Large Animal Symptoms
Equine Symptoms:
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Changes in Weight
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Any sudden weight change in your horse can be concerning. Abnormal weight loss could indicate things like worms, teeth problems, or poor quality feed. Your veterinarian can help with all of these situations. Weight gain can be a problem as well because it can lead to laminitis (founder), and can indicate a systemic concern, such as PPID (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction, more commonly known as cushing’s disease). With a proper diagnoses we can treat PPID with medication, and a good diet and exercise program. Talk to your vet if your horse seems to be overweight, especially if you also notice other symptoms such as low energy, or a dry, rough hair coat.
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Changes in Hair Coat
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Your horse’s hair coat can tell you a lot about their health. It should shed out nicely and evenly in the spring, leaving them with a smooth, shiny summer coat. If you notice a change in the way your horse shed’s from previous years, talk to your vet as this could be an indicator of PPID. A dry, rough hair coat can also indicate a high worm burden, or poor quality feed. We can talk with you about deworming protocols, and consult with you about your horse’s nutrition. We work with Central Feed Testing in Manitoba, for more information on this, you will find a link from our resources page.
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Changes in Eating/Drinking
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Any time you notice a change in eating or drinking in any animal this is a good indicator to book an appointment with your vet. There are many potential reasons this may occur. It may just be that your horse is due to get its teeth floated, or it may be something more serious. We can check some blood work to start getting a picture of what might be going on with your horse internally to see if there may be a concern.
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Diarrhea
- While horses may have occasional diarrhea due to things like stress or feed changes, if your horse has persistent diarrhea for more than a couple of days, they may need veterinary intervention. There may be a more serious issue going on, and there is potential for dehydration. It is especially important to call your vet if you notice other symptoms along with the diarrhea, such as lethargy, or poor appetite.
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Changes in Urinating
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It can be difficult to notice urinary changes in our horses, especially if they have 24 hour pasture turnout, but an increase or decrease in urine output can be a serious problem. It can indicate a problem with the kidneys, or a build up of bladder stones. Please talk to your veterinarian if you notice a difference in the way your horse urinates, they may be going more frequently, less often, or in smaller amounts. Watch their stance while urinating too, you may notice signs that they are uncomfortable. Also watch for a change in the urine’s colour.
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Difficulty Chewing/Dropping Food
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This would be the number 1 sign that your horse is due for a dental float.
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Coughing
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A horse may cough naturally due to dry, dusty feed or environment, but if your horse’s cough seems persistent, and you see no obvious reason for it, it’s probably time to consult with your vet. Watch for any other signs of illness, such as fever, lethargy, nasal discharge, or poor appetite. Try to notice if there is a pattern to when your horse coughs as well, ie, is it only during exercise? while they are eating? Your veterinarian will take your horse’s complete history to help determine what is causing the cough, and implement the appropriate treatment.
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Lameness
- It is not uncommon for horses to become lame on one leg or another from time to time. Often they recover with a little rest, cold hosing, ect. and do not need veterinary intervention. However, if you notice a recurring lameness, or one that does not resolve on its own, your vet can help determine what is going on and provide treatment. Make sure to note any other signs as well, such as heat or swelling, wounds, if they are lame on a specific leg, or do they seem to generally move differently. These are all important factors that will help us determine the problem. Your vet can use tools like nerve blocks to determine the location that is causing pain, ultrasound to check the tendon structure, and x-ray to check bone structure, and can offer some insights to soft tissue injury as well.
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Kicking/Biting at Abdomen
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This is usually a sign of abdominal pain (colic), which can be caused by a variety of issues such as a buildup of gas, blockage from feed, or severe intestinal worms. Watch for other signs of discomfort such as pawing or rolling. Monitor your horse’s water intake as dehydration can be a big factor here. Avoid sudden changes in feed, and feed grain in small meals. Regardless of the cause, please call your vet if your horse is exhibiting signs of abdominal pain.
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Training Difficulties
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Many horse owners make the mistake of thinking a training problem is simply a horse being stubborn, but often there is another reason. It is important to have a vet check over your horse before and during a training program to make sure they are healthy. Prevention is the key to success, if there is an underlying health issue before you start training, it may worsen and a horse that is in pain can put both you and themselves in harm’s way.
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Change in Behaviour
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Any sudden or odd change in behaviour could be due to a health concern. Please talk to your vet if you notice this to rule out health issues first, before proceeding with training for the behaviour. An experience equine vet will also be familiar with equine behaviour training, so together we can come up with an appropriate plan, regardless of the cause.
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