Vet Advice
Equine Health Program
Our current Equine Health Program is designed to give your horse the maximum protection against common equine diseases and provide the best preventative medicine available.
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Normal Equine Vitals
Temperature - 100.5 degrees
Pulse - 36-40 beats per minute
Respiration - 12-16 breaths per minute
Gums - pink
Capillary refill time- less than 2 seconds
(To determine capillary refill time, press on gums and count how many seconds it takes to turn from white to back to pink.)
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Pulse - 36-40 beats per minute
Respiration - 12-16 breaths per minute
Gums - pink
Capillary refill time- less than 2 seconds
(To determine capillary refill time, press on gums and count how many seconds it takes to turn from white to back to pink.)
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Vaccination Plans
It is very important to stay current on your horse's inoculations. Be sure to bring a check to the appointment or make sure you have opened an account with our office with a credit card on file. You can reach us at 512-301-0070. Also, please make sure your account is paid in full as we will not allow charges to your account unless it is in good standing.
Plan A-Designed to Decrease vaccine reactions
Spring Shots (March) -- VEWT, WNV, Wellness/Dental Exam, Deworm
April -- Rhino/Flu and Rabies
May -- Deworm
July -- Deworm
September -- Fall Shots -- R/F, WNV, Deworm-Equimax (for tapeworms), Wellness/Dental Exam,
October -- EPM, Strangles
November -- Deworm
January -- Deworm
Plan B -- Most Common
March -- Spring Shots -- VEWT, WNV, R/F, Rabies, Wellness/Dental Exam, Deworm
May -- Deworm
July -- Deworm
September -- Fall Shot -- R/F, WNV, EPM, Strangles, Deworm-Equimax (for tapeworms), Wellness/Dental Exam
November -- Deworm
January -- Deworm
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Plan A-Designed to Decrease vaccine reactions
Spring Shots (March) -- VEWT, WNV, Wellness/Dental Exam, Deworm
April -- Rhino/Flu and Rabies
May -- Deworm
July -- Deworm
September -- Fall Shots -- R/F, WNV, Deworm-Equimax (for tapeworms), Wellness/Dental Exam,
October -- EPM, Strangles
November -- Deworm
January -- Deworm
Plan B -- Most Common
March -- Spring Shots -- VEWT, WNV, R/F, Rabies, Wellness/Dental Exam, Deworm
May -- Deworm
July -- Deworm
September -- Fall Shot -- R/F, WNV, EPM, Strangles, Deworm-Equimax (for tapeworms), Wellness/Dental Exam
November -- Deworm
January -- Deworm
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Heat Stress Problems in Pets
Heat stress or heat stroke can be serious medical issues that can be harmful or potentially fatal for your pets. Dogs and cats may suffer the effects of the high Texastemperatures if they run or have a high activity level which can lead to heat stroke. Pets who are suffering the effects of heat stress will appear lethargic, listless, depressed, have high temperatures (above 102.0), panting or labored breathing, or may even be disoriented. To avoid these ill effects, you can help your pet by providing shade and fresh clean water. Never leave your pet in a hot vehicle. Internal temperatures can get up to 200 degrees depending on the temperature outside and the type of vehicle you drive. Cracking the windows does not prevent the temperatures from rising and it does not take much for heat stroke to set in.
Heat stress can also occur in horses. The most common heat stress related issue in horses that we see is when a horse has been ridden or worked in the heat. The clinical signs of heat stress are: listless behavior, poor performance, decreased appetite, flaring nostrils, labored breathing and elevated temperatures (above 103.0). However, an animals temp does not necessarily have to be extreme to be suffering from heat stress or heat stroke. As a horse owner, you can take precautions to keep your horse safe and comfortable this summer by riding or working your horse in the early morning or late evening, cooling down your horse after a workout, giving an oral electrolyte supplement and providing shade or shelter. Horses need easily accessible large, clean water troughs. Horses can drink up to 20-40 gallons of water per day in hot, humid weather. Inadequate water can lead to dehydration. Signs of colic can be secondary to dehydration.
Heat stroke can have harmful and even potentially fatal effects for your pets. If your pet shows signs of heat stress, you should contact your veterinarian because they may need certain drugs or medications to decrease temperature or be treated for shock or dehydration.
