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.

During a rainy spell this past weekend I went down a rabbit hole, metaphorically of course. Usually I go for actual rabbit holes. I am a top line predator after all. However, my real life rabbit adventures are generally frowned upon by my staff. Anyway, about that rabbit hole. It involved saddles and saddle fit. Want the TLDR (too long didn’t read)? There’s a whole lot that goes into saddle fit!

Western or English

This is going to be short. There is basically no information on Western saddle fit. What there is, has been extrapolated from English saddle fit. Based on what I could find you should be aware of how the ends of the bars sit on your horse. It may be too narrow or too wide up front, and there may be more pressure on one side or the other. This could be due to defects in the human. Yep that’s right. You probably don’t ride straight. And don’t try to fix your saddle by just adding a thicker pad. Western or English, that’s never the right answer. It does seem, based on my limited feline understanding, that the design of Western saddles is more forgiving to horse anatomy. Take that with a big ol’ grain of salt, because this cat certainly isn’t getting saddled up for a ride with any kind of saddle.

Pinching, poking, constricting

These are not words you want associated with a saddle which you strap to your precious horse’s back, which you then climb upon, and then ask said horse to do stuff. It seems reasonable that a horse’s reaction to any of those things would be to remove the pinching, poking, or constricting thing as quickly as possible. This does sometimes happen, but more often those tolerant souls try their hardest to do what you humans ask while wearing ill-fitting tack. Anyway, how to check your saddle for fit. This is going to be the basic feline understanding of the process. I strongly recommend you find a saddle fit professional, and take a trip down your very own metaphorical rabbit hole, to get the best fit for you and your horse.

There are some things you can do to your saddle to see if a professional should be called ASAP. Start by holding your saddle with the cantle resting on your hip. Grab the front and crunch your saddle front to back. Much like me when one of the Docs asks me to get off the top of the truck, nothing should happen. Next put the saddle on your horse with the girth tightened. ProTip: you should not need your girth tight enough to cut your horse in half for your saddle to stay on. With the saddle on your horse, grab front and back, push it away, and pull it towards you. There should be some motion, but not a ton. Here’s a few more things that should cause a whole lot of nothing: while holding the front and back of the saddle push it away, and pull it towards you, try to twist the saddle, and push down. If anything dramatic happens, don’t ride in this saddle, call a saddle professional ASAP. For more nuanced saddle stuff, I recommend a good fitter. However, I have linked a pretty good article at the end of this blog that covers a whole lot of stuff.

The human element

For simplicity, I’m going to continue on from the point of your saddle fits your horse. That leaves us with you, the human. You humans have some issues. For one, you are very rarely symmetrical, which means you don’t sit in a saddle straight, which means it might just be you, and not your horse, or your saddle that are crooked. Crazy talk, I know. Have someone film you riding with lots of straight towards, and away shots. I promise you, you will develop a whole new appreciation for your crookedness. If in doubt that it’s you, have someone else ride your horse with your saddle. While the saddle may still slip, it will likely slip in different ways with this other crooked human. I won’t give you humans all the credit for crookedness. Sometimes it’s the horse, usually as a result of some crooked human. If in doubt, have one of my amazing Docs evaluate your horse. Not only can they identify potential problems, they have solutions. For you humans, I’m going to plug Centaur Rehab. Tonya Olsen is a master at helping humans figure out where they’re twisted and turned, and finding solutions. Ask any of my Docs about Tonya’s amazing skills. They’ve all ridden with her.

Extra bits

Don’t forget all those extra things you attach to a saddle. Girths being the most common, and most necessary. It seems horses are as picky about girths, as cats are about cat beds. There are a ton of options out there. If your horse isn’t happy when you’re girthing up, try another version. The most important thing about a girth is that it buckles straight to the billets. If there’s an angle, change your girth, or saddle location. That angle will cause the saddle to do bad things, and increase the pressure at the buckle, which your horse may object to. A breast plate is generally not necessary for a well-fitted saddle. However, in some situations they are necessary. If you use one, consider one that attaches to the pommel and the billets, to minimize pressure in any one location. Look for one with elastic inserts as well. This will put some give into the breast plate, and make it more comfortable for your horse.

