What is EIA? Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA),sometimes called ‘swamp fever’ is an infectious disease that causes acute, chronic or symptomless illness, characterized by fever, anemia, swelling and weight loss in horses, ponies, mules and donkeys. The cause is a …
What sort of teeth do horses have? Equine dentition can be broken down into the following classes of teeth: Incisors: Horses have 6 upper and 6 lower incisor teeth. These are simple in structure, deep-rooted and used to grasp and …
What is diarrhea? Diarrhea means the production of feces that are softer than normal. Normal equine feces are produced in formed, non-offensive smelling, greenish-brown, semi-solid portions that will break up in the hand, revealing varying degrees of fibrous content depending …
What is dexamethasone? Dexamethasone (brand names Azium®, Dexasone®, Decadron®, Dexium®, Dexameth-a-Vet®, Dex-a-vet®, Maxidex®, Neofordex®, Hexadrol®) is a glucocorticoid steroid medication used to treat many inflammatory conditions, patients with adrenal gland disease, and patients with immune-mediated diseases. It can also be …
Parasitic worms live in the intestines of horses and ponies. Small numbers of worms can be tolerated, causing no effect on well-being. Larger worm burdens can cause a range of problems including ill thrift, diarrhea, colic and death. Pasture management …
What is colic? The term “colic” simply means abdominal pain. There are many causes of colic and symptoms range from very mild to violent. What are the symptoms? A horse with colic will show varying symptoms depending on the cause …
What causes choke? Choke is a relatively common condition that occurs when food or a foreign body blocks the horse’s esophagus (gullet), which is the tube that takes food from the back of the mouth (pharynx) to the stomach. Choke …
Taking care of Older Horses The average horse lives to be approximately 20 years of age, although many ponies and a few horses live for 30 years. Older horses and ponies need a little extra care to ensure that they …
What is arthritis? Arthritis is an inflammation of a joint or joints that causes pain and stiffness but the word ‘arthritis’ is often used to cover a range of conditions, many of which are not true arthritis. Related conditions including …