EMERGENCY FIRST AID FOR HORSES

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EMERGENCY FIRST AID FOR HORSES

• Michelle Courtemanche, D.V.M.
• Ledgewood Equine Veterinary Clinic
• Ontario, N.Y.

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WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY?

• Colic
• Choke
• Down/ trapped horse
• Eye injury
• Severe lameness
• Laceration
• Respiratory distress

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GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Stay calm, assess the situation, obtain vital
  information and then call the vet

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FIRST AID KIT FOR BARNS AND TRAILERS

• Essentials
• Vets phone number
• Flashlight
• Thermometer
• Pliers, crowbar, hammer, wire cutters
• Iodine or chlorhexadine scrub and solution
• Cotton roll or gauze
• Leg wraps
• Knife or sharp scissors
• Towels

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FIRST AID KIT FOR BARNS AND TRAILERS

• Advanced
• Bandage material including sterile telfas, roll
  gauze, cotton wrap, vet wrap (reg. tm)
• Stethoscope
• PVC pipe
• Sterile saline
• Medications including NSAIDS (Bute, Banamine)
  and/or tranquilizers (Ace, Rompun)
• Ice packs, warm packs
• Clippers with 40 blades
• Easy boot (reg tm) or equivalent

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FIRST AID KIT FOR THE TRAIL

• Vets phone number and a cell phone
• Flashlight
• Pliers, wire cutters, knife or sharp scissors
• Gauze 4x4
• Leg wraps- leg cotton, vet wrap

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• Selected Emergency Situations

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• COLIC

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COLIC (ABDOMINAL PAIN)

• Mild
• off feed, occasional flank watching, decreased
  manure output, lying down quietly
• Moderate
• pawing, lying down and rolling, getting up/lying
  down, stretching to urinate, lip curling
• Severe
• vigorous pawing, lies down when trying to walk,
  difficulty in getting horse up

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COLIC FIRST AID

• Obtain TPR (Temperature, Pulse, Respiration)
• Call your Veterinarian
• If Banamine is available, can give for pain
  relief (after veterinary authorization)

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COLIC FIRST AID

• Hand walk to prevent rolling. If lying quietly,
  can leave horse as is
• Take away all feed
• Mild-moderate colics that have been given
  Banamine will beg for food. Resist their advances!

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• CHOKE

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CHOKE

• Food bolus lodged in esophagus- horse can still
  breathe.
• Signs
• Saliva, food material comes out of nostrils.
• Horse is distressed.
• Usually starts during or right after a meal.

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CHOKE FIRST AID

• Remove all feed and notify your vet.
• Most chokes resolve on their own.
• After 1 hour your vet should come out and flush
  the bolus through.

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• DOWN / TRAPPED HORSE

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DOWN / TRAPPED HORSE

• The definition of a down horse is one who cannot
  stand without assistance

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DOWN HORSE FIRST AID

• Do not get hurt!
• Get assistance from several adults.

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DOWN HORSE FIRST AID

• Try to determine why the horse is down
• is he colicky
• stuck (cast)
• unable to get up due to weakness or broken leg?

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DOWN HORSE FIRST AID

• If colicky, you should be able to get him to
  stand with some effort.

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DOWN HORSE FIRST AID

• If the horse is cast- use ropes on the front and
  back legs to roll him back over (make sure you
  have enough room to avoid the legs as they swing
  over and when he scrambles to get up).

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DOWN HORSE FIRST AID

• If weak, get a number of strong adults and
  stabilize the head and pull back on the tail when
  the horse tries to stand. Make sure the footing
  is good for you and the horse.

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DOWN HORSE FIRST AID

• Call the Veterinarian if unable to get horse up
  after a few attempts

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TRAPPED HORSE FIRST AID

• Do not get hurt!
• Get assistance from several adults.

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TRAPPED HORSE FIRST AID

• If a limb is stuck through bars, a wooden wall or
  wound up in wire, and if the horse is quiet, use
  due care and work quietly to free the horse.

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TRAPPED HORSE FIRST AID

• Do not get in the kick zones. If the horse is
  too excited to free him safely, call the
  veterinarian. The vet can sedate or anesthesize
  the horse to free him safely.

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TRAPPED HORSE FIRST AID

• Once free, let the horse get up and evaluate for
  wounds or lameness.

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• EYE INJURY

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EYE INJURY SIGNS

• Squinting, swollen or closed eye
• Tearing

Staining to check for a corneal ulcer
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EYE INJURY SIGNS

• Grey cornea

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EYE INJURY SIGNS

• Discoloured spot on the cornea or ulcer of the
  cornea

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EYE INJURY SIGNS

• Obvious trauma, lacerated eyelids etc.

