Int/Adv Preventative Care

Preventative care includes the things we do to avoid the horse getting sick in the first place. There are four important preventative care considerations: parasite control, vaccinations, teeth, and introducing new horses.

Parasite Control:

All horses have parasites. Let me repeat that: All horses have parasites. Since most cause problems and we do everything we can to eradicate them. There are a few things you can do to help control parasites:

• De-worm your horse (more on this next paragraph :)
  
• Avoid overgrazing pasture
  
• Avoid keeping too many horses in one pasture
  
• Rotate pastures (horse parasites won't live in cattle and vise versa)
  
• Keep hay and grain away from manure
  

So deworming -- horses should be dewormed every 8-12 weeks (most people seem to do once/season). Different dewormers kill off different parasites in different phases of their life-cycles. It is important to rotate dewormers so as to eliminate a wide variety and to help prevent any of the worms developing an immunity to the dewormer. Some of the common worms include:

• Large Strongyles: these can cause serious damage. A blocked mesenteric artery (which supplies the intestine) can lead to severe colic, or a blocked iliac artery (which supplies the hind legs) can cause lameness or paralysis.
  
• Small Strongyles: also cause serious damage. Signs include weight loss, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and colic.
  
• Ascarids: most common in foals. These are disgustingly large worms. Signs include: poor coat, coughing, diarrhea, lack of appetite, pot belly, apathetic behaviour, and stunted growth.
  
• Bots: these are less harmful and among the easier to avoid. They lay their eggs on the horse's legs, chest, etc where they get licked off and swallowed. They look like little yellow dots, and if you make a point of removing them when they appear you'll help cut down significantly on the bot population. They can cause sores in the mouth, and sometimes stomach ulcers.
  
• Pinworms: not overly harmful in itself, but a sign that your strongyles dewormer probably isn't working overly well since they're killed off by the same thing. Pinworms lead to the horse rubbing its tail and sometimes you can see gray or yellow eggs around the anus. Pinworms are very rare in horses that live outdoors 24/7.

You'll notice the signs for most of these are similar. In general, any combination of inexplicable weight loss, poor coat condition, rubbing the tail, lethargy, and constipation or diarrhea should have you de-worming your horse or at very least having a fecal test done. Colic is also a sign of parasites gone horribly wrong (really you should catch it before then), but since it can be caused by so many other things may not be a sign in itself.

In areas with winter, the only things you'll really be able to kill after the frost are small strongyles -- so a Moxidectin based dewormer is best used in the winter months. This should be followed with an Invermectin based wormer in the spring to kill off any adult strongyles that survived the winter. Through spring/summer/fall you can alternate between Ivermectin-based and Pyrantel-based. There are multiple brands and types of each of these. Twice a year a Praziquiantel (which is a relatively new super-wormer) is a good idea.

So just for the curious, here's a sched for one horse as an example for the year. This is a 5yo TB mare in good health who lives in Ontario and will be competing from May though Sept. Keep in mind this is just a sample -- your plan should be created in consultation with your vet.



Vaccinations

Like people, horses can be vaccinated against common diseases. Most vaccinations need to be boosted -- some annually, some more often. What you vaccinate against will depend, among other things, where you live and how much contact your horse has with outside horses. If you have a private farm with two back-yard ponies who never go anywhere, they're far less likely to catch something than a competitive horse at a large boarding barn where they get shipped to multiple shows, all obviously with other horses, AND all the ones they live with at home are doing the same thing. Anybody could bring something home and spread it.

Some of the common ones include:

• Tetanus -- aka Lockjaw. Just as with people, this disease affects the nervous system. Usually caused by a dirty would, signs include stiffness of the head, neck and hind end, muscle spasms of the jaw, and the appearance of a third eyelid. There is an 80% mortality rate. Annual boosters are required. If you are working on a farm you would be smart to make sure YOUR tetanus vaccination is also up-to-date (although requires far less often booster).
  
• Rabies -- affects attitude and behaviour. Rabid horses will become violent -- biting, striking and rolling. It is almost always caused by a bite from an infected animal. This is also one of the few diseases that is transmissible to humans. Usually fatal.
  
