Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Stethoscopes
- Women's Watches
- Local Horse Magazines
- National Horse Magazines
Step1
Practice listening to gut sounds (abdominal auscultation) when your horse is healthy to determine and get used to what sounds normal for your horse.
Step2
Place a stethoscope on the upper right quadrant of the abdomen (flank).
Step3
Listen 3 to 5 minutes for a complete cycle of sounds.
Step4
Repeat for each of the lower right, upper left and lower left quadrants.
Step5
Listen for a decrease or increase in frequency and intensity of gut sounds; this may indicate a problem.
Step6
Call your veterinarian if changes in gut sounds accompany other signs of a physical ailment, such as distress, pain, diarrhea, fever or loss of appetite.