As horse owners I know you all know every curve, every scar and every lump or bump your horse has. So, when a new bump pops up it can be concerning. Any time I have a new scratch or lump or scab the humans are all over me, making sure I am okay.  Frankly, it’s rather annoying. I am a perfectly healthy cat and don’t need them all over me all the time. I just need them to feed me and respond to all my demands.  While I’m aware of my health, horses, they just aren’t as smart, and they need you to keep track of them.  Monitoring new lumps and bumps can be lifesaving for your hose. This week I want to talk to you about a type of tumor that horses get that, for the most part, the docs will tell you not to worry too much about and just keep any eye on: Melanomas.

 What is a Melanoma?

A melanoma is a type of skin tumor that occurs mainly in grey horses but can rarely occur in other colored horses as well. These tumors can pop up on your horse’s body just about anywhere. The most common areas include the underside and dock of the tail, corners of lips, neck, and head. They can also be found in and around your horse’s sheath, anus and from your horse’s iris in his eye.

Melanomas can pop up at any age in any horse with little known about any predisposing factors other than your horse’s color. That being said, most grey horses will not start to develop tumors until they’re around 10 years old.  I am well into my teens, I am not grey, and thankfully, I am not a horse, so I think I am safe, but be sure to check on your grey horses.

As I mentioned, melanomas are part of owning grey horses. It’s usually advised to keep an eye on them for any significant changes.  However, it is important to understand that “keeping an eye on them” does not mean allow them to grow uncontrollably. In fact, if your horse has been diagnosed with melanomas, you should have my docs check on them at least twice a year, measure them and possibly even take some photos of them. This will help ensure that the tumor does not progress rapidly and cause long term problems for your horse.

 Treatment

While it is common practice to keep an eye on melanomas, there are other treatment options for them as well. One option is surgical removal. However, removal of one tumor will not prevent the development of other tumors. Likewise, if a tumor is too large or in a precarious location, surgical removal cannot be performed.

Injection with a chemotherapy agent is another treatment option. Cisplatin in the form of injectable oil or impregnated beads can be used around tumors to reduce the size of the tumor and allow for possible surgical excision. Treatment with cisplatin can be extremely effective, but it often takes several treatments and can get expensive.

Finally, there has been a vaccination developed for use in dogs that is still experimental in horses. The vaccine is created from your horse’s specific tumor, targets proteins in the melanoma cells, and stimulates an immune response. The vaccination shows promise for treatment of melanomas in horses, but more work is needed to prove its effectiveness.

Whatever form of treatment my docs recommend, it is important to start treatment early and not necessarily just keep an eye on it.  Ask my docs which method is best and how to start treatment if your horse is diagnosed with melanomas.

 Complications

 If a melanoma is left to progress without intervention, they can become obstructive.  Tumors around the head and neck can obstruct your horse’s airway and predispose your horse to choke. As you can imagine both of these conditions can be life threatening. If left to progress and grow, tumors around the anus can prevent your horse from passing manure.

Similarly, tumors in and around your horse’s sheath can lead to difficult urination. Remember our discussion about sheaths a few weeks back? Annual examination of your horse’s sheath will help the docs monitor your horse for tumor development, and if your horse in on one of our wellness plans, this examination is included.  (Here is my shameless plug to sign your horse up for 2021 Wellness today.)  If a tumor is allowed to progress and obstruct your horse’s sheath, urine scalding becomes a concern.  When your horse cannot fully drop his penis from his sheath he’ll still have to urinate, and urine will splatter in all directions including on his abdomen and legs. This can lead to burning of these areas which is very painful.

Melanomas that arise from the iris of the eye can also become obstructive, leading to vision and other ocular problems. Any kind of tumor in the eye should be treated immediately. If left to progress, your horse may lose his vision completely, may develop uveitis (inflammation), glaucoma, or may lose his eye completely.

Besides obstruction, melanomas can become ulcerated, particularly underneath the tail.  It is a warm, moist, dirty area and the perfect environment for these tumors to get really ugly and nasty really fast.  Unlike cats, horses are disgusting creatures who fail to groom themselves regularly. Anyways, since your horse is lazy and allows you to groom and clean him, you must be the one to keep the underside of his tail clean.  However, despite your most diligent efforts, melanomas are tumors and will do whatever they want, including becoming ulcerated, necrotic and/or infected.  Once this happens, they can be nearly impossible to treat and can result in my docs having to recommend humane euthanasia for your horse.

The takeaway message is this: Have my docs monitor any lumps or bumps on your horse and show you exactly what kind of changes to watch for. Early, aggressive treatment is key and can be lifesaving for your horse.

Until next week,

~Tony

PS – Looking for more information on other conditions that may come up with your horse?My people also have a podcast that is filled with incredibly useful information, check it out here. Also, we will be having a VIRTUAL facebook seminar on Thursday October, 22 at 6:30. They will be talking about asthma/heaves. Wow, we have seen a lot, I mean a lot of heaves this year. 

Checking Vital Signs

In my recent column about colic, I talked about taking your horse’s vital signs as a good way to help your vet manage an emergency. Today I’ll go over how exactly I want you to do that, because it’s YOUR horse, right? So, you really should know how. I’ve enlisted some help to show you exactly what I’m talking about, so make sure you look at the pictures and watch the videos.

Heart rate

First of all, go buy an inexpensive stethoscope. You can get one for as little as $20! Amazon, CVS, Walmart, they’re not hard to find. Sure, my doc probably uses a fancier one to hear all the subtle things, but a basic one will let you count the heartbeats just fine. Then practice ahead of time, don’t wait for an emergency to happen. Put the stethoscope ear buds in your ears so they point forward. Listen for the heartbeat on the left side, just behind your horse’s elbow, about where the girth rests. It’s helpful to have him stand with his left leg forward a bit so you can push the stethoscope forward under the muscle and get good contact with his chest. Try pressing more or less firmly until you can hear the heart clearly.

