Equine Diseases

Equine Diseases I have had pretty much every “farm animal” except a horse. I’ve always liked riding my uncles house and I think it would be nice to understand some of the different terms and diseases in horses. They are different from the hogs and cattle we’ve had and they seem like they need more care to stay healthy. I always hear different terms that I’m not exactly sure what they mean. One of them is “cribbing”. This is a fairly common issue in horses that are kept in a smaller area. It’s not necessarily a disease but a habit. It can be compared to OCD in humans. They will exhibit repetitive behaviors that can be difficult to control. One example is when a horse places the upper incisors on a hard object. Usually a pole or maybe a stall door. Then they will suck in large amounts of air making a gulping noise. They do this repeatedly. The most common reasoning for this behavior is usually boredom or anxiety. Cribbing can cause faster wear and tear on the upper incisors and also cause enlarged throat muscles. Cribbing can be observed and easily diagnosed without the help of a veterinarian. However, a thorough physical exam from a vet wouldn’t be a bad idea to ensure that there isn’t any other underlying problems. Treatments are pretty easy to provide. More big pasture time is a great way to resolve this. If that isn’t an option, providing toys can help reduce boredom and feeding more roughage can definitely help. Equine Colic is another term I’ve heard but would like to know more about. Colic is a common digestive disorder in horses. There are two different types of Colic. Spasmodic (or gas) Colic and Impaction Colic. Spasmodic Colic is caused by excessive gas accumulation in the colon. A few of the symptoms to pick up on are sweating, loud gut sounds, and frequent attempts to roll. Impaction Colic is a more serious type. Heavy internal parasitism is one major cause. Along with dehydration, excessive ingestion of sand, and Enterolith which are stones in