Spring Vaccination Clinic Schedule and More

 

Spring 2013 News & Notes:

         v    Vaccination Clinic Schedule

         v    Update on Us

         v    Conditioning for Spring

         v    Learn About Metabolic Syndrome

We are eager to renew old relationships and create new ones as you prepare for a great riding season ahead.  Our goal is to help you keep your horses healthy.

Spring Vaccination Clinic Schedule 

Routine spring health care includes vaccination against E&W Encephalitis, West Nile, Rabies, Tetanus, Influenza and Rhinopneumonitis 
plus deworming or fecal exam, an oral exam and sheath cleaning.

Call the office to reserve an appointment.

BE SURE TO LEAVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

Name, Phone #, Date you request, Number of Animals, and the Services needed.

We will return your call three days before your clinic with an estimated time of arrival at your address.  Please be sure horses are caught and haltered 30 minutes beforehand.

Location                                                   Date

• Rancho Haven/Sierra Ranchos1             Sat  Mar 9 
• Rancho Haven/Sierra Ranchos2             Fri  Mar 15
• Red Rock North/Silver Knolls 1               Sun Mar 17
• RR North/Cold Springs/Silver Knolls 2     Fri  Mar 22
• SpanSprings/Palomino Valley 1               Sun Mar 1 
• SpanSprings/Palomino Valley 2               Fri   Mar 2
•  Antelope Valley                                         Sat  Mar 23
• Golden&Lemmon Valley 1                    Sat  Mar 23   
• South West Reno 1                                      Sun Mar 24 
• Golden&Lemmon Val/S&W Reno 2           Fri  Mar 29
• Sierra Valley/California                             Sun Mar 31

For additional savings, you can schedule your own mini-clinic as long as you have at least 10 horses at a single location.  Call the office to make arrangements.

Price List – Clinic day only

• Farm Call/Spring Exam           $18.00
• West Nile (Prevenile)               $32.00
• FluRhino                                $31.00
• Tetanus/ Encephalitis               $15.00
• Rabies                                     $22.00
• Intranasal Strangles                $30.00
• Ivermectin Deworm                   $14.00
• Fecal parasite exam                 $15.00
• Coggins Test                             $29.00
• Sheath Clean w/o sedation      $20.00 (with sedation $45.00)

Ask Dr. C what vaccines are best for your horse based on age, environment, and activity level.

DON’T FORGET TO CALL – WE DON’T WANT TO MISS YOU!

Update

On Us

This year we upgraded our digital xray system and purchased a new, state of the art ultrasound machine.  These tools are completely portable, and allow Dr. C to obtain stallside images of your horse’s soft tissue and boney structures that match the quality of in hospital equipment.  Our new ultrasound is extremely powerful,  making it possible to evaluate deep abdominal and thoracic organs, which can be of critical value in assessing your horse during colic and respiratory emergencies.  Consultation and assessment for complex lameness referrals are expedited by sending diagnostic images electronically to specialists.

Dr. Chrysann is a new member of the American Endurance Ride Conference Veterinary Committee where she will sit through 2015.  Ensuring the safety and well being of endurance racing horses and the education of riders and veterinarians are the primary goals of this committee.  As a large animal diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine with a doctoral degree in physiology, Dr. C is excited about combining her advanced training with new knowledge of exercise physiology and conditioning for the benefit of endurance horses.

Amanda Presing joined us this winter from New Jersey.  Amanda has been a veterinary technician for 10 years, and is an avid equestrian enthusiast.  When she isn’t helping Dr. C

she enjoys riding her reining horse Sklyer, a leopard appaloosa, or preparing for her upcoming wedding!

Hayley is finishing her first year of vet school in Utah, Jessie is heading to Littleton, Colorado for her vet tech internship, and Jessica will be applying to vet school this year.

Getting

Your

Horse

Ready for

Spring Conditioning

We had a taste of true cold this winter.  As pipes thaw and ice recedes, we look forward to getting our horses out more regularly in the months ahead.  Whether is it barrel or endurance racing, show jumping or trail riding, we all should put a little thought into preparation before asking our mounts to go out and take up where they left off in the fall.

Hoof Care  First and foremost: feet!  I see lots of frog erosion, low heels and long toes this time of year.  Environmental cleanliness is a challenge during the winter, and many horses are standing in manure that goes through repetitive freeze/thaw cycles.  When frozen, the footing can abrade and bruise soles.  When the surface thaws, fecal bacteria seep into small defects on the sole and frog, where they become trapped and create the perfect setup for thrush or subsolar abscessation. 

1)     Now is the time to get those pens scraped out and dry.

2)     Be sure your horse’s feet are properly trimmed and balanced by an experienced farrier before you start riding. 

3)     Get out your hoof pick and a wire brush and clean your horse’s feet daily.  Clorox is a  excellent disinfectant to use for thrush. 

Body Conditon As you get your horse’s feet in shape, start grooming!  Get that winter hair loose, check for any skin conditions and feel your horse’s back and barrel – is their body condition what you hope for?  Many horses gain or lose unnoticed weight under winter hair coats and blankets. Your spring clinic appointment is a good time to ask  Dr. Chrysann about your horse’s nutrition program.

Conditioning  If you have never walked or run as a form of exercise, I suggest you start your horse’s first conditioning outings on foot!  I do not intend to make marathon runners out of you all, but honestly, if you can walk 2 miles up and down hill through the desert with your horse you will be a healthier person, you will have the opportunity to develop your relationship with your horse on the ground, and you will begin to have just a hint of appreciation for the fitness of our athletic partners whether jumping that final fence, turning the last barrel or steer, finishing mile 50 or a perfect half pass, or a long day trail riding. 

There are two keys to bringing your horse back from time off.  The first is to recognize the importance of rest. For every serious exercise event, there is some associated stress and inflammation of skeletal tissues.  Improved fitness results from adaptation to this stress.  This takes time, and the time allowed between work sessions should be in proportion to the degree of exercise.  The second key to spring conditioning is a gradual increase in work over time.  For more on conditioning, follow HighDesertEquine on Facebook or at the Blog link on our website home page.  There will be an upcoming series with specific recommendations for conditioning various types of sport horse.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome Also on our Blog/Facebook Page: Read the recent posts on this challenging condition.  An important Spring subject!

I look forward to seeing you this month,

Dr. Chrysann

Schedule your clinic appointment today!

 


I believe that education is the key to evolution. I believe that animals are the key to compassion. I believe the learning never stops.