Fistula
(FISTULOUS WITHERS)
Symptoms
Treatment
equine influenza colds chills pneumonia tetanus
early stages of lymphangitis anthrax transit fever strangles See your veterinarian for specific treatments.
Symptoms
Treatment
Usually infection, bruised withers from horse bites, rolling on hard objects, etc.
Hard or soft swelling on one or both sides of withers, may or may not show pain, may be lame in front, pain on pressure.
Use antibiotics. Consult your veterinarian for specific or surgical treatment.
Fever
Indicated by high temperature and usually thirst and quick pulse, trembling.
Associated with the following diseases:
Founder
(LAMINITIS)
laminitis/founder
Chills, being over fed, ridden or driven, in some cases, following another acute disease or a difficult foaling.
High percentage of cases due to allergy.
Lameness, may be acute or chronic, animal lies down as much as possible, refuses feed, colicky pains, soles drop.
In extreme cases bone of hoof protrudes through sole. In chronic form, soles drop, especially of fore hooves,
and concentric rings appear around walls of hooves.
Contact your veterinarian.
FLY AND MOSQUITO BITES
Cause
Stable flies and mosquitoes can cause an allergic type skin reaction. If the horse is rugged,
numerous small nodules are found in the areas where the skin is exposed. House fly and stable fly
commonly cause irritation, both are prolific breeders in soiled bedding and manure.
Signs
House fly seems to be attracted to corners of horse's eyes, causes conjunctivitis and weeping, in turn attracts more flies,
stable fly is larger than house fly, has savage bite, can attack horse on any part of body,
most attracted to legs.
When attacked horse becomes restless, stamps its feet, switches
its tail and bites skin where bitten if it can reach it, raised lumps, up to 1 cm in diameter, often appear at site of fly bite.
Treatment
Use of fly veils and fly repellent ointment applied around eyes helpful, if possible put
horse in stable with fly screens on windows and doors, rug with fly sheet.
Fly spray and pest strips in stable help to reduce fly population.
Spraying horse with pyrethrum
effective for several hours, frequent removal of soiled bedding and manure to
flyproof manure storage pit also a preventive measure in control of flies.
Forage Poisoning
Botulism
Botulism is the technical term for Forage Poisoning. It does not occur very often, as its cause (feeding on mouldy hay or chaff or on grain contaminated by vermin) is widely known and avoided.
Signs
Difficulty in grasping food with lips and teeth, drooling saliva, inability to drink,
paralysis of tongue, slow mastication, inability to swallow, wobbliness in fore and hindquarters, stumbling, collapse
with constant paddling movements of limbs.
Cause
Botulism forage poisoning is brought about by ingestion of food or water contaminated by bacteria
(Clostridium botulinum) that multiply and produce their toxin or poison.
Treatment
Mortality rate from botulism is high so contact your veterinary surgeon immediately.