Basic Physical Examination of Horses

1
Basic Physical Examination of Horses

• Chapter 2
• Pages 29-45 LACP

2
Pulse Rate/Heart Rate

• The pulse rate is taken by palpation of arteries
• Heart rate and pulse rate are nor the same heart
  rate refers to the number of heart bests/minute
  (bpm) pulse rate refers to the number of
  palpable arterial pulse waves/minute
• In normal animals heart rate and pulse rate are
  equal
• Arterial pulses may be palpated at several
  locations
• Pulse deficit (heart rate ? pulse rate?)

3

• Facial artery is the most convenient location
  where it courses over the ventral aspect of the
  mandible, rostral to the origin of the masseter
  muscle

4

• B, Identify the facial artery along the medial
  aspect of the mandible.
• C, Press the vascular bundle against the medial
  aspect of the mandible

5
Transverse facial artery

• Is located in a horizontal depression about 1
  inch caudal to the lateral canthus of the eye and
  just below the zygomatic arch.

6
Coocygeal artery

• Supplies the tail and is located along the
  ventral midline of the tail.

7
Dorsal metatarsal artery

• Is located between the metatarsal 3 and 4 (cannon
  bone and lateral splint bone) on the hind limp

8

• E, Location of the lateral digital artery over
  the lateral proximal sesamoid bone and proximal
  to the lateral collateral cartilage. F, Palpation
  of the digital arteries over the proximal
  sesamoid bones. G, Palpation of the digital
  arteries proximal to the collateral cartilages.

9
Heart Auscultation

• Horses are athletes the hearth of the average
  horse may be as large as a basketball.
• Auscultation may be done on the left or right
  side of the chest, though most of the heart
  valves and sounds are heard best from the left
  side
• The most common cause of an irregular heart
  rhythm in the horse is the second degree
  atrioventricular (A-V) block

10
Landmarks for the heart

• The horizontal marks indicate the level of the
  shoulder and elbow joints. The vertical mark
  indicates the caudal border of the triceps
  muscle.