Sick horsey

[altivo]

No, not me. Asher has what we believe are allergies. He often develops a cough this time of year, and I've thought it might be ragweed pollen, which is in full bloom here now. We have some mild antihistamines we give him and that usually helps until the air starts to clear.

He's been coughing and we've been dosing, but without much success this year. This evening it got worse, turning to a fairly obvious dyspnea. Tthat's like asthma in humans, where the horse seems unable to catch his breath and pants like a dog. Fortunately, not severe enough for him to start mouth breathing, because that means a real bad problem in a horse. Just nostrils dilated and huffing breaths at a fairly high rate (40 or more per minute, where the norm for a resting horse is probably 15-20) and you can see his flanks contracting at each exhalation. Gary noticed the muscle contractions first and thought it was colic, but it isn't. He's eating and pooping, for one thing, and colicky horses generally lose interest in food.

The vet is due tomorrow anyway for one of her regular visits, but we called her. She had us take his temperature and asked some questions, then decided it wasn't an emergency yet. She asked if we had any dexamethazone, but we don't. Then she named another strong anti-inflammatory drug, I forget which, but we don't have that either. She settled on a smallish dose of bute, which we do have, and told us to give him a cold water bath to help relax him. So we took him out and gave him a nice washdown with the hose while his brother Archie stuck his head out the dutch door and made worried noises. Asher didn't complain about the bath (they never do when it gets hot and humid, they obviously enjoy that) but he didn't like the bute and tried to spit it out. I think he got most of it down in the end. Went out to check on him a few minutes ago, and he's still panting, but looks less worried about it. And he is chewing down his hay as steadily as usual. I'll check again before I go to bed, but I guess he's OK for the moment. It would be nice if the temperature would drop, though. He's such a sweet boy most of the time, we can't help but worry. He has a heart murmur and might be inclined to congestive heart failure, though so far there have been no signs of any problem there. Anyway, the doc is going to leave us some other drugs for the first aid kit tomorrow, which will be good I guess.

Oh, and I discovered, to my embarrassment, that I've forgotten what I learned as a vet student 35 years ago about using a stethoscope. We have one, and I wanted to count Asher's pulse with it, but couldn't find his heartbeat. He's not that fat, so it had to be me doing the wrong thing. Unfortunately, I won't be here tomorrow when the vet comes. Hopefully she'll show Gary and he can correct whatever I was doing wrong.

It was clear and sunny this morning, but cloudy and ominous by sunset. I suspect we'll have more thunderstorms overnight, just as we did last night. Simon, my bearded collie, is afraid of thunder, and the only time he gets on the bed is when there's a thunderstorm during the night. He was up there, twitching like crazy, for about 40 minutes. I don't mind much, I like having him in bed with me, but it keeps Gary awake and he's much more sensitive to sleep deprivation than I am...

Comments

[shadow-stallion.livejournal.com]

I hope things turn out ok with Asher. I will keep my hooves crossed for you guys.

Your thunderstorm story reminded me of a girlfriend (yes, I said girlfriend) I had in college who would get all twitchy and nervous when there was a thunderstorm. Niko could actually care less what it is doing outside unless he hears another dog, then he thinks it's play time. :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm sure Asher will be OK. I checked a couple of times during the night and he's stable enough (no pun intended.) When the vet gets here she'll give him a shot of something stronger to dilate his airways and he'll be right back to normal. As they say, as long as he's eating and pooping, and drinking water, he's in no great danger. It just looks scary to see him huffing for breath like that.

Girlfriend? Why should I be surprised? I've been there too. Myself, I really like thunderstorms, though I'm not overly fond of high winds. Living in a grove of huge trees does tend to make you a bit nervous about wind damage.

[shadow-stallion.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear he is still doing fairly well and hopefully the vet can give him something to perk him back up and breathing normally.

