Vet Q&A-BackyardFarm

Hi, Today i turned my horse out in the field and she had a locking stifle. she has never ever had an issue like this before and is in full work and very healthy. what would your advise be? give her a couple of days to rest or ride her like normal? i do have a sponsored 10 mile ride on monday that i want to make sure that she is able to do. She is currently out in the field and walking on it but is a little stiff in the trot. If more info is required then feel free to give me a call.

A locking stifle is also known as an upward fixation of the patella. I would have the vet come out to see Sapphire today to confirm that she does have a locking stifle. Typically diagnosis is pretty straight forward, but the vet can determine if she has a mild case or not. The important is diagnosing if it's a mild case or not is that dictates the treatment program. Mild cases can be helped with exercise and balanced hoof trims, and severe cases may need the farrier to apply corrective shoes or pads to help the hoof break over before the locking occurs. In very severe cases, surgery is needed to resolve this issue. Have the vet come out today or tomorrow to examine Sapphire and discuss treatment options for her. I hope this helps!

Anchor had a nail in his hoof and I had an equine vet come and take it out she gave me some injections to give him I have to inject him in his rump but I'm scared he might kick me when injecting him I watched the vet do it and she didn't get kicked and anchor didn't even move but I'm still to scared is there anywhere els I can give it to him I don't like being near his backlegs there so powerful and I don't wanna get kicked

I can definitely understand your concerns! For an intramuscular injection, many horse owners prefer to inject into the neck muscles rather than the hindquarters for this reason :) Here is a good video by an equine vet demonstrating how to give an injection in the neck muscle, which may be a safer option for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gejEDjh_uWs I would recommend first calling your vet to make sure it's okay with them to use the neck instead of the rump, just to make sure there wasn't some specific reason that they would prefer the rump for the particular medication Anchor is on. But for most antibiotic injections, it shouldn't make any difference.

Hello my ponies coat has become very patchy. We wormed him recently. He's roughly 8 years old. We recued him at xmas time. He's on 5 acres of lush grass would this be the cause?

Ben could be starting to shed, or could have internal parasites, or external parasites like ringworm. I would deworm him for certain, and consider a vet visit to evaluate his haircoat and general health. Be careful with lush grass pasture as ponies become overweight very easily and if he is getting heavy he is at a huge risk for metabolic disease and laminitis.

Yesterday there was a accident with my horse and she has a nasal fracture the vet will see her today but I was wondering if there was anything I could do to keep her comfortable in the mean time?

Oh on, poor Bug! I would keep her in a stall until the vet comes out today so she is quiet and rested. If you don't have a stall, keep her in a small paddock so she doesn't move around as much. Remove anything in the stall or paddock that she could hit her nose on and cause her more pain. Unfortunately, it'll illegal for me to recommend giving her any pain medications because I can't see her in person, but you can give your vet a call back to see if there are any pain medications they can recommend you give her.

Could my mare still be pregnant?

The gestation length of a horse is 320-362 days. If Buttermilk is still within this time period, then yes she could still be pregnant. Unfortunately, this question is slightly vague, and I do not know if she was previously pregnant and lost the pregnancy, or if she was mated a while ago and you are wondering when she may be due. I recommend posing again with more detail so that the experts can better help you with your query.

What does it mean when my horse has a sore fetlock and isn't finishing her food ? She ate half of it

There are many things that could cause a sore fetlock - a joint infection, a bruise, a pulled muscle or strained tendon, or even a fracture of one of the bones in this area. If she isn't finishing her food, this likely means that she's quite painful. If she were acting normal otherwise, I would suggest stall rest for the next few days to see if the lameness improves; however, since she's painful enough that it's affecting her appetite, I would really recommend having an equine vet come out to see her today if at all possible. He/she can take x-rays if needed to help determine the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

I have a 9wk old miniature potbellied pig and I had asked about an issue he had a day or two ago about some whitish clear liquid coming out of his penis. On here, I was told it may be an infection, but I called my local vet and they said ejaculation. I just need a second opinion. Could a 9wk old pig really have ejaculated or could it really be an infection? Whatever it is stinks really bad....

Hi there! Yes, it is likely ejaculate even at 9wks old. Here is an article for you to read that may help. https://www.thespruce.com/male-pot-bellied-pig-penis-discharge-1239237 I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Wilbur!

My 10 year old mini mare is due any day now. She has clear milk with a full udder at the moment. I believe she was bred around Apr 1st. This is her 2nd birth (new info to me) any suggestions as to what to look for? Body photo taken 2/15.. Udder and hind end taken 2/20. She also carries the dwarf gene I was told.. Any concerns with that?

Hello. If the breeding date is accurate, Butter can indeed foal any day. But I have seen them go 30 days over. Her milk should thicken up any day now, so if you are testing the udder you must stop. You d not want to inadvertently waste any of the colostrum, or first milk. Usually, once the colostrum develops, the teats will develop almost a waxy cap, but this is not always apparent. There are some concerns if she carries the dwarf gene as this predisposes the foals to have larger than normal heads, & somewhat boxy bodies. This could cause a problem during delivery called dystocia. Things to watch for with an impending birth are mild colic, loss of appetite, mucous-like discharge from the vulva. Watch her as closely as you can. You should have towels, ropes, & a tube of lubricant handy in case you need to help pull the foal. Also, have your veterinarian's number on speed dial in case you need help. Fingers crossed for an easy delivery. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Yesterday I noticed my horses hind right fetlock was slightly swollen, there was no heat, when walking she favored it and when trotting she was lame on it. We packed her hoof with epsom salt poultice and poultices her leg as there was also clicking coming from her stifle. All her legs have been wrapped in standing wraps for support. Today we came and was still favoring and was lame on it. Swelling came down a little bit there is some heat in the hoof. Want to know what may be causing this?

Your horse could have an infection. Sometimes they can get an infection in the hoof that can cause some swelling in fetlock area. It may be a good idea to have your vet examine her and possibly give her some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds. I hope this has helped. Thank you for using pet coach.