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. This was an extensive rabbit hole. If you would like to follow me down it, I recommend starting at “Evaluating the suitability of an English saddle for a horse and rider combination,” authors
A. Bondi, S. Norton, L. Pearman, S. Dyson, and published in the August 2019 Equine Veterinary Education Journal. The Saddle Research Trust is also an excellent resource. Don’t want to read any of it? Check with any of my Docs for help sourcing a qualified saddle professional, and evaluating your horse.

This Florida cat knows better than to try to reason with hurricane season, and so should you. This week, there is talk of watching the tropics, so I decided to bring up an important component protecting your horse in times of natural disasters or other adverse events – microchip identification.

If you love your horse as much as most of the owners that come to my clinic, you want to do everything you can to protect him.  While there are things we can’t control about our horses’ health, providing a safe and reliable means of identifying them is sooo easy to do. A microchip is a solid way of proving ownership, not only in severe weather events where horses could go missing, but also in situations of theft or ownership disputes. In addition, many breed registries and show organizations require microchips nowadays.

What it is:

A microchip is a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice that is implanted into your horse’s neck, under his mane, with a needle. The chip contains a 15-digit numerical code that is unique to your horse. It’s like the VIN number your car has, but for your horse. The number can’t be changed and is a reliable way to identify a horse. Once it’s inserted, anyone with a microchip scanner can read the number and look up the registration information to find out how to contact the owner.

Why it’s useful:

Microchips are a better method of identification than lip tattoos or brands. Have you tried deciphering a thoroughbred’s lip tattoo? It can be a guessing game, especially as the horse gets older. Brands can also be difficult to read, and they’re not usually unique to individual horses. Also, both can be altered.  

Microchips are very common in dogs and cats, it’s often part of the routine healthcare performed when getting a new pet. There are many, many stories of lost or stolen pets being reunited with their families thanks to a chip, sometimes even years after going missing. While horses don’t wander off as often as we cats do, in the case of natural disasters or weather events, horses may have to be left outside and recovered after the danger has passed. They may end up a distance away from home. Rescuers attempting to reunite a displaced horse with its owner have quite a challenge. Think about how many bay geldings you know – I bet it’s a lot. But any horse with a microchip can be quickly and easily returned to its owner.

A microchip can be a great way of protecting your interests if you are buying or selling horses. A vet doing a pre-purchase exam on a horse can also make sure they have been presented with the correct horse to examine, protecting you as the buyer from potential fraud. On the other hand, when you sell a horse there is always some uncertainty about where your horse will wind up in the future. Equine rescue groups working with horses that have fallen on hard times can trace back the horse’s identification and potentially reunite them with a previous owner. Microchips can also be used to solve disputes about horse ownership. If you have a record of a horse’s microchip that lists you as the legal owner, you have a much stronger case to prove the horse is yours. Organizations such as the Equine Rescue Network are working to supply microchip scanners and volunteers to scan horses at auctions that may ship horses for slaughter. If the horse is microchipped, there is a chance the previous owner of a stolen or slaughter-bound horse may be able to be reached.

As if all those reasons weren’t enough, many major breed registries and show organizations now require horses be microchipped with the 15-digit International Organization of Standardization (ISO) chips for identification. These include, just to name a few, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the Jockey Club, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) and the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover.

How it’s done:

It’s really not a big deal to put it in. Really, it’s downright easy. I have one myself, and I didn’t even feel the need to bite the vet when she did it.

In horses, the microchip is implanted in the nuchal ligament on the left side of the neck, halfway between the poll and the withers, just below the base of the mane. My docs will do a sterile prep to make sure things are nice and clean, and then use a thingy that looks like a syringe and needle to put in the chip. It’s super quick and doesn’t take much longer than giving a vaccine. Depending on your horse’s personality, he may prefer a bit of sedation or some local anesthetic over the injection site. The chip is tiny and inert, so the vast majority of horses have no reaction to it, though a few might have a small swelling for a few days after insertion. The benefit of microchipping your horse definitely outweighs any risk.

After it’s in, my doc will wave a little hand-held scanner over your horse’s neck and make sure it reads the chip and then Presto! your horse is legit. Here’s a video of the insertion part of the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkwHe7t-VKY

My docs will make sure to use to use the approved ISO-compatible chips and record the number in your horse’s medical records. Then it’s up to you to register the code with your contact info and give the number to any breed registries or show organizations you belong to.

