Dourine is a worldwide, notifiable horse disease that is transmitted through mating. It is highly contagious, spreads very quickly and is almost always fatal. It occurs mainly in Asia, North and South Africa. Thanks to appropriate control measures, the disease is now considered to have been eradicated in Australia, North America and Central Europe.
The pathogen that causes glanders is a single-celled parasite called Trypanosoma equiperdum, which initially attacks the external reproductive organs of horses before spreading throughout the entire body, including the nervous system.
The disease progresses in three stages. In the first, primary stage, the pathogen enters the horse's genital mucosa through tiny injuries and begins to multiply there. After an incubation period of 2 to 12 weeks, the first symptoms appear in the form of a mucous discharge and inflammatory, reddened swellings with fluid accumulation (edema) on the foreskin, scrotum, or labia. After healing, the changes leave behind clearly defined, white (= unpigmented) scars, which are referred to as "toad spots."
In the secondary stage, the pathogens enter the bloodstream in waves. The toxins they produce cause swollen lymph nodes and vascular damage. This results in circular welts 3 to 5 cm in size distributed across the skin, known as "coin-shaped spots," which can last for 3 to 4 days.
Due to the obligation to report the disease, even a suspected infection must be reported to the responsible veterinary office. The disease is easy to recognize, at least in its advanced stages, based on its typical and very noticeable symptoms. The medical history also provides important information, as the disease is usually transmitted in breeding farms from an infected stallion to several mares.
Laboratory diagnostic tests are necessary to confirm the diagnosis. The officially prescribed method for detecting antibodies in blood serum is a special test, but it only provides evaluable results three weeks after the onset of the disease. The pathogen can also be detected directly in the laboratory using swab samples from the genital mucus or the wheal contents.
Since glanders has been virtually eradicated in Germany, there are no longer any outbreaks of the disease. Only in the context of breeding suitability or travel examinations may horses be identified as positive or questionable based on blood tests.
As glanders is a notifiable animal disease, no unauthorized treatment attempts may be made. Upon notification of a suspected or confirmed infection, the competent veterinary authorities shall immediately take official measures to control the disease and prevent its spread. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, these measures may include the administration of medication to combat the pathogen, contact and movement restrictions or breeding bans, and, particularly in advanced stages, the killing of infected animals.
Direct prevention of the disease is not possible. However, there are strict official regulations governing the importation of horses from high-risk countries. These are intended to prevent the disease from spreading again in Germany.
Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining that can occur in dogs as a result of superficial or deep injuries. Persistent irritation of the stomach lining can lead to chronic inflammation and ultimately to a stomach ulcer. The disease can take an acute or chronic course.
Like humans and dogs, horses can also suffer from poor heart performance. In heart failure, the heart is unable to pump enough blood through the body, resulting in a lack of oxygen supply to the cells and a backup of blood in the body and pulmonary circulation.
Giardiasis is a diarrheal disease in dogs and cats caused by single-celled parasites in the small intestine. There are different types of Giardia, most of which are harmless to humans. However, some rare forms can also be transmitted to humans, making it a zoonosis. Young children and immunocompromised individuals are particularly at risk, which is why strict hygiene measures are essential when dealing with giardiasis.
X-ray fluoroscopy is an imaging examination method that uses X-rays to create a series of moving images of the part of the body being examined. The X-ray machine is freely movable thanks to a C-shaped arm (= C-arm), allowing the body part or organ to be viewed from all angles in real time on the monitor.
Distemper is a long-known and highly contagious viral infection that can affect various carnivorous wild animals as well as dogs and ferrets. It is also known as Carré's disease, after its discoverer, Henri Carré. Since the introduction of protective vaccination in 1960, outbreaks and mortality rates have been significantly reduced. However, with declining vaccination rates and the constant increase in dog imports from Eastern Europe, distemper is once again on the rise in Germany.
Cryptorchidism refers to the absence of one or both testicles in the scrotum of a stallion. It is a relatively common developmental disorder in horses and can occur in all horse breeds. These stallions are also colloquially referred to as "Klopp-, Spitz- or Urhengste" (clop, pointed or original stallions). Since the majority of cryptorchid stallions are infertile, this condition also has economic significance in relation to horse breeding.
If feed components or foreign bodies become stuck in the horse's esophagus, the surrounding muscles cramp up and a blockage occurs. Due to the risk of pneumonia caused by inhaling feed residues (aspiration pneumonia), a blockage is always a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate veterinary treatment.
If your horse suddenly looks like it has run through hundreds of stinging nettles or been bitten by a swarm of mosquitoes, it could be hives, also known as urticaria. Triggered by certain stimuli, this excessive reaction of the immune system causes hundreds of small, round, raised swellings, known as wheals, to form on the horse's skin. In most cases, this rash disappears quickly once the cause has been treated.
Despite its somewhat misleading name (hematoma = bruise), this very rare disease in horses is not a simple bruise, but a slowly growing tumor originating in the ethmoid bone or paranasal sinuses that can cause severe bleeding. Ethmoid hematoma can occur in horses of any age, but is most common in horses between 8 and 15 years of age.
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, also known as dry eye, describes inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva caused by insufficient or completely absent tear fluid, which in severe cases can lead to blindness.
Pyometra is a purulent inflammation of the uterus that occurs in most cases approximately two to ten weeks after the last heat and is the most common disease of the female reproductive organs. According to recent scientific studies, 25% of all unspayed female dogs develop pyometra within the first ten years of their lives. Female dogs that have not yet been pregnant and female dogs over the age of four are at higher risk of developing pyometra.
This condition, also known as "cold tail," has been known for some time but remains largely unexplored. It occurs mainly in the summer months, is characterized by a distinctive tail posture, and is very painful.