A horse’s normal heart rate is around 26-46 beats per minute (much slower than yours). Since it’s so slow, you will probably be able to hear both heart sounds. It will sound like “lub-DUB”. Be careful that you don’t accidently count double – “lub-DUB” just counts as one beat. Set your stopwatch for 15 seconds and count the beats in that time. Then multiply by 4 to get his actual heartrate. For example, if I listen for 15 seconds and hear “lub-DUB” 10 times, I multiply 10×4 and his heartrate is 40 beats per minute.

There are places you can feel the pulse with your fingers to count the heart rate, but these are usually trickier to master than just listening with a stethoscope. When my doc comes out to vaccinate your horse, or whatever, you can ask her to show you the technique for listening to the heart or feeling the pulse.

Respiratory rate

Counting your horse’s breaths can be done in a couple of different ways. You can listen with your stethoscope, but it’s usually just easier to look at his flanks moving in and out. If he’s breathing hard, you can watch his nostrils flare, but if he’s breathing normally this might be harder to see. Remember that inhale + exhale = one breath. Count for 30 seconds and then multiply the number of breaths by 2 to get the respiratory rate. The normal respiratory rate of a horse at rest is 12-20 breaths per minute.

Gut sounds

Gut sounds are what you will hear when your horse’s intestines are moving normally to push food through. A normal horse has active rumbles all over his belly, and you shouldn’t have to listen for much longer than 15 seconds to hear some. Your horse’s gut sounds can be heard on both sides of his belly, high and low, in front of his hips. Again, practice ahead of time to get used to his normal.

Digital pulses

Digital pulses are a good indicator of the amount of inflammation in your horse’s feet. My doc’s favorite place to feel them is at the fetlock (your horse’s “ankle”). Using your thumb and middle finger, feel on either side at the widest part of the fetlock, towards the back. You will often feel a “squishy” area that is the artery and vein on either side – that’s the right spot. Use light pressure and feel for the pulse. It’s usually a light movement against your fingers and may be a little hard to find at first. Get to know what it feels like in a normal horse so you can tell if it’s more prominent than usual. My doc says if there is inflammation in the foot, the pulse will feel stronger than usual. She calls it a “bounding digital pulse”. It’s kind of like the throbbing feeling you would get if you hit your thumb with a hammer.

Temperature

Get yourself a plastic digital thermometer like my docs use. They’re quick and easy to use. Keep it just for your horse’s use of course! To take his temperature, it’s safest to have someone holding him for you in case he objects to it. If your horse strongly objects or you just don’t feel safe, it’s okay to give this one a pass.

Stand close to your horse’s hindquarters on one side, not right behind him. I know you might feel safer to stand farther away, but actually you’re usually safer if you’re right up against his side. Gently move his tail up a little and to the side, then slowly insert the thermometer into his anus a couple of inches, almost up to where the digital display is. Press the thermometer’s button to turn it on. It will beep again when it has finished reading the temperature.  A normal horse’s temperature is between 98.5-100.5 Fahrenheit. Take your horse’s temperature on different days to see what his normal temperature usually runs.

Mucous membranes

Take a look at the gums above your horse’s upper teeth. They should be pink or pale pink. Any colors besides that are a problem, so call my doc. They should be moist to the touch and not dry or “tacky”, which can be signs of dehydration. Next, press your finger onto the gum firmly. The pressure should be firm enough that when you lift your finger away, you see a white spot where your finger was. Count the number of seconds it takes for the spot to fill back in with color. In a normal horse, it should be less than 2 seconds. If it’s longer than that, it could indicate shock or dehydration.

Being able to take good care of your horse’s health is a critical part of good horsemanship. Practice taking your horse’s vital signs frequently, so that it’s second nature by the time you really need to do it. I guarantee that my doc will be happy to show you her technique when she’s next at your barn. There’s few things the docs at Springhill Equine like more than helping to educate owners on good care for their horses!

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. If you want to learn more, you should really check out the Podcast the humans do. They are way more energetic than this cat, and they actually talk for thirty or forty-five minutes sometimes to teach you things. It’s really good stuff. And Patrons of the podcast get even more: their own Facebook group with videos, and they can ask questions about their horses, and all kinds of good stuff. Sometimes I feel like they’re trying to show me up, but it’s more than I’m willing to worry about this close to nap time. Anyway, you can find all the details here on the Podcast Page of my website.

I’ve got a special edition today of Tuesdays with Tony this week. I listened in on the recording of the fabulous podcast, Straight From The Horse Doctor’s Mouth with special guest Dr. John Peloso talking about broken legs in horses. I’m going to give my blog readers a sneak peak into the interview. I know, it’s awfully generous of me. You may send your fan letters to my people at Springhill Equine. Canned Tuna can also be sent there as a token of your appreciation. Back to the podcast. I’m quite fond of the hosts as they provide me with food, shelter, and chin scratches. Justin Long and Dr. Lacher discuss a wide variety of horse topics, and even this wise cat learns something during every episode. While listening to this recording I learned breaking your leg isn’t always a death sentence for horses. Guess that Far Side cartoon got it wrong. 

There’s broken, and then there’s Broken

First thing I learned is that “broken” means a few different things to Docs. There’s cracked, there’s broken in two pieces, there’s broken in a whole bunch of pieces, and there’s broken and poking through the skin. These are huge sweeping generalizations, but in general cracked, and broken in two (or maybe three) pieces is better, and means you can at least start the conversation about fixing the fracture. Broken in a whole bunch of pieces, and broken and poking through the skin are really, really bad. 

This comes down to why broken legs in horses are so much worse than broken legs in cats, dogs, or even humans. Horses have to stand on those crazy sticks they call legs. If the stick is broken in too many pieces, the surgeon can’t get it back close enough to normal for the horse to be able to stand on it. Sticking out of the skin is bad for two reasons: these are usually difficult to get back to that standable stick, and that bone is now really likely to get infected since horses live in bacteria and fungus-infested environments. They aren’t like us cats who stay clean no matter what! No amount of antibiotics can win the war against the amount of bacteria on a horse leg bone that’s been in dirt. In fact, it’s really hard to do with humans, too! 

Which bone is it?

