Warwickshire Welfare News |
Be Prepared for Spring - Sweet Itch and Laminitis
By Rachel Molloy - BHS Welfare |
Sweet itch is an allergic reaction to the saliva of biting midges (Culicoides midge) and a type of black fly. It is a problem that can affect horses, ponies and donkeys irrelevant of breed or size.
Sweet Itch is normally a seasonal complaint as midges are most active between the months of April and November. Midges tend to bite mostly in the early morning and late afternoon. |
The clinical signs of sweet itch may include:
• Severe pruritus (intense itching)
• Hair loss
• Thickening of the affected skin
• Flaky dandruff
• Weeping sores
• Sores/pruritius are commonly found along the neck, mane, forelock and tail. In severe cases this may also be seen in other places on the body.
• The horse may repetitively attempt to scratch itself on anything in reach to relieve the intense irritation.
• General lethargy and irritability |
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Managing sweet itch The primary objective to avoid sweet itch is to minimise the risk of midge attack. One of the most affective ways to do this is to use a rug designed to help prevent midges from being able to bite. There are numerous sweet itch rugs available. Insect repellents can also offer some protection and topical lotions can help to soothe irritation.
Ensure grazing is well draining: marshy boggy fields and muckheaps may attract midges and provide a site for breeding. Stabling affected horses at dusk and dawn, when midge feeding is at its peak, may help. It is advisable to initially consult your vet as soon as possible to plan the most effective method of control. |
| Laminitis – Now is the time to act As spring fast approaches the grass in horse paddocks will soon begin to shoot up, full of goodness and nutrients. For some elderly and poorer conditioned horses this grass can’t arrive soon enough to help put back on any weight lost over winter. However, for horses that are ‘good-doers’, ponies and Native breeds in particular, spring grass can cause a whole lot of trouble and now is the time to take action to help prevent laminitis. It is important to remember that laminitis is a serious and very painful condition that can affect any type of horse, pony or donkey any time of the year. |
Prevention There are a number of actions that horse owners can take now to help prevent laminitis occurring:
• Watch his weight – keep a weekly record of your horse’s weight and aim to keep him at the ‘ideal’ weight. Obesity is one of the main causes of laminitis. If your horse or pony is overweight do not starve them as this may lead to a serious condition called hyperlipidaemia.
• Learn how to condition score.
• If wearing a rug, can your horse have a lighter rug on or on dry days will he cope without needing to wear a rug?
• Does your horse really need concentrated feed, or could this be cut
down especially with the arrival of spring grass? Make sure his diet is high in fibre and low in sugar and starch.
• If you haven’t had much time to ride over the winter months, with daylight hours increasing, now is the time to plan your fittening programme. |
• If your horse has been on restricted turnout over the winter months, ensure that turnout to pasture is gradual and the time spent grazing increases gradually over time.
• Horses and ponies that are prone to laminitis or are overweight will need to have their grazing restricted. Now is the time to organise your electric fencing and check that the batteries are fully charged! Don’t restrict your grazing too late, monitor your pasture and set up your electric fencing before too much grass comes through.
• There are a number of grazing muzzles now available on the market. Although they greatly help a number of ponies, it is important to ensure that their use is gradually introduced. Monitor your horse closely the first few days to ensure they are settled. Grazing muzzles should not be left on 24 hours a day, it is vital that the pony has at least a few hours everyday without wearing the muzzle, i.e. brought into a stable.
• Do you have any sheep available to help graze down the spring grass? |
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If your horse or pony is showing signs of laminitis remove them from the field immediately into a deeply bedded stable and contact your veterinary surgeon immediately.
For further advice on Sweet Itch, Laminitis, Feeding and Condition Scoring please contact the Welfare department (01926) 707791 or welfare@bhs.org.uk or visit www.bhs.org.uk where our advisory leaflets are available to download.
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Annual Report 2008/9 - Welfare
Our welfare team responds to calls from members of the public who are concerned about equines they encounter. Our 15 specific calls (12 resolved, 3 ongoing) were on a range of issues: Poor access to water 2 cases Inadequate facilities 2 cases Condition (too thin/fat) 8 cases Poor feet 2 cases General 1 case In addition to the specific calls, the team has issued ‘first horse owner’ packs and given advice to numerous callers on additional matters such as feeding, euthanasia, re-homing, ragwort and worming. A concern raised generally is that in response to the increasing financial pressures of the current climate, owners/carers may decide to move horses from livery yards to DIY arrangements in order to save money but may not have sufficient resources/experience to care for them as well. Our advice is to honestly appraise your likely situation before taking such steps.
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Think before you breed! - By Lee Hackett
The sight of 2 0 0 9 ’ s n e w b o r n foals in the fields might inspire many mare owners to breed their own foals next year. There is no doubt that this can be an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience. However, BHS Welfare are urging prospective breeders to think carefully before going through with it – there are already more horses and ponies in the UK than there are knowledgeable and experienced homes to care for them.
Some facts:
• According to BETA there are at least 1.35 million horses and ponies in the UK.
