They say “you should never look a gift horse in the mouth,” but you should definitely have your vet take a look. There is a lot of valuable information that you can gain about a horse from looking at its teeth and the inside of its mouth. Why worry about dental care for my horse? It …
It is believed that between 50-90% of adult horses and 25-50% of foals may have gastric ulcers. In adults ulcers are more common in athletes, particularly racehorses and show horses; while in foals those that may be sick or are orphans and are fed less frequently than when they have access to the dam are …
There is some evidence suggesting certain boutique, novel protein, grain-free diets for dogs are contributing to a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This condition is treatable if discovered early on by supplementing the patient with the amino acid taurine and feeding a low sodium, balanced diet. Patients diagnosed later in the disease may have …
Aged horses are becoming a larger portion of our country’s equine population; many of these horses are still being used for riding, showing or as companion animals. Our standard of veterinary care for this population, especially regarding vaccines, is changing due to recent research. Just as we see with elderly people, horses experience aged related …
I see a lot of horses, and I see a lot of owners who want to make sure their horses are being fed well. However, I also see a lot of confusion as to what my horse SHOULD be eating, and a lot of incorrect assumptions. For this reason, I will be presenting a series …
Winter is one of my favorite seasons when it comes to horses. I know that may be an unpopular opinion, everybody reading this is thinking “but it’s so cold and soggy, you have to break ice on water buckets, the ground is hard, and yuck it is actually snowing!” But what winter brings to mind …
What is Equine Coronavirus? Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is well known as a cause of gastrointestinal disease in foals. However, recently this virus has been linked with intestinal diseases in adults. What are the clinical signs of ECoV? Infected horses tend to develop high fevers (>103oF), inappetance, dullness, and lethargy that may last two to four …
By Teresa Martinoli, DVM This is a common question asked by horse owners every fall and winter. The short answer: Probably not! Most horses do NOT need to be blanketed. Horses are naturally equipped to handle cold weather, and do not get cold nearly as easily as us humans do. Their long and thick winter coat …
I know we all use our horses for many different things. Some of us trail ride, some of us show, some of us just like to watch them in the field. It really doesn’t matter. What does matter, though, is that I think every horse should know 5 basic things. These 5 things may make …
Five Lifesaving Skills that all Horses Need to Know Read More »
Giving treats is a common way we form a bond with our horses. Treats are also useful in many training situations. Unfortunately most commercially made horse treats, as well as apples and carrots, can be high in sugar. This presents a problem with horses that have Cushing’s disease, or Insulin Resistance/Metabolic Syndrome, as those horses’ sugar and starch …
Horse Treats for Cushing’s Patients and Metabolic Syndrome Read More »
