What diseases should I vaccinate my horses against?
We generally recommend a minimum vaccination protocol protecting against Eastern and Western Encephalitis Viruses, Tetanus, and West Nile Virus. For horses that are exposed to a number of horses throughout the year, we recommend giving a vaccine that includes Equine Influenza, Equine Herpes Virus 1 & 4, and possibly Strangles (Streptococcus equi). The American Association of Equine Practitioners is also recommending vaccination against Rabies due to the increased incidences over the past few years.
How often should I deworm my horses?
We recommend deworming horses quarterly and rotating between dewormers with different active ingredients to decrease parasite resistance to deworming products. Call us for our recommended product rotation.
When should I have my horses teeth floated?
We do not feel that there is a set amount of time between visits to float a horse’s teeth. We usually wait until a horse is showing you signs that they need their teeth floated such as dropping feed, losing weight, fighting the bit, and/or drooling excessively.
My older horse is losing weight. What can I do to help?
There are several options that can help a senior horse gain or maintain weight such as having their teeth checked and floated and/or starting them on a senior feed. If your horse is having weight issues, we may draw blood to perform a CBC and serum chemistry panel to check the function of their vital organs such as liver and kidneys. This blood work can be run in house and you can get results the same day. If you have an older horse that is having a difficult time maintaining weight, please schedule an appointment to have your horse examined.