Antibiotic Use In Horses

There are many times when antibiotics are needed to save a horses life.

In this blog I wanted to remind you all of times when antibiotics can TAKE a horses LIFE.

The horses hind gut is a complex mix of microbiota which includes Bacteria, Protozoa, Fungi and Yeasts. Many things can disturb the very importance balance of these organisms. The most common causes are fast changes in feed, which can include grass as well as hard feed, infection with bad bacteria such as salmonella, but most importantly our antibiotic usage.

Every time a horse is administered antibiotics, it will upset the delicate balance of microorganisms in the hind gut. This usually happens at a very low level and the hind gut can still function correctly. If the antibiotics kill enough of the ‘good bacteria’, it changes the way the microorganisms ferment food, and converts the hind gut into a state of promoting ‘bad bacteria’. As a result, there is release of damaging substances and eventually we see sever ulceration of the hind gut walls. This ulceration causes pain, the horses feel unwell, and often present with diarrhoea.  As this ulceration worsens, bacteria can move across into the blood stream and cause septicaemia which has a very high mortality rate.

I wanted to remind you all of this today, because I commonly am requested for antibiotics for small local skin infections, or as a preventative for injection when a horse sustains an injury.

Often these antibiotics are warranted. However, EVERY SINGLE time we use antibiotics in our horses we must balance the risk of giving them versus the very real but thankfully rare, life threatening risk of using them.

Let’s not forget topical antibiotics, washing with antiseptics, and early recognition of problems being the key to reducing the need for using them.

I hope you found this a useful reminder.

Barley Grass

Commonly I have attend clients horses with veterinary related issues associated with eating barley grass seeds. The hay was purchased, unknowingly, with large amounts of barley grass seeds within it. Is this a problem?

From a nutritional aspect there are no negative effects of eating the barley grass seeds.

However, from a traumatic point of view, there are many risks.

The seed of the barley grass, when dried, can be very sharp. It is also a seed that sticks to objects easily due to its specially designed shape. It works its way into the body through soft tissues, mostly of the mouth in horses. If the seed head is not removed, it continues to progress through the tissues and in some cases the entry hole closes over. At this point it will act like a foreign body and form a discharging draining tract, or it can continue to migrate and cause severe disease.

Please check your hay thoroughly, and ideally examine a few bales prior to purchase.

One of my well experienced barley grass clients, explained a simple method to detect the seed heads in the hay:

Step one:

Select your husband or male friends favourite PGG sweater and put it on

Step 2:

Select a handful of hay and rub it up and down on the jumper over the stomach area

Step 3:

Examine for barley grass seed heads

Step 4:

Take off the sweater swiftly return it to its place of residence 

My Horses Urine is Red

There are lots of bad reasons why a horses urine is red. It can mean there is blood present, breakdown products from muscle, or even due to toxicity. However, one very common reason is due to a pigment called pyrocatechin.

Pyrocatechin is a break down product of plants and is commonly found in horse urine. When a horse urinates the pyrocatechin present in the urine contacts oxygen in the air and it turns red or orange in colour.

The staining is commonly seen on white hair on the back legs of mares, or sometimes clients report noticing the concrete pad at a tie up has turned red the next day.

If you see a horse urinating and it’s is a different colour to yellow then this is abnormal. However, if you see urine on the floor or urine staining on the hair coat change colour after a time period, then this is just due to science and nothing to worry about.

Feeding the Old Thin Horse

Nutritional plan pre-winter: Feeding the older horse

Firstly I want to comment on this picture. This horse is late 20’s and very skinny, however she is being very well cared for and is being fed lots of hay. My lovely client was anxious about her weight and was trying many different feed options to improve weight, before asking for my help. This post is designed to educate and help my clients. I do see older horses like this quite commonly. Firstly, satiety or the feeling of fullness, we believe is related to factors released and absorbed in the blood stream following production of VFA’s from the hind gut. These VFA’s are released when fibre is digested. This is why fibre in the diet is so important as it prevents our horses ‘feeling’ hungry, All that has gone wrong with this mare in the above picture, is that a nutritional plan was needed a few years earlier. Why do I say this? Well because with our older horses, the key is PREVENTION of loss of topline and weight loss. Once an older horses loses topline, it is very hard to reproduce it. Remember these horses are retired, often on flat paddocks, where little musclar development is required.

