Welcome to Part 2 of my series on 10 Things Your Veterinarian Wishes You Knew. If you haven’t read Part 1, you can do that here. I’ve got a lot to talk about before nap time, so let’s get back to it!

6. Don’t mess around trying to treat things yourself before you call a vet

Whether it’s a colic, a wound, an eye problem, please just call my doc early and don’t mess around trying to treat the problem yourself for days or weeks before seeking veterinary care. My docs see a lot of disasters caused by well-meaning owners. Sometimes it costs the horse his life. We understand the desire to save money, but in most cases it’s less expensive to treat the problem correctly and early. Turning to Dr. Google or using some treatment you bought online may be putting your horse in danger. My docs hear a lot of “I’ve been treating it for a week with this purple spray and it’s just getting worse”. They wish you would have called them first, because they might have been able to fix the problem when it first happened faster and for less cost than what it will require now.

I’m not saying it’s a bad idea to educate yourself on equine health topics, but make sure you use factual sources, such as TheHorse.com website or our podcast, Straight from the Horse Doctor’s Mouth and not just a Facebook group. Believe me, there is some truly TERRIBLE advice out there on Facebook groups and horse forums. And none of them are a substitute for an exam by one of my docs.

 7. Equine Major Medical Insurance is cheaper than you might think

No one likes to think about their horse becoming ill or injured, but when something happens, the last thing you want to be worrying about is whether you can afford to treat your horse. It’s devastating to have to make a decision to euthanize a horse that could have been successfully treated due to lack of finances. Even though vets are able to deliver quality care for a fraction of what human medicine costs, some treatments are still expensive. Colic surgery can cost $5000-$10,000 or more, and my docs absolutely understand that few of us have unlimited funds.

You might not realize that equine medical insurance is pretty affordable (often just a few hundred dollars a year) and it’s not just for fancy show horses or million-dollar racehorses. Your backyard trail horse is just as good a candidate. My docs insure their own horses, even though they are equine vets! For example, one of my docs has a policy that covers $10,000 of major medical and surgical costs with a yearly premium of $400. Of course, the specific numbers will vary based on your horse, so you’ll need to talk to an insurance company for your own quote, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than paying out of pocket for a major illness or surgery.

There are also colic programs from companies like Platinum Performance and SmartPak that will cover a significant chunk of the surgery cost. One of my docs recently had a horse need colic surgery. Because her horses are fed Platinum Performance supplements and enrolled in their colic program, Platinum covered $8000 of the cost of surgery. Check out the websites for Platinum Performance and Smartpak Equine to see if those are a good option for you.

8. Regular dental care performed by a veterinarian is really important

Don’t wait for your horse to start dropping feed while trying to chew and losing weight! That’s not the time to do a dental, those signs mean you already have major dental issues. The average horse should have a dental exam and float once a year. The goal is to do a little touch up every year so your horse can maintain good teeth long into his senior years. When the teeth are neglected, and problems have already occurred, it’s a lot harder for my doc to make your horse comfortable and corrections may be more expensive. She can’t put back teeth that have worn down or fractured. So start early and stay current with your horse’s dental care.

Also, there is a big difference between a complete dental exam performed by a veterinarian and a lay dentist sticking a rasp into your horse’s mouth. A thorough dental requires sedation, which lay dentists can’t legally administer, and an oral speculum to allow evaluation of the back of your horse’s mouth. Way in the back is where a lot of the problems occur. My docs have to correct problems caused or missed by untrained (non-DVM) dentists all the time. Often the owners thought they were doing the right thing for their horses. We don’t want this for you and your horse, so just call a vet to take care of your horse’s teeth please!

9. Colic surgery has a better outcome than you probably think

We hope your horse never experiences a colic bad enough to require surgery, but if you find yourself in the position where you need to choose whether to pursue emergency colic surgery, we want to make sure incorrect assumptions don’t influence your decision. Yes, it’s a major surgery and yes, it’s pretty expensive (see # 7 about getting insurance). But some folks still have the idea that few horses survive colic surgery or that their horse won’t be useful afterwards. That might have been true long ago, but surgical practice has come a long way and nowadays about 90% of horses that undergo colic surgery will survive. Studies have also shown that older horses have the same survival rate as younger horses after colic surgery. So don’t let your horse’s age alone influence your decision.