• Encecphalitis (Eastern: EEE, Western: WEE, Venezuelan: VEE) -- a viral disease often transmitted by mosquitoes. 50-90% mortality rate. Booster shots annually if you have winter, every 6 mths if not.
  
• Influenza -- same concept as with people. Highly contagious but rarely fatal viral disease characterized by a high fever, cough, nasal discharge, depression and loss of appetite. Bi-annual vaccine, usually given spring and fall.
  Rhinopneumonia -- a highly contagious viral infection with signs much like flu. This is most common in young horses.
  
• Potomac Horse Fever -- believed to be carried by ticks (uncommon in this area). Signs include depression, loss of appetite, profuse watery diarrhea, distended abdomen, severe colic and sometimes laminitis. May be fatal. Annual vaccination.
  
• Strangles -- highly infections viral infection which affects the lymph nodes in the upper respiratory and cheek mucous membranes. This has been going around Ontario for the last few years, so be very aware if you're in this area and showing at all, you might want to consider this vaccination seriously. Signs are inflammation of the throat and cheeks, a fever of 39.5-41C (103-106F), reluctance to eat, and a moist cough. Annual Vaccination.
  
• West Nile -- a mosquito-spread neurological infection. Symptoms include listlessness, muscle twitching, weakness or paralysis in limbs, sometimes a fever. Can be fatal or have permanent complications. Annual booster.
  
• Equine Infections Anemia (EIA) -- aka Swamp Fever. Very serious, and any horse who survives it could become a carrier (who looks and acts normal while infecting the rest of the barn). Highly contagious, signs include a really high fever (40.5-41.2C, 105-106F0, rapid weight loss, anemia and hemorrhages of the mucous membranes. There is no cure, and most provinces require any horse that tests positive for EIA to be humanely destroyed. Most farms require proof that a horse is EIA negative before allowing any horse on the property. This proof is in the form of a Coggins test -- a simple blood test done by your vet. An annual coggins test is required for horses showing on most recognized circuits. There is no vaccination or cure for this disease.

As always, check with your vet about what they would recommend in your area.

Teeth:

Horses teeth continually grow. A horse's upper-jaw is wider than his lower-jaw. When they graze, the jaw moves in a side-to-side motion, and the molars wear out unevenly causing sharp points ("hooks") to appear on them. These can hurt. So every six months they should be checked and the sharp points need to be "floated" or filed. This is not a painful procedure but it is awkward and some horses really don't like the noise.



If a horse's mouth seems sore (particularly evident when the previously accepting horse starts flipping their head with any bit contact), or if they start quidding (which is when food dribbles out the side of their mouth as they're eating) they should absolutely be checked.

More on teeth another Thursday :)

New Horses:

When a new horse comes to a facility, proof of negative coggins should always be required. They should also be quarantined until their health is assured and introduced to the other horses slowly. Similarly, when bringing your horse away (ie to a show) it is important to keep them from the other horses. No rubbing noses, no sharing water buckets, food, or brushes. Little things that will keep your horse much healthier in the long run!

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Beginner Preventative Care: TPR

Not as many pictures today... Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy anyways! On the plus side, no diagrams to memorize :)

Preventative care includes everything we do to keep our horses healthy before they get sick. At the beginner level the most important thing you can do is know what is normal. That sounds so obvious, but it's the little details that count.

In order to judge if something's wrong, you must first know what is normal. For instance, if your gelding usually loves being groomed and is all happy when you brush him, and then one day is suddenly really snarky, nipping and pinning his ears when you brush him, there's probably something wrong. Or if your mare always pays attention to what's going on, comes over to see you when you open the stall door, watches people in the hall way, and then one day is standing with her head in the far corner of the stall not looking at anybody, odds are good she's not well. What's important here is knowing what is *normal*. Some horses are ALWAYS grouchy when they're groomed, so it's not a worry sign. Some horses ALWAYS ignore the world, again that's just fine. It's when there's a sudden change in behaviour that there's reason for concern. And to know the change, you have to know what is normal.

Some examples of behaviour you should know about:

• How does he react to people/horses/environment around him?
  
• Does she always eat all her food?
  
• How much water does he usually drink?
  
• Does she usually lie down in her stall?
  
• How much manure is normal in his stall?
  
• How clean is her stall?
  
