Dec 29, 2015 | Medication
December 29, 2015
Let’s talk about drugs! Drugs for your horse, that is. Many of the drugs we use on horses are only available as prescriptions from the Docs here. Seems a little strange since you humans can get Advil off the shelf, but there are reasons. Most of it revolves around livestock which enters the food chain like pigs, cattle, and goats. Bute can be very toxic to humans in even low doses, so the FDA decided that it must be controlled by veterinarians. Many antibiotics are under veterinary control for similar reasons. It is the FDA and USDA trying to maintain our safe food supply.
Veterinarians, as the keepers of these drugs, are under strict guidelines regarding when and how they can use and prescribe them. The FDA takes this so seriously that a violation of these guidelines could cause our Docs to lose their license. Now cats aren’t much for rules, but I think even I would have to follow these rules. The biggest part of this rule is what’s known as the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship. This means that even as the real power behind the throne here at the office, I can’t give drugs out without permission of our Docs, and they have to have seen the critter in the last year. This rule doesn’t mean that once our Docs have seen you, you have free access to any and all drugs whenever you want, of course. The second part of this rule states that the Doc has to feel the drug is the right one for the animal at this time. So much for me supporting my catnip habit selling drugs out the back door….
Our Docs are more than happy to write prescriptions for medications. In fact, we love Publix for their free antibiotics, and cookies, they have awesome cookies, and pretty much the entire bakery section, and subs. OK, we just love Publix. That being said, all companies are not created equal. There is a thriving black market industry in prescription drugs for humans and that has slipped over to animals. It is very important that medications are approved for sale in the United States. Why does the United States label matter? Drugs approved for sale here are required to meet very stringent quality control measures. Drugs approved for sale in some countries can have as little as 60% of the labeled amount of the main ingredient in them and still be considered OK! It is also important that the company keep the medications happy. Wait, happy? Yep, like me requiring two ear scratches and a treat each morning, some medications like to be warm, or cold, or only cool but not room temperature. Some don’t like air, some don’t like water. Medications make us cats look as carefree as, I hate to say this, a dog.
Real world here: Pergolide. Originally made for humans with Parkinson’s. Unfortunately caused really bad heart problems in people who were on it for years and years. FDA pulled it from the human market and left us with nothing to treat Cushing’s. Any of you with an older horse know Pergolide is as important to them as a good meal is to me. For a few years our Docs had to have the drug made through a special process called compounding. This means a pharmacist mixed everything in small batches and then shipped it to our Docs. Only problem was Pergolide is overly sensitive (Teannie has this problem too when I try to steal her cat treats). The medications we were getting often didn’t contain nearly as much as we thought they did! Luckily a company called Boehringer Ingelheim developed Prascend, which means easy, consistent access to therapy for the senior crowd.
Why did I go in to all that? Because it’s important that you know what all goes in to the drug choices around here. Sure, I can make fun of them all day long for playing with drugs, but at the end of the day these two Docs work awfully hard to make sure the medications you get are the right ones. That means finding pharmacies that provide good pricing, good service, and ethical products. That means knowing all the things happening in the research world. That means knowing what works on what horses when. And that means a whole lot of behind the scenes work to make sure your horse has the very best care!
Dec 22, 2015 | Uncategorized
Seriously, the things they ask me to supervise around here. Today I had to supervise Dr. Lacher and Charly while they pulled a Coggins on Scout from Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses. The humans seem to think Scout is tiny and cute and adorable. Meh, he’s a tiny horse. I will take a tiny mouse instead any day. What I can say is adorable is how Scout helps the humans. We animals, being superior in every way to the humans, must look for opportunities to give back to those less fortunate than us whenever possible. And let’s face it: pretty much any human is less fortunate than I am.
Scout is a (very small) part of Gentle Carousel. This group of very dedicated humans and horses go into hospitals, nursing homes, rehab facilities, and pretty much anywhere children in need exist. They use the horses to help people heal emotionally and physically. Those humans will do all kinds of stuff to pet us cute cats, pat a dog on the head, or be near a horse. This means someone who has been reluctant to stretch that arm, crack a smile, or take a step will make tremendous progress when animals are around.
