“Please remember, there is a significant lapse between when these questions are sent in and when the answers appear.  If you feel your horse needs to be seen by a veterinarian, do not wait for a response. Call a reputable equine veterinarian in your area and let him or her examine your horse.  This is advice only and not meant to be a substitute for proper and prompt local veterinary care.

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My horse hasn't been eating her full meals for about the past 3-4 days. She'll eat up to at most half of her food. She's showing no signs of irritability or any other outer signs. What are some options I need to try and what could possibly be the problem? – Brittany, submitted via horsegazette.com

Dear Brittany,
Horses may go off feed for several reasons including pain, illness, or stress.  Pain can include mouth discomfort due to sharp points on teeth, loose teeth, inflammation, or infection.  Horses with stomach ulcers may also not eat as well.  A visit to your local veterinarian for a thorough evaluation can hopefully rule out any physical causes of pain.  He or she will also be able to detect any underlying illness which may be affecting how well your horse is eating.  Stressors may include being driven away from food by pasture mates, being intimidated by a horse in a neighboring stall, changing stabling situations, starting training, or any number of scenarios.  You should carefully evaluate what circumstances may have changed that could have contributed to stress for your horse. You should also have your horse’s diet evaluated by your veterinarian to determine if it is appropriate for your particular horse.  Your veterinarian can help you evaluate your situation, and will be able to give you some specific recommendations. – Dr. Symm

My horse is being boarded in a place that used the Cameo fencing for the turnout. She got her leg caught in the fencing and panicked, cutting through the tendons on her rear leg all the way to the bone. We are not sure if she will ever be sound again. According to what I am reading on the Web the monofilament line was supposed to give or break.
It didn't. How safe is this fencing for horses? I would hate to see any other owner go through what I have. Thanks so much! Debby, submitted via horsegazette.com

Dear Debby,
One thing that I have noticed is that horses seem to be able to hurt themselves regardless of what we do to try to keep them safe.  With this in mind it may be possible that the fencing performed exactly as advertised, but your horse still managed to hurt herself.  I have not had any personal experience with this fencing, nor have I heard positive or negative reports about it before now.  Since the product was specifically developed as a safer alternative for equine fencing, it is reasonable to assume that it went through a testing period to determine how safe it really is.  Information about this particular fencing system can likely be obtained by contacting the manufacturer, reading consumer reports, and consulting those who have used or are currently using it.  – Dr. Symm

We have a 19yr old miniature horse.  She is in good health and foals every year.  This year she had a foal that had to be cut out of her and she had a difficult birth with it.  The colt’s head fell down between its legs in the birth canal and the vet could not get its head up.  The colt died prior to having to cut the head off.  The mare did not tear during this procedure, and recovered well.  She did have a mild infection and had to be flushed out twice.  We waited a month prior to rebreeding her.  Now she is on her third time cycling and we can't get her bred back. Her cycles are right on time (21-23) days and last 5-7 days, we are breeding her every other day.  Is there something else we can try or do you suggest something else?  Like I said she is in good health, cycles regularly, and has had no problems prior to this.  Should we stop trying?  Is it true that an older mare should be bred back every year because if they are left open they are difficult to get bred back?  Thanks, Jason, submitted via horsegazette.com

Dear Jason,
It is true that older mares as well as barren mares have lower pregnancy rates than younger mares and mares kept in foal every year.  However, there are other problems that mares can have that will prevent them from getting pregnant.  Any time a mare is having difficulty getting in foal it is a good idea to have a breeding soundness exam (BSE) performed by your equine veterinarian.  A thorough BSE may include performing a physical exam, evaluating her external genitalia for defects (which could cause “wind-sucking” or pneumovagina), doing a rectal ultrasound of the reproductive tract, visualizing the cervix and uterus with a speculum, culturing a swab of the uterine fluid, examining cells from the uterus, and/or submitting a biopsy of uterine tissue.  Blood tests may also be submitted to check hormone levels.  Additionally, it is important to ensure that the stallion is fertile and that he appropriately ejaculates. These steps will yield information that will help you and your veterinarian know what to do to help your mare get in foal.  It is also possible that your mare’s uterus just needs more time to recover after the traumatic delivery; sometimes as long as 6-12 months. – Dr. Symm

