Page 134 - February 2016 Speedhorse

it’s wise to get an idea of what your horse’s normal temperature is by taking it daily for a few days
your horse’s temperature is 102 or 103 and he is happy—eating and drinking—there is no need to specifically treat the fever,” she explains.
If the horse is feeling miserable and not eating or drinking, your veterinarian may recommend treatment. “The first thing we’d use to treat
a fever is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drug like Flunixin Meglamine (Banamine) or Phenylbutazone (Bute). These will often bring down a fever. The important thing for horse owners to know, however, is that these drugs do not work any better if given at higher doses than recommended by the veterinarian, and high doses will actually be harmful,” says Nolen-Walston.
Often, horses arrive at the hospital after the owner has given them excessive Banamine or Bute for high fevers. When the owner did not see a reduction in fever from what he provided the horse, he would give more than the recom- mended amount believing that would help in reducing the fever. “They tell me they didn’t have any choice because the fever didn’t come down. But, if fever doesn’t come down with the proper dose, giving more is just going to
be toxic. I have seen horses die from too much Banamine or Bute,” she says.
If the fever doesn’t come down, do not
give the horse another dose. “Consult your veterinarian to see what the highest safe level is. The important thing to remember is that these drugs are much more toxic when the horse is not eating or drinking. If the horse is feeling miserable and you are giving NSAIDs and the horse is not getting any better, you should not give these drugs for more than a day or two without having your veterinarian take a look and give you additional advice.”
There is nothing life threatening about
a low to moderate fever. “If your horse has a fever of 102 for a week because he has a mild respiratory disease or some other self-limiting problem, the fever itself is not going to hurt the horse. Sometimes we’ll see fever of 105 or 106 in a horse, and this would be something to talk to your veterinarian about, as several of these conditions need specific treatment,” she says.
HigH TemperaTure in Foals
“For baby foals under a month old, I worry about owners giving NSAIDs because foals are very sensitive to the effects of these drugs. Also, because they are so small, it may be hard to estimate their weight and it’s easy to overdose
them. You should not give foals NSAIDs with- out direct consultation with your veterinarian,” says Nolen-Watson.
“An interesting thing with foals is that at times we see something called idiopathic hyperthermia, which means an increase in temperature that is not a fever. We see this most often in draft foals, Icelandic foals, and other dense-coated breeds when the foals are born in the summer. These foals can get really high temperatures in warm weather, and their temperatures are high- est in mid-day when it is the hottest,” says Nolen-Walston.
They can’t seem to get rid of the body heat and we don’t know exactly why these foals are unable to regulate their body temperature.
“The only way to help these foals is to reduce body temperature by clipping them and then giving them cool baths. At some point within the first month of life, their brain usually matures and gets better at regulating their temperature,” she says.
“If a foal has a high temperature, it is important to have your veterinarian come look at that foal. Most of the time, if you have a young foal with a high temperature,
it means the foal is very sick and may even have a blood infection (septicemia) and needs immediate treatment. But, occasionally a foal may just have idiopathic hyperthermia.” You need to know whether you should be treating a disease or just clipping the foal to help it stay cooler.
Keep Track of The Horse’s Temperature
Monitoring the horse’s rectal temperature when he is ill can give clues regarding his state of health and can also be important informa- tion to tell your veterinarian. An acute fever generally rises rapidly to a high peak, then starts back down. A persistent high fever is less common, but could be more serious.
A chronic low fever may persist if the horse has an infection that does not resolve. Some chronic fevers come and go, as in horses with
EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia). A horse with pleuritis or a peritoneal abscess may have a lin- gering fever. Your veterinarian may gain some clues regarding the horse’s problem by tracking the fever, so it’s best to have him/her examine the horse before you attempt to deal with the fever on your own. A fever’s severity, duration, patterns of highs and lows, etc., may help your veterinarian determine what might be wrong with the horse.
132 SPEEDHORSE, February 2016
equine health