I don’t know about you all, but for some reason, the bugs this year are driving me absolutely catty.  I’ve talked to you about flies ad nauseam, but today we are going to talk about a different little pest that has been popping up all over and causing much grief for horse owners and my docs alike.  No, not mosquitos, that’s for another time. Today we are going to talk about the nasty little boogers, the tick. 

 The tick population is booming! Luckily my minions keep me in flea and tick prevention so I don’t have to worry about them, but I have had a number of you call me to ask what to do about all these ticks.  We do not really know why ticks are so much more prevalent this year than years past. My theory is, us cats have honed our hunting skills and have decreased the bird and bat population which has allowed ticks to proliferate since the birds and bats aren’t around to eat them.  In reality, my docs explained, it is more likely due to global warming, habitat loss, and the increase in wildlife presence closer to our homes.  I’ll stick with my theory that cats are superior hunting machines. 

 The Problem with Ticks

 Ticks are attracted to the ammonia smell of your horse’s breath and sweat. They are also attracted to the heat and moisture from your horse. Ticks hang out on blades of grass and shrubs and wait for an unsuspecting host to come by. They wait with legs outstretched and when your horse walks by they jump on board for the ride.  Ticks typically look for thinner-skinned areas such as the underbelly, mane, tail, inside flank and under the tail.  They attach, have a blood meal, fall off and molt to the next stage of their life, leaving your horse with a firm, raised, itchy bump that can predispose your horse to a number of problems.

Most people associate ticks with Lyme Disease, obviously a very valid concern as Lyme Disease can cause weight loss, intermittent/shifting leg lameness, fever, poor performance, and other orthopedic problems for your horse. Luckily, the species of tick that carries Lyme Disease, the deer tick, is very uncommon in Florida. This does not mean that it is not possible for your horse to become infected with Lyme Disease but the chance is significantly decreased just because you were a smart horse owner who chose to live in Florida. 

 That being said, other species of ticks can cause other problems for your horse and spread other diseases that we must be aware of. Having had my fair share of ticks in the past, take my word for it, they are irritating.  When I was a young kitten, I remember a time I didn’t have such lovely minions to care for me, and I had a pretty severe tick infestation.   I was so itchy, I could not stop scratching.  I made my skin raw and angry and opened myself up for infection.  Luckily, I got it under control and haven’t had to deal with a tick infestation again. 

 I am not usually a sympathetic kind of guy, but if your horse has had ticks on him recently, I feel for him. You may have noticed your horse itching on trees and fences. His mane and tail may have bald spots, there may be areas of generalized swelling, and you may notice ulcerated, bleeding sores. Of course, a myriad of things can cause your horse to itch, ticks are just one annoyance that can play a role in your horse’s misery.

 Beyond the cosmetic impact, they can also spread diseases including piroplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and equine infectious anemia (EIA).  Fortunately, we test for EIA when my docs pull blood for Coggins and it is well-controlled in the United States. There are laboratory tests for piroplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, however, unless your horse is showing the specific signs associated with these diseases, routine testing is not recommended.  If you are concerned that your horse may be infected, ask my docs, they will know exactly what signs to look for. I’m just a cat that knows big words, my docs went to school for a long time to know exactly what those big words mean.

 Tick Prevention

 Unlike cats and dogs, there is not a specific topical medication like Frontline or K9 Advantix that is made for horses to prevent ticks.  However, tick prevention is important and there are ways to decrease a tick infestation on your horse.  First, knowing how to locate and remove ticks plays a vital role in reduction of ticks on your horse.  Ticks should never be crushed, cut, or burned off your horse. Instead, the head must be pinched close to your horse’s skin and the tick pulled off.  After the tick is removed, submerge it in rubbing alcohol to kill it. I recommend always thoroughly checking your horse for ticks before and after a ride and removing any you find. 

 Many bug repellents have formulas in them that will repel ticks. Products such as coumaphos spray or powder, permethrin sprays, wipes, or spot on treatments, as well as zeta-cypermethrin are all proven tick repellents. If you are unsure of which would be best for your horse, give my docs a call and they will be happy to help answer any questions you might have.  I stick with my handy dandy Seresto collar so I don’t have to remember to apply topical prevention once a month.  Someone should come up with a Seresto collar for horses… perhaps between my naps I will work on that.  Keep an eye on the news for the first millionaire cat who came up with a Seresto collar for horses, it will be me and then you can say you know a celebrity. 

