Basic Equine Healthcare Flashcards
Define: “hyperaesthetic”
Over-responsive (experiencing things such as pain, heat, or cold in a way that is unusually strong and unpleasant)
What are some behavioural signs of a healthy horse?
Interested in its surroundings
Doing what it normally does
Engaging how it normally does
What does the acronym “DUDE” refer to?
D - defaecating
U - urinating
D - drinking
E - eating
Describe the defaecation of a healthy horse
4-13 piles per day
Appearance relates to diet
Individual formed nuggets (can squeeze moisture out)
Normal colour
No visible parasites
Typical location for individual
Describe the urination of a healthy horse
Several times per day
One large/several small wet patches in stable
Normal posture
How might a normal urination pattern change for a mare in season?
Mares in season tend to urinate frequently and in small volumes
Describe the drinking of a healthy horse
40-60ml/kg/day
Increases when eating
Increases with dry food
Describe the eating of a healthy horse
Most horses are keen to eat hard food/treats anytime
1.5-2.5% bodyweight of dry matter intake per day
Continuous trickle (grazing)
When is best to starve a horse before a procedure?
In the early hours of the morning, due to their natural resting behaviours
What is the minimum amount you should feed to an overweight horse as part of a diet?
1% bodyweight of dry matter intake per day
What goes into the examination of a horse?
Observe demeanour and behaviour
Respiratory
Pulse/heart rate
Mucous membranes and CRT
Lymph nodes
Auscultation
Temperature
What is the normal range for temperature in the horse?
37.5 - 39.0°C
What is the normal range for pulse/heart rate in the horse?
80 - 100 beats per minute at rest
<150 bpm when active
What is the normal range for respiratory rate in the horse?
30 - 40 breaths per minute (within 4h of birth)
What should be taken into account when examining respiration in the horse?
Observe respiratory rate and effort
Should be hard to see
Look for a heave line/nasal flare/abdominal effort
Observe nares (moist but no discharge)
Observe if coughing
Where is pulse rate commonly measured on a horse?
Transverse facial artery
Facial artery
Digital artery
Where can heart rate be measured on a horse?
On left lateral thorax underneath point of elbow
6th intercostal space
How do horses’ mucous membranes differ to most mammals?
Their mucous membranes are often tinted yellow due to horse fat being yellow (as a result of grass pigments)
Where can mucous membrane colour/capillary refill time be measured on a horse?
Conjunctiva
Oral (salmon pink colour)
Nasal (not recommended to blanch this area)
Vulva
What should be taken into account when examining lymph nodes in the horse?
Small, pea to bean sized nodes
Either side of midline ventral mandible
Directly between points where the facial arteries cross under the jaw
Stroke the skin from caudal to cranial
What should be taken into account when auscultating the lungs/trachea in the horse?
Should be difficult to hear
Divided into 9 fields
What should be taken into account when auscultating the heart in the horse?
Clear S4-S1 and S2-S3 “lub dub”
Auscultate the left and right
May hear “dropped beats” (normal at rest)
May hear murmurs (can be normal)
What should be taken into account when auscultating the abdomen in the horse?
Gut sounds should be present in all quadrants
Should be proportional to activity
Caecal emptying (right dorsal quadrant, toilet flush sound)
Is it common to see hypothermia in horses?
No, very rarely
Question duration, battery power, position of thermometer, gas pockets, open anus, etc.
Is it common to see hypothermia in horses?
No, very rarely
Question duration, battery power, position of thermometer, gas pockets, open anus, etc.
How might we assess a horse’s demeanour?
Compare the horse to others in the group/its normal self
Bright OR quiet
Alert OR subdued OR dull
Responsive OR unresponsive OR hyperaesthetic
Define: “colic”
Abdominal pain
What are some less noticeable signs of a sick horse based on demeanour?
Disinterested in surroundings
More static
Disengaged with others
(They may appear outwardly normal)
What are the presenting signs of colic?
Rolling
Looking at flanks
Yawning
Grinding teeth
Stretching
Posturing to urinate (in attempt to alleviate pressure)
Recumbent
Pawing
Digging bed
Anorexia/inappetant
Reduced faecal output
What are the presenting signs of respiratory disease in horses?
Exercise intolerance
Extended head and neck position
Increased abdominal effort
Heave line
Flared nostrils
Coughing
Nasal (and ocular) discharge
Enlarged sub-mandibular lymph nodes
Epistaxis
Define: “epistaxis”
Bleeding from the nose
What are the presenting signs of liver disease in horses?
Dull/hyperaesthetic
Inappetant
Weight loss
Jaundice
Head pressing
Compulsive circling
Photosensitization
Diarrhoea
Why is ragwort dangerous for horses if ingested?
Ragwort is an accumulative toxin for liver disease
What are the presenting signs of dental disease in horses?
Quidding
Weight loss
Slow to eat
Halitosis
Define: “quidding”
Dropping food whilst chewing
Define: “halitosis”
Bad breath
What are the presenting signs of lameness in horses?
Recumbency
Abnormal posture
Resting limb
Reluctant to move
Slow to move
Lame when moving
Inappetant
Sweating
Describe the “pain face” in horses
Lowered ears
Contraction of the muscle above the eye
Tense stare
Nostril dilated in the medio-lateral direction
Edged shape of the muzzle with lips pressed together and flattened chin
Tension of the facial crest
What are some equine preventative medicine strategies?
Vaccination
Dentistry
Worming
Fly treatments
Body condition score/weight
Farriery
Physiotherapy/chiropractor
What are the two main vaccinations given to horses in the UK?
Equine influenza
Tetanus
What are the signs of equine influenza?
Pyrexia
Nasal discharge
Coughing
Horses very sick but rarely fatal
What are the signs of tetanus in horses?
Spastic paralysis
Muscular contraction
Extended head, neck, spine, elevated tail
Flared nostrils
Wide open eyes
Erect ears
High mortality
What goes into routine equine dentistry?
Routine examination every 6-12 months for healthy adult
Increase frequency if pathology
Palpate, pick and probe cheek teeth (PM & M)
Removal of sharp enamel points
Removal of rostral/caudal hooks
What advice may help owners to plan effectively and overcome potential barriers to worming their horse?
Maintain consistent populations
Poo pick 2x per week or more
Rest and rotate pasture (esp studs)
Know parasites can survive overwinter on pasture
Larvae spread from “roughs”
Always turn foals out onto clean pasture
Describe a horse grooming routine
Dried mud removed with dandy brush (not face)
Body brush used all over
Feet are picked out with hoof pick
Face sponge for eyes and muzzle
Perineal sponge
