Horse Sense From City Resident, Veterinarian Kathy Borrett-Capell September 29, 2003 For horse's sake, know when vet visits With today's economy, as horse owners we all need to save a few pennies. One way is to reduce our medical, veterinary and feed costs. To be able to reduce our costs, it is important to know when veterinary visits are necessary. Accidents, illness and emergencies happen. To know when help is needed, it is important to know what is normal. As an observant owner, we should be aware of our horse's normal testing temperature, pulse (heart rate) and respiration. What are the horse's normal routines? Is he a gobbler or a grazer, top or bottom on the pecking order? Preventive medicine Preventive medicine is surely the way to go. It is a lot less expensive than emergency management. Vaccinations, correct shoeing, floating and routine deworming are included in a good preventive care program. Get together with your vet and set up a program for your situation. The recommendations for vaccinations and deworming should be individualized to each set of circumstances. A breeding operation would have a different program than a show or boarding stable. Show, working ranch horses, backyard pleasure horses and endurance horses all have different requirements. Discuss with your vet how often your horses will need to be seen. There are not any products available for deworming that are sold to veterinarians that are better than the products available over the counter. The difference in effect is the proper product for the situation and accurate dosing. a must The administration of vaccination is a simple technical skill that can be easily learned for most horses. (Some are close to impossible to give an injection safely without some type of restraining chute.) The key to a good vaccination program is knowing that you are using a Kathy Borrett-Capell Vet's Corner viable product and giving the vaccinations at the correct time. Discuss with your veterinarian which vaccinations are needed in your area and the proper timing. There can be a great difference in vaccine purchased over-the-counter and vaccine available from or administered by your veterinarian. Veterinarians have the advantage of being able to order directly from the manufacturer so that you know how the vaccine has been handled. A mishandled vaccine may appear fine and not cause a harmful reaction but the horse's immune system is not stimulated and builds no protection against the disease you are vaccinating against. Limiting feed costs Feed costs usually are one of the largest proportions of our horsekeeping costs. The amount of feed needed can be moderated by increasing feed efficiency through several management techniques. One of the simplest is to feed small amounts several times a day. Horses are naturally grazers and they utilize their feed more effectively when only a small amount is in their stomachs at one time. Multiple feedings for stall horses also reduces a lot of the stable vices. Your veterinarian can go over appropriate feeds for individual horses. A good dental program by a skilled veterinarian or equine dentist also reduces feed costs by increasing feed efficiency. Good chewing also reduces the incidence of impactions and colic, abdominal pain. Emergency care Another time you need to see your veterinarian is when emergencies occur. Not all accidents require veterinary attention. The key is knowing when help is imperative. Symptoms of colic include acting uncomfortable, laying down and biting or kicking at the belly. Early first aide includes moving the horse enough that he his not thrashing, removing available feed and offering water or electrolytes. If symptoms persist longer than 20 minutes, veterinary help is advised. Be sure to discuss with your veterinarian what medications you should have on hand, dosage and route of administration. If you give your horse some pain killer, be sure to tell the administering veterinarian the drug, dose and time given and then observe closely for results of the treatment. Another common veterinary emergency is lameness. A horse that is suddenly non-weight-bearing needs to be diagnosed quickly. Horses do not tolerate standing on three legs very long. If your horse is just off on occasion, you often can ask your farrier to check out the horse's feet. Ninety percent of all lameness is in the feet. Lacerations often need veterinary attention. Sometimes you can call your veterinarian, describe the wound and its location and receive instructions on how to care for it without a visit if the horse is current on his tetanus and is not lame. If you find a deep laceration that involves muscle tissue and it is quite fresh, these can be sutured and heal much nicer cosmetically. If bone, tendon or joint is exposed, the wound should be professionally treated. As a horse owner, it is good to have a first aid kit available for your horse. Articles about first aid can be found in Western Horseman, Practical Horseman, The Horse, Horse Illustrated and several other horse magazines. Kathy Borrett-Capell is a veterinarian at Central Weber Animal Hospital in West Haven. She also is the owner of 25 horses herself. You may leave a message for Capell at 394-4208.