The weather is beautiful this weekend and you are going for a long ride on your horse. But right at the start of the first gallop, the horse suddenly becomes very stiff and starts sweating unusually heavily. It hardly wants to move and is pressing its back down. However, these signs seem too severe for simple muscle soreness, especially since you haven't done anything with the horse in the last few days. Avoid any further movement of the horse and always contact a veterinarian immediately in such cases, as the symptoms described above are very painful and may be the first signs of a cross-ties. As this muscle disease occurs frequently after horses have not been worked for one or more days with the same feed ration, it is also known as "holiday sickness" or "Monday morning disease." However, horses that are worked regularly can also fall ill. Young horses of heavy breeds are particularly at risk. This disease was greatly feared in the days when carriage and work horses were heavily used. Today, it only occurs sporadically, mostly in easy-to-feed horses with good nutritional status.
Cross-tie syndrome is a metabolic disorder. During prolonged periods of rest with a carbohydrate-rich diet, the horse's muscles build up an energy reserve called glycogen. When you start moving the horse again, the glycogen is broken down by the muscles with the help of oxygen. If there is too much glycogen, not enough oxygen is available for breakdown and breakdown products such as lactate accumulate in the muscles. This accumulation is exacerbated by cool outside temperatures due to the resulting poor blood circulation, as less lactic acid can be transported away. The muscles become acidic, cramp up, and, as this progresses, muscle cells can be destroyed and the muscle protein myoglobin can be released.
In typical cases, the first symptoms appear within the first quarter of an hour after the horse starts moving. The horse begins to tremble, sweat, and walk stiffly or even stop moving altogether. The back is arched, the front legs are pushed forward, and the hind legs are pushed far back. This "sawhorse stance" is characteristic of cross-ties. If movement is not stopped immediately, the hindquarters may buckle and the horse may fall. If the heart muscle is affected, an increased heart rate and cardiac arrhythmia may occur. The back, croup, and thigh muscles are severely hardened and painful. Another very noticeable symptom is the brownish discoloration of the urine, which is caused by the breakdown of myoglobin.
The disease is extremely painful for the animal and requires immediate veterinary treatment. In addition to assessing the typical symptoms, a blood test is the best way for the veterinarian to confirm the diagnosis.
The most important immediate measure is to prevent the affected horse from moving in order to prevent its condition from worsening. The muscles can be stimulated to improve blood circulation by covering the horse and rubbing it down. This supports oxygen supply and the removal of harmful substances.
Veterinary treatment will attempt to prevent further muscle damage. To this end, metabolism and kidney function are stabilized by administering fluids via infusion. Painkillers and antispasmodics may also be used. Your veterinarian will decide on the exact procedure on a case-by-case basis. Only when the horse is completely calm can it be carefully led back to the stable or transported.
The extent to which complete healing occurs depends very much on the severity and extent of the disease and, in particular, on whether the horse's movement was stopped immediately when the first symptoms appeared. In mild cases and with immediate treatment, complete relief of symptoms without any lasting damage can be expected after 12 to 24 hours. Even if the animal is lying down but is able to stand up alone or with assistance on the second or third day after treatment, there is a good chance of recovery. If there is significant muscle damage, the healing phase can be considerably longer. Incomplete healing with long-term effects in the form of muscle atrophy (muscle wasting) and permanent lameness is also possible. Affected animals tend to relapse.
In extremely severe cases, if no attempts to stand up are made after three days, the chances of recovery are very poor, as too much of the muscle tissue has already been irreparably damaged.
The incidence of the disease has already declined significantly in recent years thanks to improved husbandry and training conditions. Nevertheless, certain factors are known to promote the development of cross-tie syndrome. So what can I do as a horse owner to eliminate these factors? The basis of good prevention is feeding your horse a diet that meets its needs, with sufficient roughage, which should always be adjusted to suit the horse's daily workload.
