Preventative Medicine and Nutritional
Counseling
This broad area of
equine medicine involves services that the equine practitioner can provide that
help prevent disease and to recognize
abnormalities early so that disease can be managed most effectively. Our preventative medicine program involves
vaccination, parasite control and nutritional management. In most instances, a
complete physical examination will be performed in conjunction with annual
vaccinations. Vaccinations
are tailored to the individual situation, based on disease risk, cost of
vaccine, possible adverse side effects and effectiveness of the vaccine.
In the Northeast,
the infectious diseases with the highest mortality rates are Eastern equine
encephalomyelitis (EEE), West Nile viral
encephalomyelitis (WNV), rabies and
tetanus. Thus, the “core” vaccinations
are Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis and tetanus (EWT), WNV and rabies. Since
the encephalitides are transmitted by mosquitos, these vaccines are given in
the spring so that immunity is boosted during the insect season.
Horses housed in boarding or breeding stables,
that are competed in sporting events or shipped by commercial carriers are at
high risk of exposure to contagious respiratory diseases. Of these, equine influenza, equine
rhinopneumonitis (equine herpes virus, EHV) and equine strangles (streptococcus equi) are the most
common. Since the strangles vaccination
has a relatively high incidence of side effects (low-grade fever, malaise,
etc.) it is reserved for instances of likely exposure.
Potomac Horse
Fever, caused by the bacteria Neorickettsia
risticii occasionally occurs in Connecticut, primarily in areas along the
Connecticut River. Because of the low
incidence, routine vaccination for this disease may not be warranted.
Equine
Infectious Anemia is a fatal disease of horses that is controlled by
eliminating carrier horses from the general horse population. The “Coggins
Test” is a blood test that is used to identify carrier horses, which are
required to be either quarantined or slaughtered. Most organized competitions,
interstate transportation of horses and many boarding stables require proof of
a negative Coggins Test. As this test is generally required annually, it is
often performed at the time of vaccinations in the spring. Most Coggins tests are now submitted through
an online database which allows photo identification of your horse as well as
easy access as an owner.
The annual
physical examination is the cornerstone of the preventative medicine
program. In addition to an evaluation of
the body systems, a fecal examination is used to determine if the deworming
program is adequately controlling internal parasites.
The veterinarian can also make specific recommendations for feeding the healthy
horse, the geriatric horse, or the horse with medical problems. Some endocrine
and metabolic diseases are well-managed with diet alone.
www.salemvalleyvet.com
www.salemvalleyvet.com
