Does My Horse Really Need a Spring Wellness Check?
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
7M ago
As the winter chill fades and the first signs of spring emerge, horse owners everywhere are gearing up for a new season of adventures with their equine companions.  But first, it’s important to get your horse primed and ready! Just like humans, horses can experience changes in health and well-being as the seasons transition.  A spring wellness check offers an opportunity to address early on any issues that may have arisen over the winter, and to prepare your horse for the demands of the upcoming riding season. Here are a few reasons why this spring visit is so important: Detectin ..read more
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Spring Grazing: Tips for Safely Transitioning Your Horse to Lush Pastures
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
7M ago
As spring arrives and pastures burst with new growth, horse owners eagerly anticipate the opportunity to let their equine partners enjoy fresh grazing. However, transitioning horses from winter diets to lush spring pastures requires careful management to ensure their health and well-being. Here are some essential tips for safely navigating the spring grazing season: Gradual Introductions are Mandatory: Sudden access to rich, green pasture can pose risks to horses, including digestive upset and the potential for laminitis – a painful and potentially debilitating condition. To mitigate these r ..read more
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Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) Outbreak in Sauk County Raises Concerns
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
7M ago
Reports of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopthy (EHM) in five Wisconsin counties are causing concern to horse owners and equine veterinarians alike.  The reporting counties were Clark, Grant, Monroe, Sauk, and Vernon. According to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), “Horses at affected facilities tested positive for Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), a highly contagious virus that causes respiratory disease, abortion, and intermittent outbreaks of neurologic disease in horses.  Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopthy is often fatal.”  Because the disease is s ..read more
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Is Adequan an Option for Your Horse
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
1y ago
We all want to help our horses stay active longer, and that includes learning how to prevent and treat lameness. Lameness is common in horses and can be the result of many causes. Recent estimates indicate up to 60% of lameness problems in horses are associated with arthritis, making it the most common cause of lameness in horses. In aging horses, lameness is often cited as the #1 concern identified by owners and veterinarians. If I diagnose your horse with arthritis, I may recommend a treatment approach that includes a medication called Adequan. Adequan is a brand name for polysulfated glyco ..read more
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Equine Anaplasmosis: A Seasonal Threat
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
1y ago
Equine Anaplasmosis, also known as Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis or EGA, is a seasonal, non-contagious, tick-transmitted disease. It is caused by a bacterium ( Anaplasma phagocytophilium) that is spread via deer tick bite. This is the same tick species that carries Lyme disease. Possible vectors of this bacteria are deer, rodents, and birds. This disease is not considered contagious between horses, and there is no direct horse-to-horse transmission of equine anaplasmosis. Equine anaplasmosis cases in Wisconsin are common in spring and fall but keep in mind that “spring” to a deer tick is w ..read more
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Thin Soles and Inflamed Feet
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
1y ago
Dr. Suzanne has seen some very lame horses recently. Many of these cases have been due to thin soles and inflamed feet. Think of it like this: a horse having thin soles is similar to a person having very short fingernails: it makes the horse's feet (or the tips of your fingers!) very uncomfortable to use and much more vulnerable to injury or blisters. What causes a horse to have thin soles, and what can you do about it? - Wisconsin has had a very hot, dry summer this year. The cases Dr. Suzanne has been seeing could be due to the hard, dry conditions of most pastures right now. When a horse s ..read more
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Mosquito-Born Infections
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
1y ago
Did you know that the risk of mosquito-borne infections is still high in the fall? Mosquito-borne infections are transmitted to horses through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes act as vectors, carrying the pathogens from one animal to another. The presence of these vectors in an area can contribute to the accumulation and persistence of viruses. Because the mosquito population remains strong in many areas of Wisconsin until we receive our first frost, transmission rates remain high. What does this mean for you? If your horse wasn’t vaccinated this spring for the following mosquito ..read more
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The Buzz About Insect Bite Hypersensitivity
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
1y ago
Insect bite hypersensitivity is a clinical term for bug bite allergy, and susceptible horses are actually allergic to insect saliva. In Wisconsin, this is a common problem during the warm-weather months. Horses can have allergic reactions to any insect bite, but the most common reactions come from bites from these insects: no-see-ums, gnats, midges, sand flies, black flies, stable flies, horse flies, and mosquitos. Your horse may have an allergic reaction that includes hives, itchiness, hair loss, dermatitis, or a combination of any of these symptoms. As with many issues that affect our horse ..read more
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The Myth of the Uncatchable Horse
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
1y ago
"But you don't understand, Dr. Suzanne. She is IMPOSSIBLE to catch!" We often hear horse owners say this. And it certainly can feel like Mission Impossible if every time you approach your horse with a halter in your hand there's a 50/50 chance (or more!) of her running away from you. But it doesn't have to be this way! Here are five ideas for teaching your horse that being caught by you is way more fun than anything else she could be doing. 1. Train yourself to never go out to catch your horse with an attitude of "this is not going to go well. I can never catch this horse." It's uncanny how h ..read more
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Does My Horse Have Thrush?
Dells Equine Blog
by Suzanne McKichan
1y ago
It's very possible that the answer is "yes"! While it's true that thrush is most often seen during wet conditions, we're still seeing horses with it even during this often rainless Wisconsin summer. Wet conditions certainly promote the environment for thrush, but they are not the only cause. An unhealthy hoof can also cause thrush formation. Several studies have claimed that up to 90% of domestic horses have an active thrush infection -- some mild and some severe. Take heart! The dryer conditions we've been experiencing this summer make this a PERFECT time to eradicate thrush from your horse ..read more
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