University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine

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University of Tennessee College of Veterinary
Medicine
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
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Big South Fork Saddle Club Horse Clinic

• Knowing and Caring for your Horse
• Dr. Jose R. Castro
• March 13, 2004

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Knowing your Horse
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Physical Exam

• More mistakes are made because of the things you
  do not see than because of thethings you do not
  know.

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Vital ParametersWhat is Normal?

• Temperature 99.5 to 101.5
• Heart Rate 30 42 bpm
• Respiratory Rate 12 20 bpm
• MM Pink
• CRT 2 sec

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Vital ParametersWhat is Normal?

• Gut Sounds
• Digital Pulses

LU Left upper RU Right Upper LL Left
Lower RL Right Lower
LF Left Front RF Right Front LR Left
Rear RR Right Rear
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Physical ExamWeight
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Physical ExamTemperature
Normal 99.5 100.5F
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Physical ExamHeart Rate
Normal 28 52 BPM
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Physical ExamRespiratory Rate
Normal 12 20 BPM
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Physical Exam Mucous Membranes
Dark red
Normal Pale/Pink
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Physical ExamCRT
(Normal 2 - 3 seconds)
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Skin Turgor/ MM/ CRT

• Normal
• Moist, pale/ pink
• 2 sec
• Decrease in circulation
• dry dark pink/ red
• 2-3 sec
• Shock, endotoxemia
• Dry, reddish blue to purple (cyanosis)

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Physical ExamPulse
Normal Strong
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Physical ExamGut Sounds
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Physical ExamDigital Pulses
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Caring for your Horse

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Caring for your Horse

• Boarding
• Feeding
• Farrier
• Health Care

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Caring for your Horse

• Health Care
• Routine Vet Checks!
• Grooming
• Vaccination
• Deworming
• Dental

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EquineVaccination Guidelines
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ABSOLUTE MINIMUM PROGRAM

• Tetanus toxoid vaccination given once a year

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BASIC VACCINATION PROTOCOL FOR HORSES gt 1 YEAR OLD
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Something to Remember

• 4-way vaccination contains influenza, EEE, WEE,
  and tetanus toxoid, but not rhinopneumonitis.
• This is an acceptable choice because
  rhinopneumonitis vaccines are reported to have
  low efficacy.
• Pregnant mares must be vaccinated against
  rhinopneumonitis at 5, 7, and 9 months of
  pregnancy.
•  

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OPTIONAL VACCINATIONS
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Influenza / Rhinopneumonitis

• Vaccinations may be given every 2 to 4 months to
  horses that are traveling, racing, or competing
  intensively.

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Potomac Horse Fever (PHF)

• Vaccines are not protective, but they may reduce
  the severity of the disease.
• Vaccinate 3 times a year during the warmer months
  (e.g. February, May, and August).

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Streptococcus equi (Strangles)

• Vaccines can be given to horses that are more
  likely to be exposed to the disease.
• Horses that travel to shows or are housed in
  large boarding stables are at greater risk of
  exposure.

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Streptococcus equi (Strangles)

• Vaccinate horses
• Routinely twice a year
• 2 - 4 weeks prior to exposure
• In the face of an outbreak, but before the
  disease develops.

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OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
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Foal from a mare that was vaccinated 15 to 45
days before foaling
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Foal from Vaccinated Mare

• No vaccinations until 5 months old
• At 5 months
• Encephalitis (EEE, WEE) / tetanus
• Rabies
• West Nile Virus
•  At 6 months
• Repeat the 5-month vaccinations

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Foal from Vaccinated Mare

• At 8 months
• Influenza (IN or IM)
• Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4)
• At 9 months
• Repeat the 8-month vaccinations
• Booster all vaccinations at 1 year of age

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Foal from mare that was not vaccinated 15
to 45 days before foaling
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Foal from Unvaccinated Mare

• Give tetanus antitoxin to foal shortly after
  birth.
• At 3 months
• Encephalitis (EEE, WEE) / tetanus toxoid
• Rabies
• West Nile Virus
•  At 4 months
• Repeat the 3-month vaccinations
•  

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Foal from Unvaccinated Mare

• At 8 months
• Influenza (IN or IM)
• Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4)
• At 9 months
• - Repeat the 8-month vaccinations
• Booster all vaccinations at 1 year of age

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EquineDewormingProgram

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(No Transcript)
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FOALS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OF AGE

•  
• 1 month Pyrantel pamoate at labeled dose (P)
• 2 months Ivermectin at labeled dose (I)
• 3 months P
• 4 months Ivermectin / praziquantel
• 5 months P
• 6 months I

