You have just come back from a successful weekend of showing and are giving your horse a well deserved rest. Your horse looks tired but in good shape. A few days later you visit him at the barn and notice he did not finish eating his grain from the morning. You take his temperature and to your surprise it reads 104 degrees F. What do you do next?

These signs indicate it is a good idea to have your horse evaluated by a veterinarian. Strangles, an infection of the respiratory tract of cross will often present with similar signs. A combination of a high fever and poor appetite can be caused by a number of problems. It can be dangerous to just put your horse on antibiotics because if the signs are caused by an intestinal problem or resistant bacteria it could make it worse. Other times there will be a history of yellow nasal discharge in multiple horses in a barn. Occasionally, strangles will strike an individual in a barn which has had no horses in or out for months.

Strangles is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi equi. It mainly infects horses and is a serious health concern in the horse community due to its contagious nature. A horse with strangles will often show the following signs - fever, poor appetite, yellow thick nasal discharge, lethargy, coughing, and/or swelling of the lymph nodes around the head, most notably under the jaw. In order to diagnose the condition, a sample is taken from the nasal passage or draining abscess.

Occasionally blood titers can be helpful. Once diagnosed, it is important to isolate your horse from other horses and keep all water buckets, brushes, clothing etc. separated as well. Most of the time we do not treat with antibiotics, only banamine or bute to keep the horse comfortable. Occasionally, especially in horses less than 1 year old, strangles can be life threatening. If your horse is having trouble breathing, an emergency tracheotomy may be needed because swollen lymphnodes can close off the airway. Also, horses affected with strangles do not always show significant illness. The bacteria can hide in the guttural pouch, a small space on the side of the throat. Pus can accumulate here and cause the horse mild illness or no signs at all. These horses can become carriers and bring the disease to other barns or shows. This is why even when a horse looks healthy or appears to be "over it" it is important to culture these horses a number of times before they can be called free of infection. If pus is found in these pouches, often hospitalization with flushing of the pouches is required to eliminate the infection. Rarely strangles can enter the lungs or produce abscesses in the abdomen (bastard strangles) which can be very serious and life threatening complications.

An endoscopic view of pus within the guttural pouch.

Since strangles can be a frustrating problem the best treatment is prevention. Vaccination with Pinnacle IN (Fort Dodge) TM, can be helpful in reducing the severity of signs when a horse is affected. It does not prevent the disease. Contrary to rumor, it is very rare for the vaccine to cause true strangles. It is reported to occasionally cause lymph node swelling, or a clear nasal discharge for a few days. The best prevention is to be careful and limit your horse's contact with outside horses. Also, people who work at barns which have strangles need to be careful and not visit their friend's horses. If you show or trail ride, we recommend vaccination 1-2x/year, and limiting contact with other horses and common drinking areas. Finally, if your horse has a nasal discharge, lethargy, and/or a fever please keep him home and call your veterinarian.

Q: What do I do when my horse is limping?
A: Lameness problems are one of the most common reasons clients call us. Most of the time, the lameness is not serious and a short period of rest and care will bring your horse back to full service. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.

Q: How do I know which leg my horse is limping on?
A: It is not as easy as it may seem! In general, a front end lameness will show a head nod. The horse nods his head down when the sound leg hits the ground. A hind leg lameness looks like skipping. The horse brings the sound leg forward faster to get weight off the sore leg as viewed from the side. You can also have multiple leg lamenesses which can look like the horse shortens his stride or doesn't want to walk.

Q: Now that I know which leg my horse is lame on, what do I do next?
A: You should pick out the foot and examine it carefully for any nails (especially in the frog), cracks, heat or an increased pulse. Then push on the coronet (the skin around the top of the hoof) for any sensitivity. Finally run your hands up and down the leg and feel for any heat or swelling. Remember, you can use the other leg as a "normal." Finally, take his temperature (a normal temperature is 99 to 101 deg F).

Q: When should I call Ledgewood Equine?
A: If he is willing to only put the toe on the ground at the walk, it could be an emergency situation and requires an immediate call. If he shows a limp at the walk, a call for an appointment should be made. If he shows a lameness only at the trot, then you could either a) wait 3-5 days, restrict the exercise and see if he improves or, b) if you are concerned place a call for an appointment. In other words, it is always ok to call us! A fever should always warrant a call.

Q: Can't I just put him on bute?
A: Bute is a prescription drug even though the use of this drug is common. It can potentially have serious side effects including intestinal and kidney problems. therefore we recommend its use only in the advice of a veterinarian.

Q: What is restricted exercise?
A: Restricted exercise means the horse needs to be kept in the stall and either hand walked or turned out in a paddock no larger than a round pen. Some horses get anxious and run even more when they are away from their buddies so we recommend you keep a stablemate next to him and offer plenty of hay. If necessary, some horses require tranquilization which can include either herbals such as valerian root, or medications such as injectable or oral tranquilizers.

Q: What should I do if there is heat or swelling in the leg?
A: Good first aid includes cold hosing (or icing with cooler packs/ frozen peas) for 20 minutes every 2 hours (or as much as possible). If the swelling is on the lower leg, the limb can be bandaged with a standing wrap or poulticed (if there is no wound). Only give medications after the advice of the veterinarian. We like to see them most of the time before they have bute.

Q: What should I do if I find a nail in the foot?
A: As tempting as it is, PLEASE DO NOT remove the nail! It is important for us to see its location and take radiographs with it still in place. Horses will usually not drive it in further if you restrict the exercise.

Q: If it looks like a hoof abscess, what should I do?
A: We like to look at the foot anyway. If the abscess is under the frog it could be very serious because there could be injury to deeper structures. Once we have evaluated the hoof, then we usually recommend soaking in 4 parts warm water and 1 part Epsom salts for 20 minutes. If your horse tries to run you over while soaking, then the next best thing is to use Magnapaste to draw the abscess out. Once the abscess drains through the coronet (a gravel) he should become sound in 1-2 days.

Q: What if there is a cut on the leg too?
A: Always call Ledgewood Equine ASAP. If the cut or a puncture wound is over a joint or tendon it could be serious, especially if your horse is lame.

In conclusion, the reasons for a horse to be lame can be quite varied. Even though the majority of the time it is not serious, it can be difficult for a non veterinarian to make that determination and a thorough evaluation is important for your horse's long term soundness.

Ledgewood Equine welcomes Dr Smedley as our intern for 2006/2007. She replaces Dr. Michelle Courtemanche who is now practicing north of the border. Dr Smedley is an avid horseperson, with her family owning a riding facility in Maryland. She grew up with horses and has extensive experience breeding and training Morgans. After her internship, she plans to return to Maryland where her parents are looking forward to getting back their investment in her education. Dr. Smedley is looking forward to meeting all of you!

Surgery
Castration- what are your options?

 

1. Standing- least expensive option. Can be performed on well behaved colts from 6 months to 2 yrs of age. Sedation and local anesthetic are used. The incision is left open to drain and exercise is needed to prevent infection.

2. Down (general anesthesia)- Similar surgical technique to standing. Used for minis, kickers, and well endowed, older horses.

3. Closed. A down procedure where instead of leaving an open wound to drain and heal over, we suture it closed. It is more expensive, but many clients are choosing this new alternative. The advantages of this technique include lower infection rates, lower chances of herniation, and less aftercare.

Reproduction

It is not too early to be thinking about breeding your mare. If you are planning on breeding next spring, contact us on what kind of preparation needs to be done.

If you are a stallion owner and are considering standing your stud next season Ledgewood Equine is establishing a breeding station for 2007. Please contact us for details.