I had a 5-year-old mare I raised. She was fat and happy and healthy, I thought. Sunday she was running, playing and eating.  Monday she staggered back, by the time I got a halter and went to bring her up front she was down.  She never struggled or tried to get up.  There was no response from her. We gave her a shot and she didn’t even flinch.  She was line in a coma. She died last night.  Any ideas what could have happened to her? – Susan, submitted via horsegazette.com

Dear Susan,
There are many causes of sudden death in horses.  Without knowing her vaccination history, witnessing the events, having a veterinarian perform a necropsy (animal autopsy), and/or submitting fluids and tissues for laboratory analysis it is not possible to know what caused your mare to collapse and ultimately die.  The “staggering” you mentioned supports the possibility of a nervous system disorder, but it may be related to any number of conditions. Some possibilities could include viral infections, bacterial infections, colic, and trauma.  You should have your veterinarian evaluate your vaccination schedule.   If any other nearby horse develops unusual behavior, it is a good idea for that horse to see a veterinarian.  There is the possibility that your mare may have acquired a contagious disease or may have been exposed to a toxin that could affect other horses. – Dr. Symm

    You can call Dr. Symm at Retama Equine Hospital 210-651-6375 or visit www.RetamaEquineHospital.com. You can also visit www.horsegazette.com/vet.html to view past questions or to send in a new question.

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Flapping Lips

I purchased two 2-year-old old fillies in October/2007. A buckskin and the other a paint. Both have been doing great until recently the buckskin has been not using her lips to take treats out of my hand. She uses her teeth to get the treats. Her lips are just flapping there. When I first got them the buckskin used her lips to take the treats. The paint is having no problems at all. Could she be just lazy or is this a sign of something more serious. – Janet, sent via email March 2008

It is probably nothing to worry about. If you are concerned have your veterinarian examine her. There is an outside possibility that it could be an early indicator of neurologic disease. EPM, Rhino etc. are all possibilities but remote possibilities. Dr. Martin

Scabby, Oozing Rash

I have a 7 yr old TWH gelding that has come down with scabby oozing rash on his sheath and girth area last year. This year he has contracted it again only this time it is all over his body. Quarter size bumps with oozing scabs. He is very sensitive. We have treated him with antifungal and antihistamines. The body lumps are gone but the girth area and sheath area are still oozing and sensitive. The scraping came back fungal but the antifungal is not helping anymore. My vet is still looking for answers. He is stalled with daily turnout in a semi-wooded pasture and fed Strategy and grass/alfalfa mix hay. He is my search and rescue horse and he is out of commission for than rideable. Thank you, Susan sent via email March 2008

A biopsy and allergy testing might be helpful in determining what is causing the “rash”. Environmental allergens, such as insects or pollens might be the root cause of this condition. The fungal infection might be a secondary issue. Dr Symm

Left Hind Leg Thru Hog Wire Fence

On the 11th of March I found my 5 year old rope horse with both hind feet kicked thru some hog wire fence it took 15 cuts with a wire cutter to remove the hog wire and the two strands of barb wire he did not cut any arteries and had no deep cuts at all my concern it his left hind leg was suspended in the wire and the rings around his thigh and lower leg were pretty deep there is no hair on either leg from the thigh to the hoof I have taken him the vet here in our area and he won't say as to the damage because of what we can't tell yet his legs aren't swelled up yet and that is what the Vet is worried about . My question to you is how much pressure the wire caused and what you think his chances are. Thanks, Doug, submitted via email March 2008

Without examining the horse it is hard to say. Radiographs and an ultrasound of the leg could be helpful. Talk to your vet about a course of action if you have concerns. Dr. Martin

Growing Mane Back Quickly

My daughters pony has a lovely mane and tail - unfortunately due to him wearing his rugs the mane from the withers to probably 12 inches up has nearly gone - the rest looking fab...are there any solutions out there that would bring this mane back within a couple of months? Carol, submitted March 2008

If I knew a solution for hair growth I would use it on my head!! Unfortunately to my knowledge there is nothing available that would solve this problem. Time is the key here. Hair only grows so fast and it is hard to speed up that process. Dr. Martin

