BARN SAFETY

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BARN SAFETY EMERGENCY FIRST AID

• South Shore Equine Clinic Diagnostic Center
• 151 Palmer Road
• Plympton, MA 02367
• 781-585-2611
• www.ssequineclinic.com

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BARN SAFETY EMERGENCY FIRST AID

• Presented by
• Mark T. Reilly, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (EQUINE)
• Linda J. Cimetti, DVM
• Suzanne P. Shaw, MVB

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BARN SAFETY EMERGENCY FIRST AID

• Are you prepared?
• When to call the vet

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SAFETY

• HOUSING
• POPULATION DENSITY
• HYGIENE
• STAGNANT WATER
• EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
• FIRE PLAN

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HOUSING

• Air Flow
• Ventilation
• Decrease incidence of respiratory disease/COPD

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HOUSING

• Clean, FRESH Water
• Individual buckets
• Individual feed tubs
• Individual halters and leads
• Decrease incidence of disease transmission

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HOUSING

• Splinters
• Stalls/fences
• Metal
• Screw eyes
• Double end snaps
• Nails
• Debris/waste/
• scraps

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HOUSING

• Population Density
• Hygiene

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POPULATION DENSITY

• Sharing Paddocks
• Parasite control
• Infectious disease control

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ROUTINE HEALTH CHECK

• Twice per year to detect, prevent and treat a
  problem BEFORE it becomes an emergency
• Exams allow your horses doctor to become
  familiar with you and your horse

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ROUTINE HEALTH CHECKS

• Wellness Planning -gt longer, healthier lives
• Vaccines Deworming
• Oral exam/Dentistry
• Laboratory and other diagnostics

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Infectious Disease Control

• Viruses - Respiratory
• Influenza
• Rhino (EHV-1 Outbreak)
• Bacterial
• Strep. Equi (Strangles)
• Rhodococcus

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Sharing Paddocks

• Strategic Deworming Protocol
• ALL horses
• New Horses
• Bi-annual Intestinal Parasite Exam (fecal) with
  fecal egg counts
• www.ssequineclinic.com

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Infectious Disease

• Do you have the ability to quarantine animals?
• 35 feet minimum

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Infectious Disease

• Minimize by practicing good HYGIENE

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HYGIENE

• Closed herds
• No shared water buckets or feed tubs
• Individual halter/lead
• Change water daily
• Clean/bleach (Pine sol) buckets at least weekly

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HYGIENE

• Minimize shared tack
• Clean/Disinfect all shared tack/blankets between
  users

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Hygiene - Human

• Foot baths
• Hand Sanitizers
• Isolated barn clothing/shoes

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Hygiene

• Have designated person to work with sick horse
• Handle after all others have been handled
• Clean stall last - or 1 designated person
• Have own muck tub, shovel, fork, etc.
• Wear gloves/wash hands

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STAGNANT WATER

• Breeding grounds for mosquitoes gtgt West Nile, EEE
• Mayflies gtgt Pot. Horse Fever
• Algae, bacteria
• Strep Equi (Strangles) can survive in water for
  up to 6 weeks!

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

• What would you do if .
• you were without power for 3 days?
• You had to evacuate all of the horses on the
  premises?
• You had a loss of structures due to excess wind
  damage?

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FIRE SAFETY
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FIRE SAFETY

• Smoking !!
• Electrical overload/Electric cords
• Clutter/spider webs/hay/dust

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FIRE SAFETY
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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

• Do you have resources available to evacuate all
  animals quickly and safely?
• Do you have adequate materials to securely
  identify all animals?

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FIRE SAFETY
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FIRE SAFETY
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FIRE SAFETY
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FIRE SAFETY
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FIRE SAFETY
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FIRE SAFETY

• Garden Hoses
• Fire Extinguishers

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EMERGENCY PLANNING

• Rule 1 STAY SAFE!!
• Horses can be very dangerous when injured or
  panicked
• You cannot help your horse if you are injured
• The most important thing is your SAFETY and the
  safety of those around you

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EMERGENCY PLANNING

• Is it safe to approach the horse?
• If so
• Catch and calm the horse.
• If possible, take the horse to a safe place such
  as a stall or paddock.
• Get someone to help you.

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EMERGENCY PLANNING

• Phone numbers you need to have available
• A friend or neighbor who can assist you in an
  emergency.
• Your veterinarian, including how to reach after
  hours.
• Your insurance company.

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EMERGENCY PLANNING

• TRAILERING
• If you do not own a trailer, make arrangements in
  advance for transportation in case of an
  emergency.
• Know how to hitch up, road worthy.
• Make sure your horse is well accustomed to
  loading and riding
• Keep a well maintained First-Aid kit in the truck
  or trailer.

