Equine Health

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Equine Health

• Diseases Parasites

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Equine Health

• Health is not merely freedom from disease.
• The ability to mount an effective disease control
  program depends on
• Does the producer monitor health
• Looking for early signs of problems
• A knowledge of the common diseases
• Their means of transmission
• Ways of prevention

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Equine Health

• Signs of good health
• Bright and alert attitude
• Clear eyes, no discharge
• Salmon-pink colored membrane around eyes and gums
• Nostrils free from discharge
• Mobile, alert ears
• Shiny, smooth hair coat
• Loose skin / hydration
• Hoof growth / hair coat

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Equine Health

• Signs of good health
• Horse stands evenly, perhaps resting one hind
  foot
• No signs of sweating on none hot days
• Cool legs w/ no signs of heat or swelling
• Defecations, green-brown (depends on diet), 8-10
  times a day
• Urine, pale yellow to almost colorless, 4-6 times
  a day
• Normal appetite and water intake

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Equine Health

• Measurements used to monitor health
• TPR (temperature-pulse-respiration rate)
• Temperature 38oC (100.5 oF)
• Pulse about 40 beats per minute
• Respiration 10 12 breaths a minute
• 20-30 breaths/m in foals
• Horses body weight
• Body Condition Score
• Most horses should score between 4 and 6

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Equine Health

• When using the scoring system, the following
  factors need to be considered
• Accuracy will increase with palpation
• Long hair may mask the appearance of fat
• Different body conformation
• Frame size may make scoring difficult
• Late gestating mares
• Horse fed high forage diets
• Frequency of scoring

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Equine Health

• General Program
• Shelter
• Safe and hazard free environment
• Clean water
• Routine feeding schedule
• Feed 2 3 times a day
• Feed at least 1.25 2.5 bwt in hay per day
• Concentrate feed fed to supplement hay
• Feed on a weight basis / change feed gradually
• Float teeth as needed
• Deworm regularly
• Regular vaccination schedule
• Regular hoof care

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Equine Health

• Immunity
• Horse will be challenged continuously by
  disease-causing organisms.
• All so called invaders
• Typically categorized into 2 groups
• Microorganisms
• Bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa
• Parasites
• Potentially toxic materials
• Protein, CHO, or nucleic acid
• Immunization ability to create a response to
  fight an illness w/o exposing the body to that
  illness.

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Routine Healthcare
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Equine Health
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Equine Health

• Vaccinations
• Given to do one of two things
• Give the animal antibodies that were produced by
  another animal (passive immunity)
• Challenge the horse w/ just enough antigen that
  it will build its own antibodies (active
  immunity)
• Either case, it is to protect the vaccinated
  animal against a specific disease.

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Equine Health
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Diseases

• Causes of Disease
• Disease any condition of a horse that
  impairs normal physiological functions.
• Two categories of diseases
• Infectious
• Categorized as parasitic, bacterial, or viral
• Noninfectious
• Categorized as environmental, nutritional, or
  genetic

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Diseases

• Respiratory diseases
• Can be caused by
• Bacterial or viral agents
• Anatomical problems
• Allergic responses
• Combination of all these

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Diseases

• Sinusitis
• Sinuses of horses head become inflamed
• Causes
• Infectious agent, structural problem, or tumor
• Symptoms include
• Noticeable discharge from nostril(s)
• May be quite thick tinged w/ blood
• Face may be swollen
• Prevention
• Periodic examination for abnormalities
• Active immunization program
• Dental examinations

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Diseases

• Palate Elongation
• Structural abnormality that may interfere w/
  breathing during strenuous exercise
• Causes
• Soft palate extends too far back into pharynx
• Treatment
• Surgically removing excess portion of palate.

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Diseases

• Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH)
• Bleeders
• Cause
• Hemorrhage of minute vessels in the lungs
• More strenuous the exercise, more frequently
  bleeding occurs
• Symptoms
• Presences of blood in nostrils
• Coking and difficulty obtaining air

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Diseases

• Heaves or pulmonary emphysema
• Resembles asthma or emphysema in humans
• Causes
• Allergic dust, pollen, or mold spores
• Symptoms
• Reduced tolerance to exercise
• Frequent soft cough
• Distinct push w/ ab muscles when exhaling
• Usually progressive
• Prevention
• Vaccination program
• Monitor feeding practices

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Diseases

• Rhinopneumonitis
• is an acute viral infection that usually affects
  young horses after weaning
• Causes
• inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose
  and lung
• occurs in late fall or early winter
• symptoms
• fever reduction in WBC nasal discharge
• coughing mild to sever incoordination
• abortions depression
• most cases recover in 10-21 d

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Diseases

• Rhino is caused by a herpes virus
• virus may be transmitted by contact
• exposure or inhalation or ingestion of infected
  material.
• There is not a treatment, but antibacterial
  therapy may prevent 2ndary infections
• Vaccinations is the best preventive

