| This segment by- Paul Weitz DVM
Aug / Sept-06 |
| Hot Weather |
|
The main Issue with hot weather is to make
sure you have an unlimited supply of fresh water to drink. Let them
drink as much as they can. There is no reason to limit their water
intake. After exercise on hot days it is ok to let them drink a good
amount of water. The risk of them colicking from over drinking is
low. If they are getting ice cold water the n you don't want them
drinking rapidly, but otherwise let them drink. They will lose a lot of
water sweating so it is important to let them get that back.
If you are trying to cool your horse by hosing them
down , it is best to hose and scrape the water as quickly as possible.
follow this with repeated hosings & scrapings. This will help them
cool quickly.
|
| Summer Eye Problems:- |
|
This hot weather is great for flies and these little
buggers can lead to a variety of eye problems. I probably see the
majority of eye problems in late July, August & September. The
following are the major ones.... |
| 1. Corneal Ulcers |
|
These are abrasions or scrapes on the outer
surface of the eye (the cornea). They usually get them from rubbing
their eyes to get rid of the flies or because their eyes are irritated.
The symptoms to look for will be a swollen , teary eye. These are
usually quite painful and they should be examined promptly.
Usually the treatment is fairly simple & the ulcer
heals quickly. A complication of an improperly or untreated ulcer can be
an infected corneal ulcer/abscess and these are more difficult to treat.
If your horse has one call your vet!
|
| 2. Conjuctivitis |
|
This is an infection and inflammation
of the inside of the eyelids which are called the conjunctiva. This
usually is caused by flies & dust irritating the eyes. The symptoms
are usually swollen or puffy eyes with gunky discharge. These are not
usually that painful or squinty. Most of the time these will clear up
quickly with some topical antibiotics. Use ophthalmic (eye) ointments
for the eye. Don't use anything else it could lead to problems. |
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