Okay, so we know that how it’s broken matters, but which bone it is also matters a whole lot. Once again these are generalities, because horses are horses and at the end of the day they’ll do what they dang well please. They’re like cats that way. I respect it. The big bones above the elbow and the stifle simply can’t be fixed with the available bone fixing stuff. Apparently there isn’t horse broken bone hardware. All of the things surgeons use are adapted from humans. I don’t know if you’ve compared the average horse to the average human lately, but there’s a wee bit of a size difference. No human plate, screw, or pin can stand up to the enormous pressures the humerus and femur have to handle on a horse. Don’t get me started on shoulders, and pelvises, pelvii, whatever the plural for pelvis is. These areas are hard to get to due to muscles and nerves, and they’re both pretty darn thin. That means you can’t just plate them. The screws won’t hold. This means fractures above the elbows and stifles are just plain bad no matter how you slice them. 

This brings me to the area between the knees or hocks, and elbows or stifles. The radius up front and the tibia behind. These bones are shockingly easy to crack with a well-placed kick from another horse. The design flaws horses have are so numerous. It’s still shocking even though I see it every day here at the clinic. If these bones are broken, broken, as in look at x-ray and go, ‘wow that’s busted’ from across the room, that’s bad. You probably didn’t need me to tell you that. However, if they’re just cracked then there’s a shot they can heal! The trick is to convince the horse to be really quiet for about 6 weeks while that bone heals. No running, jumping, bucking, or cavorting. The best scenario here is what’s called a tie line. For this the horse is tied from somewhere high in the stall so they can’t lay down. It makes for a long 6 weeks, but the act of laying down and getting up puts an unbelievable amount of strain on those bones. It’s enough to make a cracked one shatter, and then there’s only one answer. 

Finally, the lower leg. Splint bones are easy. Those barely count as a fracture and generally heal with minimal help from anyone but Mother Nature and Time. Cannon bones are a little like the radius and tibia. If it’s a crack, it will heal. Bonus down here: surgeons can put a screw in there to stabilize things making them heal faster, and better. However, if it’s shattered, that’s really bad. Pastern bones are similar. Cracks: goood. Shatter: bad. The problem is that pasterns like to shatter. Coffin bones, despite their name, handle fractures pretty well, as long as the joint isn’t involved. The hoof capsule acts like a cast for these fractures, locking them in place. 

The Horse Factor

My biggest take away from my listen in was how much the horse itself matters. A quiet horse who isn’t looking for trouble has a way better shot than the horse trying to jump over the stall door on day 2 of stall rest. Now my Docs have pharmaceutical assistance for this, but the better behaved the horse, the better the chances. This next one seems obvious. The smaller the horse, the better the chances. Horses under 600 pounds do the best. Again, physics. All that weight on those tiny sticks. Such a bad design.

Moral of the story: broken legs can still be really bad, but not always! Oh and horses have some serious design flaws. If you find your horse non-weight bearing on a leg, or really swollen, Don’t Panic!!! Call my awesome Docs. They’ll evaluate things, figure out what’s going on, and help formulate the right plan for your horse. And as with all things horse, the sooner, the better. Everything gets harder to fix with time.  

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. The Broken Bone episode of the podcast comes out on October 1st, and you can find it on my Podcast Page. There are fifty-something other episodes to keep you busy until it comes out!

Sheath Maintenance

 Whew, that’s some chilly air out there! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed the brisk air. I know I did.  With the change in temperature, I was reminded that 2021 is right around the corner and with the new year in view, our 2021 Wellness Plan sign-ups are about to be in full swing. As you all know, our Wellness Plans are the best thing since sliced bread and include all the yearly care your horse requires including vaccines, coggins, fecal, dental, and deworming.  An often-overlooked aspect of our Wellness Plans, however, is the sheath cleaning.  This is a very important aspect of your horse’s care that my docs take very seriously.  Take it from this old cat, sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most.

 Cleaning

Your horse’s sheath can tell my docs a lot about your horse’s overall health. Believe it or not, there is such thing as too much cleaning. Once a year cleaning is all it needs. Ideally, your horse’s yearly cleaning should be performed by a veterinarian while under sedation.  Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you. For one, SAFETY. Safety for you, safety for my docs, safety for me, and safety for your horse.  Some horses do not mind when their private areas are inspected. However, most horses do not approve of such invasiveness. They like to make their disapproval known by using those muscular back legs that quickly go in many different directions when they are angry.  I know I would need some serious sedation if someone was going to inspect me “down there”, so just do yourself and your horse a favor and have my docs sedate before cleaning.

 Surprisingly enough, the cleaning part of sheath cleaning is not the most important part. During a cleaning, my docs will inspect your horse’s sheath including his prepuce, head, and shaft for any abnormalities. They will note any changes from the previous year’s exam. After the exam, they will inspect the head for any “beans”. The bean develops in the urethral fossa and is a buildup of dead skin cells, sweat, dirt and dried urine. If a bean is left to enlarge on its own, it can cause your horse to have difficulty urinating.  When any animal strains to urinate, cats included, it can be life threatening. Better for you and your horse if you allow my docs to clean out the bean once yearly. 

 You will notice that soap is rarely used in the cleaning process and typically only warm water, soft cotton and lube will be employed to clean your horse’s sheath. This is because a healthy sheath is covered in good bacteria. The more products used in and around your horse’s sheath deplete the good bacteria and allow for introduction of bad bacteria to your horse’s nether region. Best bet: leave the cleaning to the experts.

 Abnormalities

As I have already mentioned, when my docs are cleaning your horse’s sheath, they will thoroughly inspect him for any abnormalities. Abnormalities include skin lesions, masses, and injuries. It is important to recognize any problems with your horse’s sheath early. The sooner the problem is noticed, the sooner my docs can initiate treatment. Horses with pink skin are prone to cancerous lesions known as Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Squamous Cell Carcinoma is skin cancer that rears its ugly head on light pink skin in the form of ulcerative lesions. When my docs sedate your horse, they will thoroughly inspect his sheath and penis for any pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions. They may recommend biopsy or treatment depending on what the lesion looks like. 

