Equine Medicine

Mare

Adult female over 2 years of age

Broodmare

Mare that is used for breeding

Stallion

Intact male over 2 years old

Gelding

Castrated male of any age

Foal

Young, neonate from birth to weaning age (4-7months)

Weanling

Young horse, under a year old that has been weaned

Yearling

A horse that is one year old (no longer after 2)

Colt

Young intact make between 2-3 years old

filly

Young female between 2-3 years of age

TPR and CRT

T: 99.0-101.5F
P: adults 28-44, Foals 60-100bpm
R: 12-18 rpm
CRT: 1-2 secs

Physical exams

-TPR
-weight
-CRT
-Hydration status (MM)
-skin turgidity

Reasons for physical exam

Diagnostics
Insurance
Pre-purchase exam

Mortality insurance

Covers the cost of the horse itself if it were to die due to illness, accident, or injury. Pays for the value of the horse, not bill

Major Medical Insurance

-Covers the cost of care for accidents, illnes, and disease. -Does not cover preventative care
-owners pays the vet, insurance reimburses the owner

surgical

Only covers lifesaving surgical procedures

loss of use

-used for horses that produce a large income in their profession
-covers loss of the "future" income
-cannot be purchased by itself, must be with either major/mortality policies

liability

Covers if a horse damages someone else property

Pre-purchase exam

-An exam on a horse requested by the potential buyer
-an owner agrees to let the clinic run the requested test by a potential buyer, but the buyer owns the right to the results
-clinic cannot disclose any findings to the actual owner without the buyers permission

Pale Pink MM

Poor perfusion , anemia, pain, chronic disease

Pink

WNL

Brick red

Toxicity, endotoxemia

Yellow

Icterus, liver damage

Blue/purple

Decreases oxygen intake, hypoxic

Signs of a dehydrated horse

-sunken eyes
-pale gums
-decrease skin elasticity
-accelerated breathing

borborygmus

Normal rumbling gut sounds

Ileus

Intestinal standstill (absence of borborgmus)
-serious condition with increased morbidity and mortality

Auscultation of the flank

-4 quadrants
-listen for at least a minute/quadrant

motility

Normal: 3 borborygmi/min
0: no motility
+1: hypomotility
+2: normal motility
+3: hypermotility

Signalment for equine

-age
-sex/reproductive status
-breed
-color
-Intended use
-Identification

Freeze branding (id method)

-Use of extreme cold to alter growth of hair
-liquid nitrogen (-300F) (must have on hand)
Under sedation, twitched, and in the stocks

BLM freeze brand

-Bureau of land management (specific for mustangs)
-left side of the neck (nuchal ligament)

Breeding collars

Plastic color with number id used for identifying multiple broodmares in a large facility

Lip Tattoo

-identifying racing horses
-used for registration