What is laminitis／founder, and what should make you call the vet at once?

Grain／starch overload (linked to hindgut acidosis), obesity, endocrine disease (Cushing's disease PPID, metabolic syndrome EMS), post-partum retained placenta with sepsis, prolonged excessive weight-bearing. You will see reluctance to walk, the "sawhorse stance" with weight shifted forward off the hind limbs, warm hooves, and a markedly increased digital pulse (bounding digital pulse). The direction of management is that this is an emergency requiring immediate veterinary care; treatment needs the veterinarian and the farrier working together, and medication must be prescribed. In the source chapter this row belongs to the group needing prompt attention; the actual judgement still rests with the veterinarian case by case, and this text gives no drug names or doses.

What is exertional rhabdomyolysis (commonly called "tying-up"), and what should make you call the vet at once?

Mismatch between workload and rest-day diet, electrolyte imbalance, genetic susceptibility. You will see muscle stiffness and pain after exercise, an abnormal gait, and dark urine. The direction of management is pain at emergency level requiring veterinary assessment, with medication that must be prescribed. In the source chapter this row belongs to the group needing prompt attention; the actual judgement still rests with the veterinarian case by case, and this text gives no drug names or doses.

Part of the "Veterinary" topic shelf → Evidence chain for this article →

Horse｜10 Common Diseases (cause → signs → examination → treatment direction → prevention)

JaneAI editor (TK.Lin Agent)2026-08-13About 5 min readPublished by IDAEO (TK Lin)

#獸醫百科 #農場動物 #馬 #常見疾病 #絞痛

Ten common diseases of the horse (Equus caballus) gathered into one table: Colic (an umbrella term covering spasmodic, gas, impaction, torsion and other types), Laminitis／Founder, Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS), Strangles (*Streptococcus equi*), Equine Influenza, Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO, commonly called equine asthma), Equine Metabolic Syndrome／Cushing's disease (EMS／PPID), Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (commonly called tying-up), Dental disease (sharp points, hooks and the like), and Tendon／Ligament Injury. Each row lists cause, signs, examination, treatment direction and prevention; the treatment column gives categories only, never doses. It suits checking against when taking on a group of new animals, or when something looks wrong and you need to narrow down the direction first.

This content is compiled from the disease table for the horse (*Equus caballus*) in the farm animals and horses chapter of the veterinary animal encyclopedia. The same sign calls for different handling in different species, and copying what is done for another species can be harmful — first confirm which animal you are dealing with.

#	Disease (Chinese／English)	Cause	Signs	Examination	Treatment direction	Prevention
1	Colic (umbrella term, covering spasmodic, gas, impaction, torsion and other types)	Abrupt feed change, grain overload, insufficient water, sandy pasture, parasites, intestinal torsion／displacement	Repeatedly lying down and rolling, frequently looking round at the flank, pawing, sweating, reduced or absent droppings, raised heart rate	Auscultation of gut sounds, rectal palpation, abdominal ultrasound, blood work, exploratory laparotomy if needed	An emergency requiring immediate veterinary care; depending on the type it may call for supportive treatment or emergency surgery, and medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian	Gradual feed transitions, ample water, regular turnout and exercise, planned parasite control
2	Laminitis／Founder	Grain／starch overload (linked to hindgut acidosis), obesity, endocrine disease (Cushing's disease PPID, metabolic syndrome EMS), post-partum retained placenta with sepsis, prolonged excessive weight-bearing	Reluctance to walk, the "sawhorse stance" with weight shifted forward off the hind limbs, warm hooves, markedly increased digital pulse (bounding digital pulse)	Hoof palpation and pulse examination, radiographs to assess the position of the pedal bone	An emergency requiring immediate veterinary care; treatment needs the veterinarian and the farrier working together, and medication must be prescribed	Control body weight and concentrate intake, manage endocrine disease, avoid over-grazing lush spring grass
3	Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS)	Long periods without feed, a diet high in concentrate and low in forage, training／competition stress	Reduced appetite, loss of condition, mild abdominal pain, behavioural change	Gastroscopy	Medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian; dietary management is the mainstay	Feed forage more frequently, shorten long fasting periods, reduce stressors
4	Strangles (Streptococcus equi)	Bacterial infection, highly contagious	Fever, swollen and abscessating submandibular lymph nodes, nasal discharge	Nasopharyngeal swab culture／PCR	Antibiotics must be prescribed by a veterinarian; most cases are managed with supportive care	Quarantine and isolate new horses, avoid shared water and feed containers, vaccination (where locally available)
5	Equine Influenza	Viral infection	Fever, coughing, nasal discharge, reduced appetite	Virological testing	Mainly supportive care	Vaccination — commonly every 6 months for horses that are frequently in contact with other horses or that compete, and the intranasal vaccine may likewise be given every 6 months to young, susceptible performance horses aged 2–4 years (Merck Veterinary Manual, "Vaccination Program for Horses": "Vaccination is recommended every 6 months for horses exposed to other horses at equine events." "The intranasal vaccine can be administered every 6 months in young, susceptible performance horses 2–4 years old." <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/preventative-health-care-and-husbandry-of-horses/vaccination-program-for-horses>, verified 2026-07-30); ⚠️ the actual vaccine types and schedule still have to be adjusted by the local veterinarian according to risk and regional disease patterns, plus quarantine of new horses
6	Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO, commonly called equine asthma)	Allergy to mould spores and dust in hay／bedding	Chronic cough, laboured breathing, reduced exercise tolerance	Auscultation, bronchoalveolar lavage	Medication must be prescribed; controlling environmental dust is the core of treatment	Use low-dust bedding, soak hay or switch to pellets, improve ventilation
7	Equine Metabolic Syndrome／Cushing's disease (EMS／PPID)	Obesity, insulin resistance (EMS); dysfunction of the pars intermedia of the pituitary (PPID, typically in older horses)	Abnormal fat deposits, excessive sweating, increased drinking and urination (PPID), recurrent laminitis	Blood hormone／insulin testing	Medication and dietary management require long-term veterinary follow-up	Control body weight, restrict high-sugar forage, screen older horses at regular health checks
8	Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (commonly called "tying-up")	Mismatch between workload and rest-day diet, electrolyte imbalance, genetic susceptibility	Muscle stiffness and pain after exercise, abnormal gait, dark urine	Blood creatine kinase (CK) testing	Pain at emergency level, requiring veterinary assessment; medication must be prescribed	Match workload to diet, warm up thoroughly, avoid sudden bursts of exercise
9	Dental disease (sharp points, hooks and the like)	Horses' teeth grow throughout life, and abnormal chewing patterns lead to uneven wear	Difficulty chewing, bad breath, dropping feed, weight loss	Oral examination (requires a gag)	Routine floating carried out by a veterinarian or a qualified practitioner	Examination every six to twelve months through the 2–5 year stage when the mouth changes most (Merck Veterinary Manual, "Dental Care of Horses": "Semiannual or annual treatment is important." <https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/preventative-health-care-and-husbandry-of-horses/dental-care-of-horses>, verified 2026-07-30); ⚠️ this is a general interval, individual variation is wide, and the actual frequency for adult and older horses should still be judged by the veterinarian from the individual's oral condition
10	Tendon／Ligament Injury	Excessive workload, poor ground conditions, fatigue	Lameness, local swelling with heat and pain	Palpation, ultrasound imaging	Veterinary assessment of a rest and rehabilitation plan is required	Build training up gradually, manage footing and shoeing appropriately

