Skillman Veterinary Services

11/28/2024

What's a Coggins test and why does your horse need it? This cheap and simple blood test screens for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), a fatal viral disease with no cure. 🦟🦠

Here’s why it’s important:
1. Prevents Disease Spread: EIA is highly contagious, and the Coggins test helps identify and isolate infected horses, preventing outbreaks.

2. Legal Requirement: Many states and equine events mandate an annual negative Coggins test for travel and participation, ensuring the safety of all horses involved.

3. Peace of Mind: Regular testing gives you confidence that your horse is healthy and not at risk of spreading or contracting this serious disease.

Learn more about EIA here: https://skillmanvet.com/2024/08/equine-infectious-anemia-eia/

Protect your horse and the entire equine community by staying up-to-date with Coggins testing. 🐴💉 Traveling out of state or simply want to test your horse? Skillman Veterinary Services can help!

11/25/2024

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐆𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡! Have you ever noticed your horse acting a little off? They might be trying to tell you something! A Gastroscopy exam could be the key to uncovering hidden issues. Here’s when it’s worth considering:

🔍 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧:
• Recurrent colic episodes
• Loss of appetite or sudden weight loss
• Decreased performance or behavior changes

But don’t just take our word for it! We want to hear from you!

What symptoms have you noticed in your horse? Have you ever done a Gastroscopy? 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞.

11/25/2024

🌾 Feeding forage is key to helping horses maintain body temperature during winter! ❄️ When horses digest forage, microbes in the hindgut produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs) for energy, which also generates heat as a natural by-product. This internal heat from fiber digestion helps keep horses warm in colder weather. 🔥🐴
Non-fiber carbohydrates (like sugars and starches) and fats don’t produce heat directly during digestion but still provide calories to support metabolic heat production. Ensuring your horse has access to quality forage is one of the best ways to promote a stable body temperature all winter long!

Learn more about keeping your horse healthy in the winter in our article:
🇨🇦https://madbarn.ca/feed-horse-in-winter/
🇺🇲https://madbarn.com/feed-horse-in-winter/

11/25/2024

Only a few days left! 🦃🌟

(Your horse must be a current patient of SVS to receive discounted medication)

This month, we're offering fantastic discounts on essential equine care items!

🏷️ Sale Details:
• 15% off all equine medications
• 10% off equine first aid kits
Valid through November 30th

Take advantage of these savings to update or build your equine care kit. Stock up on essential medications like Phenylbutazone (Bute), Banamine (Flunixin Meglumine) and more.

To order medications or first aid kits, fill out our online form: https://skillmanvet.com/prescription-refill-request/

This sale is open to current clients of Skillman Veterinary Services. Don't miss out on these great deals!

11/21/2024

Stay warm out there! ❄️

FUN FACT FRIDAY! Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice, good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

11/20/2024

🤔 🦴 TRIVIA ANSWER: How many bones does a horse have?

It depends! A horse has approximately 205 bones in its body, depending on the breed and any individual variations.

The number can vary slightly due to the presence of additional small bones, such as those in the tail.

11/19/2024

This month, we're offering fantastic discounts on essential equine care items!

🏷️ Sale Details:
• 15% off all equine medications
• 10% off equine first aid kits
Valid through November 30th

Take advantage of these savings to update or build your equine care kit. Stock up on essential medications like Phenylbutazone (Bute), Banamine (Flunixin Meglumine) and more.

To order medications or first aid kits, fill out our online form: https://skillmanvet.com/prescription-refill-request/

This sale is open to current clients of Skillman Veterinary Services. Don't miss out on these great deals!

11/19/2024

Trivia Tuesday! 🤔 🦴How many bones does a horse have?
Comment below with your guesses!

11/18/2024

Don't let Navicular Disease (Podotrochlosis) go unnoticed. This sneaky condition affects the navicular bone in the hoof, leading to chronic pain and lameness.

https://thehorse.com/1124292/managing-podotrochlosis-in-horses/

11/14/2024

Ditch the farm call fee and save $85-$300 on your next vet bill by scheduling an in-clinic appointment!

Visit here to schedule: https://skillmanvet.com/

11/14/2024

If your horse has a cough that persists into exercise or is heard while your equine friend is at rest in the barn, be sure to talk to your veterinarian about evaluating your horse for respiratory disease. It could be a problem with the upper airway (the nasal passages and throat) or the lower airway (the lungs).

While waiting for your appointment, try decreasing your horse’s exposure to dust, as that is a primary trigger for lower respiratory disease such as asthma or heaves. Some simple things you can do include avoiding straw bedding, feeding hay on the ground and/or soaking it, not using a leaf blower on barn aisles, and not storing hay or bedding above your horse’s stall. Last but not least, while us humans may be more comfortable with all the barn doors closed on a cold day, your horses’ lungs will appreciate open doors/windows and good ventilation!

As always, if you have questions or would like to learn more about preserving your horse’s respiratory health, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

11/13/2024

We're offering 15% off all equine medications and 10% off equine first aid kits throughout the entire month of November!

Take advantage of this sale to refresh or build your equine care kit. Stock up on medications that are essential in your equine medicine cabinet, like Phenylbutazone (Bute) and Banamine (Flunixin Meglumine).

🏷️ Sale Details:
• 15% off all equine medications
• 10% off equine first aid kits
• Valid through November 30th.

To order medication or first aid kits, fill out the online form: https://skillmanvet.com/prescription-refill-request/

11/13/2024

If we've helped keep your horse healthy, we want to hear about it! ❤‍ ✨

Your feedback not only makes our day, but also helps other horse owners find the best care for their equine friends.

⭐𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙪𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙: https://g.co/kgs/sidXirG

11/11/2024

Dexamethasone - You’ve probably heard of it, but what is it?

💉Dexamethasone, or commonly referred to as ‘Dex’, is a potent corticosteroid commonly used in horses to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune response. By decreasing swelling and pain, dexamethasone can help improve a horse's comfort and performance. However, it should be used under veterinary guidance due to potential side effects and the need for careful dosing.

Too get the full run-down on Dexamethasone and its uses, check out this article: https://skillmanvet.com/2024/08/what-is-dexamethasone/

11/08/2024

Fall is a great time for booster vaccinations! 💉

If your horse travels or you have horses in your barn that travel horses need boostered every 6 months for Influenza and Rhinopneumonitis.

Book your horse's appointment today and keep them healthy through the winter. https://old.aaep.org/horsehealth/fall-vaccines-your-horse

11/08/2024

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐮𝐤𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚

Journey, a 15-year-old mare, was rescued by Indiana Barnyard in May 2024 and soon presented to Skillman Veterinary Services for a health evaluation. During her initial visit, we noticed enlarged submandibular lymph nodes and significant lymphocytosis. After extensive testing, including a rare flow cytometry test from Guelph University, Journey was diagnosed with T cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (T-CLL), a very rare cancer in horses, with fewer than 31 cases documented in literature.

With guidance from Purdue University, she has been treated with prednisolone for the past two months, but her lymphocyte count recently rose again. As a result, Journey began chemotherapy earlier this month in hopes of remission. She is on a chemotherapy drug that is administered to her on the farm called Chlorambucil, which is also used for the treatment of cancer in humans and small animals. She also faced a recent setback with suspected Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), for which she received 28 days of treatment with Marquis, leading to significant improvement in her neurologic condition.

Despite these challenges, Journey has shown remarkable resilience, continuing to inspire everyone involved in her care.

Visit to learn more about Journey's story and how to help!

11/07/2024

Wishing the Mini Doves Equestrian Team the best luck at the 2024 Massachusetts Equine Affaire, Inc. (Official). 🎉🐴✨