Dr. Dave Garza
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Heat stress can also occur in horses. The most common heat stress related issue in horses that we see is when a horse has been ridden or worked in the heat. The clinical signs of heat stress are: listless behavior, poor performance, decreased appetite, flaring nostrils, labored breathing and elevated temperatures (above 103.0). However, an animals temp does not necessarily have to be extreme to be suffering from heat stress or heat stroke. As a horse owner, you can take precautions to keep your horse safe and comfortable this summer by riding or working your horse in the early morning or late evening, cooling down your horse after a workout, giving an oral electrolyte supplement and providing shade or shelter. Horses need easily accessible large, clean water troughs. Horses can drink up to 20-40 gallons of water per day in hot, humid weather. Inadequate water can lead to dehydration. Signs of colic can be secondary to dehydration.
Dr. Dave Garza
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Pregnancy and the Older Maiden Mare
If one were to ask your veterinarian what type of mare he or she thought was the toughest to get bred and have carry to term, don't be surprised if they come back with the answer, the teenage maiden mare. One would think naturally the opposite.
Although an older maiden mare has never been bred before, they are susceptible to post breeding endometritis. Many times, mares that have had a show jumping or dressage career may not be presented to be bred until they are in their teens, and as said before they can be very difficult to get in foal. They tend to fit into a syndrome where if one examines their uterine biopsies, these samples routinely reveal glandular degenerative changes and fibrosis. These changes will limit their ability to resist bacterial infections, and will also influence in a negative capacity the ability of the uterus itself to support the pregnancy hormonally (progesterone levels will be subnormal).
Another common characteristic of these mares will be there inability to eliminate uterine fluid. An older maiden mare often has an abnormally tight cervix that fails to relax properly during estrus: as a result, fluid is unable to drain properly, and it accumulates over time inside the interior space. In many cases the fluid itself is devoid of bacteria and there may be no evidence of inflammatory cells either. This brings out the necessity for a good, sound, and thorough diagnostic evaluation of her uterine environment. This is accomplished with the use of ultrasound, which will provide a specific, valuable interpretative view of her uterine. In conjunction with this procedure it is very important to perform a uterine culture (to rule out the presence of bacteria), and a uterine cytology (to rule out the presence of inflammatory cells). These procedures will let us understand the origin and significance of the uterine fluid present, and how best to help eliminate it.
After the mare is bred, the fluid accumulation will be aggravated due to poor uterine muscular contractions and the presence of a tight cervix. It has been recently discovered that these mares have vascular (blood vessel) degeneration that will compound their inability to clear their uterus of fluid and bacteria. For this reason alone, it is highly recommended that the veterinarian in charge consider the benefit of a uterine biopsy prior to breeding. This will allow the owner a specific insight into the ability of their mare to become pregnant in the first place and what are the percentage chances that she will carry to term successfully.
Contributed by John Fling, DVM
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Although an older maiden mare has never been bred before, they are susceptible to post breeding endometritis. Many times, mares that have had a show jumping or dressage career may not be presented to be bred until they are in their teens, and as said before they can be very difficult to get in foal. They tend to fit into a syndrome where if one examines their uterine biopsies, these samples routinely reveal glandular degenerative changes and fibrosis. These changes will limit their ability to resist bacterial infections, and will also influence in a negative capacity the ability of the uterus itself to support the pregnancy hormonally (progesterone levels will be subnormal).
Another common characteristic of these mares will be there inability to eliminate uterine fluid. An older maiden mare often has an abnormally tight cervix that fails to relax properly during estrus: as a result, fluid is unable to drain properly, and it accumulates over time inside the interior space. In many cases the fluid itself is devoid of bacteria and there may be no evidence of inflammatory cells either. This brings out the necessity for a good, sound, and thorough diagnostic evaluation of her uterine environment. This is accomplished with the use of ultrasound, which will provide a specific, valuable interpretative view of her uterine. In conjunction with this procedure it is very important to perform a uterine culture (to rule out the presence of bacteria), and a uterine cytology (to rule out the presence of inflammatory cells). These procedures will let us understand the origin and significance of the uterine fluid present, and how best to help eliminate it.
After the mare is bred, the fluid accumulation will be aggravated due to poor uterine muscular contractions and the presence of a tight cervix. It has been recently discovered that these mares have vascular (blood vessel) degeneration that will compound their inability to clear their uterus of fluid and bacteria. For this reason alone, it is highly recommended that the veterinarian in charge consider the benefit of a uterine biopsy prior to breeding. This will allow the owner a specific insight into the ability of their mare to become pregnant in the first place and what are the percentage chances that she will carry to term successfully.
Contributed by John Fling, DVM
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