Diseases of Horses

1
Diseases of Horses
2
General Signs of Sickness

• Appetite
• Hair Coat
• Nose, Eyes, Mouth
• Feces Urine
• Activity
• Vital Signs

3
Common Diseases
4
Anthrax
5
Anthrax

• Splenic Fever
• Acute, infectious disease
• Cause bacteria Bacillus anthracis
• Pick up by ingesting it or biting insects
• Symptoms high temperatures, diarrhea, abdominal
  pain, swelling around neck, mammary glands, and
  sheath.
• Usually dies within 2 to 4 days
• Prevented by vaccination
• Treatment massive antibiotics

6
Equine Encephalomyelitis

• Viruses that can cause EE
• Eastern (EEE)
• Western (WEE)
• Venezuelan (VEE)

Clinical signs of eastern equine
encephalomyelitis (EEE) in a horse during the EEE
epizootic in Wisconsin, USA, 2001. Note the
sleepy facial expression, the lax muzzle, and the
abrasions between the eye and the base of the
ear.
7
Equine Encephalomyelitis

• Brain disease
• AKA Sleeping Sickness
• Mosquitoes transmit disease.
• Can carry EEE or WEE but do not infect other
  horses.
• Early Symptoms high temperature, nervousness,
  restlessness.
• Later Symptoms depression, lack of coordination,
  drowsiness, droopy ears, aimless walking

8
Equine Encephalomyelitis

• Paralysis death follow the onset of early
  symptoms within 2 to 4 days.
• Horses recovering often suffer some brain damage
  from lesions on brain.
• Death rate WEE 20-30
• EEE VEE 70-90
• There are vaccines for all 3 forms
• Treatment is general care of affected horse

9
Equine Infectious Anemia
10
Equine Infectious Anemia

• E.I.A. or Swamp Fever
• Viral disease
• Test for it is Coggins which tests for the
  presence of antibodies
• 3 forms acute, subacute (chronic) or inapparent
• Symptoms high temperature, depression, weakness,
  poor appetite, weight loss anemia

11
Equine Infectious Anemia

• Symptoms Edema (fluid retention) may appear
  under the skin in the chest, abdomen, legs
  scrotum
• Usually dies within a few days.
• Transmission is primarily through biting insects
  contaminated syringes.
• No vaccine exits no treatment

12
Equine Influenza (flu)
13
Equine Influenza (flu)

• Two types
• Highly contagious respiratory disease
• Symptoms fever, runny nose, cough, depression,
  poor appetite.
• Not fatal
• Need rest
• Spread by coughing or mucus on feed water
  troughs

14
Piroplasmosis
15
Piroplasmosis

• Carried by ticks
• AKA equine babesiosis or tick fever
• Invade horses red blood cells destroy red blood
  cells.
• Symptoms anemia, jaundice, fever, depression,
  thirst, tears, swelling eyes. Urine changes
  from yellow to red.
• Up to 15 of horses die.
• Treatment drug treatment along with immune
  response.
• Prevention sanitation and tick control.

16
Pneumonia

• Inflammation of lung tissue
• Causes bacteria, viruses, or combo
• Symptoms fever, nasal discharge, poor appetite,
  chest pains, congestion in lungs, breathing
  difficulties.
• Contact Vet for treatment

17
Rabies

• Virus affecting the nervous system.
• AKA hydrophobia (fear of water)
• Acute, contagious disease
• Signs drooling, spastic lip movement, behavioral
  changes, poor appetite, lack of coordination
  (Old Yellow)

18
Ringworm
19
Ringworm

• Several types of fungi cause it.
• Spreads from horse to horse through direct
  contact or indirect.
• Diagnosed through appearance.
• Different fungi require different treatments
• Preventions is disinfecting everything!!!

20
Rhinopneumonitis
21
Rhinopneumonitis

• Viral disease transmitted from horse to horse.
• All ages are susceptible.
• Can cause abortions
• Symptoms nasal discharge coughing.
• Vaccinate

22
Strangles
Draining a swollen lymph node
Runny Nose
23
Strangles

• Equine distemper
• Contagious and spreads quickly.
• Young are most susceptible
• Vulnerable from direct contact under high
  stress
• Spread through direct indirect contact.

24
Strangles

• Symptoms fever, nasal discharge, cough, swollen
  lymph node which can rupture.
• Prevent isolate new horses, disinfect
• Vaccinate have sound management practices in
  place.

