
The first step in disease diagnosis is to recognise that there is a problem. This involves knowing how your horse behaves in a normal situation and observing any significant changes in behaviour.
Your veterinarian will often ask you a variety of questions before even examining the horse, as the answers to these questions
may indicate the likely problem area.
Is the horse bright, alert and responsive to stimuli?. A dull, disinterested horse is one of the first signs of fever and general malaise.
Is the horse eating?. Fever, infection, teeth problems and abdominal diseases all effect the amount a horse eats and the vigour with which
they eat their food.
What is the horse's manure like?. An absence of manure in a colic situation can indicate gastroenteritis or parasitic infestation. Food
intake and manure output should be correlated. Is the horse drinking?. A horse that is drinking excessive amounts of water may well be dehyrated.
Excess water intake, when coupled with excess urine output, may also indicate kidney disease.
Is the horse urinating?. The amount of urine produced and the colour of the urine should be noted. Dark, bloody urine may indicate
infection in either the bladder or the kidney, and might also be observed if the horse has "tied-up". Horse urine may be quite cloudy normally, so
observe your horse's urine and establish the normal colour.
How old is the horse?. Age is very important, as different conditions prevail in foals and older horses. Foals are more likely to suffer from
infectious conditions as their immune system is less developed, whereas older horses are more likely to suffer from organ failure (eg heart, kidney)
and neoplastic (cancerious) disease.
Is the horse recumbent, rolling or reluctant to move?. All of these behaviour patterns may indicate pain such as in abdominal crisis (colic),
laminitis or generalised systemic disease. What is the horse's worming and vaccination history?.
When were the horse's teeth last checked?.
Count the number of beats/pulses over a fiftenn second period and then multiply by four. Heart rate increases with exercise and/or
excitement, therefore the horse should be examined at rest in a quiet area.
An alevated resting heart or pulse rate is indictive of cardiovascular compromise and/or pain in conditions such as colic, and is used to assess the severity of the
disorder. Elevations of resting heart rate to 60 bpm or above can mean disease of a very severe
nature and immedicate veterinary attention should be sought.
The respiratory rate can be achieved by listening to the chest with a stethoscope or by visually counting the number
of times the chest expands per minute.
An elvatation in respiratory rate may indicate chest infection, bronchitis or cardiovascular compromise and needs to be correlated with other factors
such as the presence of a cough, nasal discharge, dehydration and/or fever.
Your veterinarian is the person most qualified to carry out this evaluation and therefore should be contacted
if you detect any abnormal signs.