Before a nutritional plan can me made, I need to perform a dental evaluation. Some older horses have ‘overworn’ or ‘aged’ teeth, meaning their feed conversion efficiency when chewing is less. Even a 20% reduction in the digestibility of the food from grinding of the teeth, over time, causing a dramatic deficit in calories. For this reason, in older horses with aged teeth, we need to look at more easily digestible fibres, including super fibres, to assist in the daily nutritional requirement.

Following a full health examination I will help to devise a plan based on both:

• Fibre type

• Bucket feeding options

The nutritional plan needs to be individual depending on the horses needs.

Fibre type: There are many options available including lucerne hay, good quality meadow hay (lower fibre and more digestible hay is often softer to touch), and also haylage options for some horses. Additional fibre can be added to the diet as super fibres. Super fibres are processed fibres such as haylage products (fibre pro/meadow pro), beet products and chaff. The energy available per Kg is often greater and the energy is more readily available to the horse as less chewing is required.

Bucket feed: Historically many people have fed boiled barley over the winter. This option is ok for some horses, but we have better feeds available for purchase now, that are better suitable for older horses that need calories and topline. Examples are those that are high fat and high protein. This conversation probably needs to be on an individual horses basis. However, I have one tip for you: The digestible energy and protein content of a feed is written on the back of a bag. This DOES NOT always convert to availability to the horse. The processing of a feed has a large effect on whether the horse can actually receive the energy and protein available.

Prevention of weight loss is key. Winter is a very hard time to put weight on our older horses.

I hope this post helps!

Injuries to the facial bones

Facial bone fractures are a relatively common injury.

They usually result from a horse hitting their head on a float, or a kick from another horse.

There are many bones of the face of the horse, but the most commonly injured would be the following:

Nasal bone 

Maxillary bone 

In these two areas of the skull, the skin covers the underlying bone with minimal soft tissues between. This leaves them without much protection from external forces.

When these bones are broken, then skin is often cut open aswell. Sometimes you might hear or feel air moving through the skin hole. This is because underneath the nasal bones are the nasal cavities, and underneath the maxillary bones are the maxillary sinuses which for interest only, are divided into compartments.

Within the maxillary sinus you will find the roots, or more correctly, the apices and reserve crown of the cheek teeth. These teeth erupt down into the mouth throughout the horses life, so in an old horse you would find minimal amount of tooth roots in the sinus compared to younger horses.

When an injury occurs to these areas of the skull, it is important to investigate the extent of the injury, and to ensure that air flow through the nasal cavity had not been compromised. The wound should be investigated for bone fragments or damage to the teeth.  It is vital to prevent infection whenever there is bony involvement in a traumatic wound, and to ensure swelling doesn’t compromise air flow through the nostril.

Quite often, the wound itself is small, but the underlying damage can be more extensive.

Please see some photos of a horse I recently saw for a small wound on the face. The alert for my client, was when they could hear some air moving in and out of the wound.

The horse was put on preventative antibiotics, and under sedation, the bone fragments were removed and the wound was debrided and sutured. He recovered very Weill.

Have a look and let me know if you have any questions.

Have a fantastic weekend at omakau show everyone. I hope those that entered the class we sponsored enjoyable.

Common horse cold

The common horse cold can be caused by many possible viruses in NZ. The top viral causes would be a Herpes Virus, or less likely an Adenovirus or Rhinovirus.

These viruses rarely cause serious disease in horses, however do cause a serious headache for their owners. The problem these viruses cause is coughing, which can be present for a long period of time, or they can cause a secondary infection. Both of these scenarios result in time lost riding and competing.

In Central Otago we appear to be having a viral recurrence with approximately 8 months in between local outbreaks when observed over the last 2.5 years.

The exact cause of your horses cold symptoms is often not diagnosed. This is because of costs associated with diagnosis, and also because most horses will recover quickly with the correct medical management. 

