vet-rap, some antibiotic ointment like thermazene, furacin or triple antibiotic, Bute anti-inflammatory (Phenylbutazone), Banamine paste in case of colic, a flash light, etc… Call your veterinarian to assist you with this.

Here are a few terms you will hear around horse people and should know what they mean:

Colic: This is any kind of abdominal (“belly”) pain in the horse. Usually it is related to the gut having some kind of trouble such as becoming constipated and gassy, but can also be more serious involving a twist in the gut. The symptoms are typically not eating well, looking at the sides (flanks), kicking at the belly, pawing at the ground, lying down, and in severe cases rolling, thrashing and going up and down violently. You must call a vet if a horse is colicky. In some cases the vet can treat the horse at home and in other more severe ones (twisted guts) they will need to go to a hospital for colic surgery. Causes of colic can be changes in diet, feeding poor quality hay (too old or steamy hay) or poor quality water (dirty), not drinking enough water (especially when cold and during weather changes), after deworming, or for no particular reason (it just happens).

Laminitis or founder: This is a condition that affects the horses hooves, usually the front ones where the coffin bone (the main bone inside the hoof) looses support and can move out of place either rotating or sinking down towards the ground. It is very painful, horses don’t want to move around much, walk very stiff, rock back and forth, keep shifting their weight and their feet become warm with a strong pulse on the sides of the pastern and fetlock. Causes of laminitis can be many but are often related to eating too much lush grass, too much grain (especially the sweet feed kinds), too much corn, or after having a severe colic, diarrhea or other diseases.

Strangles: This is a disease caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus equi that causes abscesses and swelling of lymph nodes especially those in the throatlatch area. It can also spread internally in the horse. The disease is very contagious and can easily spread to a whole barn of horses in a short period of time. Horses have fevers, feel lethargic, off feed, have swollen throats and may drain abscesses. Some can have more severe forms of the disease and die. It can take months to clear a facility from the bacteria and some cases years. When a horse is suspected of having strangles it often causes panic to most neighbor horse owners in the facility. A veterinarian must be called to diagnose, treat and manage the problem.

Lameness: This means your horse is “off” or limping on a leg. Some lameness’s are obvious and owners can see which leg has the problem and others are very subtle and only the veterinarian can tell which one has the problem. Some times the vet needs to do nerve or joint blocks to figure out a lameness which means numbing parts of the affected limb with local anesthetic to see if the lameness resolves which then proves that the problem was there.

Cushing’s disease: This is a disease that affects older horses (usually older than 18 years) and results from a dysfunction in a gland in the horse’s brain that over secretes certain hormones leading to metabolic disturbances. The clinical signs are typically difficulty shedding, drinking and urinating excessively, lethargy, ribby appearance while having a potbelly and fat deposit over eyes, rump and sometimes crest. Laminitis, dental, gum, and sinus infections among others often accompany the disease.

Choke: When food gets stuck in the horse’s esophagus (throat). This can happen by eating something without chewing well such as an apple, carrot, potato, corn, alfalfa cube or by eating the hay or grain too fast. Horses can do any of the following coughing, gagging, foaming out of nostrils and mouth, stretching their necks, salivating excessively or even act colicky. Food should be immediately taken away from them and they should be put in a stall and kept quiet until the veterinarian arrives. Call your vet immediately!

Moon blindness: This is a condition Appaloosa breeds tend to get more but all breeds can develop. The correct term is equine recurrent uveitis and it involved inflammation of the eye. Horses usually start by holding the eye slightly closed, tear excessively, can have a swollen and red eye and in some cases the eye can become cloudy. It is called moon blindness because in some horses it will go away by itself and come back periodically. If not treated it can lead to cataract, glaucoma and blindness.

Sarcoids: These are common skin tumors in horses that can present as a flat gray thick skin, a lump under the hair or a lumpy oozing tumor. They can be on any part of the body and of any size. They are considered benign, but can grow and become very unsightly and uncomfortable. Treatment can be very difficult in some instances.  

Additional reading:

Northwest Equine Veterinary Associates website has a page dedicated to horse care, please check out other articles and information that can complement this text: http://www.nwequinevet.com/owner_resources

This is a very good website for additional information on how to care for your horse, it was written by a horse owner: http://www.greenhorn-horse-facts.com/index.html

For more nutrition and grass related information including laminitis: http://www.safergrass.org/

For excellent articles on horse care: http://www.thehorse.com/

This is the American Associations of Equine Practitioners owner resources page with veterinary articles on the latest recommendation for horse owners: http://www.myhorsematters.com

A great dictionary of veterinary terms is: http://www.thehorse.com/Glossary.aspx?L=A

A great dictionary for basic horse terminology: http://www.equusite.com/cgi-bin/dictionary/dictionary.cgi