HorseSister's Veterinary Fund

02/05/2024

3 years? 3 months? 3 days? How about 3 hours? Yeah. It's been a harsh 3 for me and it's a Monday too! Hold on tight!

01/10/2024

When is the “right” time to euthanize your horse? While this is not a subject horse people like to think about, it's something we all inevitably have to deal with at some point. Below is some food for thought courtesy of the horse doctors at Back Cove Equine Veterinary Care:

“At times it is obvious, such as an acute onset of severe colic or injury. Other times it is more subtle: having more trouble getting up and down to roll, not taking pleasure in the things they used to, having more bad days than good, etc. When the time comes, equine veterinarians are often called upon to help navigate this greatest of decisions and help counsel owners.”

Pictured is Prince, a senior horse who recently made his way to the next world after his owner gave great thought to the winter ahead and made the very difficult and loving decision to let him go with his dignity. Prince passed on a beautiful, crisp morning, surrounded by people who loved him.

“You earned your place in the stars, my most handsome Prince of Maine".

Rest in peace, Prince.

12/20/2023

05/21/2023

Calendula is an incredibly useful plant to grow in your garden. Learn how and why to do so, and what to do with the flowers once you have.

05/11/2023

How do you approach superficial wound care? Do you apply daily medications or are you in favor of "benign neglect"? Keep reading, the horse doctors at Mid-Rivers Equine Centre have some valuable information to share!

"First of all, let's start by defining what a superficial wound is. A superficial wound is a cut, scrape, or abrasion that affects only the top layers of the skin. This means the wound is not deep enough to pe*****te the underlying tissue and cause significant damage. While superficial wounds can be painful, they generally do not significantly threaten their health and well-being.

Now, to answer the question, should we be practicing 'benign neglect' when it comes to superficial wound care? Well, the answer is both yes and no.

On the one hand, many superficial wounds will heal independently without intervention. Although we recommend an initial cleaning of the injury—and additional cleaning should it become dirty—, unnecessarily medicating the wound daily can slow the natural healing process.

On the other hand, it's important to note that not all superficial wounds are created equal. Some may be deeper than they appear and require medical attention to prevent infection or more severe complications. Additionally, if your horse has a compromised immune system or is prone to infections, it may be best to err on the side of caution and seek professional help.

Ultimately, the decision on how to treat a superficial wound should be based on a case-by-case basis. If you need more clarification about the severity of the injury or if it's not healing as quickly as you'd like, be sure to contact your primary care veterinarian."

05/08/2023

Many people think that horses can safely eat grass clippings (grass is grass, right?) but that is a pretty common misconception and grass clippings actually pose a number of dangers to our equine friends.

While grass is meant to be slowly picked, ripped and chewed by the horse, grass clippings can quickly clump and cause choke if the animal ingests too many too fast. Grass clippings are also prone to fermentation which can cause colics, stomach and intestinal impactions, founder and laminitis.

Take-home message: Keep your horse away from grass clippings and in general never feed horses any food without the owner’s permission.

Source: Dr. Jenna Moline, a member of the AAEP Horse Owner Education member. In memory of Chula, a much-loved horse who recently passed away after eating grass clippings thrown into her pasture by a neighbor; shared with the blessing of Chula’s family with hopes to prevent this tragedy from happening to any other horse owners.

04/30/2023

the result of a love affair ❤

05/07/2021

Whales have arm, wrist & finger bones in their front fins. This is the front fin bones of a Grey whale

02/16/2021

A lot of bears are known to move in the area, and booths have been set up specifically for watchin. It's special. Yes, it caught my eye very suddenly when it came to the area. This is what Veijo Toivoniemi from Haapajoki says, who managed to capture an exceptionally special white bear. Toivoniemi to...