Ask the Experts: Kulshan Veterinarians

Kulshan Veterinary Hospital is a full-service, mixed animal hospital offering a wide range of services to a wide range of clients and patients. Doctors Dave Sauter and R. Paul Schwab write the monthly Doctor's Corner column offering clinical information and equine health advice to Northwest Horse Source Readers.

Read past Doctor's Corner articles here.

Ask the Kulshan vets a question now!

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Question
I have decided to move my 21 year old appendix quarter horse gelding to a new barn where all the feed is included with board. They feed a nice orchard grass hay (up to 4 flakes a day), a complete feed and/or quality oats - I choose the amount. Currently he gets a similar amount and type of hay and 2 quarts of a senior complete feed twice a day and a scoop of MSM in the morning. The new barn doesn't include suppplements. My question is, should I be concerned about switching him from a senior feed to a regular complete feed? I plan to continue the MSM because I definitely notice a difference when he's gone without it. Should I add a senior supplement of some kind? He just had a full exam month ago and is in very good health. If you think a senior supplement would be a good idea, what kind do you suggest?

Thanks, Cathleen

Answer
It depends on what kind of complete feed they are feeding. Usually if someone is feeding a "complete feed" it is Equine Senior or a similar mix. Complete feeds basically are a similar mixture of grains, beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, soyhulls, rice bran, and vitamins and minerals. There are young horse complete feeds, adult complete feeds, senior complete feeds, and complete feeds for horses with metabolic problems. Complete feeds are designed to be fed as a sole source of nutrition for horses that cannot eat hay for various reasons including allergies, dental problems, and digestive problems. People still feed them to horses that don't have these problems because they are very safe (If a horse gets too much it's generally not an issue).

I would ask what kind of "complete feed" it is. More than likely it is fine unless your horse has specific needs. With that said, if it is a different feed, the change should be gradual. Feed changes should be made over a 7-10 day period.

As far as supplements, I would ask your veterinarian because they will know your animal's specific needs.

Thanks, Paul Schwab, D.V.M.

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Question

Where I had my horse, the people had this bright idea of feeding 20 year old hay to my horse. Within 3 days she was really sick, and as summer went on she lost weight and over winter she lost even more. What did she get from that hay. There is another horse showing signs, but not as drastic, but he is also skinny.

No matter how much feed we feed, grain, hay, they did not gain, they seemed to lose more weight. Please help.

Answer

Fundamentals are always important to examine when dealing with a group of thin horses. The feed program is certainly one area to focus on. Twenty-year-old hay is a bad choice - mold content will be high and nutritional value will be down. Forage is the basis of any equine feed program. The equine digestive system is "designed" to digest forage. To function in a healthy manner and promote "good" digestive system microbes, good forage is essential. Grain, a concentrated soluble carbohydrate, can provide added calories to a diet but, if fed in excess, can cause problems (disrupting gut flora, gastric ulcers). Fat supplements are a healthy choice to provide extra calories for thin horses. Numerous high fat supplements are available with added vitamins and minerals.

Another concern is parasite management. Internal and external parasites "steal" nutrients away from the host and their presence literally damages the host (e.g., small strongyles larvae migrate through and damage the lining of the intestines). If parasitism is high, a lot of the feed is going to the parasites and not to the horse. Internal organs damaged by the presence of the parasites won't process food as well. External parasites suck blood, causing anemia, plus itching and inflammation, which is irritating and drains the body of needed protein.

Housing and density of horses are concerns. Is there adequate shelter to protect them from harsh weather? Is there excessive competition for food because of crowding?

It is advisable to discuss the situation with your veterinarian. Start with a phone call conversation. Likely this will lead to an veterinary visit to investigate further in order to collect more information in an effort to discover problems and suggest solutions.

~Dr. Dave Sauter, Kulshan Veterinary Hospital

Question:

One of my horses had developed some kind of a skin condition that kind of looks like rain rot, but it evidently starts to itch and then he scratches it so much it rubs all the hair off. Now another one of my horses has started getting this same thing. Got any ideas on what it might be?

