DISEASE NAME

(ALTERNATIVE NAME)

SIGNS

CAUSE

PREVENTION

TREATMENT

Colic

Belly Ache

Pawing, rolling, down, bloating, sweating, kicking or biting at belly

Parasites, change in diet, overeating, tumors, sand ingestion, impaction, gas, blister beetles, many others

No sudden changes in diet; feeding small meals instead of large meals; regular worming; do not feed on ground; float teeth as needed

Surgical or medical treatment may be needed.

Laminitis

Founder

Reluctance to walk; stiff, painful gait; hot hooves; increased pulses in feet; reacts to hoof testers

Overeating grain, severe illness, high fever, overwork, rapid cooling, too much green grass

Reduce fevers quickly; cool slowly after work; avoid hard work on hard surfaces; prevent grain overload; limit access to grass (some horses)

Cool feet; anti-inflammatories and/or other medications; rest; specialized shoeing

Influenza

Flu

Severe coughing, fever, nasal discharge

Virus

Frequent vaccination

Palliative; rest, anti-inflammatories

Strangles

Equine Distemper

Swollen or abscessed throat lymph nodes, copious nasal discharge, fever

Bacteria ( Streptococcus equi )

Vaccination, sanitation, isolation of affected animals

Palliative; rest, isolation, soft food, anti-inflammatories, +/- antibiotics

West Nile Virus

Fever, depression, paralysis, seizures, weakness, stumbling, death

Virus carried by mosquitoes

Vaccination; mosquito control

Palliative

Tetanus

Lockjaw

Contracted muscles; stiff legs, tail extended, ears pricked up, prominent third eyelid

Bacteria ( Clostridium tetani )

Vaccination

Supportive care: antibiotics, tetanus antitoxin, fluids, tube feeding, nursing care

Botulism

General muscle weakness; down; rests chin on ground

Bacteria ( Clostridium botulinum )

Vaccination; clean water and food; remove bird and vermin carcasses

Supportive care: antibiotics, botulism antitoxin, fluids, tube feeding, nursing care

Eastern, Western or Venezuelan Encephalitis

Sleeping sickness

Fever, depression, incoordination, coma, seizures, death

Viruses carried by mosquitoes

Annual vaccination, mosquito control

Palliative

Azoturia

Monday Morning Disease; Tying Up; Paralytic Myoglobinuria;

Equine Rhabdomyelosis

Severe hind quarter muscle stiffness, pain and swelling; reluctance to move; brown urine; stiff gait, poor performance; sweating

Imbalance between nutrient intake (especially carbohydrates) and workload

Feed according to workload?do not overwork or overfeed; regular exercise; reduce grain intake when not working

Rest; anti-inflammatories; muscle relaxants, rebalance fluids and electrolytes; Vitamin E, Selenium, thiamin

White Muscle Disease

Foals: weakness, down, muscle tremors, death

Adults: poor immune system or reproductive performance, retained placentas

Vitamin E and/or Selenium deficiency

Provide adequate Vitamin E and/or Selenium in diet

Vitamin E/Selenium injections and/or dietary supplements

Dermatophytosis

Ringworm

Itching, patches of hair loss and scaliness, scabs, crusts

Fungus ( Trichophyton equinum or Microsporum equinum )

Adequate Vitamin A intake, sunshine, clean environment, isolate infected animals

Disinfection, medicated bathes, time

Equine Protozoal Myelitis

Incoordination; abnormal gait; weakness; muscle atrophy; drooping eyes, ears or lips; difficulty swallowing;

seizures; poor balance

Protozoa ( Sarcocystis neurona) carried by opossums and shed in feces

Close and seal feed rooms and containers; keep wildlife out of barns and feed areas; feed heat-treated cereal grains; keep water tanks clean and provide clean water; vaccination

Specific anti-protozoal medication

Rabies

Paralysis, change in behavior, weakness, seizures, death

Virus

Vaccination

None--palliative

Recurrent Uveitis

Periodic ophthalmia,

Moonblindness

Tearing, squinting, cloudy eye, discolored eye, constricted pupil, avoidance of light, blindness

Unknown ( Onchocerca cervicalis parasite? Streptococcus equi or Leptospira bacteria? Autoimmune reaction?

