Wk 6 - TPR, Height, Weight

why is understanding how to recognize normal vs abnormal health is important for equine?

early recognition of illness can improve outcome of treatment

what is an effective method of assessing the health of a horse?

measuring vital signs

what does TPR stand for?

• temperature, pulse, respiration

  • refers to vital signs

what is something to note about normal TPR ranges?

• may fluctuate depending on time of day, age, breed, etc

• helpful to know normal ranges for your specific horses

what does a basic physical exam for a horse include? (1/2)

• TPR

• heart/lung auscultation

• abdominal auscultation

what does a basic physical exam for a horse include? (2/2)

• hydration status

• examination of mucous membranes

• height/weight measurement

what is the normal body temp for adult horses?

98.6°F - 101.5°F

what is the normal body temp range for foals?

99.5°F - 102.1°F

what are some factors that can increase temp by several degrees?

warm weather, exercise, or dehydration

what should any temp over 102 be considered as?

• suspicious

  • caused by stress, injury, infection

what are some aspects that can determine the temp of horses? (1/2)

• size

  • (draft often have lower temps than light breeds)

• post-exercise

• ambient temp

what are some aspects that can determine the temp of horses? (2/2)

• age

  • foals usually 1 degree higher than adults

• time of day

• placement of thermometer in fecal ball

how do you take the temp of a horse?

• usually taken rectally

  • vaginal placement may be used in some cases

what thermometers can be used?

mercury or digital thermometer

what are the characteristics of mercury thermometers?

• large animal thermometer (5” long)

• thick glass preferred

• ring top

  • for attachment of string or clip to attach to tail

why would you attach a string or clip to a mercury thermometer?

• bad horse behavior

• pulling thermometer into rectum

• pushing thermometer out of rectum

what are the steps to taking a rectal temp of equines? (1/2)

• lubricate bulb end of thermometer

  • petroleum jelly, mineral oil, water, or saliva

• position urself next to horse’s hindquarters facing tail

• grab tail at base, lift, & move to side

• identify anal opening

what are the steps to taking a rectal temp of equines? (2/2)

• insert thermometer several inches w twisting motion

  • never force it in

• hold, tie, or clip thermometer to tail

• leave in place for 2 mins (if mercury) or until it beeps (if digital)

what is the normal heart range for an adult horse at rest?

28-44 bpm

what may influence the heart range of a horse?

• age

• ambient temp & humidity

• exercise

• excitement levels

  • athletics & draft horses will have lower heart rates

what is something to note about the normal heart range of foals?

have much higher rates

what is a normal heart range for newborn foals?

75 - 100 bpm

what is the normal heart range for older foals?

60 - 80 bpm

how is a heart rate taken?

• by auscultation (listening) of heart

  • heart can be difficult to hear even w stethoscope

what are the steps to taking heart rate by auscultation?

• position hose w left leg slightly in front of right leg

  • will move left triceps muscle out of the way

• find point of left elbow as reference point

• place stethoscope over heart

what is the pulse rate?

number of waves per minute

how do you obtain the pulse rate of a horse?

• by palpating the arteries

  • gently place two fingers on artery

    • careful not to press too hard

  • count number of beats for 15-30 seconds

  • multiply by 4 (if 15 sec) or 2 (if 30 sec)

what are some common sites to palpate the pulse rate? (1/2)

• facial artery

• transverse facial artery

• coccygeal artery

what are some common sites to palpate the pulse rate? (2/2)

• dorsal metatarsal artery

• lateral & medial digital arteries

• carotid artery

where is the facial artery located?

• located on inside surface of mandible

  • near rounded surface

• place 2 fingers & roll them back n forth to identify artery

  • press gently against bone to feel pulse

where is the most common place to take heart rate?

• on left side (heart closer to left side)

• place stethoscope against chest wall just under point of elbow

what are the sounds the heart makes?

• sounds like a 2-beat sound

  • lub then dub

what is the “lub“ sound a heart makes?

when atriums contract

what is the “dub“ sound a heart makes?

when ventricles contract

what is the normal respiration rate for an adult horse?

10-24 breaths per min

what factors may increase respiratory rate?

• exercise

• ambient temp & humidity

• fever

• distress/anxiety

• pain

what is the normal respiration rate for newborn foals?

80-90 breaths per min

what is the normal respiration rate for 1-2 wk old foals?

20-40 breaths per min

what are some methods of taking respiration rate?

• using stethoscope on trachea or chest

• place hand by nostrils & measure air going in n out

  • not best method bc they will smell hand

• count rise & fall of abdominal or thoracic wall

what are the steps to abdominal auscultation? (1/2)

• listen to frequency & intensity of gut sounds

• gut sounds of horse can be heard w naked ear for normal horses

  • sounds should consist of rumbling, gurgling, & roars

what are the steps to abdominal auscultation? (2/2)

• gut noises heard on upper/lower flank areas on each side of horse

  • listen to both sides of belly to make sure digestive system is moving

• listen in flank depression between pelvis & rib cage (upper/lower portions on each side)

what are normal gut sounds?

• 1-3 purposeful sounds per min in each site

  • sounds like gurgle or rumble

how do you detect sand in horses?

• you can listen along bottom of entire abdomen

  • will be able to hear sand moving around

what does Mucous Membrane refer to?

• gums

• conjunctiva

• lining of nostrils

• inner surface of vulva

how should normal mucous membranes appear?

light to dark pink in color

what does abnormal Mucous Membrane color indicate?

poor health

what does blue MM color indicate?

low oxygen content in tissue

what does brick red MM color indicate?

shock or bacterial infection

what does a toxic line on MM look like?

purple gum line on margins of teeth

what does yellow MM color indicate?