Make sure your horse gets the same amount of exercise every day. If this is not possible, reduce the amount of concentrated feed. Don't expect your horse to run a marathon if it has had a long break from training. Always make sure your horse warms up properly and increase the workload gradually so that you can enjoy your next ride with your horse without any problems!
Tooth fractures are relatively common in dogs and are usually caused by playing with stones or sticks, biting, or accidents. This can result in small, sharp chips in the enamel or larger defects that expose the pulp (nerve and blood vessels). If the pulp cavity is exposed, the tooth should be treated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of infection and preserve the tooth. The incisors, canines, and fangs are primarily affected. Young dogs are particularly at risk because their teeth are still developing and are therefore much more unstable than those of adult dogs.
Just like us humans, our pets may also require surgical or diagnostic procedures that cannot be performed on an awake animal. Most operations and some diagnostic procedures, such as endoscopies or dental treatment, require anesthesia (a medically induced state of sleep), which carries certain risks even in healthy animals and during routine procedures. We will explain what you need to bear in mind before and after such a procedure in order to minimize these risks and what complications can arise during anesthesia.
Leukosis is a tumorous disease of the hematopoietic system and, unlike in dogs or cattle, is relatively rare in horses. Lymphatic leukosis is the most common form in horses and develops as a result of the degeneration of cells in the immune system.
Tumors of the urinary bladder or urethra are relatively rare in dogs, but are often malignant. In most cases, they are transitional cell carcinomas. Older female dogs are primarily affected. A higher incidence has been observed in Scottish Terriers, Airedale Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, and Beagles.
This tumor, which originates in the spleen, is one of the most malignant cancers in dogs. The spleen tumor grows very quickly and spreads metastases to all other organs, often before the actual primary tumor is discovered. Older dogs between the ages of eight and ten are most commonly affected.
It is something very special to buy a horse when it is still young or even a foal. Untrained and completely inexperienced, young horses need a lot of attention and knowledge, but ultimately it makes us riders very proud to work together with our beloved animals to become a great rider-horse team. However, any horse owner who plans to break in the horse themselves should first ask themselves critically whether they have the necessary riding skills and whether they have the time available. In any case, you should work hand in hand with a trainer to find solutions to even minor problems together. After all, it's about laying the foundation, which is essential for the horse's further training. Another option is to give the unbroken horse to a professional who has the necessary routine and experience in breaking in young horses. Often, just a few months are enough, and you can then bring the horse back and continue training it together with a trainer.
Anthrax is an acute, often fatal infectious disease that mainly affects cattle and sheep, but horses are also highly susceptible. The disease gets its name from the "burnt" appearance of the spleen in infected animals. Anthrax is found worldwide and is considered a zoonosis, as it is also dangerous to humans. It is a notifiable animal disease, but is now rarely observed in Germany. The anthrax bacterium is considered one of the most dangerous pathogens and could also be used by terrorists as a biological weapon.
A must-have in every horse stable: a box containing the most important items for providing first aid or minor treatment to your horse yourself.
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Since horses have a significantly higher seizure threshold than small animals or humans, for example, seizure disorders are relatively rare in horses. Seizures only occur in horses with severe brain damage. Foals, on the other hand, have a significantly lower seizure threshold and are more susceptible to seizure-triggering factors.
Feline panleukopenia, also known as parvovirus or panleukopenia, is an acute, serious infectious disease that is particularly dangerous and even life-threatening for young, unvaccinated cats. Thanks to an effective vaccine, this disease can now be easily prevented.
Lush green meadows, a small herd of horses galloping towards someone calling from afar, the sun shining from a cloudless sky... how beautiful are the images of summer! And what a time for our horses, when they can live as close to their natural state as possible. Nevertheless, grazing time also requires appropriate management, regardless of whether the horses are only out to pasture for a few hours or live on permanent pasture for months at a time.
Mycoplasmosis is the most common respiratory disease in rats. Also known as murine respiratory mycoplasmosis (MRM), this disease is caused by a bacterium that is very common in pet rats and is chronic and progressive.
