BarnBiz n’ Bits

If you live in an area where snakes call home… the odds are good for your horse meeting up with one of these slithering serpents.

Would you know what to do if your horse was struck by a venomous snake?

Quite often, owners panic in those first scary moments and time is critical in order to save your horse from pain and tissue damage.

While it is impossible to predict when an encounter may happen, it is important to learn the tell-tale signs of a snake bite and the best course of action until veterinary help arrives.

WHAT YOU SEE

• Your horse’s muzzle is severely swollen.  A thin trickle of blood runs from each nostril.  You can see two small holes or bloody spots on his face about an inch apart.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO

• STAY CALM - Your composure is vital to your horse’s survival.
• CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY - The sooner your horse gets appropriate treatment, the greater his chance of avoiding more severe symptoms such as fainting and suffocation, or life-threatening problems such as laminitis or heart arrhythmia.
• CONFINE YOUR HORSE - The less your horse moves, the less toxin he’ll absorb into his bloodstream.  Halter and stay with your horse till the vet arrives.  Don’t move him.  Try to keep his head low as gravity helps keep the toxins from spreading.  If the animal is hot, sponge cool water over his body.
• AVOID “SNAKEBITE LORE” - Remedies such as cutting the wound and applying suction won’t help your horse and could actually cause harm.  In addition; ice and heat applications to the wound area can irritate and damage the affected tissue.
• IDENTIFICATION - If you can do so without endangering yourself, knowing the type of snake may help your vet formulate a treatment plan.

Prognosis for equine snakebite recovery is guarded to good.  Most deaths are caused by severe symptoms during the horse’s initial reaction to the snakebite (heart and/or breathing problems) or chronic, secondary conditions (laminitis, diarrhea, pneumonia, paralysis of muscles that govern swallowing, and wound complications).

Be aware of what’s around you… along barn aisles, water tubs and parked horse trailers. Snakes seek refuge in cool places when summer temperatures rise.  Watching where you walk and sit will help to KEEP you from getting an unexpected snake bite.

DID YOU KNOW…
The ancient Greek god, Asklepios, was thought to be a healer of the sick and injured.  People would take an offering to the temple and wait for Asklepios to either come to them in their dreams or send his servants, the snake, to help them.  One touch of the forked tongue was all they thought was needed to heal them.  The healing snake was the Aesculapian snake.  To this day the Aesculapian snake forms part of the symbol representing physicians and veterinarians!

Treating Equine Thrush

No sooner does your horse’s corral start to dry out when another storm finds him standing in a bog of mud and manure.  With persistent rains, thrush becomes a common problem for our stabled friends.

Caused by anaerobic bacteria, equine thrush is a fungal infection that slowly eats away at a horse’s hoof tissue predominantly in the frog area.  In its early stages, thrush is fairly harmless and easily treatable.  Left untreated, thrush can cause permanent lameness.

Generally, a hoof afflicted with thrush will display mild discomfort.  A black pus-like liquid accompanied by a distinctive odor indicate symptoms which require treatment.

Once you’ve learned to recognize its signs, thrush is fairly simple to cure with inexpensive medications found at your local tack or feed store.

Here are some helpful tips should you find yourself face to face with a stinky, blackened hoof in hand!

• Try to keep areas where your horse stands dry!  Check your feed store for bedding products that deter standing water and mud.
• Pick hooves daily to remove dirt and debris.  Pay close attention to frog and cleft areas.
• Scheduled trims and shoeing help prevent contracted heels and deep clefts where the thrush bacteria is easy to hide.

Should you find the thrush bacteria lurking in your horse’s hooves, treat the area immediately.  The simplest and least expensive alternative to over-the-counter remedies is to use iodine, betadine or chlorine bleach.

Paint or spray solution onto the bottom of your horse’s hooves making sure every possible crevice is permeated.  Apply twice daily for up to five days.  After this time, the thrush should be gone.

If the thrush does not respond to home care within a week’s time, the horse must be seen by a veterinarian.

Now the good news!  Equine thrush is anaerobic which means it cannot survive when exposed to oxygen.  This makes prevention a snap! With routine hoof cleaning and preventive stall maintenance, the “Smelly Black Creature” from the mud bogs won’t be taking up residence in your horse’s hooves.