 Finally, pasture management is key to tick prevention.  Remove any underbrush, weeds, etc from your pasture. Watch my seminar on pasture management, and you’ll understand why you want to do this even if you don’t have a tick problem.  Also, keep wildlife away. Yes, we all love watching the deer frolic. However, do not encourage wildlife to come into your pastures, let them stay next door and watch from afar.  If you don’t have barn cats that like to hunt, consider getting a few chickens or Guinea fowl. They love ticks and are excellent at eating any that may come around your barn. But remember, we are Springhill EQUINE, so be sure to have a bird vet on speed dial in case your chicken or Guinea were to fall ill or get injured at any time.  Trust me, you don’t want these horse docs working on your bird. 

 Ticks are a nuisance and can cause some major problems for your horse. Luckily, prevention is easy and treatment for minor irritations caused by ticks is simple. Just remember if you have any questions or concerns about ticks and your horse, my docs are just a phone call away. 

Until next week,

~Tony

Summer has arrived. It’s been over 90 degrees, humidity has been up there, and it’s threatening to rain every day. As far as this cat is concerned, it’s summer. I spend my summers like I spend all my seasons: going from inside to outside and back again. I have to say the outside gets very hot this time of year. Especially in my prefered spot in the middle of the driveway. I like to watch the humans either wait for me to move (I won’t), or drive around me. This week I learned that what you eat can really affect how you handle all that hot weather. That doesn’t work so well for me since I’m on a strict diet for my diabetes. However, it can be really helpful to horses during the summer who can’t come in the air conditioned great indoors.

Hay is Hot

Horses are hind gut fermenters. This means they pass a lot of gas. Cats do NOT do this, and I find the shear volume of gas a horse is able to pass from their hind end to be unbelievable. That gas is the result of microbes breaking down the fiber from forages. Yes I know there are other sources, but hay is the biggie so let’s pretend it’s only hay. Besides gas, this process creates fatty acids which the body can use for nutrition, and heat, lots and lots of heat. You know what happens when you leave the wheelbarrow full overnight? It’s all steamy when you dump it the next day. Same thing in the equine GI tract. I hear you saying “Whoa Tony. I can’t just stop feeding hay.” I know, I know! What I’m saying is summer is the time to cut hay back if you’re feeding way over 1.5% of body weight. Remember, summer is good grass season, and grass counts as forage too! This means that even if you are feeding 1.5% of body weight, it’s likely your horse is getting way more than that if you’ve got decent pasture. The other big advantage of grass is the high water content. Lots of water is always a great answer for hot weather.

Finding the cool calories

Hay makes heat, but so do some other things in the equine diet. Chief amongst these things is starch. The cool thing to do these days is feed a low starch diet, but it’s not always necessary. If your horse needs quick energy to, let’s say, run a barrel pattern for example, you are going to need some starch. What happens if a body is using mostly starch for energy? It makes a whole lot of heat! Heat is a pretty significant byproduct of energy production from starches. Know what works better? Fat. Know what’s cheap and really calorie dense? Fat. Horses can digest any vegetable oil. Add some vegetable oil to your horse’s diet, and you can keep the calories, decrease the concentrates, and reduce the amount of heat they produce. Be sure you keep the diet balanced when you do this. Ration balancers are an easy way to manage this. If you’ve got questions, remember my Docs have answers!

Support the processes

Electrolytes are a key additive in the summer. If you’ve been reading my weekly wisdom drops for a while then you know I’m not big on supplements. However, salt is life. A good electrolyte is really important during sweating season. Horses can lose so much sodium, potassium, and chloride during the summer! One reason horses are the athletes they are, is their ability to sweat to keep cool. Support that with plenty of electrolytes. A good electrolyte should have sodium, potassium, and chloride as the top three ingredients. A little sugar is important too. I know that sounds weird, but a little sugar helps the gut absorb electrolytes.

