Loch Leven Equine Practice

Having a happy healthy horse is what every owner strives for. Inevitably from time to time problems arise, but there are a number of steps we can take to either help prevent such things from happening, or if they do, ensure that we are quick to recognise any potential problems.
When we think about our cars we have an annual MOT, a standard service and undertake regular maintenance, such as tyre, oil and water checks, and wouldnt dream of driving around with no insurance. The same comparison can be used for our horses. Without a little maintenance we simply cant expect them to perform at their best.
There are a number of routine things that we should regularly do to help ensure the well being of our four legged friends. In addition to the day to day care of your horse at the very minimum they should receive annual vaccinations (including tetanus when required), dental rasps, regular worming or egg counts and frequent visits from the farrier.
Many veterinary practices are now offering annual health plans for your horse. These are an excellent way of ensuring your horse gets all of the extra care he needs. In addition to the Health Checks that have been offered for the last two years, Loch Leven Equine Practice have recently set up an additional health plan - The Healthy Horse Club.
This covers the annual vaccinations, routine dental work, a detailed health check, a blood sample and a faecal worm egg count complete with a personalised worming programme. The health check also includes a trot up and flexion tests, examination of the skin, eyes, heart, teeth and discussion about weight, feeding and foot balance.
When broken down into separate topics it is easy to see the importance of each requirement.
Vaccinations: Equine Influenza is a virus and the vaccine will protect against the worst signs during an Influenza outbreak. There are several different options available for vaccinating horses however the most important disease to protect against is Tetanus. Tetanus is caused by a bacterial infection (clostridium tetani). When the bacterium enters an anaerobic environment the bacteria then release the toxins that cause the disease. Unfortunately, for un-vaccinated horses, Tetanus is usually fatal.
Teeth: Unlike human teeth, horses teeth continue to grow and erupt. In the wild a horse will be grazing and chewing for up to 20 hours a day, keeping teeth at an acceptable length and free from sharp edges. Domesticated horses often find themselves eating hard feed and less forage, so need assistance to keep their teeth rasped down.
This constant growth coupled with the chewing action of the horse can wear the teeth into sharp points. The points can often be razor sharp and cut into or puncture the horses mouth and/or tongue. Not only is this painful but among many other issues it can also lead to weight loss and behavioural problems.
With regular dental examinations problems can be spotted and treated at an early stage, often preventing the need for extensive treatment. Ideally your horses teeth should be checked every six months, and certainly left no longer than a year.
Blood samples: Are excellent for establishing a basic health profile. This will include haematology which looks at red and white blood cell counts, muscle enzymes indicating any muscle damage, and liver enzymes (which are especially important in older horses and ponies). These can detect early illness before clinical signs are necessarily apparent. Alternatively, when run annually it helps the vets to build up a good picture of what is normal for your horse, so that if they do develop a problem they have a marker to compare the results with.
Faecal worm egg count: Controlling the worm burden in your horse is an essential part of your yearly management programme and a faecal sample is an excellent non intrusive way of assessing the levels of common worms in your horse. No more than 200 eggs per gram should be detected if your worming programme is efficient. Worm egg counts of 50-100 per gram need not necessarily be treated, as some level of worm infestation is thought to enhance natural immunity. It must be taken into consideration that tapeworms are not often detected in a standard faecal examination so these should be routinely treated or tested for separately with a blood sample. A worm burden can lead to lack of performance, weight loss, colic, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, anaemia, dullness and respiratory problems.
Flexion tests: Soundness is vital to allow your horse to perform at his peak. When doing a flexion test the vets put gentle pressure over specific joints, and then observe the horse trotting. When performed and interpreted correctly, these tests can help identify early cases of joint pain before overt lameness is present. We can therefore discuss ways to help prevent a rapid deterioration in arthritis, also potentially saving the owner a lot of time and money in the future.
Clinical Examination : Eyes, skin, heart and discussion about weight, feeding and foot balance. The horses heart is something that is often forgotten about when thinking about general health. There are a number of reasons for this, firstly it is not visible and secondly heart problems are relatively uncommon in the leisure horse and pony. Your vet will be able to listen to the heart to detect any abnormal mumurs or heart rhythms that could compromise his health, performance or the riders safety.
What you feed your horse has a major impact on his well being, and his weight is something that you can discuss with your vet during his MOT. Your horses weight is vitally important to his health and he should have a body score of 2-3 (out of 5), for an excellent guide see www.worldhorsewelfare.org.
No foot No horse we all know the importance of well shod, balanced feet. Your horse should be seen regularly (approximately every four six weeks) by your farrier to ensure his feet are kept in shape. Regular correct shoeing is extremely important and can also help prevent a number of lameness problems. Your vet can discuss foot balance and condition during the visit and should be happy to work alongside your farrier to help keep your horse sound.
Having an annual health check gives owners the opportunity to discuss any niggling concerns they might have. It also gives the opportunity for any developing problems to be spotted quickly, investigated and managed, putting your mind at rest and allowing you to get on with enjoying your horse.
There are many factors that influence your horses well being and it must be borne in mind that every horse has individual requirements and should be treated as so.
A healthy horse is a happy horse.

Loch Leven Equine Practice, covering Kinross-shire, Perthshire and Fife, 01577 840022, www.lochlevenequine.co.uk

TPR
Temperature: 99.5 F and 101.5 F
Pulse/Heart: 30 40 beats per minute (resting)
Respiratory: 8-16 breathes per minute (resting)



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