And what does this peace of mind cost? Hundreds? Thousands? Nope, it’s usually around $50 – $75 for the chip and the implantation, plus a little extra if your horse needs sedation or a farm call. Microchips usually last at least 25 years, so if that isn’t a good deal, I don’t know what is!

Here’s what it does:

• Provides permanent identification that can’t be separated from your horse or changed
• Helps recovery of your horse during a disaster
• Helps prevent theft and fraud
• Provides accurate identification for sales documentation
• Provides accuracy for competitions and breed registries (and is often required)

Here’s what it doesn’t do:

• It’s not a GPS tracker for your horse. You won’t be able to follow the chip to find his real-time location. (There are other devices that can do that though)
• The microchip itself stores only the horse’s identification number. Your contact info and info you enter about your horse is stored through the online registry when you register the chip. That’s why the registration after the chip is implanted is critical. Failing to register the chip, update your contact info, or transfer records basically renders the chip useless.
• There is no power supply (none is needed)
• Unlike in cats and dogs, microchips implanted in the nuchal ligament generally do not migrate away from the implantation site.
• Chips are not a fail-safe that your horse will never end up in a bad situation. Slaughterhouses and auctions don’t routinely scan horses for microchips. Though like I said, equine rescue organizations are working to make this more commonplace.

So, don’t wait until you are facing a situation where a chip could have helped you, because then it is too late. Microchip implantation is simple, safe, simple, and inexpensive. It’s an easy way to protect your horse that will last his entire life.

Until next week,

Tony

P.S. This is one part of disaster prep for your farm, but with hurricane season picking up, you might want to look over some of my other sage advice on this topic! You can click on the magnifying glass at the top of the page and type “hurricane prep” into the search bar and it will show you all my blogs on this topic. Tired of reading? Click here to listen to my doc’s podcast on emergency preparation. You might have to scroll down the list to find it, but I bet you’ll find some other ones you want to listen to, so it’s all good

As you all know, I like to keep up on all the interesting things my docs have been seeing out in the field and report back to you about them since, as a horse person you either have already experienced it or will likely experience it in the future. And let’s be honest, it is never a bad idea to learn more about the silly things horses like to do to themselves on a daily basis. The last few weeks, my docs have seen several cases of cellulitis. Don’t worry, I’ll explain what cellulitis is in a second, but from my understanding, cellulitis is one of those odd phenomena that horses develop usually at the most inopportune times, often without any explanation or reason.

 What is Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection that develops in the soft connective tissues beneath the horse’s skin.  It can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly occurs on limbs and more specifically, on hind limbs. Bacteria enter through a cut or laceration on the skin and spread quickly. Bacteria are such small little critters; they can weasel their way inside through a tiny little break in the skin. It could be so small that it was never even recognized even by the most diligent of owners.  I’m sure I would notice a small cut on my skin. I do have cat eyes, after all. Lucky for you all, I perform “CAT” scans on all of your horses when they come into the clinic and alert the docs to any areas of concern to help prevent any problems for your horse in the future.  That being said, it is very easy for small cuts to go unnoticed and allow bacteria to enter and infection to spread, thus resulting in cellulitis.

 Clinical Signs

Have you ever seen an elephant’s leg? Well, I have (I mean, we’ve all seen pictures, right?), and let me tell you, elephant legs are GINORMOUS! I know what you’re thinking: Tony, why are you talking about elephants? This is supposed to be a blog about horses. Bear with me, I want you all to picture what an elephant leg looks like. It’s huge, it is relatively straight, and it doesn’t have the nice contours that horse legs have. Imagine walking out to your horse one day, and you notice one of his legs looks like an elephant leg. That’s what a horse with cellulitis looks like.

 Cellulitis is not your typical stocking up of legs. Stocking up usually occurs in at least 2 if not 4 legs, whereas cellulitis is almost always localized to one leg. Horses with cellulitis are very painful, to the point that they will not put any weight on the affected limb. The limb will be hot to the touch, and even more painful. The skin will sometimes ooze and crack from all the swelling. You may notice that your horse becomes lethargic, he may run a fever, and may even decide he doesn’t want to eat. Man, cellulitis must be a pretty bad deal if a horse doesn’t want to eat! I know I have to be all out of sorts if I am going to miss a meal. 

