This newsletter is a personal message from me to you, a fellow horse owner and
enthusiast.
My
goal is to send you interesting stories and helpful tips for your horse care,
training, and riding.
LOCAL
"PIGEON FEVER" OUTBREAK
Savvy,
my 26 month old Quarter Horse filly, developed a swelling on her chest above her
pectoral muscles. It started as an egg sized swelling a few weeks ago but matured
to larger than grapefruit size rather quickly. This disease usually manifests
as a slow developing deep abscess with several common names:
Pigeon Fever
Pigeon
Breast
Colorado Distemper
Dry-land Distemper
Update
November 2002: Unusual rise in cases in Colorado and Wyoming this year. See http://www.thehorse.com/news.asp?fid=3973
Colorado
State University Pigeon Fever Fact Sheet
It
is caused by infection from the bacteria corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.
It is not known exactly how the bacteria is carried into the horse's tissues,
but it is almost certain to be an insect of some type.
Horses
that get Pigeon Breast can be of any age or sex and are usually in good health.
Most cases occur in California and Texas in the late summer and early fall.
My veterinarian said that in all of his years of practice, he has only seen two
cases - about 11 years ago and both were horses that moved here to Colorado from
California and came down with it soon after arrival. Since then he has not
had a single case until this year. So far this fall, he has had 15 cases!
What's going on??!!
Since the abscess associated with this infection is very deep, under the pectoral
muscle area, a long, large bore needle (4 inch, 12 gauge) is used to determine
when the abscess is ready to be lanced. If a thick, creamy pus is aspirated,
it is time to open the abscess. After the drainage incision is made and
the exudate is released, the deep cavity is flushed thoroughly with betadine solution.
Follow up includes hydrotherapy, a thorough cleansing with Betadine Scrub, and
flushing with betadine solution. This is done once a day for a week to two
weeks as tissue healing takes place. Full healing and complete remission
of swelling and scar tissue will take two months or more.
Although antibiotics should not be administered BEFORE lancing the abscess (as
they would delay formation of the abscess and prolong the disease), antibiotics
(such as 30 cc Penicillin IM each day for 4 days) are used AFTER lancing to prevent
any secondary bacterial infections from complicating healing.
At the end of each daily treatment, the surrounding area is dried thoroughly and
a film of Corona bag balm or petroleum jelly is applied below the incision to
soothe the skin and prevent the exudate from scalding the hair and skin.
Savvy is an excellent patient and as of day #3 of treatment, healing is progressing
well. I'll give you a brief update in December's Newsletter.
If any of you have had horses that experienced this disease, please let me know
the details of the case.
************************************************************
WHAT
IS A "CHORE SANDWICH"?
No,
it is not a snack that I eat while doing chores! It is a visual image I
have of the way I do chores AND take my morning walk.
The
bottom slice - Each morning, the first thing I do is go out and feed all
of the horses their hay.
The
filling - While they are munching, I take a brisk walk around some of
the pastures and down to the creek. This accomplishes several important
tasks: I check the perimeter and cross fences (mainly for deer damage), I make
sure the creek is free of ice, and I enjoy the magic of nature - the transformation
of the pasture grasses and trees through the seasons, the majesty of our resident
buck and his herd of seven does, and the morning light changing on the rock cliffs
PLUS I get my morning warm up exercise!
The
top slice - After my walk, I feed all of the horses their grain.
In the time it takes me to cruise around the property, they have eaten almost
1/2 of their hay ration. This has taken the edge off their appetites so
they are less likely to bolt their grain. They thoroughly chew their grain
which results in more efficient feed utilization and better digestion (read less
colic). I'm all for that.
See
if you can work a "chore sandwich" into your routines. Let me
know what your "filling" is and I'll share some of your ideas with readers
in the next newsletter - anonymously if you'd like.
*************************************************************
WINTER
IS COMING
Here
in Colorado we are having record high temperatures for November but I know that
winter weather can come upon us suddenly. So while the days are still sunny
and warm, Richard and I are taking advantage of them to prepare for winter's onslaught!
** Oil gate hinges and latches so they operate freely and have less
of a chance of freezing up.
** Do you live in snow country like I do? See a photo of me riding
Zinger on our place here in Colorado through 42 inches of snow:
About
Cherry Hill
If
you do live in a snowy region, consider winter shoes and/or pads for your
horse. If you need more information on winter shoe options, refer to Maximum
Hoof Power
or
go to my winter shoe article: Winter
Shoes
** As soon as the last fly is gone for the year, put your horses' tails
up for the winter. This will protect them from accumulating ice and
frozen mud and minimize breakage. See more on tail care in my article Tips
for Long Tails
or
refer to my book Horse
Handling and Grooming for step by step photos.
** Get ready for a blanket change! Since we are having weather
in the 70s right now, my horses are still wearing fly sheets, but any day now
I will have to change them all over to waterproof breathable sheets or lightweight
turnout blankets. (My horses live in sheltered pens or on pasture, not in
stalls, so I use turnout sheets. If your horse lives indoors, you will be
shifting gears to a stable sheet or blanket of some sort.) Check all of
your blankets over carefully so they are ready to use at a moment's notice.
** Research at Colorado State University has shown that wood chewing
increases in cold, wet weather. If your horses have access to wooden fences,
gates, or buildings, be sure the wood is protected from their destructive teeth.
Not all horses are wood chewers but even the most angelic horse can take a few
bites when the weather is stressful. That's why it is important that during
winter weather, horses get ample long-stem hay (as opposed to roughage in pellet
or wafer form). The slow chewing associated with eating roughage is soothing
and satiating to your horse. For more on feeding, read my articles:
Health
Care Program and Choosing Good Hay
and
read about winter care and feeding in these books:
Horse
Health Care
Your
Pony, Your Horse
Horsekeeping
on a Small Acreage.
You
can find all of them listed on my complete Book List .
** Check the antifreeze in your truck and tractor. If you are
in big snow country, you'll want to be sure your tire chains are in good
working order.
****************************************************************
That's
all I have time for this month. The days are packed!
Happy
Trails, 
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you think about forwarding or copying anything from this newsletter, please read
this article!
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Information
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sure to check the Horse Information Roundup at http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse-training-care-info.htm
to find information on training, horse care, grooming, health care, hoof
care, facilities and more.
Browse
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