Dentistry
Kirby Penttila
What happens to wild horses that don't get ...

As many of you are aware, one of Dr. Butters’ special interests is equine dentistry.  Knowing this, one of our fantastic clients generously provided us with a wonderful and very interesting skull specimen that we wanted to share.

This skull is from a stallion that lived in a wild/feral state west of Cochrane.  Our client knew the stallion, and relayed that he died during the very cold, deep snow winter we experienced several years ago.

Dr. Butters believes she knows what may have contributed to this early death.

What happens to wild horses that don't get dental care?
Wellness
Kirby Penttila
Saying Goodbye: a discussion about euthanasia

Euthanasia is a term that comes from the Greek language and translated into English means “good death.”  The most common method of euthanasia is via a lethal injection of a barbituate drug, but other methods may also produce a “good death.”  There are many reasons for an owner to choose euthanasia and the decision to euthanize a horse is often a difficult and deeply personal for the owner.

Saying Goodbye: a discussion about euthanasia
Vaccines
Kirby Penttila
What's in my vaccine?

What is in a “3-Way” vaccine?  A “4-Way?” “5-Way?” “6-Way?”

              We get a lot of questions about these confusing terms!  The “3-Way” vaccine has long been used to describe the combination vaccine containing Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE), and Tetanus.  For a “4-Way,” add influenza to those three vaccines just listed.  A five way provides protection against EEE, WEE, Tetanus, Influenza and Equine Herpesvirus (“rhinopneumonitis”), and a “6-way” contains all 5 components of a 5-Way, plus West Nile.  Although there is a combination vaccine that includes EEE, WEE, tetanus, and West Nile, the combination of EEE,WEE, tetanus, and influenza was on the market for years prior to the introduction of the combination with West Nile, so the “4-Way” term is usually reserved for the vaccine containing influenza and not West Nile.  Clear as mud?

Contact the clinic and we can help you determine what vaccinations are appropriate for your horse.  Stay tuned in the coming days for more information on these diseases and why we vaccinate against them, as well as more answers to your frequently asked vaccination questions.

What's in my vaccine?
Breeding
Kirby Penttila
Breeding Your Mare: A behind-the-scenes look at ...

Whether this is your first adventure into the world of mares and foals, or you have been down this road before, you may be wondering what happens between the time you say your farewells at the clinic and the time you get that wonderful news. Well, wonder no more! In this article I will explain all of the techniques, technologies, and tricks we have at our disposal to make the process as reliable and smooth as possible.

Breeding Your Mare: A behind-the-scenes look at the science of mare reproduction
Lameness
Kirby Penttila
New Technology in Lameness Diagnosis

Wireless inertial sensor-based technology is at the forefront of lameness evaluation research today, and we are excited to now be incorporating this cutting edge diagnostic tool into our lameness examinations! The Equinosis Lameness Locator is the result of over twenty years of gait analysis research, and it allows objective quantification of lameness during a routine clinical exam.

New Technology in Lameness Diagnosis

Vaccines

Vaccination FAQ - My horse doesn’t go anywhere—does (s)he still need to be vaccinated?

Vaccination FAQ - My horse doesn’t go anywhere—does (s)he still need to be vaccinated?

              What vaccinations your horse receives should be dependent on their specific risk of exposure to given diseases.  For horses that do not travel to other barns, shows, or arenas, and do not mix with other populations of horse, vaccination against respiratory pathogens that are passed from horse to horse such as herpesvirus, influenza, and Strep equi (“Strangles”) is probably not necessary.  However, not all diseases that are commonly vaccinated against do not pass from horse to horse.  The bacterium that causes tetanus is ubiquitous in the soil, and enters the body via wounds—no contact with other horses is necessary to be afflicted with tetanus.  Other diseases can be spread by blood-sucking insects, namely West Nile Virus and Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis (EEE/WEE).  The source of the virus that the mosquitos carry is not other horses, but rather wild birds.  Finally, rabies virus is found in the saliva of an infected animal, and is usually spread by bite wounds from infected bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, or other infected animals.  Although a “pasture ornament” may not require all the same vaccines as an actively competing show horse, we still recommend that they are vaccinated against these diseases that are not spread by horse to horse contact—tetanus, West Nile virus, EEE/WEE, and potentially rabies.

