Editors Note: If you would like more information on how you can incorporate homeopathic remedies with veterinary care, contact Cheyanne West by e-mailing her at: AskCheyanne@TodaysHorse.com

Whether you are a first time horse owner, or have had horses for many years matters little. You will be surprised how many horse owners and caretakers do not recognize life threatening injuries or illnesses. For the most part, minor injuries or illnesses can be cared for by the owner or barn manager. These types of injuries include minor cuts or abrasions and should be tended to the moment they are discovered. These can be treated with a mild antiseptic or alternative products such as Tea Tree oil or calendula cream. Always clean the area thoroughly with mid soap and water, inspecting the abrasion or any foreign matter, then apply the appropriate cream or ointment. Minor abrasions should be checked or monitored daily to insure that no infection occurs.

Non-life threatening injuries or illness can be accompanied by severe pain. These may include a fracture, burns, lacerations that do not include extensive bleeding but may require stitches. Isolate the animal and inspect the injury for any secondary injuries, as well as call on your veterinarian.

Life-threatening injuries or illness include severe bleeding where blood is pulsating or flowing freely from a wound or, no sign of breathing, or heartbeat These require immediate attention from your veterinarian. Stop bleeding by first remaining calm, and immobilize the horse. Apply pressure directly to the site with a clean cotton gauze or cloth in hand. Apply an ice pack to the site if the source of the bleeding is inaccessible. Do not dab or wipe the site as this will promote bleeding. Do not clean the site until the bleeding has stopped. Aggravating the area my encourage fresh bleeding again.

How to check the pulse and heartbeat. A normal pulse of the horse varies according their breed, age and weight. However, the normal pulse rate ranges from 30 to 42 beats per minute. The pulse is a reflection of the heartbeat and is an indicator of blood circulation. To get a good reading on the pulse the horse must be kept calm and quiet. Place a finger on the artery that passes under the lower jaw. It would be good for you to locate this spot now, while your horse is well, and make a note of his pulse rate in your record book. Normal respiration is 8-14 breaths per minute. While you checking for this artery, this might be a good time for you to check your horses temperature and record that as well. The normal temperature for a horse ranges between 37.7 degrees C (99.5 degrees F) and 38.6 degrees C (or 101.5 degrees F). If the temperature remains outside that range, it is a good indicator that the horse has an infection or some other illness. You may use an ordinary household thermometer. Shake the mercury down to below 37.7 degrees C (or 99.5 degrees F). Smear the thermometer with an non-irritant lubricant such a s petroleum jelly or egg-white. Holding the tail back with one hand, insert the thermometer into the horse's anus and hold the thermometer securely for 2 minutes before checking. Many veterinarians use a thermometer that is approximately 5" in length. Some have a ring on the end where a cord can be attached. This is an excellent safety measure, insuring the horse does not suck the thermometer inside. We recommend that you keep a thermometer like this in your first aid kit.

Also in your record book, highlight your veterinarians name and telephone number. Make note of the horses age, average weight, general appearance and condition when normal. Also mark down his normal temperature and pulse rate. These will be a good reference for an emergency that may arise later. Always make the date of any injury or treatment and what was administered to your horse. These logs can prove invaluable in case of an emergency.

WHEN TO CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN

CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY IF:

• There is heavy bleeding from any part of the body and the bleeding will not stop.
• When there is Blood in the urine.
• When there is difficulty breathing - gasping, noisy distressful breathing, blue tongue.
• When burns are fairly extensive.
• When the horse is choking or appears distressed, extends the head and neck, salivates, coughs, grunts strikes the ground. When food and saliva may be regurgitated through the nostrils.
• When the horse collapses or has loss of balance. Overreaction to an external stimuli with one or more of the following: depression, staggering knuckling over, walking in circles, down and unable to get up, general muscle tremor with or without sweating, rigidity, paddling movements of legs, shock or coma.
• Diarrhea, putrid smelling, fluid diarrhea with or with out blood or severe abdominal pain.
• Severe injury with continuous pain, severe lameness, lacerations with bone exposed, puncture wound especially on the chest or abdomen.
• Uncontrollable biting, itching, tearing at skin where skin has become broken and bleeding.
• Severe pain from continuous or spasmodic
• Colic, severe abdominal pain, continuous or spasmodic, unable to pass feces
• Poisoning, from chemicals, snake bite or poisonous plant ingestion. (try to retain sample of the poison for the veterinarian if possible.)
• Straining continuously with little or no result. Horse positions themselves to urinate or defecate and not results or exhibits pain.
• Difficulty breathing. If no foal appease within about 25 minutes of obvious contractions and straining, or if the mare gives up after straining for same amount of time. or if only part of the foal appears, for example only one leg, after 20 minutes of straining.
• Severe lacerations or punctures.