It’s a wonderful thing to see a horse feeling better and munching feed again after surgery. After the appropriate healing time, most horses can return to their previous athletic careers, even racing or grand prix jumping. So if my doc is recommending colic surgery as the best option to save your horse’s life, make your decision based on facts and not outdated preconceptions.

10. They care a lot about your horse

My docs love being equine vets and taking care of your horses. They’re horse people themselves and their choice to become vets means they’re naturally hard-working, compassionate people who want the best for your equine family. But being a vet can also be pretty hard. My docs think about your horse long after they leave your farm, spend time at night researching particularly difficult cases, and lose sleep and sacrifice time with their own families to take care of your horse when you have an emergency. They do it because they love the animals and care about helping you.

No vet goes into the profession for the money, and it hurts them deeply when they’re sometimes accused of not caring about an animal because it’s necessary to charge for his care. It costs a lot to keep the lights on in the clinic, to purchase the equipment they need, and to pay employees. The medications they stock cost just as much for a vet to buy as it does for a human hospital, yet vets charge a fraction of what a human medicine bill would be. Vets have an average of nearly $200,000 in student loans, go to school for as long as a human physician, and make nowhere near the same salary.

That all said, they love their jobs. They just want you to understand why a medication or an X-ray costs what it does, and that greed has nothing to do with it. They wish the financial part wasn’t in their job description, and they sympathize with your situation. So just be kind to your vet and remember that they’re on your team when it comes to caring for your horse. If you’re inclined, you can express your appreciation with cat treats dropped off at the clinic (care of Tony) and I’ll be sure to pass on the message.

So, that’s my Top 10. I hope that you take my supreme cat knowledge and use it for good. Our mission here at Springhill Equine is to make the world a better place for horses (and cats), and I’m just trying to do my part. After all, I get a lot of love from horse owners, so I would be remiss if I didn’t give back. Cats aren’t susceptible to that kind of pressure, but I know where my treats come from. Speaking of treats, I gotta go.

Until next week,

~Tony

My people told me to tell your people that July is Dental Month here at the Clinic. It’s one of my favorite times of the year because so many of you come to see me, and, let’s be honest, that’s really one of the most important things you could ever do.  Not to mention you’re bringing your horse in for their annual dental examination and flotation. And if you’ve been reading my blog recently, and I know you have, you know that it is essential that your veterinarian perform your horse’s dental. 

 You know WHY your veterinarian should be performing your horse’s dental (Sedation, bright light, and speculum so they can get all the way to the back teeth). You understand the basic concept of a dental, which is to float sharp points. But do you know what else is involved in a dental examination and flotation? No? Well, lucky for you, I am well-versed in all things equine dentistry. 

 Types of Teeth

As you well know, my daily meals are extremely important to me. So much so that I start reminding my staff about dinner time an hour before hand just so they don’t forget. If I’m not mistaken, horses are also very much creatures of habit and I am certain they let you know if you are 5 minutes late for breakfast.  Can you imagine if your horse couldn’t eat because of dental problems? I would be utterly miserable. 

 Unlike cats and humans, who have brachydont teeth, horses have hypsodont teeth.  I know you’re saying, wait a second Tony, those are some big words, aren’t teeth just teeth? Well, no, they are not.  Carnivores and omnivores typically have brachydont teeth, which are low-crowned teeth in which the crown sits above the gum line. Brachydont teeth stop growing once all permanent teeth are fully erupted.

 Horses, on the other hand, have hypsodont teeth which continue to erupt throughout their entire life and the enamel extends below the gum line. As grazing animals, horses are eating almost constantly throughout the day. Because of the type of forage horses consume, their teeth undergo a lot of wear and tear. Therefore, slow eruption of their teeth throughout their lives compensates for the constant grinding which can wear away 2-3mm of tooth/year. This is also why a diet that consists of quality forage is so important. 

 The Exam

When you bring your horse to the clinic, his exam starts right away with a complimentary CATscan by yours truly.  Once the CATscan has been completed, I allow the docs and technicians to step in. The docs exam starts almost immediately. They like to watch your horse eat and chew while they talk to you about his history and if there have been any problems, dental related or not. Believe it or not, problems that may seem behavioral could actually stem from your horse’s mouth. 

 After a few words with you and look from the outside, my docs and technicians prepare your horse for his oral exam.  This involves sedation, an antiseptic mouth wash, and placement of a speculum. (Apparently horses do not just say “AH” on command). Once your horse is settled into the speculum and head loop, my docs reach for their bright light.  A bright light is imperative to a thorough oral examination.