What's in my vaccine?

What's in my vaccine?

What is in a “3-Way” vaccine?  A “4-Way?” “5-Way?” “6-Way?”

              We get a lot of questions about these confusing terms!  The “3-Way” vaccine has long been used to describe the combination vaccine containing Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE), and Tetanus.  For a “4-Way,” add influenza to those three vaccines just listed.  A five way provides protection against EEE, WEE, Tetanus, Influenza and Equine Herpesvirus (“rhinopneumonitis”), and a “6-way” contains all 5 components of a 5-Way, plus West Nile.  Although there is a combination vaccine that includes EEE, WEE, tetanus, and West Nile, the combination of EEE,WEE, tetanus, and influenza was on the market for years prior to the introduction of the combination with West Nile, so the “4-Way” term is usually reserved for the vaccine containing influenza and not West Nile.  Clear as mud?

Contact the clinic and we can help you determine what vaccinations are appropriate for your horse.  Stay tuned in the coming days for more information on these diseases and why we vaccinate against them, as well as more answers to your frequently asked vaccination questions.

Vaccination Protocols

INTENSIVE VACCINATION PROGRAM

This protocol is recommended for horses in year-round or intense competition, horses at boarding/training stables, or horses that travel frequently. The recommended yearly vaccinations are:

INTERMEDIATE VACCINATION PROGRAM

This protocol is recommended for horses doing a moderate to low amount of competition or travel and live at small boarding stables or on private farms with a low turnover rate.  The recommended yearly vaccinations are:

(We have a new vaccine, called a 6-Way, that combines the traditional 3-Way, West Nile, Flu and Rhino in a single shot. Horses with low risk of respiratory disease can be adequately protected with this vaccine. However, for horses at higher risk we still recommend using the separate 3-way/West Nile and Calvenza Flu/Rhino vaccines.)

BASIC VACCINATION PROGRAM 

This protocol is recommended for horses who are not competing and have little to no exposure to new or outside horses. The recommended yearly vaccinations are:

  • West Nile/3-Way (3-Way is common term for tetanus and sleeping sickness -WEE/EEE- vaccine) once yearly in Spring (click here for West Nile info)
  • Strangles (intranasal) once yearly in spring

BROODMARES

To help decrease the risk of infectious abortion, pregnant broodmares should be given a series of vaccination against Equine Herpes Virus-1 (Rhinopneumonitis) using Prodigy or Pneumabort at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation.

Broodmares should have their annual vaccinations boosters 3-4 weeks prior to their expected foaling date in order to augment their circulating antibody levels, which can then be transferred to the foal via the colostrum. The intermediate level of vaccination is usually our recommendation for broodmares.

Although it is reportedly safe to vaccinate a pregnant mare with the Strangles vaccine, because it is given intra nasally, its prime effect is to stimulate antibodies on the mucosal surface of the nose/upper airway rather than antibodies that circulate generally within the body. These mucosal antibodies are not transferred via the colostrum to the foal, so boostering the mare for Strangles prior to foaling has limited benefit to the foal.

FOALS

Foals are usually not vaccinated prior to 3-4 months of age in order to let their immune systems develop and be able to respond to the vaccine. Influenza vaccination is typically delayed until after 6 months of age in order to provide a better immune response.

  • 3-Way (Tetanus and Eastern and Western sleeping sickness) given at 4-6 months of age, and boostered 3-4 weeks later
  • West Nile Virus given at 4-6 months of age and boostered in 3-4 weeks, if within the mosquito season. If not at least 3 months old in mosquito season, vaccination is delayed until the following spring.
  • Calvenza (Influenza/Rhinopneumonitis) IM at 6-9 months of age, and boostered 3-6 weeks later
  • Strangles intranasal at 6-9 months of age, and boostered 3-4 weeks later