Sandhill Veterinary Services

11/10/2025

With winter weather arriving in the next few days, we want to share a few gentle reminders to help your horses and livestock stay healthy and comfortable through the abrupt changes in temperature.

Hydration & Nutrition:

Encourage drinking: Offer daily oral electrolytes, salt, and/or loose minerals (or blocks) to help stimulate thirst. You can use table salt in their feed, 1 small palm full into their grain.

Add moisture to feed: Mix water into daily grain or offer 1–2 buckets of “soupy” feed or flavored water each day to support hydration and gastrointestinal function. (Flavored water can be made by adding in gatorade, apple juice, handful of grain, please keep in mind if your horse has special considerations to the diet due to metabolic concerns). Always have a clean plain water option as well.

High-quality forage is vital: Provide clean, nutritious hay or forage. If you’re using round bales, please cover them with hay nets to prevent impaction colic. Hay nets are also beneficial in stalls to prolong the amount of time it takes them to consume the hay. Please do NOT make any abrupt changes to their nutrition. i.e change types of hay or grain.

Warmth & Comfort:

Ensure your animals have a dry, sheltered area to get out of the wind and cold. Adding bedding such as shavings or straw can help them stay warm and comfortable.

If you choose to blanket your horses please keep in mind what the temperature is during the day after the sun rises and take off the blanket accordingly.

Special Considerations:

If your horse has a history of choke, offer soaked hay or soupy mashes instead of dry feed to make swallowing easier and keep hydration up.

Remember, prevention is always more cost-effective than treatment. The average on-farm emergency call for colic, choke, or dehydration can range from $800–$1,500, so a few proactive steps can make all the difference!

If you have questions about your horse’s specific needs or would like to review your winter care routine, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help keep your animals healthy all season long.

Stay warm and give your four-legged friends an extra pat from us,

Sandhill Veterinary Services Team

386-293-2591

10/07/2025

Equine Skin Allergies: What Horse Owners Should Know ✍️

What are they?
Skin allergies in horses can cause itching, hives, hair loss, and skin sores. The most common types are reactions to insect bites, environmental allergens (like pollen or dust), and, rarely, certain foods or contact with chemicals.

Common Signs:
• Excessive scratching, rubbing, or biting at the skin
• Hives (raised, bumpy areas on the skin)
• Hair loss or bald patches
• Scabs or crusty skin

What causes them?
• Insect bites: Especially from midges (“no-see-ums”), flies, or lice
• Environmental allergens: Pollens, molds, barn dust, etc.
• Contact allergies: Shampoos, sprays, bedding
• Food allergies: Rare in horses

When do they happen?
Seasonal allergies often flare up in warmer months (due to insects or pollen). Year-round itching may be due to dust, molds, or other ongoing exposures

What can you do as an owner?
• Reduce exposure to known triggers (like insects or dusty bedding)
• Work with your veterinarian to identify the cause and create a treatment plan
• Treatments may include special shampoos, medications, or allergy shots

When to call your equine veterinarian:
If your horse is uncomfortable, losing hair, or has sores that don’t heal, consult your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment options.

09/29/2025

Friendly Reminder! Dr. Callie will be out of town this Thursday through Sunday. She is available for routine appointments this Wednesday afternoon.

Please see below for future dates that she’ll be unavailable.

Thursday, October 2nd - Sunday, October 5th

Tuesday, December 9th - Sunday, December 14th

Our office will remain open during normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8am to 5:30pm) for routine scheduling. Please be aware that if you need a medication refill while she is gone, it will not be filled until the following week when Dr. Callie is back in town. An important reminder is that we do not have coverage for these dates. Please be prepared to haul to Ocala in the event of an emergency. You will find their address and contact information below.

Equine Medical Center of Ocala, located at 7107 W HWY 326 Ocala, FL 34482 (352) 873-7830.

Thank you!

The Sandhill Veterinary Services Team
386-293-2591

09/17/2025

Friendly Reminder! Dr. Callie is out of town starting today and will be back for routine and emergency appointments next week! Please see below for future dates that she’ll be unavailable.

Wednesday, September 17th - Sunday, September 21st

Thursday, October 2nd - Sunday, October 5th

Tuesday, December 9th - Sunday, December 14th

Our office will remain open during normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8am to 5:30pm) for routine scheduling. Please be aware that if you need a medication refill, it will not be filled until the following week when Dr. Callie is back in town. An important thing to remember is that we do not have coverage for these dates. Please be prepared to haul to Ocala in the event of an emergency. You will find their address and contact information below.

Equine Medical Center of Ocala, located at 7107 W HWY 326 Ocala, FL 34482 (352) 873-7830.

Thank you!

The Sandhill Veterinary Services Team
386-293-2591an

09/08/2025

Hello Friends!

