Treatment of Equine Influenza

Equine diseases such as equine influenza are very contagious and caused by a virus. There are a number of horse flu symptoms to watch out for. It is not possible to cure horse flu, but there are ways you can treat it to make sure symptoms are more manageable until it goes away. For more information on equine influenza, see the following guide.

Horse flu is normally caught when a healthy horses has contact with a sick horse’s respiratory secretion. If this is inhaled, it is likely the horse will get horse flu.

Equine Influenza Symptoms:

•    High fever
•    Nasal discharge
•    Dry coughing

Milder cases will normally subside after about 3 weeks. There is a possibility in some serious cases that pneumonia and other complications may arise as a result.

To Diagnose

If you suspect that you have a sick horse you should always contact your vet to help diagnose equine diseases. The vet will perform examinations of the throat and nose of a horse. Samples will determine whether a horse is suffering from horse flu or not.

Rest and Treatment

Resting is an extremely important way of battling equine diseases such as this. The energy conserved from rest will be used to fight the illness. If the horse fever causes his temperature to go above 104 degrees Fahrenheit then anti-inflammatory drugs may be given. If the fever continues for more than a few days then a course of antibiotics will probably be necessary.

Preventing

In order to avoid your horse contracting such an illness, vaccinations are the best way to combat. As long as your horse is given regular boosters ever few months, the chances of a horse getting equine influenza are reduced considerably.