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When to call the veterinarian

- January 1st, 2025

By Daniel H. Grove, DVM

Ask the Vet

“When do I call my veterinarian?”

That is a question many clients tend to struggle with. In my opinion, it is better to make that phone call and discuss your concerns rather than waiting too long and having a more challenging time resolving a case. I would much rather have someone call during normal business hours with questions about a mild colic rather than 10 o’clock at night with a colic that is now dire. It is hard to give a recommendation on times not to call without having an examination of the patient to make a determination. So, here are some key times when I think it is prudent to get on the phone and at least discuss the situation with your veterinarian.

By Daniel H. Grove, DVM

Horses are extremely good at dealing with a drop in temperature. I have driven through snow-filled states in temperatures in the teens and watched horses happily walking through the snow without a care in the world, no shivering or any other sign of a low body temperature. I have been in Southern California when it was 50° F out and I have full-grown adult mares coming into the barn to be palpated—and they were shivering like no tomorrow. What is the difference? Mostly, human management! Yes, there are certain circumstances where an individual may not be capable of proper thermoregulation without human interference, but by and large, with a little help, they can usually do it very well on their own.

When to start dentistry?

- August 1st, 2024

By Daniel H. Grove, DVM


Ask the Vet

In the past, we have discussed the importance of dentistry or floating of teeth. I am often asked, “When should a horse receive its first float?” I think is a great starting point is around the age of one year. I understand people want to stave off putting out money when they can, but hopefully we can show you why it is important to get it done early.

In my practice, I get to do many young horses’ teeth. They are usually 14-20 months old and are going to start getting a bit put in their mouths. All of the horses in these pictures are from the same farm. They have not ever had any bit or other device in their mouths, and they are all 14-16 months old.

Your horse’s eye health

By Daniel H. Grove, DVM - August 1st, 2024
AskTheVetThe eyes are extremely important to our equine companions. If we lose one or both eyes, it can be career-ending for our animals. Signs of eye discomfort are blepharospasm (squinting), tearing of the eye, rubbing of the eyes, and changes in the normal appearance of the eyes. This month I will discuss some of the more common eye ailments I see and some tips on what can be done. Before we proceed, I feel I should mention that most eye problems should be seen sooner rather than later. Waiting can be devastating on some of these problems.

Eyelid Lacerations

Eyelid lacerations are extremely common. One Friday evening, I had three emergency pages back-to-back, all eyelid lacerations. If treated promptly, most can be sutured. If no tissue is lost, often times full function returns and there is little to no cosmetic defect. I usually give some sedation, locally anesthetize the skin and repair the laceration. A tetanus vaccine update and some antibiotics are often the only other medications needed.

Uveitis

The uvea is the back part of the eye itself. Some breeds are more prone to the condition, but it is thought that an infectious agent causes the disease, although it cannot always be proven. This area in the eye gets very inflammed and can fill with pus. These conditions are very painful and can cause significant blepharospasm (squinting) and tearing of the eye. The eyes can get a bulging appearance to them and they can appear yellowed. These are many ways these are treated, but anti-inflammatories are very important to reduce the swelling and discomfort.

Summer Sores

- July 4th, 2024

By Daniel H. Grove, DVM

Ask the Vet

Summer sores are a big problem for horses in climates that are warm and moist. We discussed them a few years ago, but I think it is time to revisit them. I am seeing them very frequently, and so are many other practitioners. Let’s delve into what they are, some treatment strategies and prevention.

Habronema and Draschia are the names of the nasty little parasites that causes this sometimes-challenging-to-deal-with disease. They are two of the stomach worms of horses. and in their normal life cycle, do not seem to cause much harm. When the parasite gets deposited in an area of the skin or other external area, they can wreak havoc. They cause a non-healing wound that often times increases in size. It can be bordered by a layer of scar tissue that makes it challenging to get drugs to the source of the problem to kill them off. Often times, small granules are associated with the lesions. If in doubt, a simple biopsy of the lesion can often diagnose the problem. This can be an important part of the diagnosis, as some lesion can mirror other problems.

Trail to a new home

- June 14th, 2024

A BLM adoption event is scheduled for June 21-23 in Napa — In this article, Amy Dumas shares details on the path from the range to the stable.

HT: What is the Bureau of Land Management’s function when it comes to wild horses and burros?

AMY: The BLM was tasked to manage the wild horses and burros by Congress in 1971 with the passage of the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burros Act. With that, the Congress designated the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service of the USDA to manage wild horses and burros on the lands where they were found in 1971.

HT: And how’s that working for them?

AMY: We have been highly successful in protecting these animals. The Act protects the animals from capture, harassment, branding on the range, and a few other things. So, I think we’ve done a pretty good job of doing that.

Precautions after a wet winter

- April 1st, 2024

By Daniel H. Grove, DVM

This year has been an extra wet one for most of our country. Some of us have needed it badly and others, not so much. This month I think it is prudent that we discuss some conditions that may become more prevalent this year due to the extra moisture in our environments. If we take some extra steps in care and observation, pests can be minimized, diseases can be prevented, and extra veterinary bills can be avoided.

Flies

Flies are a huge nuisance to our livestock. They also can transmit some diseases. With all the added moisture to our environment, we are likely to see an increase in flies. Last year I wrote an article on methods of fly control. I discussed some good control measures including fly sprays, fly bait, feed through fly control and fly predators. If you are not already including these in your husbandry, it may be a good time to evaluate your situation and see if additional measures are warranted. One horse with a bad case of summer sores will definitely make you think twice about neglecting to control flies.

Trails are Common Ground

- November 2nd, 2021

ELCR joins coalition launching nationwide trail etiquette campaign

Courtesy of ELCR.org

Horses and bikes finding Common Ground on the trails. (ELCR.org photo)

Any recreational trail user will tell you there are more people on the trails than ever before. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, automated counters at trail systems around the country recorded four times as many users compared to the same time frame in 2019.

Up to the Challenge

- November 2nd, 2021

BURBANK — The region’s top reining horses and riders returned to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center Oct. 26-31 for The Challenge, California Reining Horse Association’s pinnacle event of the year. Warm weather greeted equally hot performances during the show.

From Horsetrader sales staff

 

An exciting horse sale on this fall’s calendar is the Nov. 6 West Coast Ranch Horse Rendezvous Sale at the beautiful Tucalota Creek Ranch. Managed by XIT Western Productions, this sale will bring 35 head of high-quality ranch horses that “are ready to be your next partner.” The sale will specialize in horses that are show-ready or are great ranch horse prospects. There is a consignor application process and a selection committee to ensure only the cream of the crop are offered. The sale will take place alongside a series of events over the 2021 WCRH Rendezvous weekend Nov. 4-7. As for the show, the WCRH Rendezvous will include ranch horse clinics with Sami Hernandez, Cowley Performance Horses and others, a two-day ranch horse show, ranch horse futurities, a silent auction, wine and cheese reception, vendors, and a banquet dinner with live cowboy music from Eric Gorsuch. There will be a saddle awarded to the Top Hand of the weekend, division buckles, trophy knives, trophy stirrups and more! The sale preview will be held with the wine and cheese reception at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, and the sale will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday.