Blue Herron Veterinary Services

07/04/2025

06/29/2025

We’ve always paired birds, horses, dogs, cats, you name it. Animals communicate different. They need their own species to interact with for all of the social moments we as humans can not provide.

Edited to add study link. In a study comparing singly housed and paired young orange-winged Amazon parrots, 57% of the singly housed parrots developed stereotypy (including pacing or cage bar chewing) by 1 year. However, none of the birds housed in pairs developed stereotypic behaviors.

Learn more: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-04985-008

Pictured: budgies Bucket and Peggy

06/24/2025

Puncture wounds in the foot qualify as medical emergencies, due to the amount of vital structures just beneath the sole that can be physically damaged and/or contaminated with bacteria when they are penetrated by a sharp object.

If your horse steps on a nail or other sharp object and it remains embedded in the hoof, resist the temptation to pull the nail out and consult with your veterinarian first. Leaving the nail in place will allow the vet to take x-rays of the foot before removal, which helps to identify exactly what structures have been penetrated, and to plan the most appropriate strategy for dealing with the situation.

If your veterinarian advises, carefully remove the nail to prevent the horse from stepping on it and driving it deeper into the hoof cavity. As you remove it, be sure to mark the exact point and depth of entry with tape and/or a marker so the veterinarian can assess the extent of damage. Apply antiseptic to the wound, and wrap to prevent additional contamination while you wait for your appointment.

Penetrating hoof wounds can be extremely serious and shouldn’t be underestimated. The prognosis for successful recovery depends on quick action to identify the path of the nail, treatment of potential infection and mechanical damage to the foot, and proper aftercare. As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

06/24/2025

Happy first day of summer! ☀️

As the temperatures heat up, unfortunately some of our equine friends struggle to sweat properly in the summer heat, which can put them at an increased risk of heat stress.

Though there is limited evidence in regard to effective treatments for horses diagnosed with anhidrosis (the inability to sweat properly), there are a few therapies that have been proposed to help, including offering horses dark beer!

Overall, watch closely for signs of heat stress if your horse is diagnosed with anhidrosis. During the summer months, monitor your horse's response to the heat and ensure they are sweating an appropriate amount. If you have concerns about your horse's ability to sweat, please contact your veterinarian.

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information.

06/14/2025

Can you tell which one needs a blood transfusion?

06/12/2025

Morning sessions with our PEMF mat 🐶🐾❤️.

Bali has IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease) and OA (Osteoarthritis) of her shoulders and hips.

She has daily PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields) sessions which keep her feeling great!

❤️🐾

05/30/2025

Cold/compression systems can be beneficial for controlling swelling and inflammation but may not be readily available to most horse owners, and the cost of these units is often substantial.

For cooling, simple cold hosing using cold tap water from a garden hose for 10-15 minutes once to twice daily can be beneficial in some cases, is cost-effective, and is readily available. This may be most helpful in cases of acute swelling. Ice therapy can be effective as well. Some individuals fashion large ice buckets out of items such as fluid drums, fill them with ice water, and have the horse stand with the legs submerged for a period of 10-15 minutes. This provides rapid cooling, but care should be taken to avoid prolonged exposure. Patient tolerance is also variable using this method.

For compression, a standard bandage may be useful, especially in the acute phase. There is debatable efficacy of topical application of “sweat” wraps. Historically, DMSO and nitrofurazone were commonly used. While these products are still used, there are also other topical products such as magnesium sulfate paste that can be applied. Veterinary insight is important because there are numerous over-the-counter topicals available, but very few have any established efficacy and some can be quite irritating to the skin, especially if there is any topical wound involved. Standing bandages i.e. polo wraps may offer a viable alternative for more long-term maintenance of a bandage.

Movement is often beneficial for decreasing swelling as well. This may take the form of light hand walking for 10-15 minutes a few times per day or the use of a walker. Veterinary insight is important to ensure that there are no underlying issues that may be perpetuated by light exercise. It is also important to bear in mind that in some cases with chronic limb edema and cellulitis, some degree of enlargement/swelling of the leg may persist despite treatment. Sometimes this is not necessarily performance-limiting but may be more of a cosmetic concern. Working with your veterinarian will help to ensure the best possible outcome.

05/30/2025

Arbovirus season is right around the corner for many parts of the United States. Arboviruses include Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE); they are all transmitted by mosquitoes or other biting insects and occur most commonly during mosquito season or in conditions that favor mosquito breeding, including most environments with free standing water.

Because the virus causes inflammation in the brain and nervous system, there is no cure for arborvirus infection. Therefore, the best protection is to keep all horses up to date on vaccinations. If your equine has yet to receive vaccinations this year, we encourage you to reach out to your veterinarian as soon as possible to schedule an appointment!

Read more and download the arbovirus factsheet on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://equinediseasecc.org/Content/ContentDocs/EDCC_Arbovirus%20Awareness.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawKFxs1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE2aG5NdWVDNTRKQWhBM2h3AR5WfaEE7IFt-2hCI2EWNKCrfHjaT3eV7IBTDIFbvedq92iJOROWVwLStGBPXw_aem_jOMcC9YN-YHMuE_Trpj9lg

05/30/2025

Knowing your horse's normal vital signs is VITAL —pun intended!— to detecting distress and a possible emergency! 🩺

Practice taking your horse's vitals often (T.P.R.: temperature, pulse, respiration rate) so you can get to know what's normal for your equine friends and recognize what is abnormal. If your horse seems a little "off" and his values are outside the normal range, a call to your equine veterinarian is definitely warranted!

The typical ranges for adult horses are as follows:
🌡️Temperature: 99.0-101.5°F
❤️Heart rate: 28-40 beats/minute
🫁Respiration rate: 12-16 breaths/minute

Keep in mind that very hot and humid conditions may cause small variations, so be sure to have a conversation with your horse doctor about what is acceptable and about how to properly assess your horse's vital signs.

Thank you to the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information!

05/24/2025

Thank you 🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸

05/15/2025

Please bear with us as we are having phone issues. For some reason, a few of the voicemails are not coming through for two or three days after being left. Please text if you don’t hear back from us within 20 minutes after leaving a VM.

Thank you kindly!