• What are some you can think of?
  

Horse's are creatures of habit; when something changes in their habit, you have to be aware of it. A horse who is usually neat and suddenly has a messy stall has probably been pacing or kicking -- either she doesn't like her new neighbour or she's not feeling well.

Another series of important normals to know are your horse's TPR. TPR stands for Temperature, Pulse and Respiration and is one of the first things the vet will want to know when you call. A horse's temperature at rest (when they haven't been exercising) should be between 98.5 - 101 F or 37.5 - 38.5 C. You should know what normal is for your horse. To find the temperature (btw please do NOT try this on your own the first time -- make sure you have an experienced horse-person with you!) you need a rectal thermometer that has a string tied to one end. Dip the thermometer in vaseline. If you're using an "old-fashioned" thermometer (that'd be non-digital, mercury based) make sure you shake it a few times -- hold the top and flick your wrist down -- so the mercury is in the right place. Stand at your horse's hind end, slightly off to the side, tie the string to your horse's tail, lift the tail and slide the thermometer in. Be sure to pay attention as some horses (understandably!) don't care for this and may kick out! Leave the thermometer in for a few minutes then slide it out. Wipe it off on the towel (not running it under water!) and read the number. Make sure after you're finished you clean and disinfect the thermometer! A horse who has just finished exercising, is eating, or is stressed will have a higher temperature, so it's always best to take their temperature when they're at rest. A horse at rest with a temp around 39C (102F) has a mild fever, 39.5-40 (103-104) is moderate (call the vet), and above 40 (104) high (definitely call the vet now!). A horse whose temperature drops lower than normal is likely in shock. Also call the vet.

So TPR is Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration. The Temperature should be 37.5-38.5C (98.5-101.5F). Next in the list is P: Pulse. The pulse at rest should be between 32 and 40 beats per minute. This too will be elevated after exercise or with stress (just think of how fast your own heart beats if you're excited -- so does your horse's!) You should know what the normal resting pulse is. You should also for conditioning purposes take the pulse during and after work -- once you know what the normals are there, you'll be able to tell if your horse is working too hard or is stressed. For those who event, the vet will sometimes check your horse's pulse after XC; if it doesn't return quickly enough to normal, your horse will be deemed unfit and you'll be out. To take the pulse you use two fingers (not the thumb) and feel inside the lower jaw -- there's an artery there that you press gently against the bone. You have to press firmly enough to feel it and lightly enough not to cut off the pressure. Count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 2 (at least if you're doing the EC test. Everybody will give you a different number for their favourite counting methodology). The other place you can find it (harder with fingers, but easier with a stethoscope) is at the top of the front leg on the inside, right in front of the elbow. There is also technically a digital pulse (digit = limb... the digital pulse is felt at the back of the pastern. Remember where that is? If not, review Theory Thursday 1 - Anatomy) but if you can feel that it's a pretty safe bet your horse has laminitis (more on that another day!). So it's not a good place to be checking when you really just want the pulse.



So TPR is Temperature, Pulse and Respiration. The resting temperature should be 37.5-38.5 (99.5-101.5); pulse should be 32-40, and then we have the third item -- respiration. Respiration is breathing rate and should be 10-14 beats/minute (at rest -- just like when you run you end up huffing and puffing, so does your horse! And just like you, one of the signs of fitness is how quickly their breathing returns to normal. But for you to know how they're doing, you have to know what normal is!). The easiest way to check the respiration is by watching the horse's flanks. The breaths should be even and regular and at rest are reasonably shallow. Remember in and out counts as one!

The other random that a vet will often ask for along with TPR is the capillary refill time (particularly if you're calling about colic!). To check this you need to turn up your horse's lip and press on his gums (over the teeth). This will change them white where you've put pressure. When you let go they should turn back to pink in under 2 seconds. If not, circulation is not what it should be.

One other thing that doesn't really fit here, but is easy and important to know is the wrinkle test. Horses require a lot of water and dehydration can be fatal. The wrinkle test is a quick way of ascertaining if your horse is dehydrated. All you do is pinch the skin on the neck -- if it takes more than two seconds to snap back into place, it's not a good sign...

That was a reasonable amount of Very Important Information to take in. Did you get it all?
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