Horses are domesticated, intelligent and loyal animals, and many people love to raise and care for them. They were also used for travel and wars. Breeders may face several problems when raising horses, including the loss of appetite for food and drink. Therefore, it was necessary for the breeder to educate himself about the life of horses and know all the diseases that horses may be exposed to, so that he can treat them.
Anorexia in horses is a common disease that many horses are exposed to throughout their lives. The causes of this disease vary, as there are psychological causes such as the horse changing place, or an organic cause such as the digestive system or respiratory system being infected with several diseases and other causes. Here is In this article from teketrek ،everything you want to know about anorexia, the most important causes and methods of treatment.
What is anorexia in horses?
Loss of appetite in horses is the horse’s unwillingness to eat and drink and is caused by a disease in the digestive system or infection with parasites in the intestines or may be due to a respiratory infection with some viruses, or may be due to a psychological factor in the horse. Loss of appetite leads to a severe decrease in the horse’s weight and leads to lethargy and inability to move, and is a clear reason for the weakness of the horse’s immune system, which makes the horse vulnerable to infection with any virus or bacteria around it.
Why would a horse lose appetite?: Possible causes
Loss of appetite is a common symptom that affects horses. There are several reasons that make horses lose their appetite, including the following:
- Stress and psychological problems are among the first causes of loss of appetite in horses, which is the result of the horse not feeling safe due to being transferred to another breeder or to a place it is not accustomed to because horses are loyal to their owners.
- Horses are infected with some diseases such as respiratory diseases such as viral herpes virus, and equine strangulation resulting from gram-positive bacteria, and these diseases are accompanied by loss of appetite.
- Horses are infected with digestive system diseases such as equine hepatitis, or some parasites that grow inside the intestines and stomach, which lead to loss of appetite in horses.
- The uncleanliness of the horse and the place where it lives makes it unable to eat, and the lack of good ventilation in the place leads to the accumulation of bacteria, which causes loss of appetite.
- Changing the feed that the horse is accustomed to makes it unable to accept the new feed and refrains from eating it.
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What are the signs of anorexia in animals?
There are several symptoms and signs that appear on the horse that suggest loss of appetite, and then it is necessary to intervene quickly so that the problem does not increase and lead to the risk of death, and among these symptoms are the following:
- A noticeable loss of weight in the horse.
- The horse does not want to eat feed or any other food.
- Lack of lethargy, lack of movement and slowness while walking suggest loss of appetite.
- Vomiting when eating food, even if the amount is small.
- Lack of drinking water.
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Anorexia in horses treatment and veterinary diagnosis
If the horse suffers from loss of appetite and shows symptoms of the disease, the main cause of loss of appetite must be determined by conducting laboratory tests, necessary medical examinations and taking a swab if there are nasal secretions. If a viral or bacterial infection is discovered, treatment and antibiotics are prescribed to prevent the proliferation of these bacteria and eliminate them as soon as possible.
The horse must also be cared for and given good food and cleaned periodically. The horse must be given vitamins and minerals that are important for the body to provide it with energy and compensate for the body’s loss of nutritional values during anorexia. There are also medications that increase the horse’s appetite that the doctor can prescribe for affected horses.
The effect of stress and tension on the horse’s appetite and how to deal with them
The horse is one of the beautiful, very sensitive creatures, and it is also very loyal to its owner and caregiver. Its characteristics also include agility and activity. It is considered one of the animals that get stressed and this trait appears in it by preventing itself from eating. If the horse is exposed to stress, which is due to the horse being infected with any disease or due to being exposed to violence and discomfort, and stress may be caused by excessive stress and intense exercise, which leads to loss of appetite, so complete comfort must be provided for the horse, especially if it suffers from any symptoms of the disease, even if the symptoms are worsening. A doctor must also be consulted and the horse must be given an appropriate appetite stimulant.
If the loss of appetite is due to a disease, the disease that caused it must be treated and the loss of appetite will disappear with it. However, if the stress is due to a psychological cause, such as the horse leaving its owner or leaving the place it was in or due to a change in the type of feed, then the horse must be treated gently and provided with the food it needs and trained in the new place and its new owner.
How to stimulate the horse’s appetite and maintain its general health
Stimulating the horse’s appetite for food is very necessary for horses suffering from anorexia. The horse’s appetite is stimulated by first treating the cause that resulted in the loss of appetite, then ventilating the horse’s place and adding nutritional supplements to the horse’s food, providing the type of feed that it likes, and providing complete comfort and relaxation without stressing it. All of this helps create an atmosphere of comfort and calm for it, which encourages it to eat. Appetite stimulants also have a strong effect in stimulating the horse’s appetite.
Maintaining the horse’s health is one of the necessary things to prevent common and infectious diseases. Giving the necessary vaccinations to the horse at the appropriate time is also important, as these vaccines build a wall of protection against any bacteria and viruses present in the place.
What diseases cause loss of appetite?
There are several diseases that cause loss of appetite in horses, including diseases that affect the respiratory system, such as herpes virus disease, which is a serious disease, and equine strangulation caused by gram-positive bacteria, and diseases related to the digestive system, such as the presence of parasites in the intestines and stomach, and there are other reasons A condition such as horse stress or separation from its owner, or exposure to severe stress.
In the end, rapid veterinary care in the event of loss of appetite is essential and very important to save the horse’s life from weakness and weight loss, which may lead to death. Also, medical follow-up every period reveals the possibility of any virus appearing or the horse being exposed to bacteria and fungi, which contributes to providing appropriate treatment for it, which protects the horse from loss of appetite. Caring for the horse and its health is the responsibility of the breeder, so the general health of the horse should not be neglected, and hurry up when finding any symptom that appears on it.
