Equine Medical conditions

Rain rot

Grease heel

Dermatophytosis

Culicoides hypersensitivity

Melanomas - what is it? Who is it common in? What do they look like? Problems? Treatment?

Common skin tumor

• Mostly found in grey horses

• Typically a black, hairless mass found around lips, eyes, ears, salivary glands, anus, penis, vulva.

• Often benign and slow growing in grey horses.

• Causes problems if interfere with tack or normal bodily functions

• Can metastasize-especially in non-grey horses = BAD

• Treatment: surgical removal or cimetidine-may help reduce size.

  • (Tagament. H2 (histamine) blocker. Antiacid!)

Uveitis (Recurrent) - nickname? What is it? What causes it? Clinical sings? Treatment?

• “moonblindness”
• Most common eye issue in horses-can be chronic
• Intraocular inflammation-painful!
• Can cause secondary changes that may cause blindness (cataracts)
• Causes: viral, bacterial (lepto), parasitic, trauma, etc.
• Clinical Signs: squinting, serous discharge, miosis, photophobia
• Need to find underlying cause and treat it!
• Treatment: Steroids, NSAIDs, +/- antibiotics

Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage - What is it? What causes it? How do we diagnose? Treatment?

• EIPH, “bleeders”
• Capillaries in the lungs rupture due to increased blood pressure
• Typically from short periods of strenuous exercise-racing, polo, etc.
• Diagnose with endoscope after exercise
• Can cause horse to be euthanized on the track
• No real cure other than retirement

Laryngeal Hemiplegia - what is it? Causes? Diagnosis? Treatment? !!!!*** On Exam!!!

• Also called “roaring”
• Paralysis of an arytenoid cartilage-usually left side
• Unknown cause-hereditary? damage to laryngeal nerve?
• Causes distinctive noise on inspiration while exercising, exercise intolerance
• Diagnose using endoscope
• Treatment: tie back surgery

Choke - what is it? Predisposing fts? Signs? treatment?

• Esophageal obstruction-usually food
• Predisposing factors-bolting food, dental issues, age
• Signs-lowered head, hypersalivation, coughing, frequent attempts to swallow, nasal discharge (food)
• Treatment: massage throat area (left side), sedation, pass nasogastric tube, soften food
• A scar in the esophagus may cause a stricture and increase the chances for choke again

Gastric Ulcers - Predisposing fts? Who is it common in? Clinical signs? Treatment/prevention?

• Predisposing factors-stalled, meal fed, high carbohydrate diet, in heavy work or stressful environment, off feed, on NSAID
• Racehorses
• Clinical signs-anorexia, weight loss, poor hair coat, issues being girthed up, bucking under saddle, diarrhea
• Treatment and Prevention: Omeprazole (proton pump inhibitor) and small, frequent meals high in fiber

Colic - What is colic? Clinical signs?

• “abdominal pain”
• Many, many causes-impaction of food, gas, sand, parasites (rounds, tapes), torsion
• Clinical signs: restlessness, kicking, biting, looking at belly, sweating, pawing, laying down, rolling, decreased fecal output, increased HR and RR (THE HIGHER the HR the POORER the prognosis - Dr coombs observation), prolonged CRT, decreased or increased gut sounds

Colic - what should owner do? What should doctor do?

• Common to have owner walk horse until Dr. can get there-keep horse from rolling, keeps owner calm
• Dr. will do brief exam looking at gut sounds, HR, temp, mm, rectal palpation, etc.
• Will probably pass nasogastric tube-this is both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool provides decompression and removes fluid from the stomach

Colic treatment?

• Treatment options-give mineral oil through NG tube to coat GI and increase movement, pain meds (NSAID-Banamine - endotoxic effects), sometimes an alpha 2 agonist, antispasmodics, fluids, surgery.
• Monitor patient closely
• Surgery is a last resort-requires general anesthesia-very risky, may be indicated if animal continues to deteriorate with treatment

Salmonella - what is it? 3 types? Dx? Treatment? Is it zoonotic?

• Highly resistant bacteria with many strains Salmonella agona, S. newport, S. anatum, S. Krefeld, S. typhimurium.
• Infected horses are classified in to three types-carrier, mild clinical, acute clinical
• Clinical signs may be moderate or severe - nasty pee…?
• Diagnosis requires multiple fecal cultures because organism cannot be consistently cultured from fecal material
• Treatment-fluids, NSAIDS, plasma - Usually no antibiotics! Treating signs…
• Antibiotics are controversial
• Animal must be quarantined
• Prevention is difficult because organism is present in the environment
• Zoonotic

Picture - ?

Fibrin going into intestinal tract/outside of it? FROM salmonella

Caslicks - what is it? Why is it bad? How is it done?

• Vulva-protective seal for vagina

• Surgical procedure, putting seal to protect air from moving in and out, feces going into it, etc.

• Anus and vulva need to be in a vertical plane

• Sometimes anus is sunken in-conformational fault

• Feces is able to enter vagina

• Most common cause of uterine infections

• Can be born with it, get it with old age, thin females, foaling injury, racehorses

• Verify current tetanus vaccine
• Local anesthesia, twitch, sedation
• Empty rectum if possible
• Wrap tail
• Prep perineum
• Dorsal vulva is split or removed and sutured closed

Blister beetle?

Blister Beetles
• Insects that live in alfalfa, feasting on their blooms
• These beetles contain the toxic compound cantharidin
• Causes GI irritation (colic), renal damage, possible death
• Severity correlates directly with amount of beetles ingested but even 1 could potentially kill a horse!
• Treatment: FLUIDS, mineral oil-will act as a GI protectant by coating GI mucosa and will help toxin move out, banamine-will decrease temp, neutralize GI endotoxins, increase tissue perfusion, cause vasoconstriction
• Best to cut hay before and or after blooming
• Verify beetle-free when purchasing alfalfa, and double check it

Slaframine poisoning? What is it called? What causes it? Signs?

• Clover slobbers
• Cause-moldy clover
• Excessive salivation
• Remove horses from clover and slobber will stop

Red Maple toxicity - What is it from? Effects? Signs? Treatment?

• Dead and wilted leaves are very toxic
• Specific toxin is unknown
• Causes hemolysis of red blood cells which decreases oxygenation
• Clinical signs: weakness, increased RR and HR, icterus, dark brown urine-what owners will notice
• Treatment: supportive care