We want to provide our clients with the most helpful and complete information. Browse through the topics below to read up on some common conditions and frequently asked questions.
A horse's diet has been related to ulcer formation. A recent study at Texas A&M determined that horses fed alfalfa hay had significantly fewer stomach ulcers than horses fed coastal Bermuda hay. If you have a horse that has had problems with stomach ulcers, or a performance horse in whom you want to prevent ulcers, consider feeding alfalfa hay instead of a grass hay.
Other causes of decreased stomach pH (leading to gastric ulcers) include intermittent feeding, stall confinement, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It is healthier for a horse to graze than to stand in a stall; for stalled horses, continuous feeding of hay is the best way to prevent the decrease of gastric pH. NSAIDs can decrease the protection of the stomach, which is why you should only give phenylbutazone (bute) or banamine at the dosage and for the length of time prescribed by your veterinarian.
Common symptoms of stomach ulcers include intermittent colic, decreased appetite, poor performance, and stretching out to urinate. Diagnosis of ulcers requires an endoscope to be placed in the stomach to visualize the ulcers. Although there are numerous products available claiming to treat and prevent stomach ulcers, only Gastrogard is actually FDA-approved for this purpose.
You should not use any medication in the horse's eye until it has been examined by a veterinarian. Many ophthalmic medications contain cortisone, a corticosteroid that can make the horse's eye susceptible to infection, especially a fungal infection. The incorrect use of antibiotics in a horse's eye can also increase the risk of fungal infections, which are common in horses and can lead to loss of the eye.
Scrapings and cultures of the corneal ulcer are required to make a diagnosis of corneal fungal infection. Any infection of the equine cornea is potentially serious and usually requires treatment every 4 to 6 hours. The eye must be dilated to prevent internal damage and relieve pain. If a horse's corneal ulcer does not heal within a week, it should be considered infected and different treatment will likely be required.
A pre-purchase examination can reveal conditions that may not be immediately apparent. For example, a horse selling for only $500 was found to have caudal heel pain and possible navicular problems. Without the examination, the buyer would have spent far more in corrective shoeing and treatment than the cost of a different horse.
Another example is a horse with equine metabolic syndrome that had previously foundered. Although the horse was not lame at the time of the examination, laminitis is a permanent condition that will be a problem for the rest of the horse's life. A pre-purchase exam can be simple or complex, and depending on the cost of the horse, does not have to be very expensive. If you are considering purchasing a horse, call your vet for a professional, non-biased opinion.
A proper vaccination schedule is essential for the health and development of your foal. The schedule varies based on whether the mare was vaccinated and the age of the foal. Key vaccinations include:
Contact us for a personalized vaccination plan tailored to your foal's needs.
Due to outbreaks, many stables and racetracks have imposed vaccination requirements for all horses. However, most adult horses have already been exposed to the herpes virus and are carriers. The neurological form of the disease, although severe, is fairly rare across the entire horse population.
The nervous system form of the disease has been observed in horses that have been vaccinated routinely every 3 to 4 months, and current vaccines do not claim to prevent the nervous form. EHV-1 can also cause abortion in pregnant mares, and it is recommended to vaccinate pregnant mares with Pneumabort-K or Prodigy for abortion prevention.
The United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, England, and Ireland will not allow horses that test positive for piroplasmosis to enter their countries, but not all tests are 100% accurate. Although there is a drug that treats infected horses, it is rare to completely clear the infection. Even recovered horses are clinically normal but able to transmit the disease to other horses through ticks or needles. This is one reason to control ticks on your horses and to always use a new, sterile needle when giving an injection.
If you are thinking about breeding your mare, the first step is a breeding soundness examination, which includes:
Following insemination, rectal ultrasounds should be performed on day 14-16 (to confirm conception and rule out twins), day 28 (to check embryo viability and heart rate), and day 60 (to confirm continued viability). Additional examinations may be performed at 5 months and beyond as indicated.
If you choose to breed with frozen semen, more frequent rectal examinations/ultrasounds must be performed, and the breeding must be followed by a uterine flush. The cost is usually higher than breeding with fresh chilled semen.
How often should I have my horse's teeth done?
A horse's teeth continue to grow throughout its lifetime, and sharp points can develop along the edges. Problems such as hooks, ramps, and steps are common if a proper dental is not performed on a regular basis. We recommend annual dental exams, with more frequent checks for young horses and senior horses.
Is sedation with motorized tools necessary?
Our veterinarians are well-trained dentists and offer motorized dentistry performed under sedation for maximum safety and thoroughness. Sedation allows us to perform a more complete examination and procedure, reducing stress for both the horse and the handler.
