Among all the tall animals, horse is one of the most elegant ones! Horses are said to be a symbol of power, grace, beauty, freedom, nobility and strength. But all of these adjectives are true and not an exaggeration. The same horse facts also make them popular among pet lovers. Horses are of great use to human beings.
As stated earlier, horses are mainly kept as pets by those interested in horse riding, racing, etc. So the horse’s masters find themselves in a soup when horses fall sick. Won’t it be better if you know what are some of the common horse health problems and treat them before they develop into full-fledged diseases? Following are the most common horse diseases.
Common Horse Health Problems
Owning a horse is a costly affair. You have to spend a lot on its dietary and health needs. The treatments are also expensive, and so there are a number of horse health insurance available today. But you can cut down the treatment expenses by taking good care of your horse, which includes protecting your horse from these common health problems.
Colic:
Colic is one of the most common horse health problems. Colic is not one particular disease, it is a name given to a certain number of digestive problems, which include, blockage of the intestine, excessive gas in the intestine or the most serious condition, the intestine twist. Colic can be caused because of several reasons such as exercising the horse immediately after eating, or feeding the horse immediately after exercising and feeding it too much of green grass. Symptoms of colic are constipation, teeth clenching, stretching the legs out from the body and kicking. If you see your horse staring at its stomach, it may indicate colic. If you see any of the above symptoms, make the horse walk as the walk will help it pass the gases. Do not ignore the symptoms as they can prove fatal, call the vet as soon as the symptoms are seen, you can avoid this horse health problem by feeding and exercising the horse in the right way.
Laminitis:
Laminitis is a horse health problem related to its hooves. Lack of hygiene leads to toxicity, which results in bone drop or rotation of the bone. This state is termed as laminitis. Laminitis is caused if the horse is made to work on hard surfaces, if it is over fed with grains or if it is given water when it is over-heated. There are some other reasons such as infections and reactions to certain drugs. The horse will be reluctant to walk, in case it is affected by laminitis. If only the front hooves are affected by laminitis, the horse will avoid touching its front hooves on the ground and will stand mostly on its back hooves. Heavy breathing and glazed eyes are some other symptoms of laminitis. The vet will suggest medicines and a diet for the horse after an x-ray examination of its hooves. For prevention of laminitis, feed the horse with the right food, you can also feed it homemade horse treats for a change. Make sure you keep the horse away from water bodies after exercising it. Laminitis is one of the common miniature horse health problems.
Strangles:
Strangles in horses is a serious health problem only for the reason that it is a contagious disease. It is caused by Streptococcus equi. The lymph nodes under the horse’s throat swell and make it difficult for it to breathe, which is why the ailment is known as strangles. Is strangles fatal? This is one of the most frequently asked horse health questions. No, strangles is not fatal, but it can spread to other horses, thus proving dangerous to their health. Other symptoms of strangles include, high fever, discharge from the nostrils, poor appetite and depression. Strangles should be treated immediately because it can spread in no time. There are antibiotics as well as vaccines for this disease.
Other Horse Diseases:
Other diseases in horses are worms, arthritis, influenza, mold, Equine Cushing’s Disease, etc. But these diseases are either not very serious or are related to only a particular breed. For example, mold is one of the shire horse health problems, which is not found in other horse breeds. Mold is a hereditary disease that is similar to laminitis. To prevent mold, wash the hooves of the horse on a daily basis. To prevent worms, the horse needs to be dewormed regularly. Diseases like arthritis occur mostly in the old horses. Lyme is another horse disease.
This was all the horse health information. The saying Prevention is better than Cure, applies even to the horses. So provide the horse with proper diet and the horse health products that can avoid horse health problems.
