Vet Q&A

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I have a foal that is 2 days old. She has really light eyes, I think they're blue. Does that mean that she's gonna have health issues (like blindnes)?

Not necessarily. It is a matter of genetics. Horses with light colored coats typically have light or blue eyed foals. You may see a darkening of eye color as the foal ages but this doesn't always happen.

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My horse is lame in her back right leg what should I do? Ice? Wait?

Poor Gigi! If she is non-weightbearing on the affected leg, I would recommend calling out an equine vet right away for an emergency visit, as this is often a sign of a serious injury such as a fracture. If she is bearing weight and acting normal otherwise, you could try stall rest for the next few days with lots of soft bedding to see if the lameness resolves. You can certainly try icing or cold-hosing the hoof, but it's hard to say if this will be helpful or not without knowing what is causing the lameness. If there is no improvement in the next 3-5 days, or if she isn't eating or having any other symptoms, she needs to be seen by a vet right away to find out what's wrong. Your vet can take x-rays or do other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what can be done to treat it.

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racehorse blood test always showing very low PLT reading 25-40, i know normal reading >100. what is reason? what to do to help raise PLT. HGB 16 PCV 45

First, you need to make sure the low platelet count is real by having a blood smear performed by your veterinarian. Blood clots leading to platelet clumping and can result in falsely low platelets. If the manual count done using a blood smear is normal, then I would not worry as this means the blood machine results were inaccurate. If the platelet count is low on the manual count, then you need to have him tested for causes of a low platelet count including infections such as equine piroplasmosis. If he is currently on any drugs such as phenylbutazone or banamine consider stopping them. If the aforementioned plan fails to identify the cause, you should have your horse evaluated by an equine veterinary specialist for further diagnostic testing.

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My barrel racing horse is refusing to eat. She stands with her butt against the stall wall and rests her hocks. She usually stops this when I exercise her. What is going on?

If she's not eating, she's eating painful, colicky, or both. Take a heart rate if you know how to do this--normal is 20-40 beats/minute. If it's higher than this, she's painful and needs to see a veterinarian. If she is rolling, looking at her sides, or not passing manure, she needs to see a vet as these are signs of colic. If you really think she's resting her hocks, then they are sore, and she needs xrays to see what kind of arthritis is going on and what steps you need to take to make her more comfortable. Hope that helps!

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Health & Wellbeing

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Horse Grooming

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Horse Weight & How to Estimate It

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Does your horse need to wear shoes?

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Chicken Care Sheet

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Chick Care Sheet

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Duck Care Sheet

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How-To Guides

Common Horse Breeds and Types of Horses

Common Horse Breeds and Types of Horses

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