6 – Health Management of Horses Flashcards
1
Q
What is the role of the equine vet?
A
- Advice on horse husbandry and management
o Nutrition, housing, life stage changes, optimizing performance - Biosecurity and disease prevention
o On farm, community and nationally - Diagnose and treat disease and injury
2
Q
What are the 3 basis for interaction of a vet among their clients and patients?
A
- Presumption of trust and responsibility
- Sufficient knowledge
a. Personally exam the animal
b. Recent visits to premise
c. Thorough history taken or review of medical records - Accessibility
3
Q
What is the purpose of herd health visits? How many times per year?
A
- Maintain a good vet-client-patient relationship (VCPR)
- Opportunity to examine the horse in their environment when they are healthy
- *routine farm visits 1-2x per year
4
Q
What do herd health visits typically include?
A
- Vaccines
- Parasite control
- Physical exam
- Oral exam and dental float
- Sheath clean
- Coggins test for EIA
- Routine blood work
5
Q
What are the core vaccines for horses?
A
- Tetanus
- E. and W. encephalitis
- WNV
- Rabies
6
Q
What are the risk based vaccines?
A
- Equine influenza
- Equine herpes virus-1, EHV-4
- Streptococcus equi equi (Strangles)
7
Q
Internal parasite management: mature horse >3yo
A
- Small strongyles
- FEC to determine high shedders (>500eggs/gram of feces)
o Treated with anthelmintic 3-4x/year
o Low shedders: 1-2x/year - ML (ivermectin, moxidectin)
8
Q
Internal parasite management: immature horses <3yo
A
- Ascarids
o Don’t want sudden die off=would block the intestines - Treat @ 2-3months of age, and every 2 months afterwards until 12 months old
- Fenbendazole (start), pyrantel pamoate, ML
- FEC to establish small strongyle burden at 10-12 months of age
- FEC 2-3x/year from 1-3yo to establish low vs. high shedders
- Treat 2-4x/year from 1-3yo
9
Q
What is the external parasite control?
A
- Chemical deterrents
o Ticks, lice, mites: topical, but challenging to deal with - *Physical deterrents: MOST EFFECTIVE
o Fly masks, sheets or boots
o Does NOT control mites, ticks or lice=nothing that effective for them
10
Q
What are the most important external parasites in western Canada?
A
- Biting flies/insects
- Lice
- Ticks
- Mites
11
Q
Oral exam and dental float
A
- At least once per year by a VET
o Less strict rules in AB, but depends on where you are (KNOW the LAWS) - Examine for loose teeth, gingivitis, over growths, dental disease, soft tissue abnormalities
- *floating removes sharp points and overgrowths
12
Q
Sheath clean
A
- Remove build up dirt and debris from sheath and around PENIS
- Remove bean from the urethral fossa
o Can become very large and make urination difficult - Examine for lesions and tumors
o SCC
o Melanoma: grey horses
13
Q
Coggins test for EIA
A
- Reportable disease in Canada
- *W. Canada has highest prevalence of disease worldwide
- Many barns and competitions require a negative test to board or participate
- Still voluntary testing protocol in Canada
- If positive=euthanasia
o Quarantine remain horses and tested again
14
Q
Routine blood work
A
- CBC and chemistry
o Important for those with long term NSAIDs: liver + kidney function
o PrevEquine: firocoxib - Testing for insulin and ACTH
o EMS (equine metabolic syndrome) and PPID diagnosis and monitoring
15
Q
Farrier care
A
- Every 6-8 weeks
- ‘no foot, no horse’
- Start in first month of life and maintain regular care throughout life
- Most only require REGULAR trimming to maintain hoof health
16
Q
What are the benefits of turnout?
A
- Increased bone density
- More social
- Easier to train/handle
- Fewer undesirable behaviours
- Maintain level of fitness
17
Q
When do you ‘exercise’ horses?
A
- When turnout not possible OR in addition
o Ridden or ground work - Increase level of fitness
- Improves behaviour
18
Q
What is pasture paradise?
A
- System for horses that cannot graze continuously
o Don’t want growth of grass in the lap - Stimulates horse’s natural instinct to roam
o Don’t like to be confined=so keep walking forward - Best for easy keepers in a small space
- *’lap around the field (existing field and an inside fence)
19
Q
Stereotypies
A
- Abnormal behaviour that serves no apparent function and is performed in a repetitive, invariant way
- *prevention more effective than treatment
- Can have negative impacts on health
- Do NOT equate to welfare issues
20
Q
What are some examples of stereotypies in horses?
A
- Head tossing
- Cribbing
21
Q
Sick or injured horses
A
- Caretakes: need to be able to recognize abnormalities and apply basic first aid
- Regular close inspection is key to detection
- Vet info should be posted in barn for ease
- Make sure clients are comfortable calling: even with ‘silly’ questions
22
Q
What are some common signs of illness?
A
- Change in behaviour
- Inappetence
- Changes in consistency of feces
- Unexplained weight change
- Pain or discomfort
- Signs of colic
- Lameness
- Swellings
- Discharge from eyes, ears or nose
- Coughing or difficulty breathing
- Fever
23
Q
What should be in an owner first aid kit?
A
- Chlorhexidine
- Bandage material
- Poultice material: sugar+iodine, animalintex pads=foot abscesses
- Scissors
- Duct tape
24
Q
Biosecurity
A
- Management practices that reduce the risk of spread of infectious disease
- Risk depends on
o Number of horses
o Age groups
o Housing
o Movement of horses
o Vaccination status
o Quarantine protocols
o Movement of people
o Protocols for sick horses - *National Farm and Facility Level Security Document
25
Q
Closed herd
A
- No movement of animals or intro of new animals from external sources
o Risk of disease from environment or insects
26
Q
Open herd or commingling
A
- New horses routinely introduced to herd or horses from different locations are brought together
o Risk of disease spread form horse to horse
27
Q
What can be done to decrease exposure to pathogens?
A
- Separation of new arrivals or higher risk horses or susceptible horses
- Cleaning and disinfection
- Hand hygiene
- PPE
- Access control
- Traffic flow
- Pest management
- Pasture management
28
Q
What can be done to decrease susceptibility to disease?
A
- Nutrition
- Manage underlying disease
- Reduce stress
- Parasite control program
- Annual horse health program
29
Q
What can be done to increase resistance to disease?
A
- Vaccination
30
Q
Infectious disease treatment and testing
A
- Appropriate treatment and testing for infectious diseases
31
Q
Biosecurity during a disease outbreak
A
- Determine diagnosis
- Isolation of affected and exposed animals
- PPE and cleaning
- Movement of people on farm
o Treat and fed sick horses LAST - Monitor exposed and healthy animals
- Notification
32
Q
Notifiable diseases
A
- Ex. Strangles, WNV, EHV myeloencephalophy
- List of provincial notifiable diseases
- Report disease cases and outbreaks to equinediseasecc.org
33
Q
What are the national reportable diseases in Canada affecting equids?
A
- Anthrax: occasionally have outbreaks
- EIA: big one! Can get inconclusive results
- Rabies
- Trichinellosis: could affect horses
- Brucellosis: NOT in Canada currently
