Category: Ask The Vet

Question: My horse has been recovering for the last three years from a partially torn suspensory, colic surgery and ulcers. He now looks the best he ever has in three years and it’s time to

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How can a thoroughbred race horse “scope” perfectly and still have breathing problems?   Answer: There are two possible reasons why a horse may have a “clean” or “perfect” scope reported, and yet be found to

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Question: How often should a stallion’s sheath be cleaned during the breeding season? Answer: Cleaning a stallion’s sheath during breeding season is an important part of proper management. The horse should be teased so that he achieves an

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Question: How soon after delivery can a mare be bred back to another stallion? What are the positives and negatives for not allowing suitable time for recovery from foaling? Answer: Most mares foaling during the

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Question: I have a companion donkey. My horse contracted lungworm. Do you believe horses and donkeys can be kept together? Answer: Lung worms are a pretty unusual problem in horses in the United States. When

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Question: What part of the horse’s body do you administer the strangles vaccine? Is intranasal better than the injection? Answer: Strangles vaccine is referring to vaccination to prevent a highly contagious disease caused by Streptococcus

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As I was bridling my 5-year-old warmblood yesterday, I noticed his right lower canine felt sharper than usual. I swapped sides to look and he’s broken it somehow. He doesn’t seem bothered at all by

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Question: I have a 14-year-old Standardbred that had surgery on his knees when he was younger. Is it possible that he will get arthritis in his knees when he gets older? If so, what are

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Question: Would gastric ulcers cause a horse to get thumps (horse holds his breath) or wind suck? Answer: Yes, cribbing and wind sucking has been associated with increased numbers of gastric ulcers but we are

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Question: How can we help horses with proper nutrition and supplements to prevent ulcers? Too many horses are receiving omeprazole. How can we prevent ulcers? Answer: I certainly share your concern over gastric ulcers, and

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Question: How can you get a mane to grow quickly? Our new horse has lost a 6-inch strip of mane all the way down to the skin. He has a blanket on 24/7 so we

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Question: My horse is barefoot and I’ve noticed that over the last few months his collateral groves aren’t the same depth on either side of the frog on the same foot (fronts only). There is

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Question: I am an owner of an equine facility. I require my boarders to have appropriate vaccines instructed by our veterinarian. Many of our boarders haul in and out for events, hence exposed to different

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