Please be mark your calendars for the following dates as Dr. Callie will be out of the office and unavailable during these times:

Wednesday, September 17th - Sunday, September 21st
Thursday, October 2nd - Sunday, October 5th
Tuesday, December 9th - Sunday, December 14th

Our office will remain open during normal business hours (Monday-Friday 8am to 5:30pm) for routine scheduling. Please be aware that if you need a medication refill, it will not be filled until the following week when Dr. Callie is back in town. An important thing to remember is that we do not have coverage for these dates. Please be prepared to haul to Ocala in the event of an emergency. You will find their address and contact information below.

Equine Medical Center of Ocala, located at 7107 W HWY 326 Ocala, FL 34482 (352) 873-7830.

Thank you!

The Sandhill Veterinary Services Team
386-293-2591

09/04/2025

As Fall approaches, here are some things to keep in mind!

04/26/2025

‼️ATTENTION CLIENTS‼️

⚠️Dr. Callie will be unavailable for farm calls and emergencies from Wed. April 30th - Sun. May 4th — She will respond to any texts/calls at return of business!

🚑Please be ready to haul your animals in case of Emergency, contact info for ER hospitals:

🐎Equine Medical Center of Ocala (352)-873-7830

🐎🐂🐖🐏🦙🐐 UF-CVM (352) 392-2229

👩🏼‍⚕️Dr. Callie will be back at work Wed. May 7th for regular scheduled appointments and Monday May 5th for emergencies.

-SVS team

04/16/2025

🌸SPRING VACCINE TIME🌸

Preventative vaccinations are so important to keeping your horses happy and healthy! We here at Sandhill veterinary services want to help in keeping all of your horses feeling their best! If you are a current client and wondering if you are due for vaccines please don’t hesitate to reach out to 386-293-2591!!

If you are not a current client but want to inquire about becoming one then please also reach out as we are taking limited new clients within Volusia county!

12/15/2024

Owning our horses until the end is so special, it’s also so special to be able to get to let them go on the good day! ❤️ Our hearts are never ready for goodbye but it is so much better when it’s not an emergent situation because they’ve been declining for some time now! We don’t take euthanasia lightly but it is one of the most incredible gifts we can give a horse, which is to not have to suffer ❤️

What does it really mean to "let them go on a good day?"

It means it will be your hardest day. It won't matter if you've never done it before, or if you're gifted a dozen good days, each good day is always the hardest one.

It means they won't know what the fuss is about, why they're getting so many treats and extra belly scratches and hugs.

It means you will second guess your decision right up to the very last moment, the very last breath. You'll second guess yourself afterwards.

They'll knicker at you when you arrive, just like any other day.

The weather, perfect. They are content. They look sound today. They are breathing well, eating well, they get up easily enough from a nap in the sun....the list goes on. Whatever issue they struggle with, today they aren't.

Today you euthanize them.

This is what going on a good day means: sending them out while they are happy, while they are healthy, while they are eating well, walking well, etc. You make the choice to do it before an emergency takes the choice away from you, before your horse has to experience any more trauma or pain.

Their last memory will be filled with love.

It'll rip your heart out every time.

We can see the patterns and the increasing trends. We can predict it a little. We can obsess over the past and worry about the future.

Fortunately, horses, all animals, live in the moment. They don't worry about those things. They aren't worried about winter. They aren't worried about July, or allergies, or progressive diseases like cushings or dsld. They don't think about the close calls they've had before, and they certainly aren't thinking about the close calls that are destined to come, as their body continues to age and break down. They just are. They are happy and healthy, or fearful and in pain, on that day, in that moment.

It is the most difficult, most loving gift we are blessed to be able to give.

And that first ice storm will come, that first deep snow, that first heat wave....and you will find a little relief, no longer doubting the choice you made.

They were happy, and safe, and loved. That is all that matters.

It is never easy. ~Kelly Meister, author

11/19/2024

To all our favorite friends it is so important to stay up to date on vaccines! In Florida we have mosquitoes year round and they spread a lot of dangerous viruses such as West Nile and Encephalitis! At Sandhill we recommend vaccines every 6 months, please call and get scheduled to keep your four legged friends as healthy as possible!

🦟 West Nile Virus Alert 🦟
In the last two months, there have been 12 confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in Florida alone—11 in horses (8 of them right next door in Marion County) and 1 in an alpaca.

Mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus are a year-round threat in Florida. Vaccination is the best way to protect your animals from this potentially fatal disease.

💉 Are your animals up to date? If you're unsure, call our office today to review their vaccination status and make sure they're fully protected.

📞 McCleery Equine Veterinary Service: Keeping your herd safe and healthy.

🔗 For updates on current disease alerts in Florida horses, check the link in the comments.

Don’t wait. Protect your herd today.

11/13/2024

To all of our wonderful clients and friends! This organization is wonderful and provides so much for kids and the community! Please go out and support them while enjoying your four legged family member!

09/24/2024

UPDATE: World Equestrian Center - Ocala has reached capacity and is no longer accepting equine evacuees for Tropical Storm Helene. Please find alternative accommodations and stay safe.

For evacuees staying at WEC - Ocala, please email
[email protected] with questions.

Required health documents can be found here: bit.ly/3Bo7nfU