 Depending on what all is going on in your horse’s mouth, my docs may write a few things down or have their technician take a few notes. While examining his mouth they assess all of his soft tissues including his cheeks, gums, tongue, hard and soft palate, and lips.  They look for any abnormalities including signs of foreign bodies or cancer.  Then they start the exam of your horse’s teeth. They note any signs of infection including caries (cavities), fractured teeth, misaligned teeth and teeth that may have grown too much or not enough. They check for hooks, ramps, steps, and waves. If any teeth are missing, they will make a note of that as well.  You may even notice them pull out this little mirror on a stick. They tell me that it is so they can look at the back of your horse’s mouth better.

 Occasionally, they may recommend radiographs, just like your human dentist. If they suspect a fractured or infected tooth, radiographs are the best way to assess the root structure of the tooth and develop a plan for removal if necessary.  Alternatively, a Catscan may be recommended.  Unfortunately, this is not the same kind of catscan that I provide and requires general anesthesia.  Radiographs are significantly less invasive and can give my docs a lot of the information they require to best treat your horse. 

 The Float

After a thorough oral examination, the next step is the flotation.  My docs use a diamond burr head on the end of a long battery-powered rod.  This head spins in a circular motion to grind down any sharp enamel points that your horse had naturally developed over the year. It is a very gentle, yet effective tool which allows the docs to work quickly to correct any problems seen on their exam. Unlike hand floats, which can be very damaging to your horse’s soft tissues, the power float causes none to minimal damage. 

 While floating your horse’s teeth, the docs take care to spend time on areas such as hooks, ramps, waves, and steps. They correct these as much as they can without exposing tooth root.  Sometimes, however, corrections must be made slowly which may lead to my docs recommending twice yearly floats or even quarterly dental floats for your horse. Aggressive corrections and/or overfloating will lead to more problems such as open pulp, fractures, and infection. Correcting a problem before it becomes too severe is key to preventing the need for more than once a year dental floats.

 The End

After your horse’s teeth have been fully examined and a float has been performed, they will be taken out of the head loop and the speculum will be removed.  At this point, my docs check on their front teeth, noting any abnormalities such as a slant mouth, evidence of cribbing or equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis. They may make some minor adjustments with the float to allow for better occlusion of his teeth which will help your horse chew more effectively. Finally, they make suggestions to you regarding further care and write all of their findings down in a special form on the computer. I particularly like to help with this part, as I have a knack for computers, and I find they really give me a lot of attention when I help them with their medical notes.

 Around the Clinic we are a group of highly food-motivated people and cats.  We know how much horses enjoy their food as well. That’s why it is so important to have your horse’s dental examination and flotation performed at least once a year by your veterinarian (refer to my previous blogs if you need a refresher on why your vet should perform dentals and other procedures). To prevent problems later in life, annual dentals are an essential part of your horse’s veterinary care. Give the Clinic a call to schedule your haul-in dental for the month of July and don’t forget to ask about the special discount!

 Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. Are you “chomping at the bit” for more dental care information? If so, the humans have a fantastic podcast on dental exams. You can find that and so much more on our podcast page.

Gather round my friends – this week I’ve got some secrets to reveal! I’m letting the cat out of the bag on what your equine vet really wishes you understood about taking the best care of your animals, and how to be a client that we love to work for! (Just so we’re clear, don’t EVER think about putting me in a bag, it’s a figure of speech.) My docs want the best for you and your horses. There’s nothing they like more than a happy, healthy horse and a happy owner getting to enjoy her horse. My docs want you to have as few bumps in the road as possible, but when bumps come up, they want you to be prepared and able to handle them. So how many of these things do you already know and what do you need to work on?

1. You need to have a trailer available in case of emergencies

You have a horse – emergencies will happen. That’s what horses do. Some things can be taken care of on the farm, but some problems require emergency treatment at a hospital. You may also live further away than a vet can get to for emergencies. So you NEED to have a trailer available. This may mean you have a trailer of your own, or it may mean you have an emergency plan set up with a friend who has one.