West Nile Vaccines

This is a question about West Nile Vaccine. We have been vaccinating our horses for West Nile since 2005. We have always used Recombitek Equine West Nile Vaccine, which I believe is a modified live vaccine. But this year I ordered Fort Dodge West Nile-Innovator, which I believe is a killed...my question is can I just give their annually revaccination or do I since this is a different type have to give two doses, as if I were starting over? Thank you, Charlene, submitted via email March 2008

As you mentioned the vaccines are different, thus they impart their protection differently. Fort Dodge does recommend giving horses a booster, even if they have been appropriately vaccinated with a different vaccine in the past. Dr. Symm

Fever and Swelling

My 8 year old thoroughbred has never been raced, and as far as we know has no prior injuries. However, over the weekend he had a fever of 103, and swelling in his left fore just below the knee (around the tendon). We are completely baffled by this. Any suggestions? He does not seem to favor his leg, and after a round of antibiotics, seems to be feeling better in terms of the fever. Thank you, Alyssa, submitted via email March 2008

I do not know whether the fever and the swollen leg are related. I do know that I would have the horse examines by your veterinarian. It is possible that he bowed a tendon or has a puncture wound or something of that nature. Bowed tendons by themselves usually do not cause a fever. But with a fever and a swollen limb I would want your vet to examine the horse immediately. Dr. Martin

Older Horse Doesn’t Gain Weight

I have a 21-years-old QH gelding.  I've had him since he was 5 years old.  He's now retired and lives with my sister in SC (I'm up in Mass.).  He had a stifle injury, and after that, arthritis set in, but he seems to be happy, and he plays with his two pasturemates.  The thing that's bothering me is that he cannot gain any weight.  He's very well-fed, is given a fat supplement, is on medication for his arthritis, and I've had him vetted out with blood tests.  He's on a regular farrier schedule, shot schedule, teeth floating, etc.  This horse is provided with everything he needs.  However, I cannot get him to gain weight, and his body condition is incredibly poor.  My question is, when is he "too skinny" that I might have to consider putting him down?  Should I even link euthansia to his body condition or should I wait until I see his mental health (or organs) start to fail?  It's not easy getting old, for man OR beast!  Thank you very much for your time, Nita.  Submitted via email March 2008.

Certainly body condition is a reflection of your horse’s general health. The National Research Council has published a set of guidelines in the “Nutrient Requirements of Horses” that help objectively evaluate your horse’s condition. This score can then be used to help determine where your horse is and then enable you and your veterinarian to track how your horse is doing. Also, a weight tape can be used to accurately estimate your horse’s weight. Adding calorie dense supplements like corn oil and rice bran to the diet can help add condition to horses of any age. It is important to work closely with your veterinarian while trying to get weight on your older horse. Dr. Symm

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Hello I am currently looking at a coming 2 year old to purchase for a Hunt Seat horse. As a yearling the colt cracked his splint bone but it was not displaced and did not require any surgery to repair it. The owner said it swelled up but he was never lame on it. What concerns should I have about this? If I re x-ray it will that tell me if the splint bone has healed okay? Thank you for your time, Erin

Dear Erin,
Radiographs could certainly help determine rather or not the fracture has healed, which it sounds that it has.  However, a bony exostosis or callous can form due to splint bone fractures and these can sometimes cause impingement on the soft tissues on the back of the leg, particularly the suspensory ligament.  A thorough exam is indicated and an ultrasound might be warranted as well.  If there is bone putting pressure on the tendons and ligaments it could cause lameness.  Even so, a vast majority of splint bone problems do not cause any problem at all. – Dr. Symm

     My horse has a breathing problem. I say it that way because it is not all the time. I have been told he has a fleshy palate, and that sometime his esophagus gets stuck on it. However when I hold my hand over his left nostril he is quite. When he gets very excited and over exerts himself. Such as a trail ride with other horses, he gets very loud and after the ride I have noticed a heave line. As soon as her relaxes and calms down it goes away. My vet does not think he is a roarer because it is not all the time.  He doesn't want to scope him because he thinks it is a palate issue but I can't seem to get it to dislodge. What could it be? Dennie

