Use vaccines with proper timing early to help protect foals against disease.

When designing a vaccination schedule for foals, remember to help provide protection against diseases that pose a serious threat early in their lives. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Zoetis

American Quarter Horse mares do many things to help protect their foals. Maternal antibodies in the mare’s colostrum, for instance, can help protect foals against common equine diseases. But after the foal’s first few months of life, these maternal antibody levels drop and may no longer offer protection. That’s why it’s important to take preventive action with a vaccination program to help ensure the health of these young animals.

“Preventive health is absolutely paramount,” says Dr. Beth Davis, associate professor and section head of equine medicine and surgery at Kansas State University. “Owners should be working with their veterinarian very early on to establish a good preventive health program for their foals for that entire first year of life. This includes a vaccination program, to help minimize the chance that they are going to have any problems in the future.” Read the rest of this entry »

Merial announces new lower price on Equioxx (firocoxib) brand and products.

Managing the joint pain and inflammation associated with equine osteoarthritis is especially important for competitive horses, as the rigors of the show season can take a toll on even the most well-conditioned equine athletes. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial

Merial, a leading animal health company, has announced new lower pricing on its popular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory Equioxx (firocoxib) in both the injection and paste formulations.

“We know horse owners are committed to providing the best health care possible to their horses,” says Beckie Peskin, senior product manager, equine, Merial. “Equioxx is a product with many benefits and represents modern medicine in the NSAID marketplace. Through some efficiencies we’ve identified in our manufacturing practices, we’re now excited to offer it at a lower price.” Read the rest of this entry »

A rising tick population could cause problems for your horse.

Farnam can help you and your veterinarian prevent tick-borne diseases with its comprehensive line of insect-repellent products for horses. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam

Tick populations have been increasing, and experts are predicting even higher than normal numbers in most areas of the country. Migratory birds and white-tailed deer acting as carriers have expanded the range of many tick species, while conservation efforts such as decreased reliance on insecticides and the preservation of open space have helped them thrive. Read the rest of this entry »

Find out how to make the best choice between FDA-approved innovator drugs, FDA-approved generic drugs, medical devices or compounded products.

There are some important facts to consider when choosing a joint health option. Get the facts at nogenericadequan.com.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Adequan

When a horse or companion animal becomes sick or lame, you turn to your veterinarian for a diagnosis and the best, proven treatment to make your animal better.

But, just because a product is available for purchase doesn’t make it a proven product or the right product to treat the problem. So, do you treat with an FDA-approved innovator drug, an FDA-approved generic drug, a medical device or a compounded product?

In considering this question, Dr. Jeffrey Berk, a veterinarian at Equine Medical Associates in Lexington, Kentucky, says horse owners need to consider two things very carefully.

Read the rest of this entry »

Help reduce your horse’s risk of disease by vaccinating.

Vaccination can help you save more than money — it can help protect the health of your horses. Photo courtesy of Zoetis.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Zoetis

Think of vaccinating your American Quarter Horses like insuring your cars. If you go without it, you are unprotected and could suffer costly damages. Horse owners need to understand how the health of their horses can be compromised without vaccination — considering the risk of disease and the average cost for treatment. Read the rest of this entry »

Fly season is already in full force. Keep the flies away with these helpful tips from AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam.

AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam suggests that horse owners read all labels on their fly control products before use and apply according to label directions. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam

Why Fight Flies?

Fly control keeps your horse comfortable. But that’s not the reason to minimize flies.

Flies and other biting insects pose a major health threat to your horse and you. Flies carry a number of dangerous diseases that become more of a problem as fly populations increase.

Flies live, feed and breed filth, where germs, bacteria and communicable diseases thrive. Good hygiene is critical to keeping flies and other filthy problems under control. Read the rest of this entry »

A vacuum treatment designed for humans is now being used in horse health care.

Impression’s wounds healed well, leaving only a scar after being on the VAC system treatment for 29 days. Photo courtesy of Dr. Kim Gemeinhardt.

