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Ask the Vet – Depression in horses, swayback, identifying pain & more! – April 2019

Posted on: April 03, 2019 by SmartPak

Since posting this video, Diamond V Yeast has been changed to DVEquine™ Postbiotic.

 

 

You asked, we answered! In this episode of our monthly series, Ask the Vet, Dr. Lydia Gray and SmartPaker Dan answer 5 new questions on topics like equine depression, swayback, feeding a new horse, how to tell if your horse is in pain, how to supplement your horse and so much more! Dan even tells Lydia that one of the research studies she explains is “one of the most interesting things” he’s ever heard.

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If your question was answered in this video, reach out to us at CustomerCare@SmartPak.com and let us know! We’ll get your gift card out to you as soon as we can! Have some of your own questions? Ask away using #AsktheVetVideo! If your question gets selected to be in one of our Ask the Vet videos, you win a SmartPak gift card! How awesome is that!?

Additional reading/watching material mentioned in the video:
Ask the Vet individual topics playlist
Ask the Vet blogs
Horse Health Library Videos
Ask the Vet form
French research study on equine depression
Department of the Interior – Quantifying Equid Behavior — A Research Ethogram for Free-Roaming Feral Horses
Colorado State University Facial Ethogram
Development of an ethogram for a pain scoring system in ridden horses and its application to determine the presence of musculoskeletal pain (Dr. Sue Dyson)

Questions answered in this episode:
1. When you get a new horse and are unable to continue feeding them the same diet (both grain and hay) either because you don’t have access to it or just don’t know what they were being fed at all, how can you minimize the risk of digestive upset when you start feeding them at home?
2. Are horses similarly prone to depression like humans? If so, what are some symptoms & ways to treat it?
3. How can I keep my horse healthy without being heavy on supplements?
4. How do you know if a horse is in pain or any discomfort?
5. What causes sway back and how do you prevent it?