NEW

NEW!
"Ask the Vet"

Dr. Ryker, Dr. Gertsen and Dr. Connell answer some of your equine questions:


Q: "I have a 13 year old morgan gelding that i show hunters, jumpers, and
 dressage with. My question is, what would be a good diet for him? I feed
 him 1/2 wheat bran, 1/2 beet pulp, 1/2 COB and 1oz of millenium gold.
 Is this good enough for him or do I need to change it?" - Aimee R., Anchorage, AK

A: "Why are you feeding wheat bran? I am not familiar with "COB" or "Millenium Gold". The horse usually needs a 1 1/2 to 2 % body weight in hay and grain being fed daily. Morgans can have problems with developing insulin resistance later in life, so be careful to not let him get too heavy by feeding grain (calories) he won't need. If your Morgan is doing well and maintaining his weight with your exercise program there should be no need to change his diet."
- Kenneth Gertsen, DVM, MS
Don Ryker DVM & Assoc.

Q: "I run chariot horses, during the winter, I have a five year old quarter
horse, he has been diagnosed with arthritis. We don't run him every
week, but when we do, the next day he is sore, what I was wondering, is
there a supplement, we can give him in his daily grain?" - JC Vause, Layton, Utah

A: "It is important to know what caused the arthritis and what area of the horses body is affected. Treating your horse like any athlete includes proper warm up and cool down, which would include alcohol rubs and appropriate application of ice. Supplements may be added but their success is correcting the problem is dubious. Studies using products such as chrondroitn and glucosamine are lacking in controls demonstrating that they really help. That being said many of these types of products are available for purchase through catalogs and over the internet. You get what you pay for in these situations so be careful of the source. Some companies may lack quality control and not deliver what they say is in the product. Several companies that have good reputations include: VitaVet, Platinum Performance and Ukele."
- Kenneth Gertsen, DVM, MS

Q: "What if the front hoofs don't come out first during pregnancy what should me and my dad do? What other difficulties can occur doing my mare delivery?" - Georgi, Fresno, CA

A: "Hopefully you will have your veterinarian's phone number close at hand. In this situation call them immediately. Once the amniotic sack breaks you have about 30 minutes to get a live foal. Previous discussions with your veterinarian about the birthing process will enable you to handle most situations. Over 95% of foaling goes normally, but that 5% can be quite challenging. Where foaling difficulties are anticipated it would be best to have the mare at a clinic that handles foaling." - Dr. Gertsen

Q:"I'm taking care of a foal, she is 7 months old, is very thin, has been dewormed but has very sour smelling and mucus in her stool. Is this a parasite problem and/or what can I do about it? " - ROC Ranch, Spruce, Wisconsin

A: I would suggest running a fecal exam on the horse which would include a sand check. I would also consider deworming this horse with a double dose of Panacur for 5 days according to the animals weight. - Dr. Gertsen

Q: "I have a horse that has a hole in her leg above her knee from wire out of the field. She is pregnant and I need to know would the infection in her leg hurt the colt? How do I get the swelling down? Where my horse is at, the guy said that she doesn't need to go to a vet, but when she walks the puss is pouring out her leg." - Ruby Wester, Parsons, KS

A: "There is a chance the infection could spread up the leg and become quite severe. The infection could indirectly harm the foal by affecting the health of the mare adversely with a generalized infection. Treatment might include local, as well as systemic antibiotics, but most antibiotics can be safely used in the pregnant mare. It sounds like a problem that should be investigated to find the cause. Radiographs might be needed (which would be of no danger to the unborn foal) to see if the infection involves the bone of the forearm (radius). I would suggest calling your veterinarian sooner rather than later." - Dr. Gertsen

Q: "When I purchased my horse almost a year ago, he had a glossy, beautiful
coat.  The previous owner thought it was due to his wheat free diet. I
have kept to that. He is out in a grass pasture for 6-8 hours daily,
hay and mix of pellets and sweet feed twice a day. He is also on Smart
FlexIII Ultra vitamin once daily as he has always been.  Yet...his coat
continues to look duller, lacks luster and his coat seems heavier that
a year ago.  Any suggestions on what I can do to regain his beautiful
coat?"  L.M., MI

A: "There are more questions than any answer to this question:
1.  What is the breed and age of the horse?
2.  What are the horses vital signs, i.e. temperature, pulse, 
and respiration?
3.  What is the deworming program?
4.  Has a fecal exam been performed including a sand check?
5.  Has any dental work been done on the horse?
6.  Did the horse come from a race track or anywhere 
anabolic steroids might have been used?" - Dr. Gertsen

Do you have a veterinary question that
you would like to have answered?

Simply type it in the box below.
Your question will be answered here on-line.