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EMERGENCY PLANNING

• It always helps to have assistance in times of an
  emergency.
• Be sure to prepare and practice your plans.
• This will help you to act calmly and efficiently
  during times of an emergency.

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FIRST AID KITS

• Keep in clean, dry place where it is readily
  acceptable
• Be sure others know where to find it
• Barn, truck/trailer, riding version

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FIRE SAFETY

• Devastating Disasters
• Frantic Situation
• Safe Place to Move Horses
• 911

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FIRE SAFETY
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FIRE SAFETY

• Halters on or off?
• Knowledgeable handlers available?
• Local Fire Department

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EMERGENCIES

• Are they accident prone?
• Behavior
• Kicks
• Lacerations
• Abrasions
• Fractures
• Bite wounds

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EMERGENCIES

• Colic
• Foaling Difficulty
• Laceration/Hemorrhage
• Illness/Fever
• Seizures
• Acute Lameness
• Ocular Trauma

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EMERGENCIES

• As a horse owner you must know how to recognize
  serious problems, respond promptly and take
  appropriate action while waiting for the vet to
  arrive.

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EMERGENCIES What you should know

• Temperature
• Heart Rate
• Respiratory rate
• Abdominal sounds
• Normal behavior

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What you should know

• Temperature
• lt 101.5º F
• Taken rectally with digital or mercury
  thermometer

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What to know..

• Heart Rate
• Normal
• 28 - 44 beats per minute

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What to know

• Respiratory Rate
• Normal is 10-20 breaths per minute
• watch nostrils or sides

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What to know

• Manure
• Gas
• Gut sounds
• (borborygmi)
• Decreased
• Increased
• Absent

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What to know

• Mucous membranes
• Color
• Hydration
• Capillary refill time (CRT)

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Normal values

• Every horse is different
• Keep a daily record
• Wider range in foals

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Normal Values

• Temperature lt 101.5º F
• Heart Rate 28-44 bpm
• Respiratory rate 10-20 bpm
• Mucous membranes pink, moist, crtlt2 seconds
• Gut sounds audible in 4 quadrants
• Normal behavior

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When you think you may have an emergency note the
following

• In addition to Temp., HR, RR, Gut sounds
• Attitude
• BAR, lethargic, anxious, painful, quiet, etc.
• Appetite/H20 consumption
• Manure production

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More Obvious Signs

• Rolling, pawing, strecthing, etc.
• Sweating
• Ataxia
• Nasal Discharge
• Labored breathing
• Bleeding
• Lameness

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Is it an EMERGENCY
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OCULAR TRAUMA

• ANY problem related to the eye should be
  considered an emergency and should be seen by a
  vet prior to treatment

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OCULAR TRAUMA

• INDICATIONS OF AN INJURY
• Squinting
• Excessive Tearing
• Eye(s) look cloudy
• Mucous discharge

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EYE INJURIES

• INDICATIONS OF AN INJURY
• Holding eye closed or sensitive to light
• Swelling around eye or eyelid
• Laceration of the eyelid

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EYE INJURIES

• DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TREAT
• Could be devastating
• They only have 2 eyes!!!

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EYE INJURIES

• WAIT FOR VETERINARY EVALUATION

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EYE INJURIES

• VETERINARY EVALUATION
• Sedation and local anesthesia
• Evaluation with Ophthalmoscope /- IOP
• Fluorescein/Rose Bengal stain
• Cytology/Culture Sensitivity
• Initiation of treatment Topical, Systemic
• Antibiotics, Anti-inflammatories (BANAMINE only)

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EYE INJURIES

• WAIT FOR VETERINARY EVALUATION
• Treating a corneal ulcer with a single dose of a
  steroid will delay healing for up to 3 weeks
• Could result in rapid decline and loss of the
  eye even with surgical intervention

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EYE INJURIES

• WAIT FOR VETERINARY EVALUATION
• They only have 2 eyes and delay of treatment can
  be devastating and have long lasting negative
  effects
• Uveitis, cataracts, scarring

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WOUNDS

• Horses frequently get cuts and scrapes
• It is important to know which wounds need
  veterinary attention
• If you do not know, then you should call your vet

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WOUNDS

• Examples of wounds that need immediate attention
• Puncture wounds
• Deep Lacerations (where you can see bone,
  tendons, etc.)

