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Pony:  Most frequent diseases.   Vet Dr. Tiger gives information and advice.

One of the most feared incidents that may occur with the       solipeds horse, pony and donkey are injuries of the legs and       trouble with the very complicated mechanism of the hooves       with tendons, tendon sheaths and bones. 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 ponys and horses.

Disease	Causes	Symptoms	Visit veterinarian?
Affection of the airway and the lungs	Infections, allergies	Nasal discharge, cough, shortness of breath, weakness, fever, lack of appetite	Consult vet, vaccination against equine influenza (Skalma) possible, basic immunization 2 xi at intervals of 21 days, annual booster
Diarrhoeal	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, lack of appetite, pawing with the forelegs, laying down, rolling on the floor, kickinag at the abdomen	Emergency! Consult vet
Injuries	Diverse causes	Injuries of the skin, of the musculature, 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 an 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

Ponys always need attention and it is important to take care of them: Care of the pelage and especially of the hooves, bandaging the legs, administering tea, treatment against parasitization, change in feed, giving 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 pony lover who may lose his faithful comrade maybe forever. It is just very important to remain calm and to proceed with utmost caution!

When to consult the veterinarian?

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