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Horse:  Most frequent diseases.   Vet Dr. Tigres gives information and advice.

With regard to the solipeds horse, pony and donkey, injuries       of the legs and the trouble with the very complicated coffin       mechanism of the hooves with tendons, tendon sheaths and       bones are very much feared. Many an animal had already to       be put to sleep because the vet could not see a chance for       recovery anymore. Besides that, colics and heavy abdominal       pains when changing the feed occur frequently.       On the table hereafter a summary of the most frequently       occuring diseases of horses and ponys.

Disease	Causes	Symptoms	Visit veterinarian?
Affection of the airway and the lung	Infections, allergies	Nasal discharge, cough, shortness of breath, weakness, fever, lack of appetite	Consult vet, vaccination against equine influenza (Skalma) possible, basic immunization 2 x at intervals of 21 days, annual booster
Diarrhoea	Parasites, infections, abrupt change in feed, tainted food	Watery to bloody diarrhoea, emaciation, shaggy coat, weariness	Consult vet, regular dehelminthization, high-quality food with a high proportion of crude fibre, slow change in feed
Colic (abdominal pain)	Gastro-intestinal diseases	Restlessness, sweating, pawing with the forelegs, laying down, rolling on the floor, kicking at the abdomen	Emergency case! Consult vet
Injuries	Diverse causes	Injuries of the skin, of the muscular system, the blood vessels, the bones, the articulations, the tendons	Disinfection with antiseptic agents in case of peeling skin wounds, in case of more serious wounds consult vet
Lameness	Diverse causes (hoof, bones, tendons, tendon sheaths)	Depending on location and type: minor lameness up to extreme lameness	Consult vet or blacksmith (especially in case of shoeing problems), regular shoeing, good care of hooves

Self-Medication

Horses always need attention and it is important to take good care of them: Care of the pelage and especially of the hooves, bandaging the legs, giving tea, treating against parasitization, change in feed, administering special food etc. Prevention is always better than cure. In case of insecurity, however, consult a vet at once.

Emergency situations

Immediate transportation to the animal hospital for emergency operation is in most cases the only alternative if a horse had an accident in road traffic or when harnessed to a carriage, while riding in the open grounds, or if accidents with barbed wire fences occur. These are very bad moments for the horse lover who may lose his faithful comrade maybe forever. Just remain calm and proceed with utmost caution!

When to consult the veterinarian?

Horses are big animals and as a rule it is easy to recognize immediately if the symptoms observed have a serious character. Sometimes the blacksmith is the right contact instead of a vet if for instance it is a matter of shoeing problems. It is always better to react too early than too late!