About Tying-Up in Horses - Learn about the common symptoms, management and treatment of Tying-Up in horses. Read More... (Added: 2-Dec-2000 Hits: 972 Rating: 8.12 Votes: 8) Rate It
Alarming Disorder : Pemphigus folliaceus - Pemphigus folliaceus is an autoimmune disease that causes open sores to
form on the skin.
Pemphigus folliaceus is as weird a disease as it sounds. It's also ironic because the
immune system which is supposed to protect horses from diseases is the main cause of
PF, which is an autoimmune disease. Read More... (Added: 20-Jul-2000 Hits: 1157 Rating: 7.15 Votes: 7) Rate It
Common Skin Tumors of the Horse - Several skin masses of the horse may have a similar gross appearance but may vary
widely in their cause and behavior. These masses may occasionally be neoplastic and
further diagnostic procedures should be considered. Strictly speaking, the word tumor
refers to a swelling that could result from a wide range of inciting causes. Today, the
term tumor is usually applied to neoplastic masses that may cause swellings on the
body. Neoplasia is generally defined as an abnormal mass of tissue that continues to
grow and is unresponsive to the regulatory influences that control normal cell growth.
Three of these common skin tumors of horses are reviewed in this month's article for
your consideration. Read More... (Added: 2-Jul-2000 Hits: 1453 Rating: 9.60 Votes: 10) Rate It
Coughing Up Hay - If your horse is coughing or choking, a visit by the vet may be in order.
Coughing and choking are always something to be concerned about. The best thing to do
is to have the horse examined by a veterinarian to find the cause. The first area to examine
is the respiratory system (lungs, trachea and pharynx). Coughing can be caused by
upper-respiratory (trachea and pharynx) irritation from dust or dirt that is inhaled through
the nose. When a horse begins to breathe hard, dust or dirt that may be in the nose is
sucked back into the pharynx and trachea, causing a cough. This cough is usually minor
and only happens at the beginning of a ride. Upper and lower respiratory infections can
also cause coughing. The infection can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi, and can
become serious if not treated quickly. Fortunately, most coughs are caused by irritation
from dust and dirt, and not by an infection. Read More... (Added: 20-Jul-2000 Hits: 861 Rating: 6.67 Votes: 6) Rate It
EPM (Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis) - An excerpt from the book, "Equine Lameness" by Drs. Christine King and Richard Mansmann. Discusses the cause, signs, and diagnosis of EPM in clear language for the average horse person. Read More... (Added: 15-Jan-2001 Hits: 1007 Rating: 10.00 Votes: 6) Rate It
EPM Treatment - Combating this neurologically damaging disease. - Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis is an elaborate name that describes a disease caused
by a protozoa creating inflammation within the brain and spinal cord (myeloencephalitis).
The name of the protozoa is [ital]Sarcocytis neurona[/ital]. We are unsure of how horses
get this protozoa in them, but once inside the horse the protozoa begin to multiply. Once
the protozoa is in the horse it hasn't been shown to be contagious to other horses. It's the
offspring, or merozoites of the protozoa, that cause the neurological damage. The
merozoites migrate to nervous tissue and begin to divide and grow. The nervous tissue
then reacts to the presence of the merozoites and becomes inflamed. If the inflammation is
severe enough, some tissue may die Read More... (Added: 20-Jul-2000 Hits: 560 Rating: 9.00 Votes: 2) Rate It
Esophageal Obstruction - Most esophageal disorders in foals and horses are obstructive and are usually due to
an intraluminal feed impaction. The predominant sign in horses with esophageal
disorders is a difficulty in swallowing, or dysphagia. The characteristics of dysphagia
include frequent ineffectual attempts to swallow, stretching of the neck, attempts to retch,
salivation, nasal regurgitation of feed mixed with white foamy saliva and coughing and
blowing the feed and saliva mixture out the mouth and nose. Read More... (Added: 1-Jul-2000 Hits: 641 Rating: 10.00 Votes: 3) Rate It