Please DO NOT panic. Instead, can we please remember our hygiene practices:

• Do not allow nose-nose contact between horses from different properties

• Only handle your own horse and stay clear of other horses when out competing

• Remember grooming kits are a great way of spreading viruses

• Provide clean air environments for our horses when out competing; yards are better than stables. Better still are small paddocks

• Allowing breaks when travelling to give horses time to graze grass will improve drainage of respiratory secretions and reduce compromise to the respiratory system

• Hay steamers are fantastic for promoting respiratory health. Alternatively if horses are sick then soaking hay to swell dust particles does work well

• Keep your Herpes Vaccinations up to date

Fungal keratomas horse ears

Ok so the long standing questions….. what are the lumps at the tip of my horses ears??

A number of horses present with lumps at the tips of the ears, which as vets we call nodules.

These are seen commonly in horses that live in more temperate climates such as NZ.

Appearance:

These lumps are approx 1cm in diameter, non painful, and round. They are most commonly found on the inside of the ears at the tips.

They are covered in hair, but the hair can be slightly matted together with a slightly greasy substance. This is because these nodules can induce the production of a sebaceous oily substance as they fill the sebaceous glands and change their secretions. (A sebaceous gland is found in the skin and produces an oily substance).

These nodules almost always stay very static in nature and DO NOT grow or become inflamed or painful for the horse.  

Diagnosis:

The most likely diagnosis for these is a fungal keratoma.

These are caused a free living non-pathogenic fungus. This fungus is found in decaying matter such as muck heaps. They are spread by biting flies feeding on the same matter.  

Diagnosis is made by a biopsy, however they are best left alone unless they are causing a problem.

Most importantly is to differentiate them from a tumours, such as a Sarcoid.

What should we do about lumps on our horses:

Monitor carefully and closely

Measure it repeatedly to monitor growth

Get straight in touch with us if you have concerns or it changes

I would highly recommend not to use home remedies.

Equine Papilloma Virus

Have you ever seen a few or lots of warts on a young horses face? There are a few skin diseases that can cause warts on horses, but a very common cause of multiple warts is Equine Papilloma Virus.

This virus causes warts on horses ONLY and cannot be transferred to humans (it is not a ZOONOSES). 

A papilloma is a small greyish irregular lump. These warts occur most commonly on the muzzle and thin skinned areas of the face, but can be found inside the mouth also.

They can be greyish or or skin-coloured.

These warts are a sightly hazard but rarely cause the horse any discomfort. They can crack and bleed over mobile areas of the skin.

PLEASE NOTE they are contagious to other young horses. They can be spread from direct contact or contact through contaminated buckets/grooming gear.

Diagnosis:

Usually the appearance is diagnostic.

Sometimes where only one or two warts are found, diagnosis is required with a biopsy to rule out a Verucosse Sarcoid (see my photograph).

Treatment:

These self resolve in 1-9 months. 

Treat any bleeding warts topically to prevent infection and fly strike. 

For my GEEKY CLEINTS:

Why do the warts not come back in older horses?

The horse develops its own immunity to the virus. This virus hangs around even when the warts are gone, and it survives really well in the environment. The horses immune system is therefore constantly exposed to this virus and antibodies are constantly produced. This means the warts are rarely seen again.

Every wondered what the lumps are on the tips of your horses ears….. stay tuned ☺️

See you all at the Salmon and Wine festival.

Worms worms worms

Rainy warm weather is ideal for worms! Read why…..

The rain followed by the warm weather combination is ideal for the larvae to develop inside the eggs. The wet weather also means we have not dried off in central otago yet as we normally would in the summer months.

I have a lot of clients, based on consistently low faecal egg counts, that only worm in the spring and autumn (twice yearly) which is fantastic. However, I would highly recommend that this summer, everyone performs faecal egg counts to ensure your paddocks do not develop high contamination levels of worm eggs. This would be disastrous for the cooler months, as large number of immature worms will be present during autumn. These immature worm stages can then hibernate in the walls of the large intestines. They are then at risk of all emerging in the spring all at once and causing disastrous effects on the bowel wall. This can cause a fatal diarrhoea.

What is a red worm

The fancy word for a red worm is a ’Cyathostome’. In spring, these little parasites can cause a real problem in our adult horses by damaging the gut wall and causing serious diarrhoea. Here is how they do it:

As with most other worms, your horse will pick up eggs from the pasture while grazing. These eggs end up in the gut where the larvae emerge. As part of larval development, one larval stage burrows into the gut wall before emerging back into the gut lumen, where they become adults and start laying eggs.