• Here’s what I do mean: You have a working truck and trailer in correct repair at your farm you can hook up and drive. Or you have an established list of friends or family who own a functioning trailer and are ready to help in an emergency. You also have their phone numbers and know how to reach them. Keep in mind this stuff usually happens at 3 AM and horses particularly enjoy getting hurt on major national holidays when everyone is out of town on vacation. Doesn’t matter, you should have a plan.
• Here’s what I don’t mean: You have a trailer that sits on the back 40 with the wheels halfway sunk into the mud because you haven’t hooked it up in 5 years and it has no floor and is missing a wheel or two. There is probably a nest of raccoons living in it. I also don’t mean you start trying to reach someone you kinda know who might have a trailer at 3 AM on Christmas Eve, though you haven’t spoken to her in a couple years and you don’t have her phone number since you’re mostly just friends on Facebook. Nope, your colicky horse needs a much better plan that that!

2. Establish a relationship with your vet before an emergency happens

Not all vets can take in emergencies if you are not a current client. You don’t want to wait until a serious problem arises to go looking for someone to help. Establishing a good relationship with a vet ahead of time not only will provide you a go-to plan in the case of an emergency, but you may also be able to prevent illness from happening by working with your vet on a good preventative health plan.

Just so we’re clear, here’s what I mean by “good relationship.” Your veterinarian visits your horse(s) at least twice a year for vaccines and a wellness exam. Your vet is your horse’s dentist. Your vet knows who you are, knows your horse, and can look at a complete medical history of your horse in their computer. Also, you don’t owe them money from your last visit, or the one before that.

Why is this important? I’ll give you some insider cat knowledge. When two or three emergencies happen at the same time, and this happens every weekend, my on-call doc has to decide who to see first. Does she go to the regular Wellness client who does all the things, or does she go to the one who gets a Coggins once every two or three years and “doesn’t usually need a vet”? Or the one who was last seen for a shoulder laceration in 2014 and didn’t pay the bill for seven months? Having a good relationship ensures your place in that line.

3. Learn to take vital signs on your horse

It’s a great idea to know how to take your horse’s heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, gut sounds, capillary refill time, and digital pulses. Not only should you know what your horse’s normals are, but it can be of great help to my doc in case of an illness or emergency. It can also help my doc determine whether she needs to come out to examine your horse. Taking vital signs is really not as hard as you may think! You can read my previous blog with easy instructions and videos by clicking here or come to our open house event in November to learn in person. Or when my doc is at your farm next, ask her to show you! My docs love to educate horse owners, so feel free to ask questions.

4. Prepare a safe environment for the vet visit

Spend time handling your horses and working on their ground manners so they can be safely handled during a vet exam. If you’re not experienced, work with a trainer. The vet appointment, especially an emergency visit, isn’t a good time to start working on training your horse. We can’t do much to treat your horse if no one can catch him or if he’s so unhandled that he’s dangerous to work on. It’s really important that both people and horses stay safe, so start preparing your horse for his vet visits long before you call my doc out.

When it’s time for the appointment, have your horse caught and ready in an area that’s safe to work in, without a lot of distraction from things like farm dogs, equipment, or lots of people moving around. You can have as many cats around as you want though, we are extremely helpful.

One common problem my docs run into is horses that aren’t used to having their feet picked up. You can familiarize them with this every day when you feed them just by rubbing down their legs and eventually picking up their feet a little at a time. This will go a long way to help your vet and farrier to avoid getting kicked. The same goes for being in a stall or on crossties for horses that live outside.

5. Horses need vaccines, whether or not they ever leave the property!

Your horse doesn’t travel? Too bad, the mosquitoes and raccoons that carry equine diseases do. Eastern encephalitis is fatal in 90% of cases. Rabies is 100% fatal and can affect your human family, too. Get your horse vaccinated. It’s not worth the risk. There are some vaccines that are risk-based, so your horse may not need those if he doesn’t travel or meet other horses, but every horse needs core vaccines like encephalitis, tetanus, and rabies.

Okay, I know I said I have ten things, but I’m going to stop here for now. I want to make sure you have these five down pat before I go on to the next five, which we’ll do in a couple of weeks. Let’s see where you are so far. Give yourself 20 points for each one of these that you are 100% on:

1. Truck and trailer ready or definitely available 24/7
2. Good relationship with the vet (at least 2 regular, non-emergency visits in the last year)
3. Know how to take vitals, and know what your horse’s ‘normal’ is
4. Have a good place for the vet visit, and a horse that can behave
5. Up-to-date on your vaccines

If you scored 80-100 on this first half, you’re in pretty good shape, and you should be up to 100% by the time Part 2 of this blog comes out. If you scored 60 or below, you’ve got a lot of work to do in the next couple of weeks!