 As you all know, grey horses like to get tumors all over. These tumors, known as melanoma, are usually benign and do not metastasize. However, they can develop tumors in and around their sheaths, YIKES! If the tumors get large enough, they may cause an obstruction in urination.  That is why it is best to have the docs check out your horse’s sheath once a year to keep an eye on any developing tumors and guide treatment. You wouldn’t believe the number of injuries that can happen to horse’s genital areas. You would think they would protect their sensitive bits, but no, as per usual, horses hurt themselves in the most inopportune times in the most inopportune ways, including their sheaths. 

 Lacerations and puncture wounds are relatively common and require emergency treatment. However, other injuries such as nerve and/or muscle damage may go unnoticed until their yearly examination by the docs.  Damage to nerves and muscles can lead to shafts that point in an abnormal direction. While this usually does not cause a problem for most males, it can absolutely be problematic for breeding stallions.  It can also lead to urine scalding of the abdomen or hind legs depending on which way it points. Having the docs perform a thorough examination once a year will help ensure your horse does not develop any problems with his sheath and if there is problem it can be addressed quickly. 

 What Not To Do

You never knew there was so much to talk about your horse’s sheath, did you? Well, don’t worry, there’s more.  I have been told that some people are obsessed over their horse’s sheath.  Please, for the love of cat, STOP! The more you mess with it the more problems you will have.  As we tell little boys, if you keep playing with it, it is going to fall off! We know that is not actually the case, but the more you mess with it the more trouble you will cause.  Unless my docs instruct you to, please stop putting medications up your horse’s sheath.  It changes the bacterial flora and allows for bad bacteria to breed and infection to occur.  Some topical can be very abrasive and can burn your horse’s sensitive skin. Yes, smegma is gross and stinky, believe me, I know, and you may think cleaning it out every day will help, but it won’t!

 Let my docs do the cleaning once a year, I promise you that’s all your horse needs.  Some approved topical for AROUND your horse’s sheath are Kinetic Vet IBH and SWAT as bug prevention, and Kinetic Vet SB as Sunblock.  Before you apply anything other than one of those 3 topicals, please call my vets. They would love to talk to you about your horse’s sheath. They are weirdos like that. But you gotta love them!

 Tune in this Thursday for a live Seminar to talk about your horse’s nutrition. I heard through the grapevine there may be some giveaways for participating!

 Until next week,

~Tony

How to Help Your Vet Manage a Colic – Part 2

If you somehow missed the first half of this blog, click here to go read it first. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Come back here when you get done with it. Don’t worry, there’s a button on that one that will bring you back to this one, so you can’t get lost. I know you don’t have superior cat instincts, so I made it easy for you.

While your vet is examining your horse

My doc may start by asking you some questions about what’s been going on, or if your horse is really painful, she may need to start working on him immediately. Her exam may include some or all of these things: Physical exam, trans-rectal palpation to feel his internal organs, passing a nasogastric tube through his nose and into his stomach, an ultrasound of his abdomen, an abdominocentesis (“belly tap”) to collect and test the fluid from around his organs, and bloodwork. These are pieces of the puzzle to determine what is causing the colic and how best to treat it. Some types of colic can be treated on the farm with some pain control meds and laxatives. Some need to be brought into a hospital for IV fluids and more involved medical treatment, and some kinds of colic can’t be resolved without surgery. Listen carefully to what my doc tells you is going on and her instructions.

After the vet visit

• You’ll want to continue monitoring your horse frequently. Exactly how frequently will depend on what my doc finds – it could range from every couple of hours in a very mild case to every 15 minutes or so. Colic signs can worsen quickly, so you won’t want to miss anything. Yes, you may have to miss work or lose some sleep during the night.
• Check for manure production. You’ll want to keep your horse somewhere you can see when he passes a new pile of manure. Pick out a stall or a small paddock so you can tell new piles from old. Don’t turn him out in the back 40 where you’ll have no idea if he’s pooping enough.
• Follow my doc’s re-feeding instructions. This will probably mean a gradual reintroduction to feed to ensure the colic doesn’t start again. Yes, your horse will look at you like he is staaarving and you are cruel but remember, it’s just tough love and it’s what is best for him.

The DON’Ts (and the NEVER EVERs in a million years)

• Don’t give your horse banamine without talking to my doc first. Banamine is a pain medication that will mask some signs of colic. This can make it hard for my doc to get an accurate assessment of the severity of the colic. Banamine can also have a toxic effect on the kidneys if your horse is dehydrated, so it is best to let her make the decision if it is appropriate to give. Also, don’t give extra banamine after the first dose if your horse is still painful. If your horse still isn’t comfortable, it’s a sign of a more serious colic, and more banamine won’t do anything to help that.
• Never give banamine in the muscle! It can cause a horrible infection if injected into the muscle. While it doesn’t happen every time, it is definitely not worth the risk! Trust me, I have seen the disgusting result. If my doc instructs you to give banamine, you can give it by mouth, even if what you have is the injectable liquid.
• Don’t walk your horse to exhaustion. While some walking is good for gut motility, there is no need to walk for hours, and it can end up dehydrating your horse further
• This is a big one – NEVER attempt to put a hose anywhere, either down his throat or by rectum. This is a sure-fire way to injure your horse. Don’t give your horse an enema – the horse’s rectal tissue is delicate and at risk for a rectal tear, which can be fatal. An enema will almost never even reach the location of the colic in an adult horse anyway. Don’t try to syringe water or oil into your horse’s mouth either. You could end up aspirating some into the horse’s lungs, which could lead to a fatal pneumonia. Sadly, I have seen these awful conditions caused by well-meaning, but misguided owners. JUST DON’T DO IT.
• If you have to trailer your horse to the hospital, don’t ride in the horse compartment with him. A rolling colic can be dangerous in confined quarters, and there isn’t anything you can do to help him while en route.
• If your horse goes down in the trailer on the way to the hospital, don’t stop. I know it’s scary but keep driving to the hospital – that’s where my docs can help him. While we’re on the trailer topic: don’t tie them in the trailer! If they do go down, being tied can put them in a really bad way, and can make it much harder to get them out at the hospital.
• Don’t discount colic surgery if my doc says your horse needs it. Many horses go on to have long, healthy lives after colic surgery, so don’t think there is no hope. There are often no restrictions on future athletics. Horses that have had colic surgery have gone on to compete in the Olympics, or in 100-mile-long endurance rides like the Tevis Cup.