It should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. Plenty of water is necessary too. Sweating, and digesting, and just plain surviving the Florida summer requires plenty of water. Make sure your horse has lots of it. Ideally in a shaded location because who wants warm water on a hot day? Not this cat, and probably not your horse!

Mind the beach bod

Summer is the most common time for horses to gain weight thanks to all that grass, but it’s the worst time of year for them to have all that fat! Fat is an excellent insulator, trust me I know. However, during summer in Florida one doesn’t exactly need insulation. Keep an eye on that weight to make sure you aren’t making it even harder for your horse to cool down.

Ok so this isn’t nutrition related, but I feel like we should have a quick discussion about keeping your horse cool with other strategies. I love misting fans! Use them to help really cool your horse down. Speaking of misting, hosing your horse off before you ride will help cool them down. Hose them off quickly once you finish riding. Water is a great way to move heat out of your horse. You will see plenty of questionable articles this time of year about how you could darn near kill your horse by hosing them off. You can’t. What you can do is significantly reduce the time it takes to cool them off! If you want lots of science about this Google Dr. David Marlin and look at his really great work on cooling horses down. Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of water.

Summer is tough! Take if from a black cat who likes to lay around an asphalt driveway. Taking a moment to evaluate your horse’s nutrition can make summer a little easier. Need help? Call my Docs!

Until next week, 

~Tony

P.S. Now be a good human. Scroll down a little further to click the subscribe button. You get my blog a day earlier than everyone else, and you don’t have to rely on the questionable logic of Facebook to show it to you.

Everyone loves the pitter patter of little feet. Everyone but me, that is! In case you all missed it, this weekend on Saturday night, we welcomed a new life into the world here at the clinic, and let me tell you, it was a huge inconvenience to me. It interrupted my sleeping pattern and my minions didn’t even let me out to assist. It was like I didn’t even exist and all that mattered was the new baby, what the heck? In fact, come to think of it, all last week they spent more time staring at the mare than me. What gives? Needless to say, Monday morning, I had a chat with my staff about this oversight. During our chat, the docs explained why it was so important to watch mom so carefully and what all went into Saturday night. Instead of continuing to be bitter about the lack of attention I have been receiving, I have decided to share my newfound knowledge with you all.

 Foal Watch

 Early last week, the mare was dropped off at the clinic for what they call foal watch. I was very confused by this since there was a full-grown adult horse at the clinic, not a foal, so how was I supposed to watch the foal? My minions explained that foal watch is actually, watching the mare when she is getting close to having the foal. Still not 100% sure what all is involved in foal watch, I allowed the docs to explain further. They explained that during foal watch they monitor the mare’s behavior, her eating habits, changes to her body and any other differences to her normal routine.

 The mare’s gluteal muscles will become very soft when the she is close to foaling and her tail will also become more relaxed.  The docs explained that from the first night that the mare arrived, they monitored the stall cameras every hour for signs of labor. Twice a day, they would check her udder and milk development. Part of this involves checking the pH of her milk. Once her pH drops below 7, and more specifically 6.8, it’s go time, and the mare will likely foal in the next 24 hours.

 This is exactly what happened on Saturday. Saturday morning at her pH check, her milk was around 7.25 and by 5pm it had dropped to 7. That’s when my docs knew it was probably going to happen. I sure wish they would have warned me, so I could have taken some extra naps in preparation for a long night!

 Labor

 There are three stages to labor which apparently can last for many days prior to actually having a foal on the ground.  The first stage of labor is the longest, and it involves the positioning of the baby. This is when the mare may show signs similar to those of colic. She may go off her feed intermittently. Often times, the mare may be seen rolling, pawing and frequently kicking at her abdomen. Usually these signs will diminish, the mare will return to normal, and it will be very confusing to those who are waiting for the foal to come. 

 The second and third stages of labor should be relatively short. The second stage of labor starts when the mare’s water breaks and the foal is expelled. Abdominal contractions are visual followed by periods of rest. My docs explained that it is extremely important to monitor this stage of labor. This is when things can go very wrong, very quickly. The foal should be presenting front feet first, followed shortly by a nose. The foal should be expelled within 30 minutes, 45 minutes maximum. 