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Diseases

• Equine Influenza
• an acute respiratory disease
• spreads rapidly through groups of horses
• very few die from the disease
• caused by any one of a group of viruses
• is usually spread by inhalation of infective
  material
• it has a short incubation period (1 -3 d)

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Diseases

• Symptoms
• can vary from mild, almost unnoticeable disease
  to a severe one
• factors influencing severity are
• age of the horse
• general physical condition of the horse
• specific type of virus present

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Diseases

• Symptoms
• fever is present (101 - 106oF)
• cough
• nasal discharge
• weakness, stiffness, loss of appetite and
  depression
• actual illness last from 2 - 7 d
• serious when secondary complication occur

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Diseases

• Pneumonia
• refers to any lung inflammation
• Caused
• by a bacterium, a virus, or a combination of the
  two
• Improper trt of a previous lung disease
• Symptoms
• rapid and shallow breathing at onset
• 102 -105oF temp
• occasional nasal discharge
• breath odor
• loss of appetite
• chest pains
• lung congestion

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Diseases

• How is pneumonia diagnosed?
• Hard to differentiate from many upper respiratory
  diseases (URD).
• Depression, toxemia, coughing are generally
  more severe in URD
• A lot of URD do not display the fever and toxemia
  characteristic of pneumonia.

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Diseases

• Strangles
• known as distemper or shipping fever
• highly communicable disease
• Caused
• by a bacterial infection (Streptococcus equi)
• Symptoms
• pus-forming abscess of the lymph nodes in the
  upper respiratory and cheek mucosae

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Diseases

• Symptoms
• reluctance to eat or drink
• fever nasal discharge
• cough swollen lymph glands
• difficulty in swallowing
• lymph may abscess and burst

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Diseases

• Infection is passed by
• contamination from nasal discharges which may be
  inhaled or ingested
• contamination may remain for almost a mo.
• Horse can spread infection for at least 4 wks
• Treatment
• Infected animals should be isolated
• Begin penicillin treatment
• Application of warm compresses to abscessing
  nodes will encourage them to break and drain
• There are vaccines available

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Diseases

• Viral Arteritis
• is an infectious upper respiratory disease highly
  communicable for 8-10d
• spread by inhalation, ingestion, and direct
  contact of contaminated material
• Causes
• abortions in about 50 of pregnant mares
• Symptoms
• fever 102-106oF watery nasal discharge
• conjunctivitis (inflamed eyelids)
• some horses have hive like rash
• weakness, depression, loss of appetite
• difficult breathing, coughing
• Rest for several weeks and antibiotics
• vaccine is available

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Diseases

• Digestive Diseases
• Choke feed becomes lodged in esophagus
• Colic broad term to describe abdominal pain
• Prevention
• Parasite control program
• Regular feeding schedule
• Avoid sudden dietary changes
• Provide free-choice water
• Potomac horse fever infectious diarrhea syndrome
• Caused by a bacterium
• Provide plenty of fluids and antidiarrheals
• Antibiotics are effective against the bacterium

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Diseases

• Laminitis (founder)
• Inflammation of the lamina of the inner hoof wall
• Causes
• Any cause for reduction of blood flow to the
  lamina
• Symptoms
• Restlessness
• Reluctant to turn or its gaits are stiff
• Classic laminitis stance
• Bulging of sole downward
• Coffin bone rotates

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Diseases

• Blister beetles
• Insect that secretes a toxin cantharidin
• Causes
• Irritation and hemorrhaging of the stomach
• Symptoms
• Exhibit signs of colic
• May void small amounts of blood in urine
• At times have muscle tremors
• Prevention
• 1st cutting is usually best
• Use of equipment

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Diseases
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Diseases

• Anthrax
• acute infectious disease caused by bacteria
• 2 routes of infection
• ingestion
• biting insects
• first case discovery of dead animal
• horses commonly develop the acute form
• characterized by septicemia (systemic disease)
  with enteritis (inflammation if SI) and colic if
  the infection is ingested.

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Diseases

• Transmission by biting insects
• Causes
• very high fever, severe depression, staggering
• lack of appetite and colic
• hot, painful swellings that appear on the
• throat and lower neck
• the base of the chest and abdomen
• and on the prepuce
• convulsions, the discharge of blood from the body
  openings and death w/in 48 to 96 hrs

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Diseases

• Equine Encephalomyelitis
• common name is sleeping sickness
• is a viral infectious disease
• symptoms
• marked depression and a fever
• nervous signs, hypersensitivity to sound and
  touch
• motor irritation and paralysis due to
  degeneration of the central nervous system.