I’ll be taking a cat nap while you work on it.

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. Don’t forget to scroll back up to #3 and click on that link for a refresher on taking vital signs! Well, I guess you could just click here and go to the same place. Sometimes I forget that you humans don’t like taking the long way around. Bah.

Yes, I know I do this every year around June 1st, but it’s because you humans are very bad at listening. Hurricane season has officially begun. It’s time to play, “Let’s get prepared for a disaster!” The Farm Version.

 Dump Run

 Hurricanes love to pick stuff up and throw it around. Look around the farm for those items. Make a burn pile for the stuff that can get burned, and a dump pile for the stuff that can’t. Once in piles, actually remove them. Most of the area has now had some rain, so no excuses! Burn that burn pile. While you’re in the burning mood, check out any tree limbs that look sketchy. Add them to the pile, too. No need to wait for anything for the dump run. Bonus: Dump runs can usually be counted on for some entertainment from other humans making dump runs as well. Most important: do something with the debris. Don’t let it sit around until the next Hurricane Michael is at Cedar Key. At that point everyone in your county will be at the dump trying to get rid of their debris. Be a smart human!

 Identify your stuff

 Microchip your horse. It’s easy. It’s cost effective. It’s permanent. Do it now.  Also works for your dogs and cats. I say it works for humans too, but some frown on that. If you’ve followed my microchip advice already, now is the time to make sure the information attached to that chip is correct. My minions can help with that if you need help figuring out how. It can be a little complicated if you don’t know which company made your chip. 

 Identify more than just your pets and relatives, though. Take a few minutes to shoot a video or take pictures of your truck and trailer, vehicles, tack room, and barn. Anything you think you would claim on insurance should be documented. Those phones you humans carry around to take pictures of yourself and your horse can be used for this, too! Upload it to that place called the cloud so it’s safe. A few moments now can save you a ton of hassles with insurance later. Might want to check on that insurance thing while you’re at it as well. Make sure you know what you do and don’t have covered. I hear flood insurance is the biggie you don’t know you need until you need it. 

 Stockpile a few things

 Think about what you will need if power is out. Take advantage of the Tax Holiday in Florida on some things. Common stuff you can stockpile now include batteries, flashlights, tarps, duct tape (can you ever have enough?), and gas cans. Horses drink a LOT of water. Think now about how you are going to provide that water. Plastic trash cans with lids work great! Large water troughs work well, too. Whatever you are going to use, now is the time to make sure you have it, and it doesn’t leak. If you are going to evacuate (more on that in a sec), be sure you have enough water and feed buckets for everyone. Speaking of food, have a plan for getting feed and hay up off the ground in case flooding becomes a problem. 

 Should I stay or should I go?

 There’s a different answer for everyone, but the important thing now is to make a plan. Even if you intend on staying, you should still make an evacuation plan. It’s just a good idea. The tricky part about evacuating with horses is the timing. You need to leave the area 4-5 days before the projected hit. Traffic is way too bad if you wait until the last minute. I promise that you don’t want to ride out a hurricane with your horses in a trailer in the middle of a traffic jam.

 Now is the time to call places you may evacuate to and find out what they require. The Agriculture Inspection Station will often waive the Health Certificate requirement during evacuations. However, your destination will likely require a Coggins at a minimum, and may require certain vaccines as well. Check your Coggins now on ALL the horses you might evacuate. Getting them done as a routine appointment is so, so much easier than doing them as an emergency. Bonus: my Docs can microchip your horses at the same time! Easy peasey.

 We all like to pretend hurricanes are no big deal, but this cat has been around long enough to know you humans don’t really believe that. The way you’re glued to Mike’s Weather Page the moment something stirs out there in the ocean says you care. Spend some time now getting ready, and then you can enjoy that hurricane party as you watch for Jim Cantore’s latest location.

 All well-trained humans will now scroll down to the subscribe button. Press the button, enter your email, and get my blog a day before everyone else. If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is!

 Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. This was the short, sweet version. If you want more, the humans have a fantastic podcast called Straight from the Horse Doctor’s Mouth, and they have two episodes that focus on all things disaster prep. You can find it over on the Podcast Page, or wherever you get your podcasts.