Diseases and Conditions Blog Posts

You are all familiar with my daughter's favorite horse, Moon Light Willy. He has been the source of more than one blog post on EquiMed. A couple of weeks ago, Wilbur (his barn name) had a minor colic.

The horse’s stomach secretes acid all the time, even when empty. Chewing creates saliva, a natural antacid. If left with nothing to eat, horses will chew on whatever they can, even their own manure, to neutralize the acid that is causing them physical pain and mental discomfort.

Show season has come to a close, and we have begun weatherizing our trailers and equipment for the coming cold months. Since my last post, we have only had one vet call for a minor gas colic. Almost without fail, when the season changes we see an occasional colic in our herds of horses and donkeys.

Ulcers are tricky. Some horses do not show any overt signs of having them, while others show signs, but do not have ulcers. The key is to watch for changes. Look for signs such as not finishing his meal, intermittent colic episodes, weight loss, poor attitude or reluctance to work, incurable diarrhea, or an unthrifty appearance.

My husband’s favorite story from my years in equine medicine is also one of the most disturbing.  I was a few years into practice, but still optimistic enough to attempt a Sunday brunch with my family while on-call.

First of all let me say that I love the internet. It helps me connect easily with my European clients and the time difference, and I can write e-mails at hours when phone calls would be unwelcome. I can use the internet to research just about anything.......and here is the problem.