Customer Report: How the Happie Horse App Helped Lisa and Her Horse

Did you know that you can recognise poisoning symptoms earlier with the app? Our customer Lisa, recognised poisoning with the entries in the symptom diary and the help of her vet:

Hello dear Happie community,

I’m Lisa. I have been using the Happie Horse App for almost one and a half years now and manage the daily life of my 9-year-old Zweibrücker mare Bella with it.

Bella is out in the pasture every day and is a very active horse. Last month, however, I noticed that Bella was behaving strangely and showing signs of being unwell. She seemed tired and apathetic, ate less than usual and even had diarrhoea. Her white legs were also turning red. Now all alarm bells were ringing!

 

I immediately started documenting Bella’s symptoms and vital signs twice a day in the app and made an appointment with my vet with all the collected data at hand. The entries in the symptom diary and a thorough examination should be a first clue for a diagnosis, but my vet also wanted to wait for the results of a blood analysis.

The results confirmed his suspicions and the culprit was found: Poisoning by ragwort. Fortunately, I had all the symptoms at hand, which made the diagnosis much quicker.

We were able to start treatment straight away and Bella’s symptoms improved immediately. Now she is back in the pasture enjoying the sun.

 

But before she was allowed to bite into the fresh grass again, I had to walk through the pasture. Although we regularly check the pastures, it is of course possible to miss a plant. But the search was unsuccessful.

Clueless, I walked between the fields back to the stable. Admittedly, I had almost given up at this point when yellow flowers caught my eye. And sure enough, there was an inconspicuous ragwort plant growing by the side of the path. Bella had probably struck during her last outbreak.

Today Bella is better than ever and enjoys her days in the pasture. Her socks are still not white, but that is only because she regularly rolls around in the dirt. In the meantime, we are training normally again and now use the gait analysis more than the symptom diary.

All the best (and many greetings from Bella too),

Yours, Lisa

Horse Health x Happie

As you know, the Happie Horse App is an innovative tool for monitoring horse health.

With the help of the symptom diary, the vet could quickly deduce the correct poisoning diagnosis and initiate treatment. After all, poisonous plants are not always particularly showy and colourful plants, some are common trees and inconspicuous looking flowers!

It is important to check the pastures and stable area for poisonous plants. Because although horses don’t usually actively look for poisonous plants, they can accidentally eat them. Especially if they are mixed with grasses that hide the bitter taste of most poisonous plants.

Note: If the plant is somewhere where the horses cannot reach it immediately, remove it when it stops flowering. If you remove it when it is in flower, the pollen from the plant could spread across the pasture and cause more plants to grow!

Download the Happie Horse App for free and get a 7 Day Premium Trial for free!

Related Articles

Potomac Horse Fever is a bacterial disease in horses causing fever, diarrhea, and laminitis, transmitted by ingesting infected insects or snails.

Potomac Horse Fever

This disease is life-threatening and should be treated by a veterinarian swiftly.

Potomac Horse Fever is a bacterial disease in horses causing fever, diarrhea, and laminitis, transmitted by ingesting infected insects or snails.

Read More »