Elevated Temperature

STEVE: An elevated temp, depending on the amount of elevation you know, with the race horses, we were really really attentive, that we, you know, most outfits I worked with took temps at least twice a day, some more when they had something ongoing.

You know, the typical temperature in a horse is around 100. I mean, that’s normal with a little variation, I mean, somewhere, 99 and change, 99 and four-fifths, 99.6, you know, not unusual. Other horses might run a bit higher. 100 and four-fifths maybe, normal for an individual.

Outwardly they show signs that they are a little bit depressed, they are not nearly as active, they’re not nearly as bright or brilliant as they normally would be. And they tend to not, you know, they vary away from their normal habits and patterns of food procurement, movement in the stall, alertness. Things like this become very, very readily apparent that they’re just not quite right. And of course the first thing we do is put a thermometer in them. That’s always been a habit I’ve had.

ALEX: Yeah and it’s important that a person knows how to take a horses temp, know what a normal horse temperature is, because if you have a really high elevated temperature its needs to be addressed right away.

STEVE: Most definitely.

ALEX: It’s not something to say, “Well maybe it will pass tomorrow”…that’s when you need to call your veterinarian and get right on ti.

STEVE: If you have an elevated or very very significantly elevated temperature it is somewhat of an emergency situation, because if there is something that is creating it that’s extremely high, you could be in danger of suffering from secondary problems like laminitis and/or a number of other…pneumonia and/or things that could be devastating to your horse for the rest of it’s life. It could be life threatening, so you’ve got to be proactive. It’s something you want to get on top of right away.