March 21, 2018 — An alpaca has died from a confirmed case of rabies in Douglas County. If your horse was immunized within the last year, you should have nothing to worry about. Please call us to schedule your annual booster! Visit Colorado Health Department to learn more about rabies.
Colic is one of those terms that is a bit all encompassing. Ultimately, it means your horse has a belly ache of some sort. Horses can show colic in a variety of ways, but here are some common behaviors:
– Refusing to eat
– Laying down even after you get them up again, or during feeding
– Rolling excessively
– Pawing the ground
– Looking, biting or kicking at their abdomen
– Stretching as if to urinate
– Excessive flehmen response
– Increased heart rate
– Sweating and increased breathing rate
Time is an important factor with colic. If you feel your horse is colicking immediately call us at 303-841-6006. While you wait for us try to walk your horse at a brisk pace, but only if your horse is safe to handle. Some horses can be very violent during a colic episode. If this is the case it is more important that you stay safe. When the vet arrives we will take care of it!
If your horse has stepped on a nail, or other sharp object that has penetrated the hoof capsule or sole, the first thing to remember is to resist the urge to pull it out! The second step, is to call us at 303-841-6006, and have the available veterinarian come out to x-ray your horse’s foot. This critical step allows us to determine where the nail actually went, whether important structures are involved, and what the prognosis may be.
While you wait for the veterinarian to arrive, keep your horse tied up in a clean location. You should also wrap the foot to help keep the environmental contaminants out of the wound. If a rear leg is affected, make sure any manure produced is cleaned quickly!
There has been a number of reports of significant infectious disease in our area. Here is a quick summary:
EIA – Equine Infectious Anemia is a virus spread by biting insects. It can result in a very serious, and untreatable disease. When you have a Coggins’ test performed on your horse, this is the disease you are ruling out. A 5-year old racing Quarter Horse was diagnosed positive in Fort Lupton and was euthanized May 8, 2017. Since this occurred before many of the biting insects were around in large numbers, the hope is that no other horses will be affected. The barn is under quarantine for 60 days and all horses will be retested at the end of that time.
Strangles – This is a respiratory disease caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. This strep bacteria usually causes symptoms such as nasal and ocular discharge, coughing, fever and swollen lymph nodes that can rupture and drain pus. In severe cases, these lymph nodes swell to the point that they obstruct the airflow through the trachea, causing respiratory distress and even death. Rarely, it can also cause other symptoms such as colic, depending on whether the bacteria makes it to the abdomen. While we may see a couple of cases each year, this year has seen a higher than normal spread of the disease, including an outbreak at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, home of the Westernaires Equestrian Team.
Rabies – This is a nearly 100% fatal virus that can easily spread between animals and from animals to humans. Two skunks and one fox were recently found to be positive for this disease. No horses or humans have been affected at this time. The signs associated with this disease are neurological (loss of coordination, odd behavior, sometimes aggressiveness) Another common sign is the appearance during the daytime of nocturnal animals or animals that usually hide. This disease can be prevented through routine rabies vaccination. If your horse has not been vaccinated against rabies within the last year, please call us to schedule one.
What is a Coggin’s test, and why do I need to get one for my horse?
New horse owners ask about Coggin’s testing frequently, and not having one when you need it is a real headache. The test checks for antibodies to a particular virus, the Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) virus. It is named for it’s inventor, Dr. Leroy Coggins. The test is regulated by the federal government, can only be drawn by a licensed and accredited veterinarian, and must be run in a federally accredited laboratory.
There are several important reasons to get an EIA test on your horse.
Where do you run the EIA test, and how long does it take?
Our laboratory is federally accredited to run EIA tests, and has been for a number of years. It is the only local laboratory in Elbert County. We routinely run the tests several days a week, and results usually take only a few days. In cases of an emergency (“I forgot that I needed a new one and I’m leaving this afternoon is the usual emergency!”) we can get while you wait results for you at an additional expense.
This is what an EIA test report looks like.
Our lab uses Globalvetlink for reporting. The report comes to you via email as a PDF which you can open and print whenever you like.
Call or email to make an appointment!
303-841-6006 office
office@cherrycreekequine.com