When the outside temperatures start to lower in autumn, the larvae that have burrowed into the gut wall become somewhat dormant and remain there until temperatures start to rise in spring. It’s a great way for the parasite to hide away from the cold! This also explains why egg counts in winter can be very inaccurate, as minimal numbers of larvae develop into adults to lay eggs. The damage of the gut wall and associated diarrhoea happens in spring when all the hibernating larvae emerge from the gut wall at once.

Having a correct worming programme in place will minimise the numbers of larvae overwintering in your horse’s gut wall. Wormers have less effect on hibernating larvae compared to adult worms. Therefore, we want to worm our horses before the weather starts to cool and the larvae start to hibernate. Keep low numbers of eggs on the pasture by regular monitoring of faecal egg counts ensures a low risk for large numbers of over wintering larvae.  

Tips to prevent this:

Firstly; continually monitor your poo counts to ensure your pastures stay free of eggs

Secondly; ensure that you know the contamination level of your paddocks because it will help me make the correct worming plan for you.

Thirdly, most of my clients are not aware that you receive a FREE and CORRECT worming programme and support when you perform egg counts with us. Sadly I still see a lot of incorrect advice and poor wormer selection.

Lastly; the reason we keep the egg count output low in our horses is so that a large number immature worms (larvae) do not hibernate over the winter! 

Equine Dentistry: But they don’t get a dental check in the wild…..

A large proportion of your horse’s nutrition is made up of fibre. Fibre digestion requires an efficient grinding action of your horse’s teeth. Oral health and correct balance of the teeth is vital for this.

When horses chew, sharp points naturally form due to the anatomy of the jaw: The lower jaw is narrower than the upper jaw. When ulceration develops, it affects the griding action because the horse tries to shift chewing to areas of the mouth with no discomfort. This is a key contributor to an unbalanced mouth.

Routine dentistry addresses the abnormalities such as points, that arise from mastication/chewing. It MUST also include a clinical examination of the each tooth and surrounding mucosa to ensure that all teeth are free from common problems such as  peridontal disease and caries. Peridontal disease is a very painful condition in horses, more so than sharp points, so the diagnosis of these conditions are vital. The last achievement during a dental procedure is to establish the return of correct balance and chewing action to promote continued oral health. When horses chew correctly, they keep their own teeth clean and gingiva healthy and minimise dental problems for the future.

While you may think that horses in the wild make do without dentistry work, please remember their length of life is often less, and severe ulceration and dental disease causes a lot of oral discomfort, but rarely causes a reduced voluntary feed intake in our prey species.

It’s important to remember not to underestimate your horse’s dental health! It’s not just about reducing sharp points. It is much much more.

Please consider getting dental checks yearly. Prevention of dental disease is the key. By the time we see clinical signs associated with dental disease such as weight loss or choke, we often cannot reverse the dental changes, instead only manage them for the rest of the horses life. Most horses are very stoic and show no signs of dental disease.

The Foot Abscess

Help; My horse has broken a leg!

The above statement is a very common thought when you arrive at your horse that cannot stand on one of its legs. However, a foot abscess, is a common cause of a very lame horse. Normally there are no other signs on the leg to indicate what could be wrong. Sometimes the horse might even go lame when ridden.

Most horse owners have heard of, or have experience of a foot abscess in their own horse. The key is to seek urgent help, so that the abscess (pocket of infection inside the hoof capsule), can be released. This gives immediate pain relief, and can help prevent some of the complications that go along side the condition of a foot abscess.

Foot abscess are very painful due to the pressure that builds up inside of the hoof. The hoof does not expand, so it becomes like a tight cast on the foot.

Interesting facts about the foot abscess:

Bacterial penetration of the foot can happen up to several weeks before any signs are seen. These bacteria are implanted into the deeper layers of the sole, and the more superficial layers then close over the top, trapping the infection. Wet weather can trigger the development of an abscess due to moisture absorption of the hoof.

Antibiotics are not a first line treatment for the foot abscess.

Tetanus cover is vital!

Prevention:

The key to prevention of a foot abscess is the promotion of good foot health! Daily picking out of the feet to remove mud and small stones.

Early treatment of seedy toe and thrush.

