SCID in Foals

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is an autosomal (not linked to the chromosomes for sex) recessive genetic disease affecting Arabian foals. These foals cannot produce B and T lymphocytes, which are special types of white blood cells that are vital for a healthy immune system. Without B and T lymphocytes, the immune system cannot fight antigens properly.

SCID-affected foals seem normal at birth, but after the first few months of life, they begin to suffer from a variety of...

What is Anthrax?

Most people have heard of anthrax; it has been used as a biological weapon and a scare tactic in terrorism attacks during the early 2000s. Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is an infectious disease, and can prove fatal for horses (or humans, for that matter). There are legal ramifications surrounding anthrax, and when diagnosed, the veterinarian is obligated by law to report it to the appropriate government agency.

Symptoms and Types

The signs of anthrax in...

Aneurysm in Horses

An aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning of a weakened arterial wall in the body. If the ballooning becomes big enough, it will burst, leading to massive hemorrhaging and death. An aneurysm has no warning signs; therefore most horses die of the condition before it is diagnosed.

Symptoms and Types

The main type of aneurysm seen mostly in horses is the aortic aneurysm. Aortic aneurysms occur when a portion of the aorta, the large artery that comes straight from the heart, develo...

Equine Neonatal Isoerythrolysis

Neonatal isoerythyolysis (or NI) is a blood condition found in newborn foals. It manifests itself within the first few days of birth and is the result of a discrepancy between the mare’s blood and that of the foal, whereby the mare develops antibodies to the foal’s blood type. This becomes a problem when the foal drinks the colostrum (first milk) of the mare, which contains these antibodies. These maternal antibodies against the foal’s own blood type then...

Anemia

Anemia in horses is defined as low blood volume. There are a variety of different causes of anemia, and it usually occurs secondary to some other health issue the horse may be experiencing.

Symptoms and Types

• Unusually poor performance
• Weakness
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Depression
• Hair loses luster
• Heart murmur
• Pale mucous membranes

Causes

Anemia can be classified as acute (rapid onset) or chronic (persistent or long-lasting).  Acute anemia is caused by rapid blood loss, such as with a trauma...

Do Oak Trees Pose a Health Risk to Your Horse?

While many animals in the wild depend on the acorn for their nutritional needs, the acorn poses a toxicity risk to some animals, including horses, cattle, goats, and sheep. Although cattle are much more sensitive to the toxins in acorns than horses, large amounts of ingested acorns can induce severe illness. This is due to the tannic and gallic acids in the acorn, which can cause severe damage to the gastrointestinal system and kidneys.

Symptoms ...

Abscess in Horses

An abscess is an accumulation of pus (dead white blood cells) that forms a lump internally or externally on your horse’s body. It occurs as a result of an infection, as the white blood cells assemble to fight off a foreign antigen, then subsequently die, becoming walled off in a capsule as the body attempts to isolate the infection. This lump is usually accompanied by inflammation and can be painful, due to the buildup of pressure. As time passes, the abscess can rupture, ...