I have my own selfish motivations for loving Christmas, mostly involving the decorations. I get told I should be more generous with the poor homeless kittens that show up around here. I don’t see that happening, but I will tell you about local programs you can help.
Your local animal shelter, Gainesville Pet Rescue, Alachua Humane Society, and Operation Catnip (just to name a few) are always looking for volunteer help. From fostering animals, to helping in the office, there is a place for you to help no matter what.
The Retirement Home for Horses. This beautiful farm in Alachua is dedicated to retired horses. Their residents include many retired police, military, and forest service horses, along with some that have been confiscated for mistreatment. Saturdays are open to all who bring the required carrot admission fee. While there you can find out about all the volunteer opportunities available. From grooming horses to mowing fields, there is always something to do on this enormous farm. While I love a good crowd, I know some of you may be looking for opportunities to get out of the house and have some fresh air between you and crazy Uncle Joe. Go visit the Retirement Home for Horses. This enormous farm will give you plenty of opportunity to turn left when everyone else turns right. Only problem is the entire place is fenced in so Uncle Joe won’t get lost.
HOPE-Horses Helping People. This group in Archer use horses for a wide variety of therapies. People with mobility disorders find riding gives them increased movement, balance, and endurance. Hippotherapy uses the horses as a tool to work on all kinds of stuff from movement to communication (as a cat I should probably be there working on my communication). They have programs for Veterans and directed psychotherapy programs.
I think Operation Catnip is pretty awesome myself (hard to support the nip part, but I support the goal of helping cats) and they are seriously in to helping cats. Moral of this Tuesdays with Tony: When the giving mood strikes you, there are great local options! And if none of these floats your boat, come give me treats and ear scratches.
Dec 19, 2015 | Castration
Castration Clinic 2015
Dear intact, neutered, and spayed followers,
This past Saturday I supervised our annual castration clinic, and it was a huge success! 12 former stallions left here as happy geldings (well, the happy part is subjective, but I know their owners will thank us later). The vet students did an awesome job, and hopefully gained a lot of useful experience for their future careers.
I’m not clear on all the scienc-ey details, but here’s the Springhill Equine castration protocol as I could tell from my distant vantage point:
Step 1- catheter placement: Wary vet student attempts to hold untrained weanling still, while other vet student stabs a 2-inch needle in weanling’s neck with trembling hands.
Step 2- inducing anesthesia: 90lb vet student attempts to guide 800lb horse to the ground gracefully. It usually isn’t all that pretty. Students tie lots of knots around horse’s legs because they don’t remember exactly how to do that neat rope trick that Dr. Lacher or Dr. Vurgason taught them.
Step 3- surgical prep: senior vet student suddenly forgets how to don sterile gloves, and how to put a scalpel blade on a handle. Junior vet student scrubs surgical site way more thoroughly than necessary. Meanwhile, half of anesthesia time has passed, and horse already needs another dose.
Step 4- castration: All I heard was Dr. Vurgason and Dr. Lacher saying over and over, “cut deeper, push harder, make your incision longer…” Bless their hearts, they are just learning. I tried chanting “Be aggressive! B-E-aggressive!” to help them along.
Step 5- power tools: Tomcats, you may not want to read this part. Basically they attach a scary-looking clamp, it makes a sickening crunching noise, and an excited vet student runs a DRILL which more or less twists the testicle off. Job done!
After watching one or two of these, I thought it best to take a nap in Dr. Vurgason’s truck for the rest of the day. Of course the best part was all the pets and treats I received from 30 eager vet students! Made all the blood and gore worthwhile.
If you have a stallion who yearns to become a gelding, be sure to keep an eye out for next year’s castration clinic! It’s always a good time (don’t ask the horses).
