Arthritis Pain Management - I recently had the opportunity to speak with Richard Shrake. Although bladder ruptures can occur in adult horses, usually from urinary tract obstruction, the vast majority of bladder ruptures occurs in foals. The rupture in foals usually occurs in the bladder itself, but also can occur in the urachus. The urachus, a structure in the fetus which lies between the tip of the bladder and the umbilical cord, allows the excretion of urine. Once ingested, this bacteria basically hands down a death sentence.
Botulism appears to be on the rise in the equine world.
The organism seems to thrive in moist soil and high humidity. Two states that have reported an increase in equine botulism are Georgia and Alabama, both of which have a lot of rain and humidity. Kentucky also has its fair share of cases. The inability of the horse to communicate directly is the greatest hurdle we have to overcome as care givers. The purpose of this article is to review the common problems that affect the horse, and to highlight their clinical signs.