*chuckles* I don't know, a lot of people just find it odd that a gay stallion would have had a girlfriend in the past. Perhaps it was all about finding the path that suited us best.

Living at the tail end of tornado alley I am somewhat accustomed to the high winds and violent storms. I find them both fascinating and frightening to a certain extent. I don't really get spooked until I hear the sirens go off which has only happened once since I have lived here.

[kakoukorakos.livejournal.com]

You were a vet student, but didn't complete the degree? Curious, why'd you drop it?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I could just say "young and foolish". It was the 60s after all.

Too much intellectual curiousity is probably the best explanation. After a couple of years I began to chafe at the restrictions that a professional curriculum puts on your studies. You don't have time for things outside the field, like astronomy or philosophy, or my great love, language. I had to battle advisors to be allowed any elective courses, even though my grades were all A's. Being naturally rebellious, not to mention caught up in the dawning realization of my sexual orientation and a lot of other things, I jumped ship into the liberal arts where no one would try to tell me what to do. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I didn't realise you had more horses, for some reason I just thought you had Tess o.O Although I'm sure you mentioned you had other horses.

I hope you can get something for Asher, Does anything like eucalyptus or tea tree oil help with their allergies?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Eucalyptus helps me a lot. The thing about horses though is that they have a different digestive system than we do and it can be easily tipped off balance. They are evolved for near desert conditions and a pretty limited diet, so oral meds have to be carefully considered. I know menthol type compounds can cause unexpected reactions in the alimentary canal, so I don't know but what they'd also cause trouble when inhaled. Conceivably it could do just the opposite of what it does for us, and cause their nasal passages to constrict.

I have three horses. Archie and Asher are half brothers, same father and born two weeks apart. They've been together all their lives and are quite inseparable, which means if one is sick or upset, you have to deal with two.

Tess (whose real name is the stuck-up Contessa of Milk 'n' Honey) is from a different line and I got her at an auction four years after we got the boys. She was a brood mare, and has had four foals. Other than her occasional foot issues, she's healthy as, well, a horse. ;p It took a while for her to really pay attention to us, as she was used to the company of other horses rather than people (even though she is trained to ride both English and Western) but now she is quite affectionate and responsive and seems to like being handled and groomed. A typical mare, though, in that she can be impatient and likes being bossy.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Do Archie and Asher behave similar? What's the difference between English and Western riding? I'm not up on all these equine terms :)

I didn't realise horses have such sensitive digestive systems, but I guess it's like that for any creature that evolved in a specific environment.

I asked about the eucalyptus because that's what our vet recommended for cats with a cold. Kitty was sneezing once from a cat cold she'd caught at the vets. So I steamed and heated up the bathroom a lot and added eucalyptus oil to the sink with boiling water then I had to trick kitty into the room and locked her in for a bit. And it worked for her stopped her sneezing and wheezing :) But Equines are massively different to felines so I'm not terribly surprised its not a good treatment for horses.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually, eucalyptus might work for horses, I just haven't ever heard of it being used. The convenient way for humans, though, which is the cough drop with eucalyptus oil in it, won't work because the horse will just chew it up and swallow it, thus not getting the benefit of breathing the vapors. Instead the oil would go to the digestion, hence my remarks above.

Inhalation therapy for a horse is very difficult. It is used sometimes where suitable facilities are available, but an appropriate room is costly to construct. Another approach, using a facial mask such as human asthma patients often use, is also available but as you might guess, that freaks most horses out and requires considerable effort to get them used to it.

As sharks are often described as "eating machines", so horses are "breathing machines." Their ability to run long distances depends absolutely on their ability to process huge amounts of oxygen quickly, so they have the lungs and circulatory system for just that. One way to dominate an uncooperative horse is to control his air supply in such a way that he immediately realizes he can't fight. I consider this very cruel but once in a while it may be the only way to get medicine or treatment for an unruly animal.