Regular trimming or shoeing.

Avoid gate ways and water troughs from becoming continually wet and muddy.

I hope you find this helpful.

Enjoy the sunshine today.

From your team at Central Lakes Equine

Grass

Is grass really so bad for my horse?

Last week we discussed the dangers of rapidly growing grass. This week we want to discuss the benefits of grazing grass, as long as we do it safely!
Remember: It is only our job to educate you in nutritional considerations. It is then your job to interpret this and make the correct choices for YOU and YOUR horse!

Grass is a great and affordable source of fibre for your horse. 1-2% of your horse’s body weight should be delivered in fibre a day, so letting your horse graze grass with a length of 4-10 cm is a great way of providing their daily fibre needs.

If your horse is going to graze this lovely autumn flush of grass, then we have outlined some factors that will be different during this time:

Voluntary feed intake:
The grass often gets yummier, so your horses voluntary feed intake increases. This means that during a 24 hour period, your horse will choose to eat more. The grass may also be longer, which allows them to physically get more food in during the same amount of grazing time. I liken this to the equivalent of going to a freshly stocked ‘all you can eat’ Chinese buffet. Firstly you want to put more on your plate as it’s more appetising than if the left overs from the day before were offered(yummy green grass vs dry summer grass). Secondly it’s much easier to put in your mouth with a spoon rather than chop sticks (longer grass is easier to grab than very short blades of grass (chop sticks)).
In conclusion, your horse may eat more grass during this time of year, and is likely to increase body condition score. This may or may not be a good thing depending on your horses body condition and current work load.

Total energy content:
Due to the changes in weather, the grass is likely to have more available energy to your horse than grass during other times of the year. This means that for the same weight of grass eaten previously, more total energy is available to your horse.

Digestibility of the grass:
At this time of year the grass is more digestible and therefore the total energy is more readily available in each blade of grass. This can be a good thing for certain situations, such as an older horse with a poorer dental capacity for grinding, or for a horse that’s in full work and needs more rapidly available energy.

Sugar content:
As discussed previously, sugar content is likely to be higher, and certain grass types can be higher in certain types of sugars such as fructans. This can be a problem for some specific health conditions such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome or horses sensitive to hind gut microbial disturbance, however it can be a bonus to some horses too. For example, it may mean that you can reduce your feed bill by reducing some of the concentrate feed within the bucket to counter act the fact that the horses will be getting more energy from the grass. It can also be of benefit to certain sport horse disciplines where the work load at this time of year may increase.

Summary:
In summary, grass is great. It provides fibre and an energy source to your horses. They love to eat it, and it’s relatively cheap to feed. However, please take into account some of the above points, as to how the grass can be different at this time of year. You can then make good management decision to ensure the best health of your horse going forward. If you know your horse is prone to weight gain, then set a plan in place prior to this occurring. Monitor closely for weight gain! Horses, like us, HATE diets! Good management now will help prevent obesity!

Why might you not want to graze autumn grass?

1. If your horse is overweight
2. If your horse has had previous episodes of hindgut acidosis (e.g. intermittent diarrhoea or behavioural changes)
3. If your horse has any Metabolic disorders: Equine Metabolic Syndrome +/- Cushing’s disease
4. If there is a history of previous laminitic episodes

If your horse has been diagnosed with one or multiple of the above conditions, you need to be careful with feeding rapidly growing autumn grass, as it may worsen the above conditions.

Top tip:
The ‘ideal’ body condition score can be slightly different for individual sport horse disciplines. However, as a general rule, ribs should not be visible but easy to feel under light pressure. Fat deposits around the neck and tail head should be avoided.

Neurology

This horse has facial sweating on his left side (right side as you look at it), with a small eye (enopthalmos)

Neurology is a very complex and exciting area of veterinary medicine. Today we will discuss one syndrome that is particularly interesting:

Have you heard of Horner’s Syndrome in horses before?

Horners is a ‘Syndrome’ because a group of clinical signs are consistent which characterise the condition.