CALL THE VETERINARIAN THE SAME DAY IF:

• You have discovered a miscarriage of a fetus.
• If the afterbirth is retained for longer than eight hours after delivery.
• Signs of appetite loss, along with depression, painful breathing, diarrhea, lying down, sweating, or obvious pain.
• Difficult breathing, labored breathing, rapid and shallow breathing with or without a cough
• Diarrhea no stool formation, mostly fluid eye problems, tears streaming down cheeks, eyelids partially or completely closed, cornea surface of the eye scratched, hazy, opaque or bluish-white appearance.
• Frostbite and hypothermia - low body temperature usually occurs in sub-zero temperatures.
• Injuries that are not urgent but liable to be come infected. A cut through full thickness of skin, needing stitches puncture wound on foot or sudden acute lameness
• Swelling that appears hot, hard and painful or is discharging.

MONITOR and WAIT 24 HOURS BEFORE CALLING A VETERINARIAN:

• Appetite loss, horse isn't eating but offers no other symptoms.
• Diarrhea loose stools with no sign of blood or straining and no abdominal pain moderate itching with no surface damage.
• Lameness but maintains ability to bear weight on the leg with no other symptoms.
• Excessive thirst, often accompanied by excessive urination.

HOMEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA EMERGENCY REMEDY LIST

ACONITE (Acon) All emotional trauma, shock, mental anxiety with restlessness. Early stages of all feverish states, inflammations accompanied by fear. Onset of founder. Ailments brought on by cold draft.

ARSENICUM (Ars.) For all chemical poisonings, ANY TOXICITY, DIARRHEA from chemicals or bad food. Anxiety from toxicity. Asthma, lung weakness. Wind remedy, used in race horses to develop lung power.

APIS MEL (Apis.) ALLERGIC REACTIONS,SWELLINGS. Swellings in reaction to vaccinations, insect bites, thorns, hives, rashes, bee stings. Joint swellings with heat. Anaphylactic shock.

ARNICA (Arn.) ALL PHYSICAL PAIN AND TRAUMA, from accidents, bruising, muscle strains, head of joint injuries, broken bones. Pain from laminitis, physical over-exertion/exercise. Mental anxiety from accidents.

BELLADONNA (Bell) Noticeably sensitive to the senses. Symptoms of staring, wide open eyes, dilated pupils, sensitive to light, noise, hot shiny smooth skin, excitable with full pulse. Worse at night, worse lying down, sudden onset of FEVER WITH SWEAT. Ear and eye disorders. Founder.

BRYONIA (Bry) All incidents that are WORSE WITH MOVEMENT, painful and better with applied pressure. Arthritis, rheumatism with hard, tense joints with shiny skin. Difficulty breathing, coughing with dry mucous membranes. (Generally a left sided remedy.)

CALENDULA (Calen.) ANTISEPTIC, aids in healing tissue internally and externally. For all open wounds, cuts, stabs, surgery. Apply topically and offer internally to aid in healing and pain. For stimulating the healing of torn muscles, ligaments and cartilage.

CANTHARIS (Canth.) BURNS, burning pain, pain in kidneys, urinary tract infections, blood in urine, straining, retention or difficulty urinating. Horse positions itself to urinate and cannot, or passes only a few drops. Burn or scalding in mouth, throat, with great difficulty swallowing water. Burns externally from ropes, fire, chemical. Apply topically and internally.

CARBO VEG (Carb-v.) SUDDEN COLLAPSE, "corpse like reviver", cold to touch, collapse and lifeless for no apparent reason. Also used for upset stomachs from debility from bad food.

CHAMOMILLE (Cham.) TEMPERAMENTAL AND OVERSENSITIVE, due to unidentified pain. Extreme irritability, restlessness. Colic with swelling of abdomen with cold extremities, especially the ears. Coryza in foals. Coughing caused by excitement. Wind sensitive, Impatient, quarrelsome behavior. EAR ACHES.

