Wheeler Ranch & Feed


Wheeler Ranch & Feed
 
Kari's Fascinating Facts and Informative Info
( or at least Kari thinks so :) )

A Matter of Degrees...
A fever occurs when your horse's hypothalmus, which regulates his body temperature, adjusts his "thermostat" such that he'll tolerate higher temperatures before cooling mechanisms kick in. This allows his body to battle invading organisms, by creating a hot, unfriendly environment for them -- his body is literally trying to burn them out. His temperature also is a good indicator of his health. When you think something's wrong with your horse, one of the first questions your veterinarian is likely to ask is, "What's the horse's temperature?"
Here's what those degrees can mean...

Temperature

Possible Causes
105 or higher
Serious viral infection; heat stroke
102 to 104.5
Post-excercise heat; at rest, pain, inflammation, or mild infection
99.5 to 101.5
Normal
97.5 to 99
Mild to moderate shock; hypothermia
97 or below
Severe shock
Baseline Vital Signs

Vital Sign

Normal Range
Abnormals & Possible Cause
Your Horse
Vitals
Temperature
99-101.5
degrees
Below Normal: hypothermia; shock.
Above Normal: infection; heat exhaustion; exerted/muscle exertion.
6 a.m.:
Noon:
6 p.m.:
Heart Rate
3-44
beats per min.
Below Normal: good athletic condition; heart problem; poisoning; hypothermia; shock
Above Normal: exercise; pain; fever; heat exhaustion; shock; heart problem; anxiety
Respiratory Rate
10-15
breaths per min.
Below Normal: athletic condition; hypothermia; shock; drug effect.
Above Normal: exercise; pain; fever; heat exhaustion; electrolyte imbalance; shock; respiratory infection
Gut Sounds
Long, rolling rumbles interspersed with shorter gurgles; quiet periods no longer than 2 minutes.
Quieter than Normal: gut motility slowed or stopped.
Noisier than Normal: hunger; digestion of a meal; nervousness; or gut inflammation.
High Pitched Pings with periods of Quiet: accumulated gas(often a sign of colic.
Digital Pulse
Subtle and difficult to feel
No Pulse : could be normal, or it could indicate poor circulation.
An obvious or strong pulse: could indicate a variety of foot problems, including laminitis(founder) or an abscess.
Gum Color
Pale to bubble gum pink
Whitish Gums: could indicate anemia or shock.
Bright Pink Gums: could indicate illness;poisoning; shock; or could be normal if the horse has just been excercising.
Bright Red, Blue or Muddy Colored Gums
could indicate poisoning or shock.
Capillary Refill Time(CRT)
CRT: 1-2
Faster than Usual CRT: means your horse's blood pressure is elevated, probably due to recent excercise; excitement; or anxiety. : hypothermia; shock.
Slow CRT: can indicate illness; poisoning; or shock.

The benefits of using a conditioner after shampooing...
Shampooing removes dirt and gunk from the horses coat but it also takes away the natural oils, such as sebum. Sebum helps keep the hairs flexible and aids in waterproofing. Bathing too frequently can leave the coat, mane and tail overly dry and brittle.
Applying conditioner will keep the elasticity of the mane and tail less prone to breakage which allows the mane and tail to grow longer and fuller.
Check out our Conditioner web specials

Fact: The percentage of equine population 20 years of age or older increased from 5.6 in 1998 to 7.6 in 2005 and the numbers are still increasing each year!


How to battle bots...
Late summer and early fall are the main times for the dreaded Bot Fly to lay its eggs. The bot eggs are deposited on the horses legs, chest, throat and belly. The Bot eggs hatch when the horse licks them. The ingested larvae migrate to the stomach and latch onto the wall to mature, before being passed with manure eight to ten months later. Bots are not likely to be harmful to your horse but they will irritate the tissues of his mouth and stomach and can cause his general condition to decline.
Deworming in late fall can help kill internal larvae. You can also scrape the eggs off daily with a Bot block or a dull knife or safety razor. Baby oil helps to smother the larve and keep them from hatching. It also provides a slick area to prevent the eggs from attaching to the horse.
Check out our websale on Ivermectin Paste! The wormer that kills the bots!


Fact: Bute (phenylbutazone) takes two hours to take effect and begin to relieve a horses mild pain.

Fact: Researchers estimate the total time a horse devotes to drinking water each day is very small. Normal drinking behavior for adult horses in stalls has these characteristics: Episodes occur two to eight times a day and last for only about 10 to 60 seconds at a time, for a cumulative daily total drinking duration of approximately one to eight minutes. The average horse drinks 6.6 gallons per day.
Remember the old saying ...you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink!



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Monday - Saturday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm


"All your pet & livestock needs - even a few of your own"
3247 Smith Ave.  Biggs, CA  95917 |530-868-1717 |530-868-1700 Fax |530-868-1716 After Hours
Wheeler Ranch and Feed ©2006 All rights reserved