• At the end of 2007, 11,476 horses were in the care of member charities of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC). This does not include many smaller sanctuaries and organisations that are not NEWC members. 2008 figures are not yet available but there is no question that they will have increased on the previous year’s levels.
• The number of animals in sanctuaries only tells a small part of the story. Almost all sanctuaries and rescue centres are at full capacity and each time an animal leaves a sanctuary’s care there is a queue of new cases waiting to take their place.
• Few industries have escaped the recession and the financial climate has had a major effect on horse sales. The market has slowed dramatically with even quality horses selling for far lower prices than they previously achieved. The situation is far more serious at the bottom end of the market with poor quality animals regularly achieving less than the price of a tank of petrol. What kind of future do horses sold for these prices face?
• The UK has only two abattoirs licensed to slaughter horses for human consumption. According to the Meat Hygiene Service, the number of horses slaughtered for human consumption in the UK has been between 3,500 and 5,000 for each of the last 4 years. Demand for these services is likely to increase as horse numbers continue to rise and we remain in times of economic uncertainty. It is imperative that the UK does not get into a situation where we are exporting horses for slaughter due to a lack of capacity in the UK. However, this is a feasible prospect should the UK equine population continue to grow. The horrors of long distance transport in Europe have been well documented, particularly by World Horse Welfare.
So, if we have such a surplus of horses, why would anybody want to breed more? There are lots of good reasons and many are valid. But it is essential to make sure you are breeding from good stock and that any foal has a value on the open market. Understandably, many owners are blind to their mare’s faults – you may love her but it doesn’t mean that others would! Too many people go into breeding not worrying about the foal’s quality because they believe they can offer the foal a home for life but how can anyone guarantee this? This is why it is essential to try and breed foals people will want to buy, even if you have no plans to sell them.
As a final thought, we all saw the appalling conditions suffered by the horses of Spindles Farm in Amersham. How many of these horses’ breeders believed that they were producing a horse that would end up in this situation when they sent their mare to a stallion?
Think before you breed!
For more information on our Think Before You Breed Campaign or selecting good mares to breed from, please contact BHS Welfare.
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Animal Therapies
Most people realize that if you catch a potential problem earlier on, then it can be far easier and cheaper to deal with. Even though animal therapists do not diagnose ailments, they may well pick up on a potential problem in the making whilst they are with an animal. The animal’s guardian may not have noticed or been aware of anything amiss.
As a complementary therapist I always advise the prospective client of the need to seek advice from their own qualified veterinary surgeon before having any sort of animal therapy. Animal therapies are complementary to and not instead of good veterinary advice/treatment.
There are a wide range of animal therapies available now, as people are recognising the benefits that they bring to the animal.
Some of the possible benefits might be;-
- A reduction in muscular tension associated with emotional causes
- A relaxation and feeling of wellbeing
- An improved release of waste substances
- An improvement of oxygen levels within the tissues and cells of the animal
- A possible improved performance and ability of the animal
- A possible improvement in the movement and co-ordination
Sue Jacques is a professional complementary therapist and uses Reiki, Spiritual Healing and Emotional Freedom Technique mainly with horses, although she has extensive experience of other animals such as cats and dogs. Sue also hosts Animal Communication workshops usually held in Leicestershire
click here to read an article on Reiki Healing
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Breaking the Strangles hold
The British Horse Society has joined with the Animal Health Trust (AHT) to run a campaign called “Breaking the Strangles Hold”. The two main aims of this campaign are to 1. raise the awareness of Strangles and 2. raise money for research.
The research funded by the campaign has enabled a major breakthrough in developing a vaccination.
As part of this campaign we have hosted a fun quiz in aid of Strangles. |
What is Strangles?
Strangles is one of the most commonly diagnosed infectious diseases affecting all species of equines worldwide. Caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi, this disease is highly contagious and can affect any age or breed of horse. It remains one of the most feared diseases due to its debilitating effects. |
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Symptoms
The symptoms are usually not seen until 3-14 days after the horse has been in contact with the bacterium.
The initial clinical signs include:
· Depression and dullness
· Loss of appetite
· Nasal discharge
· Development of a cough
· Fever
· Abscesses which often burst discharging highly infectious, thick yellow pus. |
How is it Spread?
Strangles can be spread easily by direct contact between horses or indirectly by handlers, equipment or contamination of the environment, often leading to large outbreaks, with many horses becoming infected. |
Prevention
It is imperative that any horse showing signs of strangles or horses suspected to be carrying the disease should be isolated immediately, including any other horse(s) they have been in contact with, to prevent further opportunities for the disease to spread. A veterinary surgeon should be called immediately. The leaflet titled ‘Strategy to Eradicate and Prevent Strangles (STEPS)’ provides detailed information on isolation procedures; please contact the BHS Welfare Department for a copy. |
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For more details of Strangles please visit www.thestrangleshold.co.uk or contact the BHS Welfare Department.
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If you would like to contact the Welfare Officers please click here to email them
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