Article Sphere Logo

Equine Influenza

By Expert Author: Ron Petracek | Article Abstract
Word Count: 497 words | Views: 211 view(s)
It's flu season and you feel a little under the weather. Did you know that your horse can get the flu too? That's right! Just as the flu spreads quickly through groups of people, equine influenza spreads quickly through groups of horses as well! But don't worry, while your horse may need to lay low for a few days, most horses recover without complications, and very few die.

So how do you know if your horse is dealing with a bout of the flu? A fever in the range of 101 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit is usually the first sign. When your horse gets the characteristic cough, however, you can be pretty sure (but don't bet the farm quite yet!) that he has the flu. The cough usually comes on following the fever, and is dry and hacking at first. Within a few days the cough will become less frequent and moister, and will last a few weeks.

That being said, it's not a good idea to diagnose your horse yourself. Why? Because the symptoms for flu can mirror other, more dangerous conditions, like viral rhinopneumonitis and viral arteritis. Call your veterinarian, who will run blood tests and take nasal discharge in order to conclusively diagnose equine influenza.

How long will symptoms last? While the temperature should subside within three days or so, other symptoms your horse might exhibit if he has the flu include nasal discharge, weakness, stiffness, loss of appetite, and lack of energy. Do these symptoms sound familiar? They are usually what humans get when they have the flu! It is normal for these symptoms to persist between two and seven days. If they persist much longer than this, a repeat call to your vet is definitely in order.

How does the flu spread? It is basically spread through the air, and passes from horse to horse when they inhale the infective material. A horse with the flu who coughs easily passes his infection to surrounding horses, which is why the equine flu spreads so quickly in areas where there are lots of horses!

While there is no medicine that will "cure" the flu, horses with the flu need to rested until the cough has fully subsided to allow the respiratory epithelium to completely heal. Rest your horse in a well-ventilated, clean stall and be sure that exercise is strictly limited.

A horse will need at least three weeks, and sometimes as long as several months, to get better. Keep in mind that older and younger horses get hit by the flu harder than other horses, and should be given special consideration. If you have a very young or very old horse, ask your vet about giving the horse antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infections.

There are basically two types of viral flu, and there are vaccines that can protect your horses against both of them. Ask your veterinarian, especially if your horse is one of many horses kept together in close quarters, if an equine influenza shot should be used.
Ron Petracek

About the Author/Author Bio

Click for Free Equine Classifieds - National Distribution www.equineinternet.com/networks.php List it once - We make it National Instantly!

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Equine-Influenza/76486

Article Submitted: 2007-03-06 | This Article has been viewed 211 times.

Rate Article

More "Horses" Related Articles

 
 

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Horses" article category.

People interested in the above article "Equine Influenza" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 
The horse is a great athlete, capable of strenuous exercise over prolonged periods. But all that muscular activity generates heat. This causes an increase in body temperature. Under normal circumstances the horse is able to lose the excess heat and maintain its body temperature within tightly controlled limits.
It's not just horseback riders that cough and wheeze at this time of year. Respiratory problems are common in horses as well. Loss of performance may be the first sign that something is wrong. Mildly affected animals may cough occasionally when eating or when starting work. As the condition gets worse they may cough almost continuously.
More and more horse enthusiasts who are looking to take their passion to the next level are nowadays relying on online, state of the art equine websites to fulfill their needs. Thanks to the wide range of benefits they offer to those that are horse passionate, equine websites have become very popular on the World Wide Web, attracting increasingly larger numbers of visitors and gaining a lot of positive feedback from registered members. Solid equine websites address to an extended category of people, brought together by common interests, hobbies and passions.
Horses are one of the most exciting pets to own and they make excellent companions. In fact, they are almost like people with their own personalities. However, taking care of your horse is a big responsibility and your horse must be cared for properly to keep it healthy and happy. To provide the appropriate level of care for your horse, you can imagine it as being a child of about 4 years old as this is about their level of mentality.
At some stage in your life, as a horse owner you may find it necessary to stable your horse. It may only be for a couple of nights, a week or a more permanent situation. No matter your reason or the length of your horses stay it is important that you clean the stable or barn at least once a day.
When you are a horse passionate, horses become more than just a hobby for you! Horse enthusiasts dedicate a lot of time and money to their passion, constantly looking for new ways of exchanging information and tips with other horse lovers, striving to take their passion to another level. If you are a horse enthusiast and you want to quickly extend your knowledge on horses, with a minimal investment of time, effort and money, the Internet is the best place to turn to for help. There are various equine websites on the World Wide Web that offer you the opportunity to interact with other people interested in horses, allowing you to quickly access the information you need in a fun and interesting environment.
Ensuring that you select the right saddle for your horse is vital. It not only affects the position in which the rider will sit, and therefore can be beneficial in preventing back ache or muscle pain, but it also affects the horse. No responsible horse owner would want their steed to be in discomfort and pain and so choosing the best saddle is very important. There are companies available who will measure your horse and recommend the saddles that they think are most appropriate but as with most things this service costs money. I highly recommend this service as it ensures that you will not be causing any distress to your horse when you ride it.
 
Article Directory Home All Categories Pets And Animals Horses
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!
 
Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.

Afrikaans Albanian Arabic Belarusian Bulgarian Catalan Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Croatian Czech Danish German English Estonian Filipino Finnish French Galician Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Irish Italiano Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Macedonian Malay Maltese Dutch Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Serbian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swahili Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Vietnamese Welsh Yiddish