Common Emergencies

Esophageal obstruction is commonly referred to as "choke" in horses. This occurs when a horse eats too fast or eats certain dry foods such as unsoaked beet pulp. Signs of choke include food material coming from nostrils, nasal discharge, cough, inability to swallow food or water, and distress.

Colic is a term used to describe abdominal discomfort. It's important to have your horse evaluated as some causes of colic can be life threatening. Sings of colic include lying down, rolling, flank watching, lack of manure output, no interest in feed, dull, weight shifting, and flipping their nose up.

Stay up-to-date on the latest pet health news and tips by reading our blog. Find valuable information on pet care, nutrition, and behavior.

If your horse is non-weight bearing lame in one limb, that could be a sign of an emergency. The most common causes of non-weight bearing lameness are subsolar abscesses, cellulitis, fracture, and septic joint. It's also possible that your horse could have stepped on a nail! Laminitis is also an emergency. Laminitis usually shows up as reluctance to bear weight on front feet.

The sooner you call about a laceration, the better it will heal and the less likely it will develop an infection! If you wait too long to call, we may not be able to suture it up.

The most common cause of fever in upstate new york is anaplasmosis. Potomac horse fever and some contagious repiratory and gastrointestinal diseases can also cause fever. If your horse is acting lethargic and not interested in eating, please take your horse's temperature. I consider a fever to be a temperature above 100.5 or 101.5 for foals.

Unfortunately, sometimes we find our horse's down and unable to get up. The sooner you call the vet, the more likely it will be that we can help your horse up. The longer they are down, the harder it is to get them up.