From The American Quarter Horse Journal

A chance meeting between a large animal veterinarian and a plastic surgeon has added a new tool to the equine veterinarian’s nearly empty wound therapy toolbox.

In 2000, Dr. Kim Gemeinhardt of Latitude 36 Mobile Veterinary Services in Germanton, North Carolina, was visiting her father at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, where Dr. Joseph Molnar from the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was treating him for a large bed sore.

Dr. Molnar was using a vacuum-assisted closure technique that had reduced the healing times for all kinds of wounds in people for a decade. Dr. Gemeinhardt immediately saw potential for the therapy in the large animals she cared for. Read the rest of this entry »

Deworming is an essential component of horse health care.

Internal parasites, if left untreated can cause serious problems, controlling them is an important part of horse health care. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam

Parasite Protection

All horses get internal parasites, no matter what their breed, where they live or what they are fed. Left untreated, internal parasites can cause serious problems, including weight loss, lethargy, poor coat condition, digestive disturbances, diarrhea, colic and even death. Parasite control is a necessary part of horse health care. Read the rest of this entry »

How identifying and treating this horse health problem turned this American Quarter Horse around.

Corinne Livengood Schnur rides Shez Got A Temper through a cross-country course after treating her ulcers. Photo by Brant Gamma.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Merial

When the mother-daughter team of Brenda Livengood and Corinne Livengood Schnur of Sarver, Pennsylvania, bought the registered American Quarter Horse Shez Got A Temper (aka “Neko”) as a yearling, they knew they were taking a gamble. But little did they know how big of a gamble it would become.

Years later, when they put Neko under saddle, Brenda and Corinne began to see the hint of problems. The mare wasn’t as consistent as they would have liked – performing well one day and poorly the next. But most troubling of all was her lack of appetite. Read the rest of this entry »

Help evaluate and understand your horse’s risk for disease.

These guidelines can help you decide which diseases to vaccinate your horse against. Photo courtesy of Zoetis.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Zoetis

We all know it’s important to help protect our American Quarter Horses against disease with annual vaccinations. However, as horse owners, it’s also crucial that you understand the specific diseases you need to protect your horses against and when.

To help evaluate what diseases to vaccinate your horses against, the American Association of Equine Practitioners has published guidelines that you can discuss with your veterinarian. They break these vaccinations into two categories: core and risk-based. Core vaccinations are those that every horse should receive at least annually, while risk-based vaccines are recommended for horses with particular risk profiles, depending on their age, geography, housing or function.^{1 Read the rest of this entry »}

Follow these grooming tips to help maintain horse health.

Get into a daily grooming program to make your horse’s coat shine and keep him in the best of health. Journal photo.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Farnam

Whether you show or not, good grooming is an important part of horse ownership. In or out of the show ring, when your horse looks good, you look good.

Most horses enjoy the attention of regular grooming and look forward to the daily ritual. It strengthens the bond between horse and owner. Additionally, grooming your horse on a regular basis gives you a chance to spot minor scratches, rashes, cuts or swelling before they become major problems. Read the rest of this entry »

How immunomodulators can help decrease upper respiratory disease in horses.

Using an immunomodulator can help mitigate the effects of equine upper respiratory disease, particularly in these high-risk settings. Photo courtesy of Zoetis.

From AQHA Corporate Partner Zoetis

Travel, unfamiliar environments, exposure to other horses, breeding and competing are all things that can cause stress to your American Quarter Horses. And often, a stressed horse can lead to a sick horse – particularly upper respiratory disease, caused by equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4 – and add stress

for you.

Because many horse industry events feature intermingling of large populations of horses with unknown health status, outbreaks of infectious equine respiratory disease can occur, with major financial implications. Using an immunomodulator can help mitigate the effects of equine upper respiratory disease, particularly in these high-risk settings. Read the rest of this entry »