Foot and Mouth Disease - Editor's Note: This is a discussion with Dr. Jessica Jahiel about the transmission of foot and mouth disease and how it relates to horses. Read More... (Added: 12-May-2002 Hits: 448 Rating: 8.00 Votes: 1) Rate It
Inflammation of the Air Passages - An excerpt from the book, "Illustrated Veterinary Encyclopedia for Horsemen" published by Equine Research, Inc. Learn about all the different problems that can cause airway inflammation, in a unique question-and-answer format that is very easy to read and understand. Read More... (Added: 15-Jan-2001 Hits: 631 Rating: 8.33 Votes: 3) Rate It
Laminitis - Learn about laminitis (founder), warning signs, symptoms, plus links to sites where you can learn more. Read More... (Added: 16-Apr-2001 Hits: 1327 Rating: 8.43 Votes: 7) Rate It
Potomac Horse Fever - Depression, decreased appetite and fever are the early signs of this virus. The disease is caused by a rickettsia organism called Ehrlichia risticii. A
rickettsia is a germ that is evolutionally between a big bacteria and a little virus. It causes
inflammation in the large colon and cecum (large intestine), resulting in diarrhea. Horses
show varying symptoms, depending on the severity of the infection. In the beginning, signs
include depression, decreased appetite and fever. Diarrhea usually occurs and can range
from soft manure (cow patty consistency) to watery diarrhea. Horses with severe
diarrhea may become very dehydrated, develop laminitis (founder) or absorb toxins from
their intestines (endotoxemia), which is what makes this disease deadly. Read More... (Added: 20-Jul-2000 Hits: 788 Rating: 7.25 Votes: 4) Rate It
Rabies - Rabies is a rare disease in horses, but they are highly susceptible to infection if
exposed. The most common method of transmission is from certain wild animals, in the
United States - skunks, raccoons, foxes and bats are the most commonly infected wild
animals. Bats that have been tested for rabies virus in Washington and Idaho have
commonly tested positive for the disease. Domestic dogs and cats can transmit the
disease to horses as well. Read More... (Added: 4-Jul-2000 Hits: 474 Rating: 4.00 Votes: 1) Rate It
Sarcoids - Equine sarcoids are the most frequently seen equine tumor. They are a locally
aggressive, benign (non-cancerous) fribroblastic tumor of the dermis and epidermis
(skin). Any horse is susceptible to sarcoid development as there is no connection with
breed, sex, or coat color. It is most common to see them in middle-aged horses, but a
horse of any age can be affected. Areas most frequently involved include the skin of the
head (eyelids, ears, and mouth), tailhead, legs, and ventral trunk or any sites that have
been previously traumatized. Read More... (Added: 1-Jul-2000 Hits: 1138 Rating: 6.75 Votes: 8) Rate It
Straight Talk About Strangles - As a horse owner or potential horse owner, it is important for you to understand the
equine disease called strangles. Caused by the organism Streptococcus equi, it is a
very contagious disease that can easily take over a farm if proper precautions are not
taken. With proper management techniques, however, an outbreak of strangles can be
reasonably controlled, minimizing the effects of the disease on any other horses. Read More... (Added: 2-Jul-2000 Hits: 1309 Rating: 9.27 Votes: 19) Rate It
Today's Horse - The Relationship Between Armadillos and EPM - The armadillo is an intermediate host for Sarcocystis neurona, the parasite that causes EPM in horses. The first evidence that the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is a host was reported by a team of University of Florida and Washington State University researchers. Read More... (Added: 13-Oct-2002 Hits: 299 Rating: 8.00 Votes: 1) Rate It
Types of Bone Spavins - Let me backtrack a little bit here. "Spavin" is just a word that's used to describe just about any bump or lump on the hock (with the exception of a cap, obviously). There are different terms for different types of spavin. The term used to describe a particular spavin will depend on exactly where the spavin is on the hock - and also on what caused it. Read More... (Added: 13-Oct-2002 Hits: 627 Rating: 7.00 Votes: 1) Rate It