If you are not sure what to do, just phone one of my docs. They are always there to help you. Working together and intervening early are the best ways to give your horse the best possible outcome.

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. If you haven’t subscribed to this blog yet, this is the best opportunity you’ll have all day. Just scroll down another inch or two and look for the big purple box. If you subscribe, I’ll email you a link to the newest blog every Monday. That’s right, early access! I know how to incentivize you humans. And under the purple box is a link to some pretty popular books. You might want to check those out, too. After all, I’m practically a main character in them.

How to Help Your Vet Manage a Colic – Part 1

I see a lot of stuff as the Springhill Equine Clinic cat and it seems to me there are few things that strike more fear into the heart of a horse owner than colic. Colic is a catch-all term for abdominal pain and can be caused by a variety of different things in your horse’s belly, ranging from a mild gas colic to a serious strangulating lesion that requires surgery.  I’m not sure why horses don’t just puke on the carpet like I do whenever they start to feel colicy, but my docs say that’s not how it works. Colic will never be a fun time, but here are some ways to help your horse (and my docs!) so things go as smoothly as possible.

Be prepared

• Know how to recognize the signs of colic – Rolling, pawing, looking at the flank, and laying down are the most common signs, but horses can also show more subtle signs such as not wanting to eat, kicking at the stomach, restlessness, stretching out as if to urinate, increased respiratory rate, and reduced manure production. If you notice any of these things, give my doc a heads up so she can advise you what to do next.
• Call your vet! Even if you aren’t sure she needs to come out yet, it’s best to discuss what’s going on. If you wait too long it could turn a mild problem into a severe one. Generally, colic is much more easily (and economically) treated if you can catch it early. A severe colic may have no chance of survival if you don’t pursue treatment immediately.
• It’s very useful to know how to take your horse’s vital signs – things like his heart rate and temperature. Get yourself an inexpensive stethoscope and learn how to listen to his heart and gut sounds. You can find one for as little as $20! Practice ahead of time, don’t wait for an emergency to happen. My doc can show you how to use it! When you call your vet, it’s very helpful to tell her what the heart rate is – it helps to determine how serious the colic is. A horse’s normal heart rate is around 26-46 beats per minute (much slower than yours, and waaay slower than my thrillingly fast kitty heartrate of 170 beats per minute!) You can hear it best on the left side, just behind his elbow, about where the girth rests. You may find it useful to listen to some sample audio ahead of time. A high heart rate is often a sign of a more serious colic. His gut sounds can be heard on both sides of his belly, high and low, in front of his hips. A normal horse has active rumbles all over his belly, and you shouldn’t have to listen for much longer than 15 seconds to hear some. Again, practice ahead of time to get used to his normal. Keep a thermometer around too. This is another useful piece of information to give my doc. Practicing ahead of time will also help you keep track of what your horse’s normal temperature is, so you’ll be more likely to notice a problem. Normal temperature is usually between 98.5 – 100.5 degrees F.
• Have a well-lit area available for my doc to examine your horse. It should be a safe place to work and free of obstructions. Have a clean water source available in case she needs to pass a nasogastric tube into your horse’s stomach. It helps to have a power source available in case she has to ultrasound your horse’s abdomen. Also, this feline thinks you ought to put the dogs away so there are less slobbery distractions.
• Have a transport plan. If your horse needs to get to the hospital for surgery or medical treatment, who is going to trailer him there? If you have a trailer, can it be hooked up quickly and ready to go? Are the tires good? You don’t want to have to worry about these things when the colic is happening.
• Consider a major medical insurance policy for your horse. Colic surgery can be very expensive, often around the mid to high 4 figures in our area. Insurance can be surprisingly affordable, especially compared to the cost of treating a colic. It’s a very sad thing to have a euthanize a horse that could have been treated. When your horse is sick, the financial part is the last thing you’ll want to have to worry about. There are also colic programs from companies like Platinum Performance and SmartPak that will cover a significant chunk of the surgery cost if your horse is enrolled.
• Be familiar with the idea of colic surgery. While hopefully you never have to use this option, you should have an understanding of colic surgery and make sure you don’t have any misconceptions. Decades and decades ago, colic surgery was less common than it is now. Some people still have the idea that colic surgery doesn’t have a great success rate. But the truth is, the survival rate for colic surgery is about 90%. Another misconception is that older horses can’t handle surgery well. Studies have shown that postoperative survival rates for older horses are about the same as younger horses.

While you’re waiting for the vet

• If it’s safe to, take your horse for a walk. Walking can help to improve the activity of your horse’s intestines. But you don’t need to walk for hours and hours at a time, that can do more harm than good. It’s ok to let him rest calmly, laying down isn’t going to cause a twisted gut – that’s an old wives’ tale. If your horse is rolling violently and you can’t keep him up, your own safety is the priority, so it may be best to put him in a safe place and stay back until the vet arrives.
• Take away his food until after my doc has examined him. This includes grass too. It’s ok to leave him water, though a colicky horse usually won’t be interested in drinking.
• Keep an eye out for manure. The amount of manure your horse has passed, and whether it’s a normal consistency, are useful pieces of information for my doc. If possible, collect some of the manure for her to inspect, as it might offer a clue about the cause of the colic. Keep in mind though, a common misconception is that if a horse is passing manure, the colic has to be getting better. That’s not always the case, since there are about 100 feet of gut inside your horse. The manure could be further back than the site of the problem.
• Think about possible causes. Do you have a new batch of hay? Has your pasture changed recently? Anything else different in your horse’s lifestyle?
• Give my doc good driving instructions or an accurate GPS address to find your barn. The importance of well-marked street numbers visible from the road can’t be overstated! Keep your phone close in case she needs to contact you. If the house might be hard to find, especially at night, get someone to stand by the driveway or meet at a landmark to help direct her to where your horse is.

