Tri-County Veterinary Services

03/18/2025

Why do we test horses to cross state lines? What is a coggins test anyways? Be on alert. We have a positive equine infectious anemia case is Northern California.

03/18/2025

Did you know...

Unlike humans, horses don’t have collarbones. Their shoulders are held to the rest of their skeleton via a sling of muscles and ligaments instead, often referred to as the “thoracic sling.”

Why is this important? We often ask our equine athletes to perform complex movements that require tremendous strength and coordination, and horses carry the majority of their weight in their front end. Therefore, it is imperative that the bulk of the muscles that support the front end are kept healthy and conditioned, and the horse is trained to use their “motor” — that is, engaging the large hind end muscles as much as possible to avoid excessive weight bearing on the front end.

If the front end of the horse is consistently overweighted or not at an appropriate level of fitness, repetitive biomechanical stresses get transferred down the leg to the smaller ligaments and tendons that were not designed to bear this weight, which can then lead to injury.

Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

03/17/2025

For my clients. Please try to refrain from using my personal Facebook messenger for appts and emergencies. My personal page is for friends, family and social purposes. I do not use fb messenger a lot nor do I have alerts on. I can miss a lot on the chat app. Please always call my line at 530.565-6012.
Thank you for understanding 🐄🐽🐴😁

03/06/2025

03/06/2025

A cow's microbiome is truly amazing in what it can do

03/04/2025

Everyone needs a nap

03/04/2025

While we are all looking forward to warm spring days and lush green pasture, the transition from winter hay to spring grass should be planned carefully to mitigate any health risks to your equine. In other words — just because your equine friend is not obese or suffering from a nutritionally related disease, doesn’t mean you should just forget about hay entirely and let your horse eat their fill of spring grass.

Feeding high-quality hay is a good way to satisfy a horse’s urge to chew when they can’t graze and provide essential nutrients at the same time. A mature horse will eat 2-2.5% of its body weight per day; roughage should contribute to at least half of this percentage, but most agree forage should be a minimum of 75% of the horse's diet. Please remember that not all horses are made equal, so a horse's total nutritive requirements will ultimately depend on the individual's age, stage of development, metabolism and workload.

Take-home message: Before making any changes to your equine companion's diet this spring, consult your veterinarian to determine their current weight/body condition score and to formulate a balanced and nutritious ration that meets your horse’s specific nutritional needs!

03/01/2025

Spring is almost here! Which means…it's time to schedule your equine companion to receive their spring vaccinations!

If you are wondering what vaccinations your equine friend should receive, the answer is — There are no “one size fits all” vaccine recommendations. A veterinarian who knows your animal and your management system is your best resource to recommend what vaccines your equine should receive and with what frequency!

While vaccination does not prevent disease in all circumstances, a good immunization protocol minimizes the risk of infection and remains an essential component of responsible ownership. A vaccination appointment is also the perfect opportunity for a yearly check-up of your equine friend and a great way to catch any health concerns early.

If you have yet to contact your veterinarian about scheduling vaccinations, we encourage you to do it soon!

02/27/2025

This is how I make all my hoof bandage bottom pads. Excellent how to video.

02/25/2025

Its not too early to think about deworming your horse. Did you know we offer f***l exams for our patients? This is the best tool to know if your horse has a worm burden AND if your dewormer is actually working.

With spring only a few weeks away (🙌), it’s not too early to start thinking about a deworming plan for your equine companions.

If deworming is something you’ve been doing the same way for as long as you can remember, this year we encourage you to break tradition and work with your veterinarian instead. Thanks to tools like the f***l egg count, your horse doctor can help you devise a treatment tailored to the needs of your equine friend plus monitor the efficacy of the dewormer used last.

And before you dismiss this notion because you’ve been “doing it for years,” you should know that the old-school approach to deworming is quickly becoming outdated—not only a waste of money but it also builds drug resistance in the parasitic fauna of equines, which means we are running out of drugs that can effectively help us control parasite infections.

As always, consult your equine veterinarian to learn more and for questions specific to your animals!

02/11/2025

It's all about the donkeys

02/09/2025

Sometimes we have to pay respect to patients who have given it their all. Last year this beautiful momma lambed a batch of triplets. She survived the unimaginable of mastitis, pregnancy toxemia, and parasitic infestation. Today, I was heartbroken to find out she passed away. We recently diagnosed her with acute kidney failure. She was able to raise her beautiful lambs until weaning and passed peacefully on this gorgeous day of sunshine. She was a good momma who gave it her all.

02/08/2025

Here is some very timely and important information courtesy of the horse doctors at Pine Ridge Equine Hospital:

As we are in the midst of foaling season, let’s talk about what is normal and abnormal. The placenta is made up of two major parts: the red bag (chorioallantois) and the white bag (amnion). The red bag attaches to the uterine wall, which allows the exchange of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus. In a normal delivery the amnion is visible and characterized by a white appearance. A red bag delivery is characterized by a red velvety appearance.

A red bag delivery is considered an EMERGENCY as it signifies premature separation of the placenta leading to a lack of oxygen to the fetus so **you need to intervene immediately.** The red placental membrane should be opened carefully to release fluid, the foal should be delivered/pulled with your assistance and then stimulated to breathe. Foals may develop problems associated with lack of oxygen even though they appear normal at birth.

If your mare is having or had a red bag delivery, you need to call your horse doctor ASAP!