Horse Symptom Checker
A guide for Tucson and Southern Arizona horse owners on the most common — and most serious — signs of equine illness. Colic, lameness, fever, choke, laminitis, and desert-specific risks. Built with the realities of the Sonoran Desert in mind.
Know your horse's normal vital signs
Before something looks wrong, learn what "normal" looks like for your horse. Knowing baseline vitals helps you (and us) make better decisions in a hurry.
Adult horse — normal at rest
How to use this symptom checker
Horses are stoic. By the time obvious symptoms show, the underlying problem may already be advanced. This guide covers the equine symptoms we see most often at Adobe Vet Center — what's usually behind them, how urgent they are, and what to do before we arrive. Severity scale:
Common equine symptoms
1. Colic — abdominal pain Emergency
What it looks like: Pawing, looking or biting at flanks, repeatedly lying down and getting up, rolling, sweating, stretching out, lack of manure, elevated heart rate, sweating in cool weather.
2. Lameness Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Head bob at the trot, shortened stride, reluctance to turn, dragging toe, heat or swelling in a limb, off after work.
3. Laminitis & founder Emergency
What it looks like: Stretched-out "sawhorse" stance with weight shifted to the heels, reluctance to walk, heat in the hooves, strong digital pulse, lying down more than usual, "walking on eggshells."
4. Loss of appetite (anorexia) Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Picking at hay, walking away from grain, dropping feed (quidding), or refusing to eat at all.
5. Fever Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Rectal temperature above 101.5°F. Often paired with lethargy, sweating, off feed, increased respiratory rate.
6. Choke — esophageal obstruction Emergency
What it looks like: Stretched-out neck, coughing, gagging, food or saliva coming back out of nostrils or mouth, anxious, sometimes a visible bulge along the left side of the neck.
7. Cough or nasal discharge Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Dry hacking cough, wet cough with mucus, clear/yellow/green discharge from one or both nostrils, swelling under the jaw.
8. Difficulty breathing Emergency
What it looks like: Flared nostrils at rest, extended head and neck, heave line along the flank, rapid shallow breathing, blue or gray gums, audible noise.
9. Diarrhea Emergency
What it looks like: Loose to watery manure. May be projectile. Tail and hind legs become coated.
10. Wound or laceration Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Cuts, punctures, scrapes, exposed tissue, swelling, lameness with a visible wound.
11. Eye injury or discharge Emergency
What it looks like: Holding eye shut, tearing, cloudiness, swelling, blood in the eye, scratch on the cornea, discharge.
12. Tying up (exertional rhabdomyolysis) Emergency
What it looks like: Stiffness or refusal to move during or after exercise, sweating, muscle tremors over the hindquarters, dark cola-colored urine, anxious.
13. Swelling in the legs Call the vet soon
What it looks like: One or more legs filled, often "stocked up" overnight in confined horses; or sudden hot, painful swelling.
14. Weight loss or poor body condition Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Visible ribs, prominent spine and hips, loss of topline, dull coat.
15. Skin lumps, scabs, or hair loss Monitor / book soon
What it looks like: Crusty scabs along the back or pasterns, lumps under the skin, raised welts, hair loss patches, itching.
16. Neurologic signs Emergency
What it looks like: Stumbling, circling, head pressing, facial drooping, drooling, leaning against walls, hindlimb weakness, ataxia ("wobbling"), seizures, recumbency.
17. Reduced manure or no manure Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Fewer piles than normal, very dry or small fecal balls, straining, or no manure for 8+ hours.
18. Excessive sweating or no sweating Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Sweating in cool weather without exertion, OR a horse that stops sweating in summer (anhidrosis).
19. Behavioral changes & reluctance to work Monitor / book soon
What it looks like: Girthiness, pinning ears at the saddle, bucking under saddle, head-tossing, refusing fences, "grumpy" demeanor.
20. Hoof issues — abscess, cracks, sole bruising Call the vet soon
What it looks like: Sudden severe lameness, heat in the hoof, strong digital pulse, sometimes drainage at the coronary band, sole tenderness with hoof testers.
Tucson & Southern Arizona-specific concerns
Horses in the Sonoran Desert face a different set of risks than horses elsewhere. Build these into your routine and your emergency awareness.
Sand colic
Horses on desert turnout or fed on the ground ingest sand that accumulates in the colon. Signs: chronic mild colic, diarrhea with grit, weight loss. Prevention: feed off mats or in tubs, monitor with the sand-in-manure test, use psyllium periodically. Severe sand impactions can require surgery.
Dehydration & impaction
Hot, dry conditions and water tanks that get too warm to drink are a common cause of impaction colic. Provide cool, clean water year-round, soak hay or feed mashes, and add a salt/electrolyte plan in summer. Watch for reduced manure during heat waves.