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WOUNDS

• Examples of wounds that need immediate attention
• Wounds near joints or tendons
• Severely contaminated wounds

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WOUNDS

• Examples of wounds that need immediate attention
• Wounds near joints or tendons
• Severely contaminated wounds

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WOUNDS

• Examples of wounds that need immediate attention
• Puncture wounds
• Large OR small

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PUNCTURE WOUNDS

• If possible penetrating objects should be left in
  place until you contact your vet
• Removal could result in further damage
• Blood loss

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PUNCTURE WOUNDS

• If possible penetrating objects should be left in
  place until you contact your vet
• Leave nail in place if stepping on it will not
  drive it further into the foot
• Vet may want to x-ray prior to removal

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PUNCTURE WOUNDS

• If possible penetrating objects should be left in
  place.
• If removed
• Mark exact point of entry on foot
• Mark exact depth of penetration on object (nail)
  removed
• Clean and bandage area

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WOUNDS

• BLEEDING
• Blood squirting or flowing steadily from a wound
  needs to be controlled
• Apply a sterile or clean pad and apply firm
  pressure (vet wrap/polo/belt)

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WOUNDS

• BLEEDING
• Keep Pressure applied for 30 minutes
• If blood soaks through, add more padding over top
  and continue with pressure until veterinarian
  gets there

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LAMENESS

• Acute, severe lameness
• Abscess (most common)
• Fractures
• Laminitis
• Tendon Injury
• Nail/Foreign Body Puncture

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LAMENESS

• Call your veterinarian immediately if.
• Your horse cannot bear any weight on the affected
  limb
• The leg is being held at an abnormal angle
• Bone is protruding out of the skin or hoof
• Try to keep the horse calm

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LAMENESS

• Laminitis
• Very painful condition caused by inflammation
  within the hoof
• Can result in detachment of the coffin bone from
  the hoof wall

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LAMINITIS

• Signs
• Horse is unwilling to walk forward or has
  walking on eggshell gait
• May rock back on hind end (saw horse stance)
• Shifting weight
• Lying down a lot
• Heat in feet and coronary bands
• Increased digital pulses

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LAMINITIS

• Numerous causes
• Unpredictable course of disease
• Early medical attention yields better outcome
• Call your vet if you suspect your horse has
  laminitis or any other severe, acute onset of
  lameness

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HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS

• Allergic Reactions
• Common Causes
• Bee Sting
• Snake bite
• Medication
• Toxin ingestion (plant, mold, etc.)

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HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS

• Allergic Reactions Signs
• Hives
• Swollen face/muzzle
• Difficulty, noisy or labored Breathing
• Sweating
• Colic
• Call your vet immediately if you notice any of
  these signs

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HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS

• Allergic Reactions Treatment
• Corticosteroids
• Antihistamine
• Epinephrine
• Severe hypersensitivity reaction can be life
  threatening
• Usually responds well to treatment

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COLIC

• Term used to describe abdominal pain usually
  indicating a digestive disorder
• Can be life threatening
• Every colic should be taken seriously

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COLIC

• Common signs
• Repeatedly lying down and getting up
• Rolling
• Pawing
• Looking at or biting flanks
• Stretching out as if to urinate

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COLIC

• Common signs
• Curling upper lip or grinding teeth
• Depression
• Loss of appetite
• Sweating
• Increased heart or respiratory rates
• Decreased gut sounds/manure production

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COLIC

• Key medications to have on hand
• BANAMINE
• MILK OF MAGNESIA
• Be prepared to trailer if necessary
• Withhold all food follow instructions
• Write it down!!

• Remember 90 of colics resolve without surgical
  intervention

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COLIC

• Important to call the vet at the first signs
  noticed
• prior to giving any oral meds or feeding
• Be sure to tell the vet about any changes in
  feed, housing, medications, etc.

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Emergency PreparednessHave a plan of action!!

• STAY CALM
• Have a list of friends who may be able to assist
  you if needed
• Phone chain
• Trailer if needed

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Emergency Preparedness

• Things to tell the vet
• Recent changes
• Significant medical info
• TPR, Gut sounds
• Manure in last 24 hours
• DO NOT GIVE ANY MEDICATION OR HOME REMEDY UNLESS
  OKD by your veterinarian

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Emergency PreparednessAction Plan

• Prepare a first aid kit
• Good lighting available
• Running water

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Emergency PreparednessFirst Aid Kit

• Commercially prepared
• Home made kits
• Veterinary Supplies

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Emergency PreparednessFirst Aid Kit

• PLEASE
• REMEMBER TO
• STAY OFF THE
• PHONE!!

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SUMMARY

• By acting promptly you can help minimize the
  risk of an injury or illness

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SUMMARY

• Your horses health and well being depend on you!

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Thank you for your attentionQUESTIONS?