 If the foal does not present front feet and head first, or takes longer than 45 minutes to come out, it is considered an emergency and involves intervention from the docs. This incorrect positioning resulting in a difficult birth is called a dystocia, and dystocia can be life-threatening to the mare and foal.  Luckily, everything went smooth on Saturday and the foal was expelled within 30 minutes.

 The final stage of labor is the expulsion of the fetal membranes, or placenta. After the foal is born, the mare will continue to contract to facilitate the expulsion of the placenta. The placenta should be passed completely within 3 hours after the foal is expelled. Once again, it is considered an emergency and can be life threatening if the placenta is not passed or if a piece of it is retained.

 1-2-3 Rule

 After the foal was born, I was super excited that I was about to get some sleep again, but I couldn’t get the docs to leave. How inconsiderate of them! They said they had to stay and monitor the baby, and make sure that he was able to stand on his own, move around, and nurse. The rule is, after the baby is born it should be standing within an hour. After 2 hours, the baby should have nursed, it is essential that the baby nurse within this time so that it ingests colostrum and is protected against disease and infection. If the foal doesn’t nurse within 2 hours of birth, doctor intervention may be necessary. They may need to milk the colostrum from the mare and tube the foal or offer a bottle.

 As I previously mentioned, the placenta must be passed within 3 hours after birth, and is thus the 3 in the 1-2-3 rule.  I realize now why my docs were at my clinic for so long after the foal was born. They had to wait for the mare and foal to reach all these milestones before they felt comfortable leaving them for a few hours. 

 New Foal Exam

 Despite being present for hours over night Saturday night, they showed back up on Sunday.  And I thought, finally, I am going to get some attention, maybe some belly rubs or extra snacks.  Alas, I found myself disappointed. Yet again it was all about the baby.  Sure, he’s kind of cute, but I’m a pretty cute cat and could use a little attention as well. At least this time they let me out to explore the new baby.

 While I was out performing my “Cat” scan, Dr. Lacher was also performing her new foal exam.  She was checking him for any physical problems. She listened to his heart, lungs and gut sounds. She checked eyes, joints, mouth, and umbilicus. She also pulled blood to assess his IgG. The results of this blood test will tell us if the foal got enough colostrum. If the results of the test were low, it would mean the foal may need to have a plasma transfusion and/or be started on antibiotics.  Dr. Lacher finished her new foal exam with some scratches for the new baby, and FINALLY, I got my rubs and scratches. 

 Despite the lack of attention I received this past weekend, it was pretty neat to learn about all that goes into getting a healthy new foal on that ground. If you’re expecting a little one soon, or think you might want to expect one in the future, be sure to talk with my docs about your mare’s birthing plan and what to watch for when your new foal is due.

 Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. If you want to know more, my docs have several podcasts on this topic. You can find them here on the Podcast Page, or you can subscribe to Straight form the Horse Doctor’s Mouth wherever you get your podcasts.

A couple weeks ago I talked about flies from the how not to have them breeding around your farm perspective. It was a solid blog if I do say so myself, but I wanted to dive a little deeper into keeping those little *?@%ers off the poor horses. For one thing, you humans can only conquer so many of the bug breeding grounds. For another thing, there are some horses who really, really, really just don’t like bugs. Yep, I’m looking at you, super fancy warmblood recently flown on a plane here from Europe. Luckily, you humans have been super creative at ways to keep bugs off horses, and sprays are only the tip of the iceberg!

Fly Spray

Yes I know, I discussed these in the last fly blog. However, I have noted you humans aren’t great at remembering details so let’s discuss fly sprays again. First, they should be called fly wipes. That’s right, you’ve been doing it wrong for years. The very best way to apply a fly “spray” is to wipe it on. This can be done with a rag, a microfiber mitt, or even spray on a brush then brush it on. Wiping it on wastes less by putting the product where it needs to be, and not in a huge cloud around your horse, and it more effectively gets the product onto the hair. I expect to see everyone wiping fly sprays from now on. I have decreed it to be so.