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. Scroll down to click on to Part 2 of this blog!

P.P.S. If you haven’t subscribed to this blog yet, this is the best opportunity you’ll have all day. Just scroll down another inch or two and look for the big purple box. If you subscribe, I’ll email you a link to the newest blog every Monday. That’s right, early access! I know how to incentivize you humans. And under the purple box is a link to some pretty popular books. You might want to check those out, too. After all, I’m practically a main character in them.

Buckle up, humans. This week I’m bringing all my snark to the table for a tough talk about vaccines. I know you can get vaccines from a lot of different places, but there’s only one place you should get them from: your veterinarian.

The Obvious

Let’s start with the obvious reason. It’s a shot containing advanced technology to save your horse from horrible diseases. The best person to give you guidance on how this powerful tool fits into your horse’s life is a veterinarian. Not every horse needs every possible vaccine, and some need all the possible vaccines. Old and young horses need more. Show horses need them at specific times to give them the best protection while not stressing their immune systems. Sensitive horses need special timing so they can be protected from these diseases without causing their delicate immune systems to go all whack-a-doo. There’s a lot involved, and if you think you can understand all that goes into the decision because you got your Facebook Medical Degree, you’re wrong. Ten out of ten people who decide they can “do their own vaccines because they don’t need a dang vet.” do them wrong. Don’t be one of the ten.

They’re fragile!

Holy persnickety! Vaccines like it cold, but not too cold, and don’t shake, but maybe a little agitation. I mean, there’s a reason diseases like Polio have been tough to eradicate. You can’t take a vaccine just anywhere without having the perfect conditions for its happiness. They make cats look like a walk in the park when it comes to pickiness. Vaccines come to veterinarians through very specific distribution networks where they are monitored each step of the way. They are only shipped to us on certain days, and when they arrive, they are immediately placed in a fridge that is also temperature monitored. How many of you have a fridge thermometer? No really, how many?

Those vaccines are then treated with the delicacy they expect. Kept cold, but not too cold, until the moment they are delivered into your horse. Think about the supply chain of your nearest big box store that might have ‘tractor’ or ‘rural’ in the name. Do you honestly think that happens there? Because 15 minutes sitting on a loading dock in the sunshine will kill the vaccine, and you’ll never know that your horse isn’t actually vaccinated.

Invested in your horse

Sometimes my Docs don’t sleep so well. They sit at the clinic deep in veterinary reading material, talking with experts in the field. Worrying themselves something awful. You know why? They’re worried about your horse. They’re concerned about a sick horse that they are trying incredibly hard to fix, and Mother Nature is thwarting their every effort. This is who you want researching vaccine technology, managing your horse’s vaccine supply chain, helping you pick the best time and combination, and being there on that rare occasion something goes wrong with a vaccine. Speaking of going wrong, did you know the vaccine companies will pay for treatment if your horse gets a disease your veterinarian vaccinated for? They don’t do that if you buy them elsewhere because they know that vaccine is likely to have been handled incorrectly and compromised along the way.

You know what else your veterinarian will do that the box store won’t do? Keep you on schedule with your vaccines. Everyone has good intentions about vaccinating every six months, but how many times has it really been more like 9 months? A year? More? Trust me, across the local horse spectrum, horses are needlessly put at risk with good intentions a LOT. My docs have a team of people who work every day to keep all of your horses current on vaccines. It’s a good team to have in your corner.

Invest in your Veterinarian

It’s 10pm, it’s still hot outside, the humidity is 1,000%, the mosquitos are biting, and your horse is sick. Having a great relationship with your veterinarian ensures you have one available to answer the phone when you call. That’s a harsh statement from this wise cat. Equine veterinarians are in trouble. Mounting student debt loads, and changing lifestyles mean there are fewer, and fewer, and fewer equine veterinarians entering the field. Don’t even get me started with how many are leaving every.single.day. It’s terrifying.

Making sure you have a relationship with a veterinarian for the routine care of your horse is the best way to keep a veterinarian available for all those emergencies. And you know horses have a lot of them. They are the most suicidal animals on the planet except for love bugs.

It’s also a really good idea for your veterinarian to have a good history of you, your farm, your horse’s lifestyle, and all the other things that factor into the health of your horse. That all happens during routine care appointments. My Docs also find all kinds of minor things that can be dealt with quickly and easily during routine appointments. That saves you money, and prevents needless suffering for your horse.

I have this conversation all the time as people scratch my chin, or give me a pet on the front porch. Vaccines are incredibly important. They are the basis of good healthcare for your horse. Don’t take chances with them. Call my Docs.

Until next week,
Tony

P.S. If you want to get into the science of vaccines and really fill your head full of knowledge, check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyVbduPeqnA&t=7s from one of our Vaccine Seminars. As you’ll find out, the more you know about the things we vaccinate for, the more eager you’ll be to stay on top of things!

While I was doing my weekend reading, I came across an article about clipping horses. We usually talk about full body clipping and when it’s time to clip, how to clip, and what parts to clip.  However, this time I wanted to talk to you about how clipping might affect your horse, and the pros and cons of clipping.

 Whiskers

Did you know that in some countries in Europe it is actually illegal to clip your horse’s muzzle? Personally, I think it should be illegal everywhere. I cannot imagine getting around without my whiskers. They help me so much when I am out exploring in dark places. They keep me from bumping into walls at night and they help me judge distances.  If you have ever been to the clinic, you have probably met Teenie Cat, my boss. Teenie is completely blind, she relies solely on her whiskers to get around the clinic.

 Your horse’s whiskers serve a similar purpose to cat whiskers. Your horse’s whiskers on his muzzle and around his eyes allow him to recognize space and judge distance. They also help him to find every single piece of grain he may drop. If you’ve ever watched a horse drink water you may have noticed that the first thing to touch the water is their whiskers. This is so they know exactly how deep they need to submerge their mouths to drink.  Whiskers help your horse distinguish a blade of grass from a leaf. They allow them to explore new surroundings and familiarize themselves with potential hazards.

