Equine

• pain associated with the digestive tract • may originate from or within any of the abdominal organs • one of the oldest horse disorders • considered most dangerous and costly • 900,000 horses annually

• abnormal manure • anorexia • recurrent flehmen response • yawning • flank watching • abnormal stance or expression • restlessness, repetitive episodes of lying down • pawing • kicking at flank rolling • sweating thrashing • self-trauma • recumbency depressed or comatose • increased heart rate

• mild signs and HR does not exceed 60bpm • usually, try giving Banamine and hand walking the horse • if the horse does not positively react then a vet should be called

• pulse will weaken • extremities will be cold • mucous membranes will become blue-dry and tack • increased sweating and thrashing- extreme cases • don’t want them to thrash

• most colic cases happen because of a compaction in the small intestine

• bailing twine • sand • too much grain, not enough forage (cecum) • rocks

• least expensive colic surgergy • daytime uncomplicated • $2800 • most complicated • may exceed $8000 • Majority fall withing $3500-$5500

• feed correctly and only what he needs • avoid sudden changes • With grain, think small and often (0.3-0.5% of BW of grain) • Keep him moving • Get sand out of ration • control parasites and damage • use dewormers effectively • After exercise potentially limit water and feed

• mosquito born viral disease • birds serve as a host • fatal neurological outbreaks are documented • incubation period is 3-15 days in horses • recovery within 7 days • neurological signs • behavioral changes • colic, lameness, anorexia, fever

• all vaccines carry a 1 yr immunity • must receive 2 boosters initially • all vaccines are killed except for Prevenile MLV (modified live) • Vaccinate in April (spring)

• highly infectious, sometimes fatal bacterial infection of the lymph nodes • Streptococcus zooepidemicous, S. equi • direct or indirect contact with the infectious discharge

• swollen underneath throat latch and behind the edge of the jaw • infection becomes and abscess, causes the nodes to swell • will rupture open and drain infectious pus, either externally or internally

• barn quarantine and biocontainment until the disease has run its course • abscess must be lanced and cleaned regularly *

• horseflies and deer fly bites in animals can carry blood in their mouth and can infect others • unsterile instruments • viral disease, infectious, and incurable • three phases • acute • chronic • inapparent *

• 90% of positive horses are located in Virginia

• first retest the horse • euthanize • slaughter? • lifetime quarantine • keep the horse several hundred yards from any other horse

Donkeys have 31 pairs of chromosomes Horses have 32 pairs of chromosomes

genetic makeup, referring specifically to a particular trait

alternative form of a gene -example gene controlling straight or curly hair

two of the same alleles/genes -WW or ww

two different alleles -Ww

expressed trait

unexpressed trait

control a trait, gene pairs not equally expressed (Ww)