Second, I talked about which ones worked best in a recent study. Here’s the study info if you want to look it up yourself: “Behavioral Inhibition of the House Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) When Exposed to Commercial Equine Fly Repellents,” Elizabeth V. Tuorinsky and Erika T. Machtinger, Journal of Economic Entomology, September 2019. TLDR version: EcoVet kicked booty, OutSmart was pretty darn good (side note: very similar to Bye Bye Flies from the Fly Predator people), and Equiderma’s fly spray wasn’t too shabby either. No matter what, fly wipes are an assist but shouldn’t be the cornerstone of your no-flies-on-me plan.

The Fly Mask

Take note of the following: every horse should have a fly mask! That’s right. Every. Single. Horse. There is no more important piece of how to avoid seeing my Docs for eye issues piece of equipment than a fly mask. They also, for the purposes of this week’s blog, keep the flies off the eyes, and as noted above we are discussing keeping flies off horses. There are approximately 8.3 million different kinds of fly masks. Surely there’s a kind your horse will wear out there somewhere. Find it. Get it. Make your horse wear it. Gnats around eyes lead to itchy eyes, which leads to horse finding pointy thing to itch eye on, which leads to Sunday evening call for one of my Docs to stitch eyelid back on. Get a fly mask. We are partial to Nag Horse Ranch fly masks around here. They do a great job blocking UV rays as well as keeping the bugs out, and they can custom make a mask if your horse has a weird head size.

The Fly Sheet

If you have one of those super sensitive souls who just can’t handle the thought of a fly touching them, fly sheets are a great option. More importantly, fly sheets are a lifesaver to the horse who is allergic to gnats. As a cat with allergies, I genuinely feel for these horses! Being itchy just plain sucks. Fly sheets come in slightly fewer options than fly masks. We’re down around the 1.7 million different varieties number. The biggest downside to this: it’s way more expensive to experiment with fly sheets than fly masks. Allow me to give you some Tony words of wisdom on fly sheets.

Note on fly sheets: always go for either the neck cover or the head-to-toe coverage variety. You really want to cover your entire horse. For long-term turnout, I like the Schneider’s mosquito mesh variety of fly sheet. It’s very light and airy, but does a pretty decent job keeping the buggers OFF! The mosquito mesh sheet is the coolest of the many I’ve tested. It also provides head-to-tail coverage when you add the generously-cut neck cover.

Next up on my list of likes are the Rambo Fly Sheets. I have found the softer versions are warmer in the lovely Florida summers. These fly sheets don’t go high enough on the neck for my cultivated feline tastes. Also, that upper neck area is particularly prone to gnat itchies.

If you are looking for what is likely the best gnat allergy fly sheet on the planet, I recommend the Boett sheet. It covers as much of a horse as possible while still being tough enough for turnout. It isn’t cheap, but it is well worth the cost. I also recommend checking out used tack sales for fly sheets when starting the process. This will allow you to try different kinds to give you an idea about what works and doesn’t work for your horse at less than full retail pricing.

Pour-on Fly Repellent

For the horse that won’t tolerate any of the above options, or for the owner who is looking for more economical alternatives for a herd, I bring you the pour-on fly repellent (also works well for ticks). There are many, many varieties of these. Some are marketed to horse owners in particular; many are marketed as cattle pour-ons. I personally find the cattle ones are more economical, come in a big container, and allow the use of small or big amounts as needed. Who doesn’t want the more economical thing when it comes to horses??

Many of the cattle versions are too harsh for the delicate equine skin. We have found that Ultra Boss does the best at lasting, while not burning the skin. I do recommend starting with a very small amount in one location, and monitoring your horse for 24-48 hours to see how they do before going all out. When you do go all out, pour a stripe down the back from ears to tail, then a small amount down each of the four legs. Add a drop or two to the backs of each ear to keep those nasty gnats away. If it doesn’t rain (ha! We do live in Florida) Ultra Boss will repel gnats for a good 7-10 days.

One final repellent tip: spraying fly masks and sheets with a made-for-fabric repellent will boost the fly-blocking abilities of these horse clothes to superhero levels. Re-application is necessary every 2-3 weeks in the fun Florida summers.

Bugs and Florida go hand in hand. Find the system that works best for you and your horse so that both of you can enjoy life more!

Until next week,

~Tony

P.S. Looking for more information on fly control? The humans did a great podcast on just this subject. Be sure to take a listen here.