 If I have learned anything during in my time here at the clinic, it is that horses like to injure their eyes, A LOT! And they have whiskers that surround their eyes, yet they somehow still manage to injure themselves.  Can you imagine if they didn’t have those whiskers? I don’t even want to think about the damage they could cause. 

 Now imagine trimming or clipping your horse’s whiskers, then taking him to a new place and expecting him not to get injured.  That is just a recipe for disaster.  I can understand why it has become illegal in some places.  You want your horse to eat and drink normally but then you clip off his whiskers and expect him to find his feed and water as usual.  That would be like my minions clipping my whiskers and expecting me to navigate my surroundings as usual. I’d be running into walls, misjudging my steps, and not noticing things in the grass that could poke me in the eye.  So, maybe don’t take your horse’s whiskers away either.  I promise you, no judge can tell your horse isn’t freshly shaved.

 Ears

Boy oh boy, do we see a plethora of ear problems this time of year.  Those bugs just wreak havoc on your poor horse’s ears. Hopefully, you are one of the lucky ones who has not had to deal with ear problems with your horse. If you have, you know what I’m talking about. Your once sweet, adorable, well-behaved horse suddenly won’t let you put his halter or bridle on. You’ve had your horse for years and this has never been a problem, so why now? Or maybe your horse’s ear is sitting sideways on his head and seems to be broken. Worse yet, you notice that your horse’s ear is swollen shut.

 The Florida summers and Florida bugs are ruthless. My docs have had several reports of ticks being found in horse’s ears. The gnats are even worse if your horse is allergic.  You may have noticed your horse scratching his ears like a dog or rubbing on a tree.  All this trauma to his ears can lead to the development of a hematoma, or abscess of his ears.  The only natural protection your horse’s ears have against the environment and bugs is the hair in their ears.  In my ever-so-humble opinion, you should not clip your horse’s ears. Maybe you don’t clip your horse’s ears, but you may still notice that they have itchy ears. Can you imagine how much worse the damage could be if you clipped away the ear hair and exposed the sensitive skin to the elements?

 Perhaps you feel you must clip your horse’s ears. Maybe the show you’re going to requires it, or maybe your horse has an injury. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself clipping your horse’s ears, remember that in doing so your horse become more vulnerable to bug irritation and environmental irritants.  Please provide protection for them in the form of a fly mask with ears attached or a fly bonnet while riding.  Around here, we also love the EquiShield product called IBH Salve.  A little dab of that in both ears and the bugs will stay away for days.  Believe you me, you do not want to deal with a horse who has an ear hematoma or abscess. Those things are nasty and take FOREVER to heal.  Save yourself the time and hassle of clipping all while protecting your horse’s ears from the outside world and just don’t do it. 

 Legs

Similar to your horse’s ears, your horse has natural protection on his legs in the form of hair.  Hair on your horse’s legs is going to protect them from trauma, from bugs, and from foliage with thorns or other chemicals that may sting your horse, like Stinging Nettle.  Some horses have long feathers on their lower legs which can also prove to be a challenge in Florida. The hot, humid, rainy weather is just a recipe for bacteria to proliferate in those long feathers.  This makes the debate of to clip or not to clip a little gray.

 For horses who spend the majority of their time outside, leaving a little extra on top is preferable. However, you may decide to clip your horses legs if your horse is in a situation where he is getting his legs washed often, is allowed ample time to dry and spends the most of his time stalled. A nice, tidy trim is never a wrong answer. Keeping long leg feathers trimmed nice and neatly will help allow your horse’s legs to dry and help prevent bacterial infections. 

 If your horse already has short hair, I recommend just trimming the long hairs around the coronary band and fetlock while leaving the remainder of the leg alone.  Every time you clip your horse’s legs you are risking micro trauma to the skin which can lead to further problems, such as cellulitis.  If you haven’t yet, go read my blog on cellulitis. It’s not a pretty thing. Clipping or not clipping your horse’s legs is up to you. Neither answer is right or wrong, it’s ultimately what’s best for your horse.

 Body

Body clipping could be a separate blog in and of itself, so we will touch on it lightly here, but keep an eye out for tips and tricks for body clipping in the near future.  By this time of year, your horse should be completely shed out and have a nice thin hair coat. If not, call my docs, and they will assess your horse and try to determine why he is not shedding completely. If your horse has not shed completely, I highly recommend a full body clip. It is way too hot this time of year to have a winter coat on. Yes, for the most part your horse’s coat acts as an insulator from the extreme heat, the sun, bugs, etc. However, too much coat is dangerous and puts your horse at risk for overheating. If your horse is having difficulty sweating, you may also want to consider getting some of that extra hair off. Reducing a thick hair coat will allow your horse to dissipate the heat easier and reduces the risk of overheating. A haircut to help with heat reduction does not have to be pretty, it just has to be functional.  Getting the hair off your horse’s neck, chest and underside alone can sometimes be enough and still allows them to have some coat present for protection. 

 No matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to clipping, I recommend you chat with my docs about what is best for your horse and the situation they are in before you clip them. Remember, clipping is not without its consequences, especially the whiskers, so think before you clip!

 Until next week,

~Tony 

P.S. You know, my humans have a great podcast where you can learn just about everything you ever wanted to know about your horse, and then some. Make sure to check it out here. They are also busy filiming this or that and interfering with my nap times, and you can find those videos on our YourTube page here. 

What is with the weather? We usually talk about weather in the winter when it’s getting cold and horses stop drinking water, but let’s talk about all kinds of weather and what kind of trouble we can expect your horse to get into, how to prevent it, and what to do if you find your horse in some trouble.  Personally, I am a warm weather cat, so this heat wave we have been going through has not been an issue for me. However, the rain, well, I am a cat and I do not like getting wet. Even as I sit here writing this, I am listening to the rain fall on the roof of the clinic, the power keeps flickering off, and the thunder is intense. Grrrrr.

