Pet Health Education Handouts
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Diarrhea means the production of feces that are softer than normal. Normal equine feces are produced in formed, non-offensive smelling, greenish-brown, semi-solid portions that will break up in the hand, revealing varying degrees of fibrous content depending upon diet.
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Potential purchasers of yearlings and even foals at public sales increasingly ask for endoscopic examinations ('scoping') of the larynx and pharynx to be performed in an attempt to assess 'soundness of wind'.
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Epistaxis means simply bleeding from the nose. The term can therefore cover anything from a tiny trickle down one nostril to a heavy gushing from both nostrils. Blood that appears at the nostril can originate from anywhere in the upper or lower respiratory tract including the sinuses or other closely related structures of the head.
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Horses and ponies are efficient herbivores and one of the key adaptations that evolution for a life of grazing has equipped them with is a set of hardwearing and specialized teeth.
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There are four Herpesviruses that are widespread in the horse environment and that are associated with a variety of disease syndromes in horses. They are called Equid Herpesviruses 1, 2, 3 and 4 (EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-3 and EHV-4).
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Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), sometimes called 'swamp fever' is an infectious disease that causes acute, chronic or symptomless illness, characterized by fever, anemia, swelling and weight loss in horses, ponies, mules and donkeys.
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This condition takes its name from the comparable human condition, metabolic syndrome. It is a complex, multi-factorial problem involving numerous body systems. In humans it increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, diabetes and other potentially serious medical disorders.
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EVA is a highly contagious disease that can cause a 'flu-like' illness of varying severity and occasionally abortion or even death in horses. It is found in many different parts of the world and is endemic (widespread) in many continental European horse populations.
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Horses are kept for many different reasons including athletic competition, breeding, pleasure riding and companionship.
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Injuries to the eye and surrounding areas of the head and face are relatively common in horses and ponies due to their inquisitive nature and as a result of "arguments" with each other and with structures such as stable doors, fence posts, trees, etc.