• icterus

  • which indicates liver disease or RBC destruction

what does pale MM indicate?

means anemia or poor perfusion of tissue

how does petechea on MM look like? what does it mean?

• pinpoint red dots

  • usually means there has been a vessel rupture

what is capillary refill time (CRT)?

time it takes for gums to return to pink color after being pressed w finger or thumb

what can capillary refill time indicate?

• circulation

  • gently press thumb against gums of horse & count # of secs it takes for color to return

  • 1-2 sec normal

• reduced CRT → indication of dehydration or heart issues

what is the importance of age?

• young horses referred to by their age

• important also for competitive events

what is a foal?

young horse that isn’t weaned

what is a colt?

male horse under 3 yrs old

what is a filly?

female horse under 3 yrs old

what is a weanling?

6 months - 1 yr old

what is a yearling?

horses 1-2 yrs old

what is a 2-year-old?

horses 2 yrs old

what is the prime age of a horse?

• 7-9 yrs old

  • frequently active into late 20s if cared for properly

what is something to note about the influence that racing & showing events have on ages?

foal’s bday considered Jan 1st regardless of actual month born

what is the best way to determine the age of a horse?

• good records

  • record of horse’s birth required for registries

• when record of age doesn’t exist, teeth furnish best estimate of age

how accurate is using teeth to determine the age of horses?

• accurate in young horses

• margin of error increases as age advances

  • becomes a guess after horse reaches 10-14 yrs old

how many incisors do horses have?

12 front teeth

what are the specific names of the 12 front teeth?

• 2 central pairs above & below called centrals (centers), pincers, nippers

• 4 teeth adjacent to 2 central pairs called intermediates

• outer 4 teeth are designated as corners

where are the canine teeth or “tusks“ of horses located?

• appear midway between incisors & molars at 4-5 yrs old in geldings & stallions

  • seldom appears in mares

how many molar teeth do adult horses have?

24 molar teeth

what are the 4 key changes in teeth that’s used to determine age of horses?

1. occurrence of permanent teeth

2. disappearance of cups

3. angle of incidence

4. shape of surface of teeth

what is the occurrence of permanent teeth? (1/2)

• temp incisors tend to erupt in pairs at 8 days, 8 wks, & 8 months old

• permanent teeth - longer, larger, darker color, & don’t have well-defined neck joining root & gum

what is the occurrence of permanent teeth? (2/2)

• 4 enter permanent teeth appear (2 above/below) as animal approaches 3 yrs old

• intermediates at 4 yrs & corners at 5 yrs

what does disappearance of cups refer to?

• center of surface of young permanent teeth have deep indentures referred to as cups

• cups become smooth in lower/upper centers, intermediates, corners at 6-11 yrs old

what does angle of incidence refer to? (1/2)

• angle formed by meeting of upper/lower incisor teeth affords indication of age

• angle or “contact“ changes from 160 to 180° in young horses

  • to less than 90° as incisor appears to slant forward & outward w aging

what does angle of incidence refer to? (2/2)

• as slant increases, surfaces of lower corner teeth don’t wear clear to back margin of uppers

  • so dovetail, notch, or hook is formed on upper corners at 7 yrs old

• may disappear in a year or 2, reappears around 12-15 yrs & disappear again

how do teeth appear in young horses? (1/2)

• broad & flat

• may be twice as wide as they are deep

• condition reverses itself in 20+ yrs old

how do teeth appear in young horses? (2/2)

• 8-12 yrs: back surfaces become oval

  • then triangular at 15 yrs old

how do teeth appear in 1 year?

• all temp incisors are visible

• upper/lower corner incisors aren’t in contact

• dental surfaces of centrals show considerable wear

• 1st molar should be present by 1 year

how do teeth appear by 3 years?

• 1st set of permanent incisors, centrals are now in wear

  • more solid in appearance

  • larger & broader than temp teeth

  • have vertical ridges & grooves

• dental table of central incisors has deep cup & sharp borders

how do teeth appear in 5 years? (1/2)

• permanent dentition complete

• all incisors are in wear

• canines erupted completely

how do teeth appear in 5 years? (2/2)

• dental surfaces of centrals & intermediates are wide transversely & show wear

• but cups are readily visible & completely encircled by central enamel

how do teeth appear in 10 years?

• Galvayne groove → visible on upper corner of upper incisor

• dental surfaces of lower central & intermediate incisors are round

  • corner incisors are oval to round

how do teeth appear in 15 years?

• Galvayne groove extends halfway down labial surface of upper corner incisors

• dental surfaces of lower central incisors are triangular

  • intermediates are round to triangular

how do teeth 20 years?

• Galvayne groove extends down entire length of labial surface of upper incisors

• upper corner incisors deviate distinctly toward median plane

• dental table of lower incisors may be compressed transversely & may be worn almost to gum

what are other indicators of age? (1/2)

• features of older horses similar to those of older people

• sides of face become more depressed

  • poll more prominent, hollow above eyes deeper

what are other indicators of age? (2/2)

• backbone becomes more prominent & starts to sag

• white hair appears around temples, eyes, nostrils, & elsewhere

how are horses measured for height?

• in hands (equal to 4 in)

• horse on ground lvl, point of measurement is distance from highest point of withers to ground

what is knowing weight of horse important to determine? (1/2)

• amount of feed needed

• adequacy of feeding program

• potential health problems

what is knowing weight of horse important to determine? (2/2)

• optimal training & competing

• maximal breeding efficiency

• proper amount of medication

how do you use the weight formula to determine weight?

• measure heart girth just behind elbow

  • taking reading right after horse exhales

• measure body length from point of shoulder to point of buttocks in straight line

• heart girth x heart girth x body length / 330