Hurricanes

This time of year, the threat of hurricanes is real. We got lucky a few weeks ago and avoided a hit. However, it got me thinking: what side effects can hurricanes have on horses?  As you all know, horses colic at the drop of a hat. Look at them the wrong way, and the next thing you know they are throwing themselves on the ground. Hurricanes cause changes in barometric pressure, and changes in pressure can absolutely cause horses to get a little gassy. If you have ever had an episode of gas, you know just how painful it is. The good news is, if your horse has an episode of gas colic, it’s usually easily resolved with a visit from my docs for some fluids and electrolytes and a dose of banamine.

I talk about colic all the time, so if you are interested in learning more about colic, refer to one of my previous blogs by typing “colic” into the search bar at the top of the screen. After you finish this, of course. Right now, let’s talk about what other problems can arise with weather.

Wind

With hurricanes and storms comes wind. Wind alone is not all that dangerous. However, wind will knock limbs off a tree and bring flying debris about. The best course of action is to be prepared. Keep your trees trimmed, keep your yard free of debris, and secure all items that could potentially become projectiles. This includes lumber, jumps, piles of sheet metal and junk, et cetera. If the wind picks up something and your horse finds himself in a heap of trouble, the first thing for you to do is call my docs. They will instruct you on the next steps to take. The predicament your horse has found himself in will dictate the treatment. They may require some sutures, bandaging, or even hospitalization for treatment. If you are lucky, that’s all that will be required for treatment.

For those less fortunate, you may find your horse in a more serious situation. You could find a tree down in your pasture. Even worse, you could find your horse stuck under that tree. If that happens, you may need to call 911. Emergency rescue crews have the equipment and training to safely extricate your horse from a tree (or any other situation), with the help of one of my docs to administer drugs and treat any injuries. Don’t risk cutting a tree apart if there’s any risk of it falling on your horse. Let the professionals handle that. The same goes for horses who are impaled by something. Never, ever try to remove something that’s stuck in your horse, as it could cause them to bleed to death.

Heat

Extreme heat can also have a serious impact on your horse’s health and wellbeing. On days like the past few days where the heat index has been over 100 degrees, I find myself thankful to be able to take my afternoon naps in the comfort of the air-conditioned clinic. Unfortunately, air-conditioned barns are extremely rare which means your horse is exposed to the extreme heat constantly with little relief. Having a lot of shade trees or shade structures can certainly help your horse deal with the heat better. Similarly, fans are always recommended if your horse is going to be in his stall during the day, although, avoid box fans as they are a fire risk. Make sure your fan is rated for outdoor use and clean the dust and cobwebs off of them regularly to keep maximum airflow. Misting systems are also a great idea that can help to keep your horse cool.

How would you know if your horse is overheated? The signs of an overheated horse include, rapid heart rate and respiratory rate, an elevated temperature, muscle tremors, decrease in sweat production, and dark pink to red mucous membranes.

If you suspect your horse may be overheated, what do you do? First, you take his temperature. Second, you start cold hosing him while you pick up your phone and call my docs.  An overheated horse is an emergency and needs to be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

High heat combined with high humidity can also put your horse at risk for developing anhidrosis. If you notice your horse who is usually drenched in sweat just isn’t sweating as much as usual or maybe standing around huffing and puffing like he’s going to blow the barn down, he may be showing signs of early anhidrosis. Anhidrosis occurs when your horse stops sweating and can’t dissipate heat from their body. While there is no magic cure, there are treatments for non-sweating including preloading electrolytes, acupuncture therapy, and Chinese herbs. If you think your horse might be starting to sweat less call us and talk to my docs about what can be done to prevent a full shutdown.

When it is as hot as it as it has been and the humidity is as thick as pea soup, I recommend staying inside all day, but I am a cat, I can do that. You probably want to enjoy your horse. So, if you are going to do things like exercise your horse please remember to do it early in the morning or later in the evening. You can even rinse your horse off prior to exercise to cool them down.

Another consideration with this heat is trailering. I have done my fair share of “CAT” scans on trailers here at the clinic and let me tell you, those metal boxes get HOT! Ideally, you would avoid shipping your horse during the heat of the day, but I realize that cannot always be done. If you have to ship your horse during the day, please open all the windows and vents in your trailer. Stop often on longer trips to offer your horse water and check to make sure he is still comfortable. I recommend carrying an extra bucket or jug of water with you in case of emergencies, and always have the number to my clinic handy in case you have any questions or concerns while shipping your horse.

Cold

As you all know, I HATE the cold. When it starts to cool down, we see a rise in colics here at the clinic. Horses are just silly animals: when it cools down, they stop drinking. When they stop drinking, their risk for colic increases. Ask any cat, wet food is the best food. Same is true for horses: it is never a wrong answer to feed your horse soaked grain and hay. It not only helps get more water into your horse, but it also helps prevent choke. So, when the temperatures drop, add water. You can also add plain old table salt to their feed. This will encourage them to drink more.

Cold weather can also allow other underlying issues to arise. You may notice that your horse is a little stiff on colder mornings. Just like you or I, when it is cold out, it may be difficult for your horse to get out bed in the morning, especially if he has some arthritis. There are a few things you can do to help your horse. Talk to my docs about daily anti-inflammatories and exercise routines to help keep your horse limber when days and nights get cold.  You all know I am not a big fan of joint supplements. We like research, and most of them do not have research behind them so, unless you want to pay to make your horses poop very expensive, talk to my docs first about what is best for your horse and his current needs.

When we talk about changes in weather we typically think of colic as the first major complication with horses, and to be fair, it is. However, there are numerous other situations and problems that can arise when the weather shifts. Be sure to talk with my docs about any questions you have the next time they’re out for vaccines or a dental!

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. I have a lot of blog posts. Like, hundreds. If you want to learn more about being a good human (i.e. a good horse mom or dad), click on Tuesdays with Tony to scroll through my previous musings. You can search for any particular topic by clicking on the magnifying glass and typing a word into the search bar. Go ahead, try it.