1. Equine Emergency Medicine
Dr. John Henton

2. Equine First Aid Kit As Suggested By Dr. John Henton

3. Bandage Material Telfa Pads (non-stick bandages like band-aids)
4x4 Gauze Pads
Elasticon Bandage 3 inch (adhesive stretch bandage: expensive)
Best available for may wounds and good for pressure over vessels
Ace Bandage
Clean leg wraps (Derby or Polo Wraps)
Vet Wrap (only over adequate padding!!! NEVER DIRECTLY OVER LEG

4. First Aid Kit
White tape (Many uses) 2-3" CAN MAKE 1-2" out of wider tape
Sheet Cottons
Clean leg quilts (Padding for wrapping legs over lacerations)
Army Combine (Large clean bulky bandage)
Roll gauze or Kling Wrap, (Hold bandages in place)
Duct Tape (Bandage Foot, water proof leg bandages)

5. Medications Disinfectant Soap (Chlorohexadine, Povidone Iodine, etc.)
Water Soluble antibiotic ointment Silver sulfadiazine
Antibiotic powder
Panalog Ointment (retards proud flesh)
KY Jelly (protects wound while shaving edges)
Eye Wash
Flouro-strips (used to determine if eye has corneal ulcer)

6. Medications Non Steroid containing eye ointment
Rompun* Pain relief for colic and tranquilizer for other times
Banamine* Good injectable non-steroidal inflammatory agent, colic ??
Bute Paste
Epsom Salts
Safety razor & or clippers
* only with veterinarians approval

7. Equipment Digital thermometer (mercury type will break in hot weather)
Scissors
Humane Twitch
Splint for leg (Plastic PVC pipe cut in ½)14-16" long & 28" long)
Medi boot for hoof (especially good for horses that pulled shoes)

8. What is a True Emergency?
Definition:
Veterinary Medical Emergency
A medical condition which warrants
medical treatment immediately

9. What Can I Do?

10. True Emergencies Dystocia Laceration with blood loss Colic Laminitis
Choke
Long bone fractures

11. Dystocia

12. Dystocia Determine presentation Correct presentation
Immediate help is essential
If can not correct position - walk to delay labor

18. Laceration with Blood Loss

19. Laceration with Blood Loss

23. Laceration with Blood Loss
Apply pressure directly on wound
Clean compress
Elasticon, ace bandage, etc.
Keep horse quiet until help arrives don't walk to barn, it will increase bleeding
Do not apply ointments or powders
Do not try to clean prior to bandage will increase bleeding

24. Laceration with Blood Loss

25. Laceration with Blood Loss

26. Laceration with Blood Loss
If bleeding continues, put more bandage on top of first bandage
Do not remove the first bandage!!

27. Laceration with Blood Loss
Tourniquet
Pressure on vessels above or below the wound

28. Colic

29. Colic Prevent self injury Evaluate clinical signs Temperature Pulse
Respiration
Color of gums

30. Colic Remove all feed Walk if necessary, only to prevent rolling
Administer drugs only after talking with your Veterinarian
Rompun
Banamine-may mask clinical signs
Dipyrone

31. Traditional Examination By Veterinarian
Determine P.R.
Assess cardiovascular output
Determine intestinal sounds
Rectal examinations if possible
Pass stomach tube
Access gastric reflex

32. Traditional Treatment
Mineral oil
if no gastric reflex
Analgesics
IV fluids
Surgical correction

33. Laminitis

34. Laminitis
Definition: An inflammatory process of the laminae of the hoof. Many times caused by endotoxin, fever, trauma etc. Separation of bony structures from hoof may occur.

35. Clinical Signs Reluctant to move, especially on turns
Increased digital pulses
May involve all four feet

39. Early Treatment Do not force exercise Apply frog pressure
Apply support to sole
Stand in sand

40. Veterinary Treatment Frog pressure Mineral oil Anti-endotoxics
Banamine
Analgesics
Bute
DMSO
Orally or IV

41. Esophageal Choke

42. Clinical Signs
Nervous
Retching
Food material out of nose

43. Early Treatment
Keep head down
Decreases aspiration
Walk

44. Veterinary Therapy Tranquilize – Rompun Lowers head Pass stomach tube
Flush out obstruction or move obstruction to stomach
Muscle relaxants
Antibiotics
Treat possible aspiration pneumonia

45. Non Weight Bearing Lameness: Longbone Fracture

46. Non Weight Bearing Lameness: Longbone Fracture
Do not move
Stabilize
Splint
Robert Jones bandage
Very large protective bandage
Prevent bone fragments from penetrating skin
Increases prognosis
Greatly decreases infection

47. Veterinary Therapy Radiograph
Determine blood supply of distal extremity
Determine if fracture repair practical or possible

48. Problems That Are Not A Veterinary Medical Emergency, But Do Require Veterinary Attention Within 2-4 Hours

49. Problems That Require Veterinary Attention, But Are Not Urgent Emergencies
Laceration
Not bleeding
Non weight bearing lameness
Eye problems
Retained placenta
Sick foals
Grain intoxication
High fever
Other

50. Lacerations Without Significant Blood Loss

51. Lacerations Without Significant Blood Loss
Clean area with mild soap
Run cold water on wound
Apply bandage if possible
Clean compress
NO ointments or lotions
Wounds on legs need immediate care & bandage to allow potential suturing of the laceration
Swelling will occur quickly

58. Non Weight Bearing Lameness

59. Non Weight Bearing Lameness
Usually involves one foot/ leg
Most likely cause is subsolar abscess

60. Subsolar Abscess Clinical Signs
Increased digital pulse
Area of sensitivity in sole
Check coronary band for lesion

66. Treatment Establish drainage Draw out infection
Soak in Epsom salt water
Drawing agents
Magnapaste
Ichthammol
Keep Clean
Bandage until defect closed

69. Subsolar Abscess
Drawing agents
Soaking in Epsom Salts

70. Subsolar Abscess
Bandage with drawing agents
Magna paste
Icthamol

71. Subsolar Abscess
Quittor Bandage
Wheat bran/ Epsom Salt
Poultice

72. Subsolar Abscess
Keep foot covered until defect is closed

73. Eye Problems

74. Clinical Signs
Squinting
Tearing
Swelling

75. Corneal Laceration/ Ulceration
Painful
Sensitive
Graying of the cornea

76. Stain with Fluorescein
Area of cornea injured will retain green stain

77. Treatment Early treatment essential Flush Antibiotic ointment
No steroids
Retards healing
Increase possibility of fungal infections

78. Recurrent Uveitis (Moon Blindness)
Painful eye
Small pupil
Eye may become swollen

79. Retained Placenta

80. Retained Placenta
Should be passed in 3 hours if retained greater then 3 hours call Veterinarian DAY OR NIGHT
Treatment oxytocin
IM or as IV drip
Uterine treatment
Laminitis prevention

81. Sick Foals

82. Sick Foals Look at mare's udder
If foal off feed, mare will drip milk & have enlarged udder
Normal temperature °F
Swollen joints
Early - septicemia
Diarrhea
Foal heat diarrhea is normal
Rotavirus
Status of foal may change quickly

83. High Fever

84. High Fever Infection Need to determine cause May lead to laminitis
Antipyretic drugs
Bute
Dipyrone
Banamine

85. Grain Overload

86. Grain Overload Needs treatment soon Mineral oil Laminitis protection
Anti-endotoxic drugs
Colic - soon
Laminitis days

87. Injection Sites