English and Western riding

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oops, forgot to answer that. I imagine you'd see both in Australia, just as you do here, though Australia also has its own style, a blend of the two that uses a special kind of saddle. I happen to like the Australian style myself and have a nice Aussie saddle that fits Tess quite well.

English or European style grows out of a tradition of using the horse as transportation for long distances but not performing heavy work from the saddle the way cowboys or gauchos do. The saddle is minimal in size, light in weight, and almost flat. Thoroughbred racers use English tack and a modified English posture. In English riding, the stirrup is shortened so that the rider's knee is slightly bent, and the rider "posts" as the horse trots, lifting himself from the saddle and then settling back in order to avoid the pounding bounce that a trot can produce. In today's practice, I associate English riding style with rather stuffy and stylish horse shows and people who are fixated more on appearances and wearing the proper clothes than on practicality. This is probably an unfair prejudice, of course.

Western tack and riding derives from the Spanish and Mexican cattlemen's methods, which in turn were heavily influenced by the Moors when they were in Spain. The saddle is larger, with a rigid frame of wood. It is shaped with raised pommel and cantle to help keep the rider in place during rough maneuvers. The stirrups are set longer, so that the rider's legs are nearly extended, allowing just enough shortness that he can stand right up in the stirrups and his crotch will clear the saddle by a hand's breadth or so. Western riders may post the trot but rarely do so. They take advantage of the heavier tack and just sit it out. The Western saddle is designed to help keep you in your seat during an extremely rough ride. Since it comes from a working tradition, even in shows the rider's dress and posture are much more relaxed.

Australian tack is working tack, created for cattle and sheep ranchers primarily, and adapted to the steep and rugged trails often encountered there. The long stirrup of the Western style is generally used, though the stirrup irons may resemble English ones. The really distinctive characteristics of the Australian saddle are the overgirth (a second girth strap that passes over the top of the seat for extra security on steep grades) and the poleys (semi-rigid flaps that stick out like huge mouse ears on either side in front of the rider's thighs, providing a brace when going downhill.) An Australian saddle is very comfortable to sit in, and feels very secure in most postures, though it might be iffy if the horse rears up uncontrollably because the cantle is not quite as high.

The three styles are characterized mainly by the differences in the tack used, but also have cultures that have grown up around them so it's sometimes hard to distinguish whether someone is talking about the practical aspects or the "atmosphere". ;D

Re: English and Western riding

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I love these educational posts.

Thanks Tivo :) I wonder which my horse rearing side of the family uses.
*saves the post for reference*

Re: English and Western riding

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh. I worry about sounding too much like a lecturing professor sometimes.

Forgot to mention that Western saddles almost always have a horn at the front, which is optional but not terribly common in the Australian saddle and never seen on an English saddle.

There are also different practices with respect to the bridle and bit(s), and Western riders mostly teach their horses neck reining, which is almost the opposite of the way English riders use the reins.

Re: English and Western riding

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Don't be, this cat likes to learn things.

And although I may have some misconceived notions about some things I am also open to discussion and intelligent argument :)

However one of my failings is a tendency to sit on the fence on matters I so I'm not the most decisive type unless I know enough about the subject.

[kildoo-lonewolf.livejournal.com]

Horses have a huge muscular mass which make it harder to scan then smaller animals. I always prefer to take there pulse on the big vein under the jaw bone (it pass between the two halter straps)with my fingers.



How To Check a Horse's Pulse:

The horse's pulse can be found near the front of the left jawbone. Under the jawbone, there is a major artery that sticks out slightly. Using your forefinger (never your thumb - because you may feel your own pulse), press against the artery firmly. Use a clock or counter to time a 15 second period. Multiply the number of beats you counted by 4.

You may also place your hand or a stethoscope behind the horse's left elbow to take his pulse. Be sure to count each lub-dub as 1 beat


I hope it will help you.