Horner’s syndrome in horses is a neurological disorder (nerve disorder), that is characterised by the following;
Drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis)
3rd Eye lid prolapse (due to sinking in of the eye)
A small pupil (miosis)
One-sided sweating of the neck, ear and face

To diagnose the syndrome, we will perform;
A complete clinical examination of the horse
A detailed opthamological (eye) examination
Endoscopic evaluation (using a long camera) of the guttural pouches
Radiography or Ultrasonography if warranted

We look for the classical presentation of the clinical signs mentioned above. As a horse owner, the most common clinical sign you will notice is the drooping of the upper eyelid. Please note here, the most common cause of what appears to be a ‘droopy eyelid’, is in fact a sore eye, where the horse is actively squinting (blepherospasm), due to a painful focus. You may also notice the appearance of the 3rd eyelid. This again most commonly would be due to a trauma or an inflammatory focus in the eye.

There are many possible causes of this syndrome, but damage to the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) is common in all situations.

The most common causes of the syndrome include;
Neck trauma; fracture of bones, damage to soft tissues, or deep wounds.
Abnormalities of the guttural pouch (extension of the eustachian tube that is located under each ear inside the head)
Intra-venous injection of drugs leaking outside the vein (this can happen with incorrect technique or occasionally the drug leaking back out of the venepuncture site). The most common drugs to cause this are Vitamin E/Selenium, Xylazine (a sedative), and Phenylbutazone (bute)
More rarely spinal trauma, masses in the chest, brachial plexus trauma.

Complications seen associated with Horners Syndrome include;
Corneal ulceration from the inability to blink
Hair loss (alopecia) over the area that is sweating.
Poor performance, due to nasal oedema and reduced air flow. Occasionally laryngeal paralysis can be seen depending on the cause of the Horners Syndrome.

Following a full clinical examination, we hope to be able to provide you with an aetiology (cause) for the development of the ‘Horners Syndrome’. Once the causal factor is diagnosed, we would commence treatment. The good news is that improvement is often seen within weeks of correct treatment. The prognosis does however, depend on what is causing the syndrome.

Laminitis - diagnosis, management and prevention

LAMINITIS POST PART 2 - Diagnosis, Management and Prevention

Diagnosis
Clinical examination:
During our general health examination we look for indicators suggestive of previous or current laminitis. These could include changes to the appearance of the hoof, increased blood flow to the hooves (increased digital pulses), shifting of weight between legs or changes in stance, and as the pain worsens, we can see elevations in heart rate, more time spent lying down, and anorexia.
As mentioned in our post last week, there are multiple factors that can contribute to a clinical laminitic episode, (please read our previous post). Blood analysis could be used to help differentiate some of these causes.
Examination of the hoof itself, can show changes to the appearance of the hoof wall growth rings, the sole, or the white line. Hoof testing is an additional diagnostic tool which can indicate focal solar pain, for example when a pedal bone has rotated. The temperature of the hoof capsule can be an indicator of inflammation, however can also be very inaccurate.

Radiographs:
The damaging effects of laminitis can be assessed with radiography: Radiographs can indicate the angle of the pedal bone, changes in shape of the pedal bone itself, allow measurement of the thickness of the laminae, and the degree of separation at the dorsal hoof wall surface. This information can give indications of previous laminitic episodes, in addition to the current one.

Management
Immediate management in acutely painful horses, aims at managing the pain, and reducing the horses movement to prevent the deleterious effects of laminitis.
Various types of pain relief can be used, which include anti-inflammatories, centrally acting pain relief, and opioids. Support of the frog assists in reducing the laminar pain, as can wedge applications to the sole surface; this can help to relieve the stretching caused by the deep digital flexor tendon pulling on the pedal bone.
In more severe cases, hoof abscesses can form from bleeding laminae. The abscess can be addressed to relieve the pressure inside the hoof capsule.
Depending on the primary cause of laminitis, we may address dietary management and prescribe additional medication.
Furthermore, it is vital to confine your horse to minimise movement whilst the laminae are weak. Soft supportive bedding can assist in pedal bone support.
Lastly, continuous icing of the affected legs has shown to decrease inflammation in the hoof and can speed up the healing process. Unfortunately, this is not always practical as it requires 24/7 care.

Prevention
Weight management of your horse is the best method of preventing laminitis, as it reduces the forces upon the feet as well as decreasing the risk of the development of metabolic related laminitis. Ideally, you want your horse to be at a body condition score of 5/9; this means that you are easily able to feel the ribs when applying light pressure to the chest wall.
Blood testing can assist in detecting conditions which put your horse at risk from laminitis.

