Factsheets -
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Please note: some of these factsheets are several pages long and are large files, so please be patient when downloading!
Cancer Care
Cancer is a term used to describe a condition where
abnormal cells divide without control. As in human
medicine it is hard to say in most cases what has
caused the cancer. Some possible causes include
toxins and chemicals in the environment, faulty
genes, infectious diseases or abnormalities in the
animal’s immune system.
Canker
This ia a condition that affects the frog of the foot. It used to be seen primarily in heavy horses, but we now see it in all breeds.
Care of the Pregnant Mare
The pregnant mare needs special managemnet considerations in order to optimise the chance of the successful delivery of a healthy foal.
Caring for the Older Horse
The life span of our horses is increasing:
- approximately 29% of the UK horse population are older than 15 years of age;
- many older horses continue to have a useful working life and still participate in regular athletic activity;
- a recent study showed that older horses received less preventive health care measures, such as vaccination, farriery and routine veterinary care, when in fact they often need an increased level of care in these areas.
Choke
Choke is a relatively common condition seen in horses and ponies and is typically caused by obstruction of the oesophagus (food pipe) with food; occasionally a foreign body can be involved e.g. wood or plastic. Fortunately many cases of choke resolve quickly and spontaneously and only cases in which the obstruction lasts for longer than 30 minutes are likely to require veterinary assistance.
It is important to note that this is not the same as the life-threatening condition in humans, where the term “choke” refers to blockage of the windpipe rather than the oesophagus. This difference means that unlike humans, horses with choke can still breathe.
Chronic Renal Disease (Kidney Disease)
Chronic renal disease is a common disease of older
cats, but may also occur in young cats and dogs. It
is often caused by ongoing damage to the kidneys
over time, however injuries, toxins, infections, cysts
or tumours can also cause kidney disease.
Until the disease is relatively advanced it may be
difficult to detect, and by the stage at which signs
of illness are obvious, only 25% of normal kidney
function may remain.
Colic
Colic simply means 'pain in the abdomen' and therefore has many different causes. It may be serious or even life-threatening, but most horses with colic recover fully and uneventfully.
Colostrum Management
Colostrum is the fuel of life and making sure your calves get enough is the cornerstone to all successful calf rearing enterprises.
Corns
A corn is a bruise that forms between the sensitive and insensitive layers of the sole of the foot.
Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidiosis is a disease caused by Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum)infection which is spread by contact with reservoir hosts, i.e. cattle, sheep and goats or the environment in which these are housed.