With Spring upon us, it's time to mention annual equine wellness check-ups! Annual health exams and routine practices including vaccination, deworming, Coggins testing, dentals and tend to coincide with this time of year. Vaccinations in the Spring include core vaccines (Sleeping Sickness, Tetanus, West Nile, Rabies) and supplemental vaccines for traveling or at-risk horses (Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis/Herpes, Strangles). The vaccines your horse receives should depend on the level of exposure it will encounter, or has encountered in the past.
Before deworming this season, it is also desirable to fecal test your horse to aim treatment at any specific parasites. Using our testing technique, we can identify your horse as High, Medium or Low "shedder". This classification tells you which of your horses sheds more parasite eggs. Identifying this trait can save quite a bit on your pocketbook. A high shedder may need deworming 5-6 times per year, whereas a low shedder may only need to be dewormed 2-3 times per year. Foals also need to be dewormed at about 2-3 months old. Safe products for these young equines include Strongid and Panacur. Bring in a fresh fecal sample from each specific horse (samples as large as your fist), or set up an appointment with Dr. Lindy West to plan this years health program today!