-Tony
Dec 8, 2015 | Ailments, FES, Leg issues
Tuesdays With Tony and FES Awareness
The weather outside is perfect. I love nothing more than to lie in the middle of the driveway, soaking up the sun, and watching the humans drive around me. Good times. I have noticed that my favorite weather coincides with more work for the horses we see here. It seems the humans like being outside more when it doesn’t feel like some horrible gym sauna that got the worst Yelp reviews ever. This means it’s time to get those equine athletes fit and ready to go. Best way to get your horse feeling great: FES
Want even more information? Read this article about an Olympic Event Horse
FES. What the heck is that you ask? This cat says it’s pure amazingness. FES stands for Functional Electrical Stimulation. This magic machine sends electrical pulses into your muscle causing it to contract and relax. But the feeling!! FES feels like one of those massaging chairs turned on inside your muscle. As the power goes up, the feeling goes deeper and the muscles contract harder. When the session is done I am left purring, making biscuits, and maybe, just maybe, drooling a bit on my pillow. Any muscle soreness I had, is gone. That pesky left hip pain is a thing of the past. The best part is the next day: I can leap from the counter to the top of the dryer and on to my favorite spot on the cabinet with ease.
What does all that mean for horses? Well like me, most horses have done something less than smart in their lifetime. I said something mean to Teannie once and she broke my leg. This left me weaker on my left side. I was supposed to do special exercises to strengthen the leg, but I didn’t and it left me a little uneven behind. We all know our horses can do the same thing. Ok maybe not break a leg, but get a small injury or strain and end up a little crooked. This FES thing fixes all of that.
Does your horse regularly put their hip or back or ribs or neck or poll out? You can fix the bones repeatedly but until the muscles will hold them there they won’t stay. The FES retrains the muscles on a cellular level. It tells them they need to stop spasming and go back to normal. Once the muscles are back to pulling evenly on the bones: VOILA!! They stay where they are supposed to.
I have been listening to Dr. Lacher talk about lameness a lot recently. Veterinarians, human doctors, and researchers are shifting their ideas about how injuries work. There has long been a focus on finding the arthritis and treating it. But there’s a better way. Arthritis is the end of the process not the beginning. The problem starts when there is a small injury causing the horse to travel crooked which loads the joints unevenly which strains the supporting structures causing them to lay down extra bone to shore up the connections. That extra bone is arthritis. Injecting the joint treats the final stages but doesn’t address the problem that got it there. FES is one powerful tool Dr. Lacher uses to treat the crookedness that eventually leads to arthritis.
Get rid of sore muscles, get more sit, more power, and more straightness. Sign up for FES sessions today!
Dec 1, 2015 | Allergies, Feed, Leg issues, Pests, Skin Funk
Being the jolly cat I am, it is my favorite time of year. Bright, shiny stuff called Christmas decorations to play with, the Castration Clinic at the Hospital, paper and boxes from presents delivered to the Hospital, and general good cheer among all. In keeping with the season, I have spoken with many of our patients, and our Docs and technicians and compiled Springhill Equine’s Top 5 list of things your horse wants from Santa.
1. Fly Sheets: Mosquito Mesh Flyshield Sheet
Why this one? It is super light for our hot summer but the mesh is fine enough to keep those dangs gnats away. For added airflow, trim out the lining at the shoulders and mane. Removing the lining hasn’t created any rubbing issues and has kept the horse cooler. This sheet also held up well to horseplay and fit a wide variety of horses. Beware of the similar non-Flyshield version. It fit no horse well.
2. Grazing Muzzles: Tough 1 Grazing Muzzle or Harmany Grazing Muzzle
OK, so a grazing muzzle may not be on your horse’s wish list, but it is at the top of your veterinarian’s wish list. Our poor Docs see lots of horses with a weight problem. I can sympathize. My large stature caused me to have diabetes until a diet and exercise program helped me reverse it. While horses don’t get diabetes, they do get laminitis, or founder, when overweight. Obese horses are also pretty much guaranteed to develop Cushings later in life. These two grazing muzzles provide the best combination of comfort, breathability, and portion control.
3. Socks for your horse: Equiflexsleeve or Silver Whinnys
Tired of wrapping legs? Worried about all that heat under quilts and wraps in the summer? Need to decrease swelling or cover a wound, but you still want to turn your horse out? Seriously, the greatest things since sliced tuna (humans say bread, but I really don’t like bread very much). Equiflexsleeves reduce swelling in the lower legs, your horse can wear them inside or out, they breath, and they are stupid easy to put on and take off. Oh, and they make a lot less laundry than all those quilts and wraps! Sox for horses is the name of the silver impregnated bandages Coby is wearing. These work similar to Equiflexsleeves but, go higher and lower on the leg and have the added advantage of being antibacterial. If you need to cover a wound, or if your horse is prone to scratches, dew poisoning, greasy heel, or whatever you want to call it, then you need a pair of these!
