Thrush in Horses

The old quote “No foot, no horse” pretty much sums up the importance of the horse’s foot.  They are the foundation of any animal and care must be taken to reduce problems.  Each foot supports weight, resists wear, absorbs shock, provides traction, conducts moisture and helps pump blood.         
There are several foot problems that occur in horses such as thrush, white line disease, sole bruises, corns, abscess, sand cracks, navicular disease and laminitis.  This article will discuss thrush.

Thrush is the most common infection in horse’s hooves.  It is caused by anaerobic bacteria that affects the frog.  It is characterized by a black, foul smelling infection that eats away at either side of the frog.  If untreated, it can damage tissue and cause lameness.  It is similar to foot rot in ruminants but is not contagious.  Thrush usually occurs from unsanitary or wet conditions.

Diagram from Functional Anatomy of the Horse Foot from the University of Missouri Extension by Robert C. McClure with the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The best control for thrush is clean and dry hooves.  Good hoof cleaning (daily) and eliminating a wet environment for the horse are keys to preventing thrush.  Clean and remove manure from stalls and run-in sheds frequently.  If horses are in a pasture, make sure they are able to get out of the wet areas of the field. 

Click here to see steps to cleaning your horse’s hooves from eXtension’s Horse Page. 

Click here to see how to diagnosis and treat thrush from North Carolina State University Vet School.

Here is a video from Horse.com by Dr. Morrison about thrush in horses.

  

The use of this video does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. 

Early Ultrasound Pregnancy Examination Is Critical to Sound Breeding Program

       After a mare is bred, waiting to determine if the mare returns to heat before having her examined for pregnancy may appear to be a way to save money by avoiding "needless" pregnancy evaluations, but may ultimately result in greater costs. The use of ultrasound enables us to diagnose pregnancy at an early stage, 12 to 14 days after ovulation. Ovulation usually occurs approximately one day before the mare goes out of heat. The advantages of early pregnancy diagnosis are numerous, whereas the disadvantages are negligible. In this article the principle reasons why early pregnancy examinations are so important to a well-managed breeding program will be discussed.

By knowing that a mare is not pregnant before the time she is due to come back into heat, plans can be made to prepare for another breeding. Although the length of time a mare is in estrus or "heat" varies somewhat between mares and according to the time of the year, the length of time a mare is out of heat is fairly consistent, approximately 15 days. By checking a mare for pregnancy two weeks after she goes out of heat, if she is not pregnant, plans can be made to either take her back to the stallion for rebreeding or prepare for another shipment of semen for artificial insemination. This time frame allows for arrangements to be made before she comes back into heat, thereby providing ample time so that the next cycle is not missed and valuable time is not lost. This advanced warning is also helpful to the manager of the stallion who may need to work the mare into the breeding schedule. If pregnancy examination is delayed until 18 or 21 days after breeding, the mare may be too close to ovulation (or even just past ovulation) for rebreeding during that cycle.

Because the length of time between heats is fairly consistent, if a mare is showing strong signs of heat at the time of pregnancy examination 12 to 14 days after the last breeding, it is an indication of some problem causing her to "short cycle." Short cycling, or coming back into heat before expected, may result from a uterine infection. Uterine infections cause the release of a hormone, prostaglandin, that results in a mare returning to estrus. This will result in her having a shorter than normal interval between estrus periods. Mares that come back into heat before they are due should be examined for abnormal conditions of the reproductive tract, including poor conformation, urine pooling, and endometritis, which could be responsible for the abbreviated diestrus. Likewise, examination for pregnancy in late diestrus may reveal fluid in the uterus, another abnormal condition that should be further evaluated.

Article provided by Louisiana State University Equine Veterinary Research Program; 

Early Ultrasound Pregnancy Examination Is Critical to Sound Breeding Program

Written by: Dale Paccamonti, DVM, MS  Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists, Associate Professor of Theriogenology 

View the entire article at http://evrp.lsu.edu/06pregus.htm

Dental Health Important for Equines

Suffering in Silence.  It’s what many horses do when they have dental problems.  Even though they cannot tell us in words that they are hurting, they can tell us with actions.  As a responsible horse owner, it is up to you to know your animal well enough to tell when something is amiss.  Most equine specialists recommend that equines have a complete dental check-up once a year, every year.  However, if you notice any of the following signs, have them checked as soon as possible.

·      Changes in appetite

·      Taking longer to eat

·      Very slow chewing

·      Lacerations to the cheek, tongue or lips

·      Swelling of the mouth area

·      Unusually bad breath

·      Holding head at an odd angle when eating

·      Only using one side of the mouth when chewing

·      Noticeably large, un-chewed food particles in stools

·      Excessive drooling

·      Bleeding from the oral cavity

·      Missing or loose teeth

·      Foul smelling discharge from one side of the nose

Dr. Jenifer Nadeau, Equine Extension Specialist at the University of Connecticut, suggests that dental exams be performed at the following times in a horses life:

Age of Horse	Frequency of Dental Exams
Birth – 18 months	At least once a year
18 – 52 months	Twice a year
4 – 18 years	Once a year
18 years and older	Frequent dental exams to keep mouths healthy and to determine when a geriatric diet may be needed.

Proper dental care allows our horses to live longer, healthier lives and maintain their body condition.  For questions about equine dentals, or for more information contact your local equestrian veterinarian or extension agent.