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FOALS 6 TO 12 MONTHS OF AGE

• Option 1 continue with paste dewormers
• 7 months P
• 8 months Ivermectin / praziquantel
• 9 months P
• 10 months I
• 11 months P
• 12 months I / P 
• Option 2 begin pyrantel tartrate at 6 months of
  age

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DEWORMER ROTATION FOR ADULT HORSES

• JAN
• Year 1 Ivermectin
• Year 2 Pyrantel pamoate
• MAR
• Year 1 Moxidectin / praziquantel
• Year 2 Moxidectin / praziquantel 

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DEWORMER ROTATION FOR ADULT HORSES

• MAY
• Year 1 Ivermectin
• Year 2 Pyrantel pamoate
• JULY
• Year 1 Moxidectin / praziquantel
• Year 2 Moxidectin / praziquantel

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DEWORMER ROTATION FOR ADULT HORSES

• SEPT
• Year 1 Ivermectin
• Year 2 Pyrantel pamoate
• NOV
• Year 1 Ivermectin
• Year 2 Pyrantel pamoate

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MOXIDECTIN (Quest ) Warnings

• Do NOT use in horses lt 1 year of age, and take
  care when dosing miniature horses.
• Do NOT use in pregnant mares.
• Be accurate in dosing (overdosage results in
  central nervous system signs).

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STARTING AND USING A DAILY DEWORMER

• Deworm with ivermectin / praziquantel or
  moxidectin / praziquantel.
• Start the next day on pyrantel tartrate (Strongid
  C) daily dewormer.

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STARTING AND USING A DAILY DEWORMER

• Keep horse on this product for life. If
  discontinued, deworm frequently in the 6-month
  period following discontinuation.
• Deworm with ivermectin / praziquantel or
  moxidectin / praziquantel in NOVEMBER and
  FEBRUARY to kill bots and tapeworms.

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FOR A HORSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN DEWORMED IN THE
PAST YEAR

• Deworm with a half-dose of fenbendazole (2.5mg/kg
  dose) on the first day, then deworm with the
  double dose of fenbendazole (10mg/kg dose) every
  day for 3 more days.
• Then deworm the next day with pyrantel pamoate at
  the recommended dose.

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FOR A HORSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN DEWORMED IN THE
PAST YEAR

• After 2 days, deworm with moxidectin /
  praziquantel and begin daily dewormer or paste
  deworm every month for 6 months, then return to
  the regular deworming program.

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EquineDentalCare
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When should equine dental care begin?

• Foals should have their mouths examined soon
  after birth.
• This will allow for any problems, possibly
  congenital, to be dealt with and noted for future
  dental care. 

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Why do the molars get sharp edges and require
floating?

• The upper jaw is normally wider than the lower
  jaw allowing for a somewhat circular chewing
  motion which involves a process known as lateral
  excursion.  

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Why do the molars get sharp edges and require
floating?

• This motion allows for a grinding of feedstuffs,
  creating sharp edges on the outside (buccal) or
  cheek edge of the upper molars and the inside
  edge of the lower molars. 

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How often does my horse need dental check-ups? 

• Routine dental care begins as a yearling with the
  removal of the wolf teeth and floating of the
  sharp edges.
• After the age of five, the frequency of dental
  check-ups is determined on an individual basis.
• Two visits per year are recommended.

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What is a cap?

• A cap is the remnant of a deciduous (baby) molar
  or incisor which is shed at specific intervals.
• During a regular dental maintenance, the cap or
  caps may be removed as necessary.

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Wolf Teeth

• Wolf teeth are vestigial teeth. 
• They are normally noted to be in front of the
  first cheek tooth.
• Many wolf teeth interfere with the function of
  the bit

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Why are wolf teeth removed?

• , and therefore should be removed as part of
  regular dental maintenance.
• This should be done at an early age to ensure
  clean extraction and avoidance of unnecessary
  behavioral problems associated with bitting pain.

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Questions ?
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Acknowledgments

• Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, ACVIM UTCVM
• Lindsay German, LVT UTCVM
• Phil Snow, Medical Photographer UTCVM
• Teresa Jennings, Instructional Resources/ Graphic
  Illustration - UTCVM

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Sources

• Orsini Divers Manual of Equine Emergencies
  Treatment and Procedures Saunders
• Rose Hodgson Manual of Equine Practice.
  2nd.Edition Saunders 2000
• UTCVM Class notes 2001-2004

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Sources

• www.3Dglasshorse.com
• http//www.horseclub.co.uk/index.htm