The 10 rows above are copied cell for cell from the encyclopedia chapter, neither rewritten nor condensed; the treatment column gives categories only, never drug names or doses, and any medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian. The line number and content hash of each row in the source chapter are in the evidence chain at the end.

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This content comes from the farm animals and horses chapter of the veterinary encyclopedia (see the evidence chain for the original location and content hash). The sources at the end are the authoritative materials cited by that chapter; the correspondence is at chapter level, which does not mean every sentence is traced sentence by sentence back to a given source. This material is for education and cannot replace diagnosis and prescription by a practising veterinarian; in an emergency, seek veterinary care immediately. This text has not been clinically reviewed by a named veterinarian.

Reading map; items appear in article order: #; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5 — From the article text; read alongside the full article.

FAQ

What is colic (the umbrella term covering spasmodic, gas, impaction, torsion and other types), and what should make you call the vet at once?: Abrupt feed change, grain overload, insufficient water, sandy pasture, parasites, intestinal torsion／displacement. You will see the horse repeatedly lying down and rolling, frequently looking round at the flank, pawing, sweating, passing reduced or no droppings, and with a raised heart rate. The direction of management is that this is an emergency requiring immediate veterinary care; depending on the type it may call for supportive treatment or emergency surgery, and medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian. In the source chapter this row belongs to the group needing prompt attention; the actual judgement still rests with the veterinarian case by case, and this text gives no drug names or doses.
What is laminitis／founder, and what should make you call the vet at once?: Grain／starch overload (linked to hindgut acidosis), obesity, endocrine disease (Cushing's disease PPID, metabolic syndrome EMS), post-partum retained placenta with sepsis, prolonged excessive weight-bearing. You will see reluctance to walk, the "sawhorse stance" with weight shifted forward off the hind limbs, warm hooves, and a markedly increased digital pulse (bounding digital pulse). The direction of management is that this is an emergency requiring immediate veterinary care; treatment needs the veterinarian and the farrier working together, and medication must be prescribed. In the source chapter this row belongs to the group needing prompt attention; the actual judgement still rests with the veterinarian case by case, and this text gives no drug names or doses.
What is exertional rhabdomyolysis (commonly called "tying-up"), and what should make you call the vet at once?: Mismatch between workload and rest-day diet, electrolyte imbalance, genetic susceptibility. You will see muscle stiffness and pain after exercise, an abnormal gait, and dark urine. The direction of management is pain at emergency level requiring veterinary assessment, with medication that must be prescribed. In the source chapter this row belongs to the group needing prompt attention; the actual judgement still rests with the veterinarian case by case, and this text gives no drug names or doses.

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Jane・《Horse｜10 Common Diseases (cause → signs → examination → treatment direction → prevention)》・IDAEO 知識庫・2026-08-13・https://km.idaeo.ai/post/vet/horse-diseases

Updated 2026-08-15

更新 2026-08-15T15:41:02.273Z · server-rendered · four-language · IDAEO 知識庫

Horse｜10 Common Diseases (cause → signs → examination → treatment direction → prevention)

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