This section is on equine internal medicine topics. These are all questions that have been submitted or that I have been inspired to talk about because of a question submitted. If you have any topics that you would like to have discussed please feel free to email me with the topic or question.

Can a horse vomit?

Unlike most of the other domestic species, horses do not have the esophageal musculature that would allow them to vomit. This is why obstructions in the intestine are so dangerous because they can lead to rupture of the stomach. Commonly, a nasogastric tube is passed to allow reflux to occur in suspected cases of obstruction.

I have heard that some horses bleed in their lungs while exercising is this true?

This condition is called Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) and has been recognized in the horse world since the 16th century. Despite the long recognition of this condition, the underlying cause is still not clear. Many horses (studies show between 50-70%) that are called upon to perform intense exercise such as racehorses experience this but only a few affected horses (2 to 5%) actually show external signs. Since the underlying cause is not known, a successful treatment is not known either.

What exactly is colic in horses?

Colic in horses is a term that refers to abdominal pain resulting from some problem with the digestive tract. Due to the length and shape of horse intestines, intestinal blockages, impactions, torsions, etc are relatively common in horses. Anything from a change in diet to eating gravel can lead to colic. Most colics resolve with nursing care and a little time. Some of them, however, require surgery to correct. Signs of colic include pawing and nipping at the abdomen, restlessness, refusal to eat, and lying down. Gradual changes it diet and restriction from sand and gravel are recommended to help prevent the chances of a horse experiencing colic.

Why do I have to be careful in how much aspirin or banamine I give my horse? What problems can they cause?

Aspirin and banamine are part of a class of drugs known as non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID). These drugs are used to relieve pain and inflammation as well as to reduce fever. Unfortunately, these drugs also have the potential to cause ulcers in the stomach or intestine. In addition, they can cause laminitis which is a serious disease of the foot that can lead to permanent lameness. If you do have to treat a horse with aspirin or banamine do so at the proper doseage and monitor the horse carefully. Foals seem to be especially susceptible to ulcer formation and it is recommended that anytime foals are treated with NSAIDS, they also be given protective drugs like sucralfate or cimetidine.

I am sorry to bother you but I have become worried about my horse and I think it may be his thyroid. Unfortunatly for you when I looked this up on the internet you were one of the few that may know anything about Thyroid Disease in horses. I have scheduled a vet appt. for my gelding to diagnose what ever may be going on, but I wanted some information so that I can be better informed in case that is what is diagnosed. To give you the "short" of it all I have had my quarter horse Gelding approx. 1 year. He has just turned 3 and is my new show horse. Last year when I purchased him in November he had a shiny coat. After a short while we noticed some lameness and found it was due to a severe case of thrush. He grew a thick coat even though the barn was insulated and he wore a blanket (none of the other horses grew a coat). He urinated frequently and his stall became a mud pit. I had him vetted and found that his createnan (not sure of spelling) was somewhat high but was nothing to be concerned about. Time goes by.... "Cash" is and has been at the trainers for some time now. He has his good days and bad days. His thrush flares up everyonce in awhile. He has great muscle definition but will not gain any weight. He shedded off his winter coat but then put it right back on again. It still sheds though. His coat is dull even though we worm him with strongid and zimectrin. He is eating oats with either alfalfa hay or bermuda/coastal. Well I said it would be short and I guess I lied:) I know you can not diagnose him without seeing him, but I would like to know if I am barking up the wrong tree. If I am right I would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction to learn more about it. Thank you for your time.

Submitted by: Kelli Williams & Ziptatious Money "Cash"

Given what you have described I definitely think that an endocrine (or hormonal) problem is a possibility. The symptoms that you have described -- drinking a peeing a lot; a thick, dull coat; chronic laminitis, etc -- is not so indicative of thyroid disease (although it could be) as of a condition called Equine Cushings Disease. His age and the fact he won't gain weight and has good muscling, however, is not consistent with this condition but it is still something to check. Other possibilities with the elevated creatinine include an underlying kidney or bladder problem especially with the frequent urination. You may have already done these things, but ideally I would have your veterinarian pull blood and do a complete blood count, blood cell differential, blood chemistry with fibrinogen, and check hormone levels for thyroid and Chushings disease. That will at least give you information as to how the liver, kidney, etc are functioning and if there is a subclinical infection or site of inflammation in addition to testing the hormone levels. There are several genetic disease unique to Quarter Horses but I cannot think of any that would give the symptoms that you describe.

I have a 14 year old mare who before pregnancy was very healthy and maybe even a little over wieght. But she became pregnant March of 99 and then lost her foal on Dec 1st 1999 and since then she has lost major amounts of wieght I have put her on high protien diets given her all the hay she wants to eat. she has been wormed and vacinated but does not gain any wieght what else could I try with her. Please we need some help.

The two most common causes of weight loss in horses are chronic inflammation and poor nutrition. It sounds as if she is getting plently of good nutrition. Have you had her teeth examined lately? If not, that would be something to consider doing. Chronic inflammation is the second most likely cause of weight loss in horses. She may have a residual unterine infection or inflammation from the abortion. She may have a mesenteric lymph node abscess or any of a number of inflammatory processes. The best way to check for that is to have your vet pull some blood and analyze it for inflammation (complete blood count, white blood cell differential, and fibrinogen). At her age you would have to consider cancer and if you rule-out teeth problems or chronic inflammation you may have to pursue the possibility of cancer.

I have researched and answered these questions to the best of my ability. But I am human and make mistakes. If there is any part of my answer that you feel is incorrect, please let me know. The last thing I want is to disseminate false or incorrect information.