4. Fly Mask: Nag Horse Ranch fly masks. Dr. Lacher owns the Queen of Fly Mask destruction. And while these don’t last forever with her, they certainly hold up pretty darn well. In addition, when they do lose a right ear (and they do, it just takes 3 months instead of 3 minutes), back they go for repair. They block more UV light than any other mask on the market and can be custom made for your horse pretty easily.
5. Small hole hay nets: HayChix or Big Bale Buddy
Save yourself a ton of money, reduce waste, and help control your horse’s weight. Small hole hay nets for your big bales are AAHHMAZING. Added bonus: your horse won’t have their entire head stuck in the hay bale breathing in all that dust and mold.
Nov 24, 2015 | Cold weather, Colic, Feed
Thanksgiving Day
Hello all….so last year at this time I was pondering what “I” would be doing for my Thanksgiving. The humans were around here discussing their plans for dinner with their family. So I decided to go on my own adventure. One of our clients came into the clinic with a trailer. I saw an open opportunity to make the great escape. After all the discussion about dinners, I wanted some turkey, giblets, mashed potatoes, and all the other wonderful food they were discussing. So, I hopped into the trailer in the stealth mode that I can do from time to time. I remained silent in the trailer, and then off we went. I was on my own holiday adventure and I was going to have me some turkey and not be stuck alone with my sister in the clinic. I arrived with all kinds of anticipation but I could not let the humans know I had made the great escape. I am sure they were extremely worried about me at the clinic but I did not care, I was going to have turkey dinner. I decided to make my grand appearance a day or so later and wow were they surprised to see me! They kept asking, “What I was doing here”? “How did you get here”? Silly humans and their questions…..a cat will never tell! So this year, unfortunately, they are onto me and I won’t be making the great escape again this year. Maybe someone can bring me a taste of turkey this year….If not, have a Happy Thanksgiving!
However, being inside for the weekend isn’t all bad. I sure would hate to be out and about with the cooler temperatures that have arrived in North Central Florida. I have seen and heard some strange things around the office about SALT and horses! Ya don’t say?? From what I understand, you add salt to the horse’s feed in the evenings (yuck not a cat thing) and according to Dr Lacher, this should stimulate them to drink more water because it makes them thirsty. The key thing here is keeping these guys and gals hydrated in the cooler temperatures so that you don’t have to call us out in the middle of the night because your horse is colicing. We have had several phone calls this past week with horses needing our help. I can get on board with the Docs recommendation to keep lots of food in front of the horses. Hay in particular but I’m not sure about that nasty stuff. The Docs say hay acts as an internal heater when the horses digest it and, if it is alfalfa or peanut hay, it keeps the poop moving. I can’t believe how difficult it is for horses to perform this basic operation: moving poop. So on really cold or wet nights throw an extra flake or two of hay to your horse, and they will stay toasty warm.
And now my feline opinion on blankets: I love them! Soft, warm, fluffy, great to curl up in, and purr. Yep, love blankets. Horses sometimes love blankets. Most horses handle our cold weather just fine. Older or fine haired horses may need blankets on the coldest nights. If they are shivering, our Docs recommend a blanket but if not then they are happy frolicking naked through the winter’s eve. Clipped horses definitely need blankets since not only have we taken off all their hair (appalling thought for a cat) but what little hair they have left doesn’t work like the natural stuff to block rain and wind.
I have generously closed the office Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. But Dr Lacher is still reachable at 352-474-5007 for emergencies.
Nov 17, 2015 | Feed, Hay
Tuesday’s With Tony – Hay Seminar
I have decided a contest is in order. I have also decided this hashtag thing is here to stay. Furthermore, I have scheduled an opportunity for my adoring fans to come see me and learn about hay this evening at 6:30 pm at the Clinic. Put all that together and you come up with: Put a post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with #SpringhillEquine and you at our Hay Seminar. On Wednesday I will choose one lucky hashtagger to win an awesome prize package. So attend the Hay Seminar, #SpringhillEquine while you are here, bribe the cat to pick you, and win an awesome prize. The most important part is the cat bribery. I am very picky. I like meat, preferably tuna or turkey.