Please feel free to get in touch for further dietary advice. We understand the importance of a well balanced diet and have a passion for correct nutritional education.
If your horse has been diagnosed with a metabolic disorder such as Cushing’s or EMS, we are also happy to discuss management options that suit your horse.

We hope you have enjoyed our posts and please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions. We are happy to help!

Your Central Lakes Equine Team

Laminitis - definitions, causes and early signs

The red line here indicated stretching of the white line. When the non-sensitive laminae are weakened they stretch under the normal mechanical forces. Also note the bruising that occurs from tearing of the sensitive laminae and subsequent bleeding.

What is laminitis?
Strictly speaking, laminitis is the inflammation of a soft tissue structure called the Laminae; this forms a strong attachment between the pedal bone to the hoof wall. The laminae is made up of a non-sensitive and sensitive portion. The non-sensitive part connects to the hoof wall and interlinks like Velcro with a sensitive part that is connected to the pedal bone. If this link becomes inflamed it is very painful. A more severe outcome is that the pedal bone can rotate when the laminae is inflamed, due to the normal mechanical forces on the laminae over-powering the weakened laminae; this is very painful to your horse and is also life threatening.

What can cause laminitis?
There are multiple factors that can trigger laminitis; the direct mechanisms are still being investigated.
Obesity is the most common clinical sign associated with increased risk of horses and ponies to the development of laminitis. This is because obesity, especially regional obesity (fat accumulations on the body), increases the risk of Insulin Resistance, which is a direct cause of laminitis.

Metabolic diseases, such as Cushing’s disease and equine metabolic syndrome can pre-disposing factor. Insulin resistance can again be a major factor in the cause of laminitis in both of these conditions.

Inflammation of the laminae can also be triggered by a sudden intake of grain or lush grass. The common cause of this is the death of a large number of bacteria within the hind gut, causing damage to the mucosa. Inflammatory mediators then cross the gastrointestinal wall, and cause widespread whole body inflammation.

Laminitis can also be caused due to an idiopathic drug reaction, the most common drug that we see associated with this are steroids: The risk and associated benefits of using steroids will be discussed with you by your veterinarian on a case by case basis.

Lastly, a mechanical laminitis can be caused when a horse bares weight in on leg for a long period during an unrelated non-weight bearing lameness of the opposite leg (most commonly a fractured leg). This results in large forces being applied to the laminae in the healthy leg and they become inflamed. We call this ‘contra-lateral limb’ laminitis.

What are the early signs of laminitis?
The first thing to note here is that prevention is the key. We will discuss this further in part 2 (see next weeks Facebook post). Today I just want to point out that early detection of weight gain can be critical in preventing obesity and the risk of developing laminitis.

When a patient is at a higher risk of laminitis, we recommend that you pick up all four feet daily. This is a good indicator of your horse’s comfort level, as you are asking it to place more weight onto the other three legs. Reluctance to lift a foot, particularly if this is usually an easy task, may mean that your horse is painful in one or multiple feet.
Lameness during movement or the appearance of ‘foot soreness’ is another early indicator.

If you are able to, then monitoring of the digital pulses (pulses within the hoof capsule) is a great way to detect hoof inflammation. Hoof inflammation in more than one foot is an indicator that laminitis could be the cause.Digital pulses can be found on the inside and outside of every leg, and it is most commonly palpated above the heel bulbs, or at the level of the fetlock joint. Please ask us to show you next time we see your horse.

Weight shifting between feet may also be seen as the pain becomes more severe.
Reluctance to move is a common sign noted when the laminitis is severe, as is seeing the horse leaning backwards away from the front feet.
If any of these signs are observed, make sure to give your vet a call, as early intervention can be really critical in these horses. Your veterinarian will look at the overall health of your horse, including the assessment of predisposing factors mentioned above.

If you enjoyed this week’s post, stay tuned for part two, when we talk more about how we diagnose and manage laminitis as well as preventing future episodes.

Your Central Lakes Equine Team!

Horse Chats Podcast

This weeks post is a link to and interview I was asked to do with;

horsetalk.com

They have regular educational pod casts from people within the equine industry.
Feel free to have a listen to mine; it covers the equine veterinary industry and how I came to be the vet I am today.

