Poultices are a fabulous way to keep your horse’s legs cool and tight, and are best applied after a tough workout or when there is swelling present in the leg. Typically, poultice is applied and left on for about 12 hours or overnight. When should you poultice a horse’s foot? Read more…
Since this is an allergic reaction, there is no specific treatment for this horse disease. If the reaction is severe, your veterinarian may prescribe steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to calm the itching. You can also use soothing shampoos and lotions to calm the itching. How do you treat dermatitis in horses? Read more…
Affected areas should be gently washed with a mild disinfectant shampoo or solution e.g., chlorhexidine or povidone iodine and as many of the scabs as possible removed without causing excessive discomfort to the horse. What can I put on a horse scab? Hydrogel is one such item that helps with Read more…
CPL is painful and is often hard to treat when there are other issues complicating the recovery. Can CPL cause lameness? The disease starts at an early age and progresses throughout the life of affected horses, often resulting in disfigurement and lameness. How do you manage a horse’s CPL? Horses Read more…
Some signs that your mare may have a ‘bean’ that needs removal is if she’s itchy and rubbing her tail a lot (but you know you’ve wormed her), or even bucking or kicking which is out of character. It depends on the individual mare as to whether you check her Read more…
Chronic Progressive Lymphedema. He said his horse had ‘milk leg’, an old term for Chronic Progressive Lymphedema, and the horse was suffering greatly. He wanted the horse removed today. Can you cure milk leg in horses? There is no “cure” but intensive management protocols can slow disease progression and improve Read more…
Unlike ringworm and other, similar fungal infections, thrush occurs on the horse’s hooves most of the time. It is also technically a fungal infection as well, but is caused specifically by yeast (Candida albicans). What is thrush in horses caused by? Thrush is an unpleasant infection of the horse’s frog Read more…
Since the legs are in the lower part of the body of the horse, as a result of gravity, fluid can build up due to the leaking of fluid from blood vessels and tissues. This is known as edema, and can occur from issues such as a cut or scratch, Read more…
Chronic progressive lymphedema is a systemic disease of the lymphatic system in which the skin lesions on the lower limbs occur secondarily due to poor lymphatic drainage and tissue perfusion. The cause of CPL is unknown, but high incidence in the aforementioned breeds suggests a genetic component. WHAT DOES CPL Read more…
I simply use KY Jelly, a water-based lubricant, and vinyl gloves — never latex gloves. I will often lubricate the sheath first and leave it for a bit while I treat another horse, and then by the time I have come back to it, the beans will have loosened up Read more…