Equine
Non-Infectious Diarrhea in the Adult Horse
By Lauren Lamb, DVM
Diarrhea in the adult horse can be caused by infectious and non-infectious diseases. Last month we talked about infectious causes of diarrhea; this month we will focus on the common cause of non-infectious diarrhea. The three most common causes of non-infectious diarrhea include sand accumulation in the colon, proliferative and inflammatory bowel disease, colon neoplasia (cancer), cantharidin toxicity (blister beetle) and parasite infection in the large colon.
Horses with sand accumulation in the colon frequently have a history of living in an area with sandy soil and being fed hay on the ground. Other common findings in the history include weight loss over a period of months to weeks, mild colic multiple times prior to developing a severe colic and intermittent or consistent diarrhea. Yes, I said that correctly, sand accumulation in the colon will cause colic as well as diarrhea.
A fecal sedimentation is a simple test that can be performed on a horse’s feces to confirm sand accumulation in the large colon. A fecal sedimentation can be performed by simply collecting a hand full of feces from the horse’s rectum and placing this feces in a plastic palpation sleeve. The palpation sleeve is then filled with one to two liters of water and hung up on the wall for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes the fingers of the plastic palpation sleeve will be full of sand if your horse has sand accumulation in the large colon. Not all horses that have sand accumulation in the large colon will pass sand in their feces. Abdominal radiographs of the lower abdomen can also be used to diagnose sand accumulation in the large colon. A powerful radiograph machine is needed to obtain diagnostic radiographs of the lower abdomen. Horses requiring an abdominal radiograph may need to be referred to a specialty equine medical center.
To read more pick up a copy of the August 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
The mystique and imagined glory of the rodeo road call many young people’s names. As they grow up, they watch the greats of the sport run from rodeo to rodeo and occasionally land on the television giving the perception of the rockstar lifestyle.
No, the glory of the rodeo road is not as grand as, say, the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, but being an athlete competing in front of the yellow chutes of Vegas is just as big a deal, and in every way, can be compared to competing in a Super Bowl.
However, things sure are different in the rodeo world. Let us take a minute and talk about what seem to be simple things in life that impact rodeo and rodeo athletes that in no way would make a difference to the big-money sports.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Garrett Metcalf, DVM
It is common for horse owners to have a horse with a wound or laceration at some point in their life. Sometimes small lacerations can be perceived as benign, inconsequential problems that do not need immediate veterinary attention and are managed by the owners or trainers initially. Unfortunately, these simple-looking wounds can involve very important anatomical structures that can lead to serious infections that can be life-threatening or, at best career-limiting, for the horse.
Large wounds tend to get all the attention from owners or trainers because when they occur they are so obvious and visually appalling that medical attention is sought almost immediately. Those types of large wounds can be devastating, but they often involve the upper body regions of the horse, which heal better and often don’t involve structures such as joints or tendons.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
Have you ever wondered what the rodeo looks like for contract personnel in the winter?
This month we will look at what the winter months look like from the rodeo photographer’s perspective.
To understand the time and demands that go into a career as a rodeo photographer, let’s start at when the season gets busy. Not all rodeo photographers work the same. There are many varieties in their career field. They can vary from the few weekends here and there to the full-timer who travels more than 30 weekends a year.
The full-timer that spends most of their year working usually hits the road in late winter. Yes, the winter months are slower but the photographer who has cemented themselves into the field usually books a few during late winter.
Rolling into the spring it begins to get busy. Depending on the photographer, spring can start with an every other weekend type schedule all the way to every weekend through the summer. In 2023 there were photographers that had 20-plus weeks straight going from rodeo to rodeo.
When late fall rolls in things begin to slow down, even for the go-getter who books everything they can.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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