Valvular endocarditis (VE) is an uncommon, life-threatening cardiac disorder in horses (1–3). This condition results from a microbial infection of the endothelial surface of the heart characterized by bacterial or fungal invasion of the valves (valvular endocarditis) or wall (mural endocarditis). What is the main cause of endocarditis? Endocarditis begins Read more…
The normal respiration rate for a horse is 8 to 16 breaths per minute. Is 30 breaths a minute normal? Respiratory rate: A person’s respiratory rate is the number of breaths you take per minute. The normal respiration rate for an adult at rest is 12 to 20 breaths per Read more…
Dust, pollen, mold and urine in the barn aggravate equine asthma symptoms. That means hay presents a problem, since horses inhale more of these irritants as they eat, and that bedding can also trigger equine asthma symptoms. What causes a horse to have breathing problems? Besides viral or bacterial infections, Read more…
The horse’s respiration rate, temperature, and heart rate are all helpful in determining the health status of the horse. The normal respiration rate for a horse is 8 to 16 breaths per minute. Why is my horse breathing so fast? Rapid breathing that is not associated with recent exercise is Read more…
What is a digital pulse and why is it important? The digital pulse is the pulse that can be felt as blood flows through the artery into a horse’s hoof. If there is any inflammation of the tissues in the leg or hoof the blood flow will be restricted making Read more…
Some of the more obvious signs are excessive urination, excessive posturing to urinate, blood in the urine, or dribbling of urine without full voiding of the bladder. Cystitis tends to affect mares more so than stallions. How do you tell if a horse has a urine infection? Bladder Infection in Read more…
Horses have a normal resting respiratory rate of 12-20 breaths per minute. During exercise the respiratory rate rises as high as 180 breaths per minute. What is the normal RR range for a horse at rest? 8 to 16 breaths per minuteThe normal respiration rate for a horse is 8 Read more…
Athletic horses often have low resting HRs. This indicates large stroke volume capacity. During exercise the rise in HR is the major contributor to the increase in cardiac output and it is responsible for 53% of the increase in oxygen consumption. What is low heart rate for a horse? In Read more…
Because of this, the horse’s nasal passages are large and can expand somewhat during strenuous exercise in order to increase the intake of air. When the level of oxygen in the blood is too low (called hypoxia or anoxia), the animal will show signs of respiratory distress. How much oxygen Read more…
120 breaths per minute. The normal respiration rate for a horse is 8 to 16 breaths per minute. Respirations triple when a horse walks. If a horse exercises extensively in high temperatures, respiration rate may increase to 120 breaths per minute. What respiration rate is too high? What is Considered Read more…