Rattlesnake bite
Bites usually occur on the face when horses sniff a coiled snake. Sudden facial swelling can compromise breathing — a horse cannot mouth-breathe. Call immediately; we may need to place tubes in the nostrils to keep the airway open. Don't ice or cut the wound. Ask about the equine rattlesnake vaccine.
Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis)
Less common in horses than dogs but does occur. Signs: chronic cough, weight loss, lameness due to bone lesions, draining tracts. Diagnosed via blood titer and imaging. Treatable but long-term.
Vesicular stomatitis (VS)
Arizona sees periodic outbreaks. Reportable disease. Signs: drooling, blisters on tongue/lips/coronary bands, reluctance to eat. Highly contagious — call us before moving the horse. Affects interstate travel.
West Nile & mosquito-borne disease
Monsoon-season standing water means mosquitoes. Keep WNV, EEE, and WEE vaccines current — these are preventable but often fatal once contracted. Signs: stumbling, muscle tremors, weakness, fever.
Heat stress & anhidrosis
Riding in 105°F+ is dangerous. Signs of heat stress: heavy sweating then sudden lack of sweat, elevated respiration that doesn't recover, dark urine, stumbling. Ride early morning or after dusk in summer, offer electrolytes, and watch for the horse that stops sweating in the heat.
Cactus, mesquite thorns & foxtails
Cholla and prickly pear in paddocks cause mouth, eye, and leg injuries. Mesquite thorns puncture soles and cause abscesses. Foxtails embed in gums and tongues — watch for drooling, head shaking, and reluctance to eat.
Pigeon fever
Endemic in the Southwest. Caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Signs: deep abscesses on the chest, belly, or sheath; lameness; fever. Most cases resolve with veterinary lancing and care, but internal forms are serious.
Africanized bees
Aggressive hive defense is common in southern AZ. Multiple stings can cause severe swelling, anaphylaxis, and even kidney damage. If your horse is swarmed: get them out fast, then call us — antihistamines and supportive care may be needed.
Frequently asked questions
What are the first signs of colic in a horse?
Early signs include pawing, looking at the flank, lying down and getting up repeatedly, decreased appetite, decreased manure, and sweating without exertion. Heart rate above 60 bpm at rest is a serious warning sign. Any signs of colic in a horse warrant a same-day call to your veterinarian.
Should I give Banamine before the vet arrives?
Not without speaking to us first. Banamine (flunixin meglumine) masks pain and can hide the severity of colic, making it harder to decide whether the horse needs surgery. It can also damage the kidneys if the horse is dehydrated. Call first; we'll tell you whether to give it.
How can I prevent sand colic in Tucson?
Feed hay and grain off the ground (in tubs, mangers, or on rubber mats), provide free-choice clean water, supplement psyllium for one week each month, and run a sand-in-manure test every few months. Don't allow horses to graze sandy lots down to bare ground.
What's a normal temperature for a horse and how do I take it?
Normal adult horse temperature is 99.0–101.5°F. Use a digital rectal thermometer with a string and clip attached to the tail — never leave a thermometer unattended. Take temperature in the morning before exercise for the most accurate baseline.
My horse is suddenly three-legged lame. What do I do?
Don't move the horse if possible — sudden non-weight-bearing lameness is a fracture until proven otherwise. Call us immediately. Most often the cause is a hoof abscess (which can look just as severe as a fracture but is far less serious), but we have to rule out fracture and joint injury first.
How often should my horse's teeth be floated in Tucson?
Most horses benefit from a dental exam every 6–12 months. Performance horses, seniors, and horses with known dental issues may need it more often. Sharp points, hooks, and missing teeth can cause weight loss, head-tossing, and quidding (dropping hay).
Is my horse drinking enough water in summer?
An adult horse drinks 5–10 gallons a day, and double that or more in Tucson summers. Water that's above 90°F in a black tank will be refused. Provide shade for the trough, offer multiple water sources, and consider adding plain salt (1–2 oz/day) to encourage drinking. Reduced drinking is the #1 trigger for impaction colic here.
Which equine vaccines does Adobe Vet Center recommend for Tucson horses?
Core vaccines (AAEP-recommended for every horse): tetanus, EEE/WEE, West Nile, rabies. Risk-based for our area: rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1/4), influenza, strangles, rattlesnake. We tailor the schedule to your horse's age, travel, and use.
Equine emergencies don't wait — and neither do we
Adobe Vet Center provides farm and haul-in equine care across Tucson and Southern Arizona. If you're worried, call. A phone call is free.
Call (520) 546-8387 Request a farm visit