Dear Dennie,
There are many different structures that can lead to airway noise and dysfunction.  The upper respiratory tract is a common cause of inspiratory and expiratory noise.  Dysfunction of the soft palate can be challenging to diagnose, however a resting endoscopic exam would be helpful to rule some of the other causes of respiratory noise out.  If a diagnosis is not reached with the resting exam a treadmill exam could also be useful. – Dr. Symm
     My seemingly healthy 3 yr old gelding was vet checked for a pending sale. The vet found a heart murmur and after strenuous exercise said there was a significant irregular heartbeat on his right side.
He has not been exercised regularly as he is not under saddle and it’s the dead of winter with 4 feet of snow on the ground. He appears extremely healthy.
How concerned should I be? What if anything should I do for him? How will this affect his life span? Should I not market him for sale? Thanks you very much, Lisa

Dear Lisa,
Most heart murmurs and arrhythmias do not cause problems, but there are some that can cause exercise intolerance and lead to poor health.  A thorough cardiac exam including echocardiography, or an ultrasound of the heart, and an ECG might determine rather or not your horse has a non-pathogenic problem. – Dr. Symm

I have a 17+-year-old appendix, which up until now has been "healthy as a horse" (sorry for the pun). I am not sure of his exact age because he doesn't have papers. He has always been a very willing, honest horse. I am working with a vet who is scratching her head as to what his problem is. Looking back, symptoms may have started a couple months ago, but only became obvious in the last two weeks. Here is a rough timeline: Prior to 2/3/08 Kicks when groomed around flank area, both sides before being ridden and kicks when asked to pick rear right hoof. After riding easy to groom and pick all hooves. 2/3/08 Difficult to mount. Kicks when asked to move hind to left. Rears when going through soggy area. Would not let me pick right rear hoof after riding. 2/5/08 Chiropractor sees him says he is sore at base of withers, which she doesn’t think is saddle soreness because after she works on him it seems to be relieved. Notes that he is very sore beneath floating ribs on both sides. 2/8/08 I do not ride because he kicks when I try to groom girth and flank area, both sides. He is eating hay and I am messaging right shoulder. He turns and bites me. 2/14/08 Vet examines Eli. She checks hooves, soundness, teeth, temperature, fecal sample, blood, gut sounds. When her assistant lunges him to either side he rears, bucks, and jumps with all four feet off the ground. He is a little worse to the right.
Her possible diagnosis and reasons why she isn’t sure of them or has rules them out: Ulcers: Fecal sample says no; Tying up: blood work rules this out; ESPM: Occurs in younger horses, and change in diet. Horses are unable to cross-pelvic line. Eli is able to cross back legs no problem. EPT: Affects neurological awareness. Eli passes with flying colors. Tends to attack one side. Eli’s soreness is on both sides.
I am sorry this is so long; I'm just looking for any and all wisdom. Thank you for caring. Liz

Dear Liz,
It sounds like there could be many different causes for the behavior that Eli is exhibiting.  I would recommend a complete and thorough lameness exam.  One potential possibility for an orthopedic cause for the lameness could be upward fixation of the patella.  Nerve and or joint blocks could be used to help rule out other causes for the lameness.  Unfortunately with such signs it can be difficult determining exactly what is causing the lameness and your veterinarian might be left with trying multiple things before any one thing is met with success.  The fecal blood test for ulcers is not very sensitive and it might be a good idea to either scope Eli’s stomach or empirically treat for ulcers if they are a suspicion. – Dr. Symm

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Geriatric Pony

My geriatric pony had 2 episodes of choke during the last 6 months that resolved spontaneously within an hour or so. The 3rd episode occurred over Christmas and did not clear itself. The vet could not pass a nasogastric tube, why was this and what can be done in such cases? Ultimately the pony developed severe pain in his gut and I had to euthanase him. – Gillian Mazure