His breathing should improve within the hours with the dextamethasone (it is a glucocorticoide and a very strong antihistamine and anti-inflammatory). It is so hard not to be touch by their behaviors when they are sick. They can be so good at expressing their emotions...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I looked it up in the veterinary encyclopedia last night and I still think I was in the right places but couldn't find it. I didn't try the back of his knee, though. I'll check again this morning and see if I can't figure it out.

You're right about the emotions. He doesn't seem particularly to be upset, so he's felt this way before and survived it, but it does look unpleasant. One of my own worst fears is suffocation, so I may overempathize. I'm sure you're right that the dex will help. I believe she has given him that once before by injection.

I went out twice during the night to check, and he was pretty much unchanged. At least it's not getting worse.

[felder.livejournal.com]

Hope your horsey gets well soon hon. *snugs tight*

I'm sure with the right meds he'll be back up and trotting quickly.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. They're tough critters and I'm sure you're right. ;D

[doc-moreau.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, for years i've been wanting to hear a horse's heartbeat. (and even moreso than that, to get an audio sample of it...) ...i should like, call a vet about it or something.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

There ought to be an audio sample on the web somewhere.

In a healthy horse that is standing at rest and hasn't been exercising in the last half hour or so, it's an amazingly slow and ponderous thing but also very steady and sounds as unstoppable as a boulder rolling downhill.

Heartbeat sounds

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Interesting. Now that I'm at work I did a little checking and found that sound samples of animal heartbeats are scarce. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine has a project to build a database to help students recognize normal and problem sounds, but it isn't complete yet.

I'll see what I can do for you. I need to relearn how to use my stethoscope anyway. There's apparently a fad for pregnant women to record their unborn child's heartbeat and send the mp3 file to all their friends and relatives (sounds yucky to me, but whatever floats their boat) so it can't be too difficult. If I can figure out a way to do it, I'll get you a sample.

Re: Heartbeat sounds

[doc-moreau.livejournal.com]

Yeah, i've searched the internet far and wide, and i haven't even come across a bad, noisy sample, let alone a good one. It's something i thought would be relatively easy to find on veterinary sites and such when i first looked...

The easiest way by far would be with a digital stethoscope (at least one that would have an audio out to connect to speakers or headphones... i'm not an expert on stethoscopes, but that seems like something that would be available. But, i'm guessing you probably have the regular kind right?
Recording the sound from that isn't something i'd know how to do... if you can figure out a way, and manage to do it, that'd be awesome!

This might be totally unfounded, but i have a vague recollection that i read somewhere once that a horse's heartbeat has four 'beats' instead of two like that of humans. Any truth to that?

Re: Heartbeat sounds

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It has four "phases", usually referred to either with Roman numerals or by names, but I think all mammals are the same in that respect. The two loud ones are the ones often referred to as "lubb dupp" or something like that,and are the alternate contractions of auricles and ventricles. The other phases are related to valve action and blood flow and can be heard if you have a really good ear and quiet environment, or if you use an electronic device to listen with. If I remember correctly, the auricles contract, filling the ventricles. Then the ventricles contract with a firmer sound, pumping blood into the lungs and the rest of the body. then there's a pause, and then the sound of the auricles refilling with returned blood.

What I found notable when listening in the past though, is more like two very solid beats and a two beat rest, which then repeats. If I were to write it as music, the ventricle contraction is the accented first beat of a measure in common or 4/4 time, followed by two almost silent beats. The fourth beat is actually half rest as well, then the auricles contract on the off-beat, so it's like DUP-pause-pause-pauselub-DUP-pause-pause-pauselub-

As I said above, in a calm, resting horse, it's very slow and deliberate sounding, and very steady, about 30 to 40 repeats per minute. If you count the quarter notes, then the tempo is fast, 150 or 160 on a metronome, but if you just count the entire repeat as one beat, then it's slow. A human sounds much the same, but most of us run faster than that and aren't as loud and deliberate sounding. Horses have huge hearts, literally.