Right now is a great time to get on board with the 'new' deworming program since sometime over the next couple of weeks is the time to submit fall fecal samples. The details of our 'new' deworming recommendations have been discussed previously on this blog and have been posted here on our clinic website.
Now is also the time for fall checkups and vaccines. Typically in the fall we recommend boostering the Flu and Rhino vaccines your horse recieved this spring. The immunity from these vaccines is fairly short lived, thus semi-annual boosters are required. We also usually incorporate Rabies vaccines into the fall visit. The Rabies vaccine in horses requires annual boosters. Rabies is one of those diseases that has since an increased incidence in horses in Michigan over the past couple of years. The disease is always fatal and always poses a significant human health risk to those who come in contact with an infected horse. The vaccines is safe, effective and cheap. There really is no excuse not to vaccinate.
This is also the perfect time of year to schedule the routine dental care for your horses. Fall is the ideal time to provide for your horses dental health as we seek to maximize their feed efficiency through the quickly approaching winter months. The field of equine dentistry has seen significant advances in recent years. We are now better equipped than ever to address oral health issues including bite realignments and treatment of peridontal disease. Dental radiographs can be an invaluable tool in assessing diseased teeth. We believe strongly that your regular veterinarian is your best resource for equine dental care.
See you soon.