Dear Gillian,
Whenever a horse gets a choke or something lodged in its esophagus there can be damage done to the lining. Once we resolve a choke we scope the area and see how much damage is there. If there is an ulcerated area or angry tissue then those horses are put on a gruel feed and possibly antibiotics until the area is healed. Horses can also develop strictures in the esophagus from a choke. We will sedate the horse and use a stomach tube to try to lavage and break the choke up. If the choke cannot be resolved while standing, then we anesthetize the horse and try to lavage it that way. Sometimes horses become choked on a foreign body other than feed and some of these horses have to have the object removed surgically by cutting into the esophagus. This is not a minor procedure and can lead to complications. Also, in any geriatric horse it is a necessity to have regular teeth work done so the horses can masticate their food properly. I am sorry to hear about your pony. I hope this information helps.  - Dr. Martin

Weaning 20 month old gelding

My mare will not wean 20-month-old gelding.  I wanted to let weaning take place naturally without separation, as I did not breed mare again.  I have been told to use Drixoral to dry her up- although her bag has not been big for quite some time.  Is it possible that the yearling just likes to suck? Any idea why the mare will not wean?  - Maxie Register

Dear Maxie,
The foal needs to be taken completely away from the mare. As long as they are together the foal will likely try to nurse the mare. The mare is not providing the foal any measurable nutrients at this point. If the mare was re-bred, then when the mare foaled she would probably not allow the previous foal to nurse. But, it is still best to separate it from the mare for a period of time. - Dr. Martin

Lumps on Sheath

My horse has two golf ball size lumps at the end of each side of his sheath.  The local Vet has looked at them. She found no soreness, no sign if infection, we Large Animal blood profile on him everything looked ok. I have given him more area to move and it seemed to help along with hot compress a couple times a day.  I worry about cancer but don't want to over react if this is just a winter time, unusually icy condition situation.  I guess my question is what would be different if this was cancer without taking the biopsy.  Would the biopsy be definitive? – Laurie Edwards

Dear Laurie,
A biopsy should give a definitive diagnosis as to what the mass is. Discuss your options with your veterinarian and see if a plan cannot be established to figure out what is going on. - Dr. Martin

Twenty six year old rescue horse

I am currently undergoing the rescue of a senior malnutritioned mare, approximately 26 years of age. She only has her front teeth, her feet are in terrible shape, cracked and way overgrown, she is not fed properly, the top of her hips and back has caved in from being way to skinny and it appears she has a large belly all towards the bottom so I am guessing she has worms as well. I don't believe she has ever been vaccinated either. My plan is to try to rescue her and get her medical attention immediately or have animal control take care of this matter so she is not in my care quite yet but I am just trying to get some advice on the type of food I should be researching because she doesn't have all her teeth, and how I would go about taking care of her because obviously treatment will be extremely important. She is neglected so she will probably be put under a lot of stress once she is being worked with. Any advice would be great! Thank you! – Pederzolli

Dear Pederzolli,
You need to consult with your local veterinarian about the care and maintenance of this horse. This is not an easy task you are under taking and there could be many complications along the way. The horse might not ever recover from the malnourishment. It needs to have a complete physical exam with blood work and then teeth work, vaccinations, and de-worming according to your vets recommendations. It will be a slow and long process. - Dr. Martin

De-worming and low white blood cell count

My vet has recommended "power packing" my horse because he had a low white blood cell count.  Is this common?  I've tried to research this, but I have not found a connection between parasites and low white blood cells (except for EPM) which; I believe, would be treated differently.  I did see some research that showed a correlation to high white blood cell count and parasites. - Lynn

Dear Lynn,
There are many things that can cause a low white blood cell count. It sounds like to me that you need to talk to your vet and find out why they have decided on that plan of action. Without seeing the horse or knowing more of the history I could only speculate as to what the vet is thinking. I agree that with the many causes of a low white blood cell count, parasites might not be first on my list. But I do not know the whole story so I would ask the vet why they think there is a connection. - Dr. Martin

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I had a 3 year old Morgan mare on pre purchase trial.  She was being fed 5 lbs of grain a day.  We thought that was the habit of her owners - but after a week we saw that she didn't eat much hay.  The hay at our barn is locally grown with a 14% protein and smells so delicious I want to eat it.  She wasn't interested.  Then I remembered they had her teeth done twice this year - so maybe they were trying to get to the bottom of it.
She did not pass the vet check for confirmation and I returned her - but I wonder if this was another problem.  She was small and immature.  Her sire was lanky - so maybe holding weight is an issue.  Could this have been an indication of a problem? – Carol

