Equine

If your horse is showing signs of colic, this is an emergency situation. Please call your vet asap.

Possible signs:

• Dull/not interacting with surroundings/slow
• reduced appetite
• Flehmen (upper lip pulled up)
• Excessive yawning
• Flank watching
• Standing in an abnormal position
• Pawing
• Sweating
• Kicking towards the abdomen
• Lying down and getting up again repeatedly
• Rolling
• Laying in an abnormal position
• Distended abdomen

Do’s and don’ts:

• Don’t stand beside the horse for safety reasons, stand in front of the horse.
• Do check your horse’s heartrate (28-40/minute) and gums (should be salmon pink), then call your vet immediately.
• Do prepare some buckets of water for the vet and check your horse’s heartrate and gums every 15-30 minutes.
• Don’t let your horse eat.
• Do check if there have been any fresh faeces and keep count of new droppings.
• Do pay attention to whether your horse is passing gas (flatulence).
• Do walk your horse in a safe space, but don’t force or exhaust your horse, just 10 minutes at a time to keep him/her from going down and rolling. If it’s not possible to lead your horse safely, then let your horse roam free in a safe space (mind fences!).
• In case of an oesophagus obstruction: do apply light massage of the affected area if possible.

If your horse is showing signs of laminitis, this is an emergency situation. Please call your vet asap.

Possible signs:

• Unwilling to walk
• Rocked back stance
• Sweating
• Flehmen (upper lip pulled up)
• Excessive yawning
• Increased digital pulses
• Feet warmer than usual
• Doesn’t want to pick up either (front) foot
• Increased heart rate (normal 28-40/minute)

Do’s and don’ts:

• Don’t move your horse!
• If your horse is laying down, don’t make it stand up.
• Don’t let your horse eat (no grass either) but bring it water.

If your horse is tying up, call your vet.

Possible signs:

• Sweating
• Abnormal posture
• Flehmen (upper lip pulled up)
• Stiff gait or posture
• Tremors
• Abnormal walk
• Not wanting to move
• Sudden extreme bouts of restlessness / nervousness
• Pawing
• Lying down
• Poor performance
• Urinating orange or red urine

Please note that there are different degrees of tying up, so it can show differently. It might happen during exercise (suddenly your horse doesn’t want to go as much or at all anymore), it can happen just after exercise or it can happen insidiously. If you are not sure whether your horse is tying up, please contact us so we can help you out.

Do’s and don’ts:

• DON’T MOVE YOUR HORSE!
• Do keep your horse warm enough (rug if necessary, protect from cold draft or wind).
• Don’t feed your horse but bring it water.

The eye is a very sensitive structure. The cornea is very thin and can deteriorate quite quickly if not treated properly and promptly if damaged. If your horse is experiencing a bout of uveitis, this can have lasting effects on eyesight. If your horse has any issues with its eye(s), please call your vet immediately.

Possible signs:

• Swollen eyelids
• Excessive tear flow
• Closed eye
• Colouration of the cornea

Keep in mind that if issues evolve in both eyes, it can be harder to notice subtle changes because there’s no comparison to a normal eye.

Contact your vet for anything would related, whether this be an acute situation, or an older wound. They can assess the wound and provide first aid, sutures, bandaging, drains, and pain management to ensure the best results.