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EYE INJURY FIRST AID

• Call veterinarian immediately

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EYE INJURY FIRST AID

• If there is evidence of a foreign body, flush
  with sterile saline
• Prevent rubbing of the eye
• Keep out of sunlight (painful)

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EYE INJURY FIRST AID

• Never put an eye ointment in the eye without
  talking to your vet first. Depending on the
  condition, some ointments can be harmful to the
  eye. Used ointments can be contaminated with
  fungus or bacteria.

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• SEVERE LAMENESS

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SEVERE LAMENESS

• Any lameness where a horse is unwilling to bear
  weight on a leg at the walk is potentially an
  emergency.

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SEVERE LAMENESS

• Could be
• Hoof abscess.
• Fracture.
• Penetrating injury to the hoof (nail etc.)
• Joint or tendon sheath infection

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SEVERE LAMENESS

• Hoof Abscess
• Can be VERY lame.
• Easily dealt with.

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SEVERE LAMENESS - FRACTURES

• Fractures
• Large swelling, dangling limb
• Or just severe lameness.

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SEVERE LAMENESS - FRACTURES

• Many horses can be saved with recent advances in
  surgery.

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SEVERE LAMENESS - FRACTURES

• Fractures of the long bones
• Very expensive to repair and take months to
  recuperate.

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SEVERE LAMENESS - FRACTURES

• Fractures, such as a coffin bone or a splint
  fracture may be inexpensive and not require
  surgery.

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SEVERE LAMENESS - FRACTURES

• Prognosis depends on
• the location of the fracture
• open or closed
• demeanor of the horse.

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SEVERE LAMENESS FRACTURE FIRST AID

• Keep the horse as quiet as possible, only walk if
  absolutely necessary and after some support

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SEVERE LAMENESS FRACTURE FIRST AID

• The lower limb- bandage with a standing wrap
  firmly. Then duct tape a splint to the bandage
  (PVC pipe, piece of wood)

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SEVERE LAMENESS FRACTURE FIRST AID

• The veterinarian will apply a cast, splint, or
  special bandage to the lower limb if transport is
  required.

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SEVERE LAMENESS HOOF INJURY

• Never remove a nail from a horses hoof without
  veterinary permission

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SEVERE LAMENESS HOOF INJURY FIRST AID

• Pick out horses hoof and look for foreign bodies
  in the sole and frog

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SEVERE LAMENESS HOOF INJURY FIRST AID

• If found, clean the hoof with antiseptic solution
  and bandage.
• The veterinarian will use X-rays to determine the
  location of the foreign body and if it is heading
  towards any critical structures.

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SEVERE LAMENESS JOINT/TENDON SHEATH INFECTION

• Signs
• History of a wound over a joint/sheath (or not)
• Swelling of the affected structure

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SEVERE LAMENESS JOINT/TENDON SHEATH INFECTION
FIRST AID

• Immediate veterinary care is needed.

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SEVERE LAMENESS JOINT/TENDON SHEATH INFECTION
FIRST AID

• Best if caught before infection sets in.
• If already infected aggressive medical and
  surgical treatment is required.

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Fluid into fetlock joint
Fluid out
Joint flush under general anesthesia
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• LACERATION

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LACERATION

• A cut all the way through the skin
• Large lacerations over the body may look
  terrible, but often heal well.

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LACERATION FIRST AID

• Depends on location.
• May or may not require suturing.

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LACERATION FIRST AID

• Your veterinarian should be consulted in all
  cases.
• Cleaning and bandaging may be all that is
  required.

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LACERATION FIRST AID

• While you are Waiting
• Do not put any ointments on it.
• Never use peroxide on wounds.
• Dont use Furacin on open wounds.

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• RESPIRATORY DISTRESS

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RESPIRATORY DISTRESS

• Signs
• Nostril flaring
• Deep, heavy breathing
• Rapid, shallow breaths
• Reluctance to move.

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CAUSES OF RESPIRATORY DISTRESS

• Allergy/ COPD
• Pain
• Pneumonia
• Pleuritis
• Thoracic trauma

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RESPIRATORY DISTRESS FIRST AID

• Do not force the horse to move or exert himself
• Call veterinarian immediately

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RESPIRATORY DISTRESS FIRST AID

• If allergic, remove any dusty feed or move horse
  from dusty environment
• Cover wound if present

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Thank You!