Some horses have to become acclimated to new hay. I have had horses that will not eat top quality alfalfa because they are not accustomed to it. Having said that I would probably want to do a full oral exam to make sure there is not anything unusual going on in the mouth. Without doing a complete physical and possibly blood work it is hard to determine if there were underlying problems. Thanks. Dr. Martin
 
Hi Doctor,
I am looking at an 9 year old gelding barrel horse to buy. The lady says that he has Arthritis in his Stifle. Her vet thinks he was born with a flatter stifle joint than most horses and due to a high impact sport and wear and tear caused some arthritis. What can be done to help prevent this problem or at least make it so he can compete comfortably? Also I was wondering if injecting a horse with these kind of problems helps them in the long run, or are they just good for a couple years? Please let me know. – Amanda

Dear Amanda,
                      There are several different ways to address this problem. The first thing I would want to do is a lameness exam and determine if the horse is showing any lameness in the stifle or any other places. I would then want radiographs of the stifle since there does seem to be some history with it. Oral joint supplements, Legend, Adequan and joint injections can all be helpful in cases of arthritis. But you need to determine how advanced the arthritis is and whether your vet thinks the problem can be maintained with medication. Also, if you plan on selling the horse some day will the prospective buyers want a to purchase a horse with an arthritic stifle. Soft tissue problems can cause problems in the stifle as well. I would be very cautious and make sure a thorough pre- purchase exam was done on this horse. Thanks. Dr. Martin

Dear Doctor,
     A 4-year-old large pony had been in the pasture for a few months since it was worked last.  Once it was worked it was given a flexion test by a vet and he described that the suspensory ligament was very sensitive to the test.  He discontinued his examination at this point.  This seemed to be related to the SDFT since the next step may have been to test the DDFT.  My question is:  If the pony was to be gradually worked over a period of time to reach performance levels would the sensitivity be reoccurring?  If so, what would be the specific exercise to overcome such discomfort for the pony.  Also, if the pony was started to young to perform could it interfere in the development of these tendons?  Thank you for the opportunity to communicate this situation and I look forward to a prompt response. – Matt

 Matt,
The first thing that needs to done is to get a definitive diagnosis on what area of the limb is actually injured or sore. An ultrasound exam of the flexor tendons and suspensory ligaments is a very good way to diagnose these problems. Once a diagnosis has been made then a treatment plan and prognosis could be established. But a complete lameness exam and diagnosis needs to be made before a rehabilitation plan is started. Thanks. Dr. Martin
 
 
Dear Doctor,
My mare is probably 15 or 16 yrs old, over the summer her eye started turning cloudy and today it is colder out her eye is runny and stuff is kind of running around I brought a warm cloth and wiped the area, she acted like it felt pretty good of course I know that won’t fix nothing but I really would like to know if you think that it is a cataract and can those be fixed and or is she maybe going to go blind in one eye? Let me know what you think. Thank you, Wanda Gale Pearson.

 Dear Wanda,
In my opinion, all problems with the eye itself should be regarded as emergencies. I think you need to have the horse examined by your vet and try to determine what exactly is going on in the horse’s eye. There are several different approaches to handling horses with eye problems depending on the problem. But without knowing what is actually going on in the eye, any advice that I would give you is just speculation.  Thanks. Dr. Martin
 
Dear Doctor,
We're considering buying a beautiful 6 year old Tennessee Walker. He has a club foot, which does not affect his gait in any way. My concern is it the club foot likely to become worse as he gets older? The farrier just seems to file the foot, and really hasn't been a issue for the horse. I believe he was born with it. – Lisa Huurman

 Dear Lisa,
          Since the horse is six years old I doubt the foot will get worse. You didn't mention to what degree the horses problem is. But if the horse is indeed sound than I would think this would be more of a shoeing issue long term. I would definitely get your vet to do a pre-purchase exam and find out if your vet has any reservations about possible complications from the club foot. Thanks. Dr. Martin