CHINA (Chin.) DEBILITY DUE TO PROFUSE EXHAUSTION FROM LOSS OF VITAL FLUIDS, loss of blood with weakness. Anemia in foals, dehydration, diarrhea, dropsy from bleeding. Inflammation of organ after hemorrhaging.

COLCHICUM (Colch) FLATULENT COLIC, with rumbling and distention, especially on the right side. Worse in cold or dampness (low tension pulse with increased salivation). Aversion to food, worse with movement, stretching, worse evening or night, better doubling up.

COLOCYNTHIS (Coloc.) SPASMODIC COLIC caused by eating green foods (rich alfalfa) with severe abdominal pain, distention, loud intestinal noises. Pains come in waves. Horse turns head toward flank, hunches back upward, strikes at belly. Tends to stand but better when moving. Intermittent shivering then hot. Cramping, slimy stools, sometimes with blood.

GELSEMIUM (Gels.) STAGE FRIGHT worse emotion or excitement, anxiety, shock ordeals where there is ANTICIPATED FEAR. Bad effects from fright, fear (fear of person, animal or vet). Diarrhea from sudden emotions such as a fright or anticipation of an ordeal. Facial paralysis or muscle weakness in head region such as paralysis of lips from toxemia.

HEPAR SULPH (Hep.) ABSCESSES with sensitivity to touch. Thick yellow ropy pus or discharge. Smells like old cheese. BOILS, inflamed sinus, bad infection from open wounds, scratch. Better warmth. Chills easily. Unhealthy skin that every little injury suppurates. Skin ulcers.

HYPERICUM (Hyper.) NERVE INJURIES, from lacerations, animal or insect bites. Tail bone pain from injury. Bone pain. Injury to brain or spinal cord. Jagged wounds involving damage to nerve endings.

LEDUM (Led.) PUNCTURE WOUNDS, puncture wounds that do not bleed, cold to touch, with general lack of body heat. Worse with warmth, cold discoloration of skin surrounding puncture. Better ice. Deep joint inflammation, foot abscesses. Lameness where horse hangs leg or foot. Infection of site after a vaccination. Tetanus.

MERCURIUS (Merc.) DISCHARGES< free secretions with foul smell, thick greenish-yellow. Cough with lots of moist thick nasal discharge, swollen glands, diarrhea, shivering restlessness. Nasal discharge from colds, flu, VS, strangles, etc.

NUX VOMICA (Nux-v.) INDIGESTION, digestive upsets, MILD COLIC caused by error in diet or weather change. CONSTIPATION with small hard mucus covered stools in small quantities. Rectal uneasiness.

PHOSPHORUS (Phos.) OVERSENSITIVE to effects of lightning, loud noises. Eye and ear disorders. Sudden onset of pneumonia, passing large amounts of urine. HEMORRHAGING of bright red blood. Flu, when eyes are glazed. Neurological weakness, oversensitivity, chills easily. THIRSTY

PULSATILLA (Puls.) TIMID, EMOTIONAL ever CHANGEABLE nature, both physically and emotionally. Horse fears abandonment of being left alone. Great dryness of mouth and generally THIRST-LESS, loss of appetite without thirst. Arthritis with timid emotional nature better gentle movement.

RHUS TOX (Rhus-T) ARTHRITIS, physical and emotional disorder that is ALWAYS BETTER WITH MOVEMENT or exercise. Acute rheumatism, stiffness, lameness from over exertion or straining. Stiff muscles and or joint soreness that loosens up or swelling reduces with exercise.

RUTA GRAV (Ruta) LAMENESS, damage to tendons, ligaments, cartilage, BRUISING to bones, sprains with joint weakness, injury to flexor tendons, contusions, tears, blow, fall or twisting of effected joints.

SEPIA (Sep.) ALL HORMONAL DISORDERS in mares. Moodiness, irritability with heat cycles.

SILICA (Sil) SKIN DISORDERS. Expels foreign bodies from tissues (Slivers). Restores connective tissues, reduces scar tissue formation. Ulcers inside corner of eyes. EMACIATION from abuse.

SULPHUR (Sulph.) ANTI-SPORIC remedy. Has reoccurring or relapses of condition. Stubborn cough, colds, skin conditions that don't seem to heal. Great reabsorbent used after acute illnesses.

SYMPHYTUM (Symph.) BONE DISORDERS, pain, fractures, stress fractures. Injuries/blow to the eye.

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