25
Tetanus
26
Tetanus

• Lockjaw
• Deadly disease
• Caused by a bacteria which enter wounds, produce
  toxins which affect the horses nervous system.
• First symptoms occur in 7 to 10 days.

27
Tetanus

• Symptoms stiffness of legs, stumbling, cocked
  ears.
• Within 2 to 3 days horse is unable to walk.
• Elevates tail, difficulty moving head.
• Cant open mouth. Muscle spasms
• Treatment veterinarian recovery unlikely
• Vaccination is key!

28
Warts
29
Warts

• Develop around lips, muzzle, or insides of
  thighs.
• Usually do not cause problems unless tack or
  equipment irritates the warts.
• Spontaneously disappear within 3 to 4 months.
• Virus can spread to other horses humans.
• Vaccine is available.

30
Metabolic Miscellaneous Diseases
31
Azoturia Tying Up Syndrome

• Two metabolic problems involving various muscles
  in a horse.
• Azoturia, Monday morning disease, and tying up
  syndrome are similar conditions.

32
Azoturia

• Azoturia is more serious.
• Occurs when hard working horses, in good
  condition and receiving high grain rations, rest
  for a few days and then return to work.
• Symptoms appear shortly after exercise begins.
• Muscle stiffness, tremor, pain.
• Continues to work more severe.
• Unable to move, may fall
• Sweat profusely because of anxiety, urine may
  darken to reddish-brown or black.

33
Tying Up Disease

• Symptoms similar to azoturia, but less severe.
• Appear after horse has worked for a while.
• Stiffness pain in the muscles is noticeable,
  horses stride will be short and stilted.
• Prevention for both reducing grain in ration and
  not feeding grain at all on day of rest.
• May include Vitamin E or selenium in the diets of
  horses prone to the condition.

34
Colic

• Describes many painful digestive disturbances
  with various causes.
• Improper feeding methods
• Too much grain or abruptly changing diet.
• Parasites
• Roundworms block intestines
• Bloodworms damage arteries blood clots
• Part of the digestive tract can twist, leading to
  death of portions of the intestinal tissue.

35
Colic

• Symptoms
• Increase heart rate temperature
• Sweat profusely as pain increases
• Restlessness
• Paw, try to roll, get up down
• Bit or kick at abdomen
• Refuse to eat /or drink
• Feces may change in appearance

36
Colic

• Treatment
• Immediate action!
• Call Veterinarian may prescribe painkiller and
  walking the horse.
• Severe case surgical correction.
• Prevention
• Proper feeding practices good parasite control
  program.

37
Heaves

• AKA Broken Wind
• Pulmonary emphysema
• Chronic form of bronchial asthma.
• Causes chronic coughs in horses living in dusty
  environments, or eating dusty hay.

38
Heaves

• Symptoms
• Chronic cough
• Nasal discharge
• Lack of stamina
• Unthriftiness
• Difficulty expiration of air
• Noticeable jerking of the horses flanks to force
  air from the lungs.
• Extensive use of these muscles leaves heave
  line in the area

39
Heaves

• No cure
• Proper precautions and treatment relieves
  symptoms.
• Never feed dusty or moldy hay or feed.
• Dampening feed to minimize dust
• Bedding free of dust.

40
Melanomas

• Cancerous growths arising from melanocytes
  producing melanin, a dark pigment.
• Usually occur around the tail and anus and on the
  head or other body parts.
• Especially on white or gray horses.
• Approximately 80 15yrs older have it.
• Occur in horses greater than 6-7yrs.

41
Melanomas

• Treatment surgical removal
• Most are benign, but they can become malignant,
  invade vital organs and death.
• Interfere with proper fitting tack.

42
West Nile Virus

• An inflammation of the nervous system.
• Identified in the US in 1999.
• Transmitted by mosquitoes.
• Horses with West Nile dont always show signs.

43
West Nile Virus

• Symptoms
• General loss of appetite depression
• Fever
• Weakness in limbs
• Impaired vision
• Aimless wondering
• Walking in Circles
• Seizures
• Coma

44
West Nile Virus

• Treatment no known treatment just care from
  veterinarian
• Prevention Vaccine mosquito control
• Vaccine for EEE, WEE, VEE does not prevent WNV.

45
West Nile Virus in the US
2007