Equine Education
Saginaw Valley Equine Clinic cares for your horse with the latest technology and techniques. It is just as important to us to help keep you up to date on the latest information available about horses and their care. When horse owners and their caretakers are informed, everyone benefits.
Choosing Hay
When choosing hay for your horse: It’s what’s inside that counts. Ask that one or several bales are opened so you can evaluate the hay inside. Do not worry about slight discoloration on the outside, especially in stacked hay. Choose…
Cold Weather Care
When extreme cold weather grips the Great Lakes Bay Region, we at Saginaw Valley Equine Clinic remind you to take extra care in ensuring your horse’s safety. Among our recommendations: Routine: Maintain your horses’s normal schedule as much as possible.…
Dental Diseases
Horses have a unique dental structure in that they have evolved as grazing herbivores. Like humans, horses have two sets of teeth, deciduous (baby teeth) and permanent teeth. Adult horses have between 36-44 teeth. Dental anatomy can be broken down…
Delivery for the Mare
If your mare has made it through 11 months of pregnancy, you’re almost home free. Labor and delivery, while momentous, are generally uneventful. In most cases, you will simply need to be a quiet observer – if, that is, you…
Emergency Preparedness
IMPORTANT: If your horse is experiencing an emergency, please call us at 855-EQER-365 (855-373-7365), Extension 0. To be adequately prepared in the event of an emergency with your horse: Keep your veterinarian’s number near or inside each phone, including emergency…
Equine Herpesvirus
Equine herpesvirus type 1, also known as EVH-1, rhinopneumonitis or rhino, is a highly infectious disease in the equine population. The virus is easily spread by direct nose-to-nose contact, aerosolized nasal secretions up to 25 feet, contaminated tack, equipment and…
EPM
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a master of disguise. This serious disease, which attacks the horse’s central nervous system, can be difficult to diagnose because its signs often mimic other health problems, and signs can range from mild to severe.…
Equine Deworming
Equine Recommended Deworming Schedule Adult Horse Schedule Low Shedders (<200 EPG – eggs per gram of manure) Fecal Egg Count performed prior to deworming in spring (ideally spring and fall) Spring (March) – ivermectin (Equell®, Zimectrin®, Rotectin®, IverCare®), moxidectin (Quest®)…
Foal Heat Breeding
A mare will cycle (come into “heat”) shortly after foaling in order to produce a foal approximately the same time of year due to the nearly yearlong gestational length with an average of 335-345 days. Most mares will typically cycle approximately 7 days post-foaling…
Foal Nutrition
A healthy foal will grow rapidly, gaining in height, weight and strength almost before your eyes. From birth to age 2, a young horse can achieve 90 percent or more of its full adult size, sometimes putting on as many…
Foal Vaccinations
Foal vaccinations are an important part of a growing foal’s health plan. Foals are born without any protection from the outside world, but obtain their initial immunoglobulins from the mare’s colostrum.
Gastric Ulcers
Ulcers are a man-made disease, affecting up to 90% of racehorses and 60% of show horses. Stall confinement alone can lead to the development of ulcers. A horse’s feeding schedule also can be a factor. When horses are fed just…
Geriatric Horses
When caring for an older horse: Observe the horse on a regular basis. Watch for changes in body condition, behavior and attitude. Address problems – even seemingly minor ones – right away. Feed a high-quality diet. Avoid dusty and moldy…
IgG
Vaccinating pregnant mares 30 days from their estimated foaling date provides the antibodies necessary to produce colostrum with a high concentration of IgG (immunoglobulin G). Unlike humans, horses do not transfer immunoglobulin to the fetus during pregnancy, so foals are…
New Foal Exams
Thousands of foals are born every year, and in most cases, everything goes well. However, in approximately 10-20% of foals there is an underlying problem. Just like human babies are examined shortly after birth to make sure they are healthy, newborn foals should be…
Normal Vital Signs
Normal vital signs for an adult horse include: Temperature: 99.5-101.5ºF Pulse Rate: 30-42 beats per minute Respiration Rate: 12-20 breaths per minute Capillary Refill Time: < 2 seconds Mucous Membranes: Pale pink The doctors of Saginaw Valley Equine Clinic recommend…
Pre-Purchase Exams
Owning a horse can be a big investment in time, money and emotion. Unfortunately, horses seldom come with a money-back guarantee. That’s why it is so important to investigate the horse’s overall health and condition through a purchase exam conducted…
Preventing Colic
When seeking to prevent colic in your horse: Establish a daily routine – include feeding and exercise schedules – and stick to it. Feed a high-quality diet comprised primarily of roughage. Avoid feeding excessive grain and energy-dense supplements. (At least…
Potomac Horse Fever
What is Potomac Horse Fever (PHF)? Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) is a rickettsial disease of the horse first recognized in 1979 along the Potomac River in Maryland. The causative agent is Neorickettsia risticii which infects the enterocytes and colonocytes of…
Signs of Laminitis
Every day, veterinarians across the country see hundreds of cases of laminitis, a painful disease that affects the feet of horses. Laminitis results from the disruption of blood flow to the sensitive and insensitive laminae within the foot, which secure…
Weight Reduction
Tips for reducing your horse’s weight include: Be patient. Weight reduction should be a slow, steady process so not to stress the horse or create metabolic upsets. Make changes in both the type and amount of feed gradually. Reduce rations…
West Nile Virus
To reduce your horse’s risk of contracting West Nile virus: Vaccinate your horse against the disease. In February 2003, a vaccine was licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Veterinary Biologics for use in healthy horses as an…