 Diagnosis

If you suspect your horse might have cellulitis, the first thing you’re going to do is call my docs so they can come out and assess the problem. While acute cellulitis is not life-threatening, if left untreated it can quickly become a life-threatening situation and should always be treated as an urgent matter. Diagnosis may be made on physical examination alone, however, it is important to rule out other possibilities such as fractures. My docs may recommend radiographs or ultrasound to rule out other reasons your horse may be so uncomfortable.  Similarly, they will likely want to run bloodwork to assess white blood cell count as well as other organ function to determine the severity of infection. Once all the information has been gathered, a diagnosis is made.

 Treatment

Once a diagnosis has been made, treatment can begin. Treatment is targeted at treating the infection, controlling pain, and reducing swelling. Antibiotic therapy may include intravenous and/or intramuscular injections; however, oral antibiotics are usually the first course of treatment. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as bute or banamine are used to help control pain and reduce inflammation. I’ve said it before and I am going to say it again: dilution is the solution to pollution, meaning, water, lots of water. Cold hosing the affected limb is a vital part in treating cellulitis. It reduces inflammation and relieves pain. Controlled exercise, while it sounds horrible to me, is also an important aspect of treating cellulitis. My docs may also recommend bandaging this affected limb as well as the support limb to decrease swelling and increase circulation to promote healing. Occasionally, hospitalization is necessary, and surgery can be required. However, if recognized and treated early, at-home treatment for cellulitis can usually be successful.

 Complications

As with everything horse-related, cellulitis can’t just be simple and an easy fix. There are certain complications that can develop, especially if left untreated. The biggest complication (and one of major concern) is support-limb laminitis. This, as you all know, can be a big problem and can even be life-threatening. Support-limb laminitis occurs because the horse does not want to put any weight on the affected leg and is therefore bearing all his body weight on the other 3 limbs, and more specifically, a significant amount of weight is placed on the limb opposite the affected limb.

 Without being able to rest the other limbs appropriately, inflammation develops in the horse’s foot and can result in laminitis. Laminitis can lead to rotation and sinking of the coffin bone and can be extremely painful, not to mention, expensive to treat. Why horses evolved to walk around on 1 finger is beyond me and supports my belief that cats are the superior species.

 The swelling associated with cellulitis can also lead to sloughing of the skin on the affected leg. This opens up the limb to further infection, which can affect the deeper structures within the limb and require intensive, long term treatment including hospitalization, antibiotic therapy and daily bandage changes. All of this can end up being very costly for your horse. Unfortunately, these complications can occur despite everyone’s best effort to treat cellulitis quickly and effectively. 

 Prognosis

If recognized early, and treated promptly by my docs, cellulitis can resolve quickly and without complication, getting you back in the saddle in no time. However, as you can see, there are some very serious complications that can occur. Most horses can recover without secondary complications.

 It’s important to note that once one episode of cellulitis occurs, it does then make your horse more prone to cellulitis in the future. In some cases, horses will develop scar tissue in the affected limb resulting in a limb that is larger than the others. It is also possible for cellulitis to lead to lameness, which mean cellulitis can be career-ending for some horses. Strict management of horses who have had cellulitis in the past is imperative. These horses tend to do best with ample turnout, sometimes even 24/7 turnout. I sure wish my minions would allow me to have 24/7 turnout!

 Horses who have had cellulitis also benefit from a strict exercise program. Apparently, they need to move around a lot, including long warm-ups and long cool-downs. And as always, cold water therapy will help these guys in the long run. Thank goodness cats aren’t prone to cellulitis… exercise and cold water, no thank you!

 Moral of the story is, if you think your horse is developing cellulitis, call my docs immediately so they can get your horse on the right track to recovery.  Remember, it is always better to call and have my docs out for something small, before it becomes a bigger issue with further complications and a less-positive outcome.

 Until next week,

~Tony

 P.S. Remember, we are offering Spa Day at the clinic once a month. Our next one is Monday, July 27th. Call the clinic to get your horse signed up for an all-inclusive day of FES, acupuncture, and equine medical manipulation (chiropractic) treatments, and a relaxing bath in EquiShield CK shampoo. It’s a great way to treat your horse to something really nice!