EI Information

IMPORTANT: YOU NEED TO MONITOR YOUR HORSES TEMPERATURE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE; IF NOT POSSIBLE MONITOR BY DEMEANOUR
Normal temp for horse = 37 – 38.5 C
· Temps tend to spike in the afternoon. The spike will be different in each horse & may not be exceptionally high.
· Most horses will spike in the high 38-39 bracket, keep eating and drinking, cough, with some depression.
· Some horses will spike in the 39-40 plus bracket. These are dangerous temperatures because horses will stop eating/drinking/become depressed etc. Anti-inflammatories are indicated in such horses.
· Use temp as guide to treat, but also treat horses that are generally not coping (i.e. full clinical picture indicates) i.e. generally depressed, lying down, obviously muscle sore, in respiratory distress (increased resp rate) etc.
· With EI the virus reportedly takes about 3-5 days to incubate and then we have clinical signs, particularly coughing when exerted, temps, depression and snot.
· Whitish snot (mucous) is usually associated with the early stages, viral snot if you like. Generally you should monitor your horse for the initial period and control temps (with bute), antibiotics aren’t initially indicated with viral infection.
· If temps remain elevated, horse not improving, getting worse, progresses to thicker more vile, say greenish mucopus(but doesn’t have to be) - THEN need certainly to include antibiotics.
Anti-Inflammatory
If over 38.5, particularly if off feed/water & depressed treat with 1gram phenylbutazone (bute) = 1 level teaspoon bute powder. This can be mixed in feed (bitter so use molasses/honey or similar) OR mix with molasses/honey and syringe over tongue. Dose to effect. If horse looking better, give smaller dose, say 0.5gram (1/2 tspn), if normal – don’t give any! (Also could use bute paste; 5ml = 1gram).

Bromotrimidine – oral antibiotic powder
Two level large scoops in feed morning and night. Can put in same feed as bute. Mix with molasses if not accepted by horse. Mix powder/s with molasses/water and syringe over tongue.

Notes on what to watch for in the next few weeks.
· An influenza infection will result in the respiratory lining being damaged to some degree.
· The respiratory lining will take at least 3 weeks to regenerate & until this happens the lung tissue is very susceptible to secondary bacterial infection.
· These secondary infections often develop after the horse appears to have recovered from the initial insult. It is important to be on the watch for it. Commonly it is referred to as the flu “recurring” but it is a secondary infection and this will need treating with antibiotics.
· Do not work or stress them while they are sick with/ or convalescing from the flu.
· The general rule is to note the number of days your horse coughs. Then for every day coughing give it a week off. So if a horse coughs for five days it needs 5 weeks; one that coughs for the best part of 2 weeks needs 3 months or more.
· This particular strain has reportedly been on the whole reasonably uncomplicated but it has the potential to become serious – at Warwick they experienced colic that was related to muscle pain & flu distress, no doubt compounded by decreased eating and drinking. At Warwick there were 5-10% serious secondary infections. These horses were in a more stressful environment than normally would be the case. Nevertheless it is important to stay vigilant and treat when signs indicate.
· Some horses have died – mainly older horses, young foals, but some apparently healthy young horses too.
· Generally horses that are paddocked in a non-stressed/ful environment do best. Do not work your horse or be tempted to work it for months, see above. Do not change routines – same feed etc.
· Flu horses will cough when they exert themselves but can appear normal at most other times, except perhaps for the nasal discharge.....