Page 1019 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse
P. 1019

The diagnosis is made on the history and clinical signs. Take a video, it may be helpful to

        show it to your vet.
  VetBooks.ir  Treatment




        MANAGEMENT

        The aim of treatment should be to change the horse’s management so that the horse no longer

        feels the need to perform this type of behaviour. Changes include the following.
        •    Turning the horse out to graze as much as possible.

        •    Avoid feeding concentrates wherever possible. If they must be fed, reduce the starch and

             sugar content and feed a high fibre oil – based diet.
        •    Put the feed into the horse’s stable before bringing him in from the field. This reduces the

             period of intense anticipation and anxiety when a number of horses are fed together.

        •    Gradually increase the forage content of the diet. Ideally the horse should have access to
             forage at all times. If it needs to be restricted, the consumption can be slowed by using
             nets with small holes or by putting one hay net inside another.

        •    Make sure the horse is able to interact normally with other horses. The horse should be

             turned out with a small group of others with whom he feels safe and comfortable.
        •    Grilles  can  be  placed  in  partitions  between  stables  allowing  visual  contact  with  other

             horses. Partitions  which  allow  physical contact  between adjacent  horses are  beneficial
             provided the horse is happy with its neighbour. Anxious horses sometimes respond well

             to being moved to another stable with a new neighbour.
        •    Horses are social animals and should not be kept in isolation. Provision of a companion

             is important.

        •    A stable mirror can help in some cases.
        •    When  a  horse  persists  in  cribbing  and  wind-sucking,  it  is  a  good  idea  to  provide  a

             suitable surface to reduce the wear on the teeth and the risk of splinters. A bar of wood,

             covered by rubber matting is ideal. It should be positioned close to the manger at chest
             height.


        GASTROSCOPY


        If  the  above  measures  do  not  eliminate  the  behaviour,  gastroscopy  is  recommended  to
        confirm or rule out gastric ulcers.


        MEDICAL TREATMENT
   1014   1015   1016   1017   1018   1019   1020   1021   1022   1023   1024