Wellness care should be the cornerstone of your horse’s health.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Every horse’s wellness care should include at least one exam per year, spring and fall vaccines, annual coggins test, 1-2 fecal egg counts per year, and a yearly oral exam.
Wellness Exam
A yearly physical exam and sedated oral exam can pick up early symptoms of many problems such as PPID (Equine Cushings Disease), heart murmurs/arrhythmia, dental disease, and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Many disorders have better outcomes if diagnosed and treated early.
This is also an optimal time to ask questions about your horse’s weight and address any diet or nutrition related concerns.
Vaccines
Spring and Fall vaccines are important in keeping your horse healthy. All horses should receive vaccines for Rabies, EEE/WEE, West Nile Virus, and Tetanus yearly and most horses should be vaccinated for Influenza and Equine Herpes Virus twice yearly. Other vaccines may also be appropriate for your horse depending on the environment, age, and travel requirements.
Did you know that most of the equine diseases we recommend vaccinating for are not spread horse to horse? Instead these diseases are spread by mosquitos, flies, and wildlife or are found in the soil. Because of this, even if your horse stays at home, vaccination is still the best way to protect your horse from many deadly diseases.
Coggins Testing
Many people know they sometimes need a negative coggins, but do you know why?
Coggins is the term we use to refer to testing for Equine Infectious Anemia. Before the United States started a strict control program for this disease it caused wide spread death and disability in horses throughout the country resulting in major economic losses in the horse industry. Luckily, our surveillance program has done its job and positive coggins tests are now rare, however at least a few positive tests are reported every year, reinforcing our need for continued testing. Legally, you are required to have a negative coggins every time your horses crosses state lines, in additional to federal requirements many stables and show grounds require a negative coggins in order for a horse to enter the property. Because of the importance of maintaining surveillance for this disease, Redtail Equine recommends yearly coggins tests on all horses.
Fecal Egg Counts and Personalized Deworming Plans
Modern dewormers were game changers for equine welfare when they were invented. Before regular deworming became the norm horses routinely died from internal parasites. Unfortunately, decades of excessive use of dewormers has led to many parasites becoming resistant to these medications. In order to protect the effectiveness of dewormers, veterinarians no longer recommend all horses get dewormed every 2-3 months. Instead we recommend Fecal Egg Counts 1-2 times per year. The results of these tests tell you what your major parasites are on your farm, which of your horses might be high shedders, and allows you and your vet to work together to make a strategic deworming plan personalized for your horses.
Yearly Dental Exam
The more we learn the more important we realize dental health is in our horses. See the Dental Services page for more information on the importance of regular dental care.
For more information, please feel free to call us at (303) 775-4061 or request an appointment!