Answer:

Rain Rot or Rain Scald is a skin disease caused by an organism that is present in the environment, called Dermatophilus congolensis. It is not a contagious disease. Skin has to already be suffering damage before this organism can penetrate and infect the skin. For instance, cracks in the skin can occur if it is exposed to cold rain for prolonged periods. The skin is even more likely to suffer this sort of damage if the horse is thin, malnourished, infested with parasites or any other problem that would weaken or compromise the horse's immune system. Once the skin is cracked and damaged, then this Dermatophilus organism can penetrate. The Dermatophilus causes deep lesions with thick scabs and matted hair. The lesions are painful, not itchy.

What you have described, itchy lesions that could have possibly spread to another horse, does not fit the usual presentation for Rain Rot. One possibility is Dermatophytosis, more commonly known as Ringworm. Ringworm lesions typically have patchy hair loss, crusty skin and are itchy. Ringworm is also conatgious to humans as well as other horses.

Another possibility would be an ectoparasite. Internal parasites, what most people refer to as "worms," (e.g. strongyles, ascarids, tapeworms) are endoparasites, or parasites that are on the inside of their host. Ectoparasites are parasites that are on the outside of their host: in other words, on their skin. Lice and mites are examples of ectoparasites and they can cause itchy lesions and they can also spread from one horse to another.

There are other possibilities. To investigate the problem further, a veterinarian would need to examine the horses and their lesions. Likely your veterinarian would collect skin scraping samples. This material can be examined under the microscope to look for ectoparasites and fungal organisms. Special tests such as the KOH or potassium hydroxide test can be done. With this test, the skin scraping sample has potassium hydroxide added to it to dissolve skin cells, hair and debris making it easier to see the fungal element. Sometimes a skin biospsy is necessary. A biopsy punch looks a little like a paper punch. With it, a small plug of tissue can be removed. This plug of skin can then be examined under a microscope to evaluate skin cells, the type of immune system response to the lesions, and other usuful information.

If you want to try some home remedies before getting your veterinarian involved, there are a couple fairly safe things you could try. One is a medicated shampoo, such as chlorhexidene. It would be safe and may solve the problem. Another thing to consider would be dusting for ectoparasites. This treatment must be repeated two weeks later since the dusting only kills the adults. The second treamtent kills the lice that were protected in the eggs during the first treatment. Ivermectin will kill some specied of ectoparasites also, since the ivermectin spreads into the skin. If you do eventually get the veterinarian out, make sure to discontinue all the treatments well in advance (days) so they dont interfere with any tests or laboratory sampling.

--Dave Sauter, DVM

Question:

My horse got kicked by another horse in side near the back by the hips.... How do I treat it and when do I call a vet?

Answer:

Brea,

If the kick resulted in lameness, then the horse should be checked out by the vet. Wounds caused by a kick can be very misleading. Often the internal damage is greater than the skin damage. Plus the foot is very dirty and the force of the kick will drive bacteria deep into the damaged tissues. This situation can lead to serious infections. If there is a wound, especially full thickness through the skin, that should be checked out by the vet. Do not put any medication on the wound, especially powders, before at least checking with your vet. Kick wounds are at a higher risk for tetanus and it is imperative that a tetanus vaccination be given if it has been more than six months since the last one. If the wound is near a joint or on the front of the cannon, the level of concern is even greater.

It is difficult to recommend treatment without knowing more about the injury. In general, hosing the area with cold water is safe in most situations and will help reduce inflammation and clean the surface of any wounds. If the hair can be clipped around the wound safely, that will allow you better visualization of the wound. Avoid topical medications that are going to dry or plug the opening, especially powders, aerosolized sprays and insoluble ointments such as Bag Balm - the wound needs to stay moist and open to allow drainage, which is necessary if the deeper layers are devitalized and/or infected. It is best to stick with water soluble ointments that wash off easily and won't interfere with the drainage as much.

Hope that helps.

Dave Sauter, DVM
Kulshan Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Schwab writes:
Brea,

Treating depends on the type of injury your horse sustained by the kick. If it is just bruised and sore, usually ice or cold hosing a couple of times a day for a few days can help. If there is an actual break in the skin or laceration, it may need more intensive care. Most veterinarians will help you decide if it should be seen over the phone based on more specific questions. In general if the horse is in alot of pain, the wound is very swollen, or just doesn't seem right it probably should be seen.

Hope this helps.

Paul Schwab, D.V.M.
Kulshan Veterinary Hospital