By Kendra McLeod, DVM, CVA
With the economic downturn, many horse owners have
been cutting corners; skipping their horse’s dentistry, cutting out certain
vaccinations or vaccinating their horses themselves. These money saving attempts result in horses not having a
solid relationship with their veterinarians and thus can lead to preventable
problems. With 2011 just underway,
now is an excellent time to get your horse’s health care back on track.
A
wellness exam is very important to make sure your horse is on the right
schedule for his or her demands and exposure. The following items need to be considered to keep your horse
healthy and offer the best protection against diseases and parasites: nutrition
and body condition score, dentistry, vaccination guidelines, internal
parasites, and management.
Nutrition is often overlooked especially when you
have an “easy keeper”. These are
the horses that can survive on very little nutritional intake. The easy keeper usually has a high body
condition score (overweight) which in the owner’s mind equates to healthy and
happy. This may be true, or it may
be that a high body condition score is actually detrimental to long term health. There are many problems that could be
discussed, treated, and managed with the help of your veterinarian. Insulin Resistance and Metabolic
Insufficiency are two metabolic conditions that require management changes to
keep the horse’s weight and health in good physical shape. On the opposite side of things, under
conditioned horses or horses with a low body condition score may need more than
just extra feed. They may be
deficient in a particular supplement, they may need their teeth floated, they
may have parasites, or they may have an underlying medical condition that
requires a diagnostic work-up.
In general, oral exams should be performed at least
yearly. With the economic crunch
yearly oral exams have been overlooked in many management situations. Having your horse’s teeth floated
contributes to healthy digestion, body condition and performance. Keeping your horse’s teeth in good
condition may be more economical than spending money on higher volumes of feed,
bit changes due to poor performance, or emergency veterinary calls for health
conditions including choke.
Routine dental exams and treatments will help prevent problems from
occurring or catch them at an early stage.
There are many different vaccination combinations
on the market now. Your
veterinarian can help you determine which one is the best for your individual
horses. The core vaccines
that are recommended in the southeast include West Nile Virus, Eastern and
Western Encephalitis, Tetanus and Rabies Virus. The first three are recommended two to three times a year
depending on exposure in Florida.
This should not be confused with the labeled recommendations for
Encephalitis and West Nile virus being once a year for horses in the
north. Horses in Florida are
exposed to the disease carrying vectors for a longer period of time per year
than what the vaccine provides protection.
Rabies is recommended yearly, even in older horses
that have been routinely vaccinated.
The immune system of the older horse may be compromised and therefore it
is important to not lapse in this vaccine. Don’t forget that this virus is a human health concern AND
that it is only allowed to be administered by a licensed veterinarian. Some of the other non-core vaccines
that may be recommended depending on your horse’s exposure in Florida include
Rhinopheumonitis, Influenza, and Strangles. If you plan to travel outside of the state of Florida with
your horse, please discuss your travel plans with your veterinarian so she/he
can make other vaccine recommendations if they are necessary.
Internal parasites can go undiagnosed in a
“properly de-wormed“horse until the parasites endanger your horse’s well being
or become life-threatening.
De-worming strategies have changed over the last few years. There has been proven resistance to
many of the common anthelmintics (de-wormers). This has made checking a fecal sample for parasite eggs much
more of a priority and even a necessity.
The “common rotation” no longer ensures that your horse is
protected. Some horses are being
over de-wormed while others have resistance and therefore the treatment is not
effective. Pasture management is
also pertinent. It is recommended
to remove manure weekly from crowded pastures. New horses should have fecal egg counts and proper
de-worming before being introduced to resident horses.
The benefit of a routine veterinary exam along with
management changes and any of the above mentioned procedures could save you
from an emergency call. Catching
problems early and discussing positive changes in management will provide your
horse with the best possible care.
Prevention through a good wellness plan is key to your horse’s
health. Consult with your
veterinarian, as many veterinarians have developed “wellness plans” to make
your horse’s basic health and preventative maintenance cost effective. You can view an example of a wellness
plan at www.surgi-carecenter.com.
You can contact Dr. Kendra McLeod with Surgi-Care Center for Horses at
kmcleod@surgi-carecenter.com or
call 813-643-7177 with any questions regarding equine wellness plans.
This article was originally published in Horse & Pony magazine and is reprinted with their permission.