Below is the YouTube link, or you can down load the podcast app and look for ‘horsetalk.com’ and my interview is;
Number 603
‘When you are making a decision about your horse, ask yourself WHY!’

https://youtu.be/PUOjPWoTz2E

http://horsechats.com/rebeccaireland/

How Much Water Does My Horse Need?

How much water does my horse need every day?

A healthy horse requires approximately 44 – 70 ml/kg/day. For a 500Kg horse this is equivalent to 22-35L. Please not this can be much higher in situations such as the summer and with certain disease processes.
The large range shows that there are many factors that can affect the amount of water your horse needs to stay hydrated. Variables that change water requirements include your horse’s diet, exercise regime, place in the pecking order within a herd situation, and body composition as well as the ambient temperature.

Diet
Pasture kept horses obtain a lot of their water requirement from their diet. Fresh grass contains approximately 70% moisture depending on the time of the year. Conversely, concentrate feed and hay contain far less moisture. These factors should be considered when offering water.

Exercise
As in humans, a horse’s metabolic rate increases with exercise which increases the amount of water needed by cells to function properly. It’s a great idea to offer a bucket of water post exercise to ensure hydration. Mollassed water is often gratefully received, and can be used to increase your horses voluntary water intake.

Pecking order
When we confine horses to a smaller area than would be normal in the wild, we need to consider horse behaviour and the impact of a herd situation.If multiple horses are grouped in a herd-type environment, consider adding more than one source of water in this area. This prevents bullying between horses and ensures that every horse is able to drink to their requirements.

Body Composition
A horse with a higher body condition score (aka more fat reserves) requires less water than a lean horse of equivalent weight. This is due to fat holding less water compared to lean body tissue. Further, large draft breeds require less water per kg of body weight compared to small horses and ponies.

Ambient Temperature
To no surprise, hot and dry conditions increase your horse’s voluntary water intake. Ensure sufficient water availability in your paddock and if possible, supply shade in the form of cover or a white cotton sheet to reduce direct sun exposure.

Are you concerned your horse about your horse’s water intake?
As discussed above, there are multiple factors that may alter your horse’s need for water. If you are concerned your horse is drinking too little or too much, we are happy to discuss this further with you. Please just ask.
Have a great week

Keeping Cool

How to keep your four-legged friend cool this summer

Now that summer has finally started, let’s start thinking about how to keep your horse happy and cool over the hot days to come.
Shelter:
Remember that it’s really important to provide some shade in your paddock, so your horse can avoid the mid-day sun. If you don’t have any trees or shelter available, shade sails are a great alternative. Light white cotton sheet covers can also be helpful to reflect the sun during the day, and can also stop the insects from biting which can be a menace to your horse at this time of year.
Water Intake:
Your horse’s water intake will increase, as water is not only lost in the urine but also in the form of sweat. It’s really important to keep them hydrated - Did you know that most adult (500 kg) horses can drink around 50L a day on really hot days!? Ensure you have enough water available for this potential increase in intake. You can also consider offering some molasses water as a treat following a strenuous ride.
Many clients have asked if electrolytes should be supplemented during this time of year as their horse is sweating more: If your horse is on a balanced diet and has a moderate schooling session day, it should be able to replenish all electrolytes lost in the following 24 hours without the need for additional supplements. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to exercise your horse at cooler times of the day, such as early in the morning or later in the evening.
Ground Surface:
Lastly, remember that the ground will be getting harder over the coming months: Your horses live on this dry and hard ground which is often unavoidable. You could consider riding in an arena a few days a week, or some softer grass if possible; woodlands are a good alternative. In addition, if you are riding regularly, you could consider discussing with us and your farrier whether the addition of pads could help. Keeping your horses hooves hydrated is also the key to ensuring they absorb as much ground concussion forces as possible: If you go for a river ride, then allow them to walk through the water, and then apply a hoof oil when you return home in an attempt to keep some of that moisture inside the hoof.
If you have any concerns this summer, get in touch with our team here at Central Lakes Equine. We are always happy to have a chat.
A follow on article will be posted next week cover water intake of horses in more detail! Don't miss it.

Enjoy the summer and stay cool!