According to an IDEXX Laboratories survey of more than 2,000 horse owners and trainers regarding equine lameness, joint pain is plaguing our horses. Here’s what respondents said:• Approximately 50 percent revealed that their horses suffer from some form of lameness.• More...
When veterinarians evaluate horses for lameness, they usually provide the owners with written descriptions of what they observe. For example, “Lame at trot, left fore, +3 ... ,” is what you might find scrawled in a vet’s notes. While...
Equine feed companies are required by law to include specific information on their complete feed and supplement labels: The name of the feed, the class of horse the feed is designed for (broodmare, growing horse, et cetera), ingredient list...
Catching dental problems early can help keep your horse healthy. Horses over 5 years old should receive annual checkups; younger horses should be examined twice a year.The following disorders can signal dental trouble and need immediate veterinary attention:Dropping...
According to recent research published by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, the current recommendations for the primary rabies vaccine “are likely ineffective in foals” whose mothers are vaccinated against the disease. The research indicates that the maternal...
If you become incapacitated during an accident, you can make sure your horses will be taken care of by leaving information that will help direct emergency responders. You may also want to include the phone number of your equine...
Q. What is your advice regarding when to call out the vet if you suspect that your horse is colicking? Do you have some general guidelines on this?
A. Colic can be a serious and life-threatening condition if there...
Equine herpes virus (EHV) is a difficult disease to control. “It is speculated that 80 to 90 percent of horses become infected with EHV by 2 years of age, and up to 90 percent of adult horses are latent...
If your horse travels or is exposed to unfamiliar horses on a regular basis, talk to your veterinarian about regular immunization against equine influenza. While it’s true that influenza viruses do evolve to bypass the horse’s immune defense, you...
Q: I have two horses, and whenever I try to ride one, the other one goes crazy in his pen. He works himself into a sweat, and I’m afraid he’s going to hurt himself or get sick from it....