Leptospirosis vaccination not approved in horses

Pupil dilation, anti-inflammatories

Pneumonia

Fever, dyspnea, elevated respiratory rate, poor endurance

Bacteria, molds, viruses

Good ventilation, no overcrowding, vaccinations

+/- antibiotics or anti-fungal medications; +/- anti-inflammatories

Rhinopneumonitis

Herpes

Abortion, paralysis, respiratory disease

Virus

Vaccination

Palliative

Dermatophilosis

Rain Rot, Rain Scald

Crusts and bumps in skin, especially over topline and rump

Humid, wet or muddy environment, bacteria ( Dermatophilus congolensis)

Shelter from rain; clean environment; sunshine; regular grooming

Medicated bath +/- antibiotics

Scratches

Grease heel, Cracked Heels, White Pastern Disease, Dew Poisoning, Mud Fever

Inflammation with crusty, scabby, oily bumps or sores on pasterns

Wet, muddy, or marshy areas; complex interaction of bacteria, fungus and mites

Avoid housing horses in wet environments

Remove horses from wet environment; wash affected area with soap and warm; apply diaper rash ointment for wetness barrier

Ephysitis

Lameness, swollen joints, +/- fever

Too rapid growth due to overfeeding or mineral imbalance? Genetics?

Do not overfeed weanlings and yearlings

Reduce plane of nutrition; +/- anti-inflammatories; rest

Equine Viral Arteritis

Fever, swollen limbs and genitalia, poor appetite, depression, nasal discharge, rash, abortion; pneumonia and death in young foals

Virus

Vaccination; testing to identify carriers; isolation of carriers

Palliative; anti-inflammatories

Diarrhea

Scours

Loose manure; +/- fever, weight loss, colic, depression, death, depending on cause

Bacteria (Salmonella, Campylobacter ,E. coli, etc.), parasites (Coccidia, Strongyloides westeri, etc.), viruses (Rotavirus, etc.), nutritional and other causes

Sanitation; good quality feed; some vaccinations; deworming; make feed changes gradually; isolate additions to herd; elevate feed and water; do not overcrowd or stress

Fluids, electrolytes; deworming; specialized medications for some diseases; probiotics

Sarcoids

Gray wart-like growths especially on head, chest, neck and front legs

Virus?

None? Avoid environments where horses with sarcoids have been?

Surgery, radiation, cryotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, natural remedies

Potomac Horse Fever

Equine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis

Fever, depression, poor appetite, severe diarrhea, dehydration, secondary laminitis

Bacteria ( Ehrlichia risticii ) via vector?

Vaccination

Supportive: fluids, electrolytes, anti-inflammatories, probiotics, founder treatment

Lyme Disease

Stiffness, lameness, irritability, +/- fever,

Bacteria ( Borrelia burgdorferi ) transmitted by ticks

Tick control; vaccine not approved

Anti-inflammatories, specific antibiotics

Leptospirosis

Fever, depression, poor appetite, jaundice, uveitis; miscarriage, stillbirth, or weak newborns

Bacteria (various Leptospira species)

Prevent exposure to contaminated water and equine and wildlife carriers; vaccination not approved

Antibiotics, supportive care

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Heaves

Increased respiratory rate and effort; coughing; decreased endurance, poor performance

Allergic reaction to inhaled mold spores

Avoid dusty and moldy feeds and environment; good ventilation

Soak hay to reduce dust; pellets or pasture preferable; specific medications to dilate airways and decrease inflammation in lungs; excellent air quality; rest; decrease environmental dust

Equine Infectious Anemia

Swamp Fever

Fever, anemia, weakness, swelling, weight loss

Virus carried by biting insects

Mosquito control; quarantine of infected animals

Palliative