HEALTH & WELFARE: VETWATCH
t h e c t V Wa HEALTH
By Lorna Brokenshire-Dyke MRCVS
ISSUES TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS SUMMER
Presented by
ROSSDALES VETERINARY SURGEONS Beaufort Cottage Stables High Street, Newmarket CB8 8JS T: 01638 663150 E: practice@rossdales.com www.rossdales.com
SEASONAL CONCERNS
W
hile most of us enjoy the summer months, they can bring a number of health issues for horses and ponies. Some of the most common ones are highlighted here. Excess weight and laminitis Many horses and ponies have increased turnout at this time of
Changes in weight should be monitored regularly with a weigh tape
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year. Even if a paddock doesn’t appear to have much grass on it, this can be deceptive. Growing grass will be consumed as quickly as it grows, and stressed, closely grazed grass is especially rich in sugars. This contributes to the risk of laminitis. Ideally, your horse’s weight and condition should be monitored regularly, using a weigh tape and a body condition scoring system. Studies have shown that the risk of laminitis increases both in overweight horses and, particularly, in those gaining weight. Your vet or an equine nutritionist will be happy to offer weight management advice. It
A pony in a typical ‘laminitic stance’, shifting its weight
may be useful to discuss investigations of metabolic disorders such as Equine Cushings Disease (PPID) or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (insulin dysregulation), both of which significantly increase the risk of laminitis, but can be easily diagnosed with blood tests. Signs of acute laminitis range from subtle (warm feet and increased digital pulses) to more obvious (reluctance to move and
