Strangles Fact Sheet

Potomac Horse Fever Facts

Potomac Horse Fever Facts Summertime, and the living is easy…for the carriers of Potomac Horse Fever (PHF). Our wet spring and recent hot weather provide favorable environments for the aquatic insects and snails that carry the bacteria and infect horses. Here are some key pieces of information about PHF that can help protect your horses: […]

A Good Biosecurity Program

 A good biosecurity program is important to protect your horse from disease. The following are some protocols you can implement to keep your horse safe. Talk to your veterinarian about biosecurity on the farm, and ensure you have a plan set up for emergencies. When Traveling: – Ensure your horse is up to date on […]

Sue's Dancer

What Is Equine Piroplasmosis?

Recently, 17 racing Quarter Horses in Tennessee tested positive for Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), and the investigation into this outbreak is ongoing. Piroplasmosis is considered a Foreign Animal Disease in the United States, and is thus a reportable disease in horses. Although officially considered a disease foreign to the USA, EP outbreaks occasionally occur. Read on […]

Tired Of Watching Your Horse Struggle To Breathe?

1. FOR THOSE WITH ASTHMA-LIKE RAO OR SPAOPD, EVERY BREATH CAN BE A STRUGGLE If you know a horse with one of these diseases (which you may know as equine COPD or heaves) – you’ve seen how they can suffer. Inflammation of the airways causes breathlessness, wheezing, and coughing that no horse should experience YOU […]

New Equine Leptospirosis Vaccine Available

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease of worldwide distribution that can cause illness in many species of mammals, including people. In horses, leptospiral infection has been associated with kidney failure, pregnancy loss, and equine recurrent uveitis, which can lead to blindness. Horses become infected with leptospirosis through contact of mucus membranes or broken skin with infected […]

Should I Vaccinate My Horse Against Potomac Horse Fever?

As is true every year, we are starting to see horses that have Potomac Horse Fever in our practice. In some cases, the horses had received the vaccine this spring. Some commonly asked questions are: Why is the vaccine not 100% protective? Should I revaccinate my horse even if he got a vaccine in the […]

Heat Stroke In Horses

Summer is here and it can be a difficult season for our four legged friends. Horses have natural methods for regulating their body temperature, such as sweating and an increased respiratory rate, which allows heat to be expelled during the breathing process. Usually horses can handle the outside temperature and humidity, but remember that summer […]

Equine 911: When Do I Really Need To Call The Vet?

When horses are sick or injured, it can be difficult to know what problems need a veterinarian’s care on an emergency basis, and which can wait until morning or later. Some situations, such as major bleeding, thrashing colic, or a horse that is down and can’t get up, clearly require veterinary intervention, but others are […]

A New Reason To Hate Ticks On Horses: Equine Anaplasmosis

Equine anaplasmosis (also known as Equine Granulocytic Erlichiosis) is a tick-borne disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophila (formerly known as Erlichia equi), also the cause of human granulocytic erlichiosis (HGE). It was first described in horses in California in the 1960’s, but has since been reported in multiple states of the USA and in […]

Strangles in Horses: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

The disease known as strangles in the horse is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi var. equi (S. equi). Horses with strangles usually have a high fever, followed by nasal discharge and enlargement and abscessation of the lymph nodes under the jaw and in the throatlatch region. Affected horses often have a loss of appetite […]

What You Need To Know About Equine Herpes Virus Myeloencephalopathy Outbreaks

Over the last several years there have been numerous outbreaks of Equine Herpes Virus (EHM) myeloencephalopathy infections in horses. Many of the outbreaks originated at shows or events where numerous horses were stabled together for a few days. The cause of the outbreaks is Equine Herpes Virus-1 (EHV-1). Usually the virus causes respiratory signs including […]