Common Conditions
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...