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Diseases

• Several distinct viruses active in US
• Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan equine
  encephalomyelitis.
• Mortality rate is lower in WEE (50) because the
  disease progresses more slowly
• Prevention is the best treatment.
• vaccinate
• control flies and mosquitoes

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Diseases

• Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)
• is an infectious disease of the blood that is
  caused by a virus.
• Commonly known as swamp fever
• affects less than 1 of the horse population
• it take 3 forms
• subacute (chronic)
• acute
• inapparent (carriers)

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Diseases

• Acutely infected horses
• have fever (105 to 108oF)
• depressed, weak, and loses appetite and wt.
• Fluid (edema) may collect under skin, in the
  legs, chest, and abdomen
• marked decrease in of RBC (anemia)
• usually followed by death

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Diseases

• Subacute (chronic)
• forms are less severe, horses usually survive
• may display acute symptoms at any time or
  periodically
• Inapparent carrier
• shows no signs EIA except for being unthrifty
• horses respond positive to the EIA test Coggins
  test

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Diseases

• Coggins Test
• Developed by Dr. LeeRoy Coggins
• Blood serum is removed from sample
• Placed on a dish of sterile gel
• Which contains known positive serum (control)
• The center well contains E.I.A. antigen
• The rxn of antigens w/ antibodies forms a line of
  clumps or precipitates where the 2 meet

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Diseases

• The disease is usually transmitted by biting
  insects and contaminated syringe needles.
• Many states have regulations concerning positive
  reactors.
• Coggins test

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Diseases

• Piroplasmosis
• is a tick-borne disease
• caused by either of 2 protozoans that invade RBC
• tick attaches its self to the horse
• protozoan leaves the tick and enters blood stream
  and RBC
• multiplies and destroys the cell

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Diseases

• West Nile Virus
• Mosquito-borne virus
• Causes encephalitis or inflammation of the brain
• Clinical signs
• Ataxia (stumbling or incoordination)
• Depression or apprehension
• Weakness of limbs
• Partial paralysis
• Muscle twitching
• Or death
• Fever not often observed
• Prevention mosquito control
• No treatment

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Diseases

• Symptoms
• depression appetite loss
• swollen eyelids mucous nasal discharge
• jaundice sluggishness
• fever anemia
• thirsty colicky signs
• mortality rate 10-15
• tick control and sterilizing all needles

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Diseases

• Rabies
• is a viral infection of the central nervous
  system
• can affect any warm-blood animal
• highly fatal and transmissible to humans
• Rabies virus is carried in salivary glands of
  infected animals
• the site of the bite determines the incubation
  period

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Diseases

• Symptoms
• incubation period in horses is 3wks to 3 mo.
• Excitability Agitation
• Violent and aggressive behavior
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Paralysis of hindlimbs
• Convulsions
• Throughout the acute stage pulse and respiration
  rates are increased

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Diseases

• Diagnosis
• suspects should be quarantine 3-6 mo.
• development of the disease is necessary
• if horse is killed the brain will be examined
• no antirabic serum?
• Post exposure treatment

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Diseases

• Ringworm
• several kinds of fungi cause ringworm
• they are spread by direct or indirect contact
• by contaminated stalls, feed mangers, gates, and
  grooming equipment.
• Some types can be spread to people
• signs of ringworm
• round, scaly or crusty patches that are hairless
• lesions may originate
• may even form rings when healing

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Diseases

• Ringworm often clears up if left alone
• Infections spreads very easily
• Best treated topically on a daily basis for 1 to
  2 wks with iodine or fungicides.

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Diseases

• Warts
• caused by a virus
• generally appear around lips and muzzles as well
  as under parts such as inside the thighs and on
  the prepuce
• usually cause no harm
• spontaneously disappear in 3 - 4 mo. if not
  treated
• vaccine available

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Diseases

• Azoturia and Tying Up Syndrome
• involves various muscles of the horse
• there may be varying degrees
• circumstances under which it occurs
• being exercised regularly
• fed a ration high in grain
• rest period of 1 to 2 d and eats full ration
• begins work again and symptoms appear

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Diseases

• Symptoms
• Muscle stiffness, tremors, and pain
• In advance stages horse may collapse
• Anxiety causes profuse sweating
• Urine becomes reddish-brown
• release of myoglobin
• an increased elimination of urea in the urine

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Diseases

• Prevention
• reduce grain or do not feed grain on rest day
• vitamin E and selenium therapy
• proper warm ups and cool downs
• proper conditioning

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Disease Prevention

• Age of the horse affects the efficiency of the
  program.
• All horses should be immunized against
• tetanus
• influenza
• rhinopneumonitis
• sleeping sickness (EEE, WEE, and VEE)

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Disease Prevention

• May also be advisable to immunize against
• strangles
• viral arteritis
• anthrax
• rabies
• Each farm or stable should have an isolation area.

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Disease Prevention

• Decontaminate equipment and area of sick horses.
• Bedding and manure control
• Rats and mice must be controlled
• Pest control
• Records of all vaccinations, trts, health care,
  worming, hoof care, and dental care should be
  kept for all horses.