What seems to be a minor symptom could lead to a fatal illness
Horses are prone to common illnesses. With the types of diseases usually found in horses in mind; you can easily identify if any of the symptoms for one of them (or more) occurs and your horse can get timely medication and treatment.
Following are the commonly found diseases among horses of all kind:
- Horse Influenza (Horse Flu): A common illness diagnosed with dry cough & nasal discharge leaving your horse unstable for a few days. It is caused by inhalation of infectious material and has a high rate of transmission among horses which makes prevention harder for the care-takers.
- Rabies: Rabies is a fatal disease which is caused due to the bite of an animal already affected. Rabies is normally caused by dog/bat/ raccoon bites and affects the nervous system directly. It needs a vaccination as soon as possible otherwise it gets dangerously serious resulting in the death of your horse. The itching caused by unhealed sores often causes a higher level of irritability in horses which can cause madness.
- Encephalomyelitis: It is the term used for brain inflammation and that of the spinal cord of the horse. Encephalomyelitis is a virus carried and transferred by mosquitoes leaving the horse depressed, an insomniac, high fevered and blind. The activity graph of the horse slips tremendously to a steep level. A quick medical action has to be taken for the disease along with prevention from mosquito bites through a proper channel.
- Tetanus: Tetanus is often caused when a wound on the horse’s body is left untreated, that is where the tetanus infection stems. Often termed as ‘Lockjaw’ for its symptom causing muscle stiffness and stiff neck. It is caused by a bacteria found in soil or horse feces since it is full of a variety of parasites and infections. It should not be left untreated for even a short period of time.
- Cushing’s disease: This is a complex disease of pituitary gland in middle aged and old horses directly affecting brain activity and releasing increased amounts of dopamine. It is commonly identified with a long hair coat (normal shedding doesn’t take place), sinus and dental diseases are also witnessed in affected horses and it is said to be one of the most common diseases in horses.
- Horse Colic: A very familiar term among humans, colic problems are related to upset abdominal region activity. This may be caused by overloading of the stomach, internal hernia or any disease of the bladder. It causes restlessness and abdominal cramps which are often excruciatingly painful.
Horses need extra treatment and care no matter how strong they may be, viruses and diseases are a common cause of illness among horses, more so than injuries. They need to be treated with proper medications and medical examination by a veterinarian. Diet and hygiene are the basic factors playing a vital role in prevention of these diseases among your equine friends.