In other fun around here we just started with a new online pharmacy. Why is this exciting for the cat? It isn’t really, other than the humans had a training session on it and I got to stand in front of the screen and push random keys on the keyboard. That was a seriously good time. Prescriptions have been a bit of a trial for us. Our Doctors are all for prescriptions but it turns out most places just aren’t very good at it. We get faxed a prescription, our Doc signs it, sends it back, we get faxed again, we sign again, they lose it again. It’s a vicious circle. As it turns out, some of the catalogs don’t use properly labeled drugs. It all just ends up being a mess. So in an effort to make life easier we are using a new and improved pharmacy: Vet’s First Choice
It’s super easy to get to: http://springhillequine.com/ and the button at the top left corner. Simply press the button and you will go to our pharmacy. They offer free shipping on lots of different items and you can use the coupon code WELCOME25 on your first order for $25 off. Check it out and let us know what you think.
Nov 10, 2015 | Drugs
What better to do on a dreary Monday than help Beth with inventory? After spending late last week bugging Dr. Vurgason with “Is she here yet? Is she here yet?” (the answer is no) and supervising Dr. Lacher while she performed lameness evaluations at the clinic, I was looking for something a little more low-key to start my week off.
Beth is in charge of making sure we have all the stuff the Docs need to do their jobs, and boy is she serious about it! I’m going to warn you not to nap in a box she hasn’t unpacked yet. She gets a little angry about it. My supervision on Monday did lead me to a greater understanding of all the stuff we have. Generally I limit my time in the pharmacy to finding the best sleeping spot. It is in the VetWrap box, in case you were interested.
Let’s start with things that put stuff in horses. We have 10 different kinds of syringes and another 8 different kinds of needles. On top of that, we have 4 different sizes and kinds of catheters. Beth said the Docs have to be able to give different quantities of medications and give them in different way. For instance, injecting a joint uses a smaller needle than an IV injection, and some horses get so many IV injections we put a catheter in them. Foals need smaller catheters than big horses, and if the catheter is going to be in longer than 7 days, we use a different kind. Several different kinds of suture for all those cuts horses get were over in this area as well. It got very complicated very quickly!
Near the sharp stuff we had plastic tubes, which had me baffled. Turns out that was the breeding equipment area. Being neutered, this isn’t my area of expertise, but I learned we use different things for frozen semen vs. shipped, cooled semen, vs. live cover. We also have longer tubes to put fluid and treatments in to the mare’s uterus. There was also an AV (artificial vagina) for collecting stallions for breeding. Beth told me some treatments we keep for use in the mares includes antibiotics, treatments for mucous and something rather gross sounding called biofilm, and just plain fluids.
Next we moved on to lots of lotions, potions, pills, and pastes. From this I learned that horses have delicate stomachs, they like pain medication, and their skin gets very funky in this lovely Florida heat and humidity (see my earlier post about why I live indoors). Oh, and they like to poke their eyes on stuff. Heck, we keep 4 different kinds of eye ointment in stock, and there are times we can’t order it fast enough! Beth told me horses really, really like to poke their eyes and with all that eye stuff I don’t think I could argue.
Last but not least, on the shelves we had all the injectable products. This covers an array of equine ailments. Beth told me some of the stuff was also sedation. Sedation sounded nice… especially with a catnip chaser!
Our pharmacy also has bandaging stuff, hoof stuff, vaccines, more antibiotics, emergency drugs, stuff to make horses sleep, stuff to wake horses up, and drugs that make mares come in heat. Personally I find the bandaging stuff to be the best part, since napping is great in that area. Moral of my day with Beth is that we have a lot of things in that room. Our Docs have to be prepared for just about anything to happen, anytime. We have foaling, surgery, bandaging, antibioticing, anti-inflamming, bellyache treating, life-saving and more so that our Docs are ready. And Beth has my admiration for keeping it all in-stock and ready to go!
Nov 3, 2015 | Ailments, Feed, Leg issues
Tuesdays with Tony – November 3, 2015
Ok, I am all for summer. Really I am, even as a black cat. Sunshine until 9pm, green grass, afternoon thunderstorms. It’s all great. Then Fall is supposed to come. Even in North Central Florida there is a season which is less hot and humid than the one called Summer. Some people call it Fall, Winter, or Spring. Around here, it’s really just not Summer but at least it’s not Summer and that doesn’t seem to be happening. Luckily, as the smart species, I just hang in the air conditioned office where I can kick Renee out of her chair and sleep in comfort.
Horses, not being as smart as cats, are stuck outside in this heat and humidity. Even worse, many of them think that they should grow a winter coat. Mother Nature gave them an internal clock which says come August 15th it’s time to get ready for winter. This worked fantastic on the steppes of Mongolia
(horses evolved there) where summer was often a balmy 65 degrees but here in Florida where it is 90 degrees on November 1st, not so much. All this adds up to some very hot horses.
What’s a horse got to do to stay cool around here? Well, as a cat, I recommend moving in to the house, supervising the humans, and demanding food at all hours of the day and night. However, if you can’t move inside have your human get out the clippers. Just like us cats, especially Teanie, my cohort in crime at Springhill Equine, horses have more than one layer to their coats. When they grow a winter coat they not only grow longer hair, but they grow more undercoat. Undercoats are awesome…if you live somewhere with Winter! Undercoats hold on to body heat, offer water resistance, and puff up your upper coat making even more insulation. None of that is good if you are trying to cool off. Clipping removes the long hairs and shortens the undercoat so the heat can leave the skin. The trade-off is no more waterproof layer. The answer: the ever-artistic trace clip. Trace clips take off the hair where most of the body heat needs to leave. Most commonly this is the underside of the neck and belly, and up the flank a bit where horses sweat the most. Depending on what your horse does you can increase or decrease the size of the clipped area. This leaves hair, and thus waterproofing, on the top-line. Most horses in Florida can get through an entire winter without a blanket with a trace clip.
Having really embraced domestication I find the temperature controlled environment of the clinic to be ideal for this cat. Horses just haven’t quite moved in to the house and are stuck outside in the weather (eww, I mean all that nature). Need help sorting out if your horse is sick, hot, or lame? Give us a call. Oh, and Baby Vurgason, you can get here any time now 😉
Nov 2, 2015 | Events
Sooo, let me start by saying, I am the star of this show! ME, Tony, that’s why they call it Tuesdays with Tony. The humans ran around here all last week talking about some event happening on Saturday. It sounded like it was going to be an exciting time and I was looking forward to meeting a multitude of people with some really strange names.
Saturday Mallie came in to poke and feed me yeah….that was the highlight of my day. However, there was nothing going on here at the clinic. She said she had to be off and running to go to a thing called a Wedding? WHAT you say? (Yes my response exactly). Seems our infamous Dr Lacher got married and that was the event of the day!
Now why am I so upset about this? Because I am supposed to be the star of the show around here (at least that is what they keep telling me) and from what I hear, Dr Lacher and Justin stole the day away! Then there was Gandolf (preacher), Lara Croft (Dr Lacher) and King Arthur (Justin). I hear they said some pretty awesome vows to each other devoting their love, friendship, future and happiness together.
I found it very curious that she climbed a tree and descended down upon her guests and groom with her Maid of Honor Michele the spider, while King Arthur galloped to his lovely bride to be with Kristen the Jedi Knight.
There were many other guests that arrived to witness this wonderful event: Curious George and his Handler, Juno and Bleeker, Batman and Robin, Mork, Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, Caesar and The Fairy God Mother, Elmo and Cookie Monster, Dr Who #10, Fred and Wilma, Bonnie and Clyde and the list just goes on. How I would have loved to have met all these people. But no,
I spent my Saturday napping instead of enjoying the festivities as you can see from the picture of the Springhill Staff Members.
I heard that it was a good time had by all and congratulations are in order for our good Dr! I did get to see the pictures of this amazing event and very happy for them and their turnout.
Now I hear, I will be upstaged again in a couple of weeks by Baby Vurguson…..
Please join me in congratulating them both! (I need my food bowl full)
Left to Right: Charly, Mallie, Beth, Dr. Vurgason, Dr. Lacher, Justin, Nancy, and Renee
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