Western Montana Equine

12/03/2024

PSA for all of our clients:

Dr. Witzel will be out of town for a conference from December 7th-16th. We will still be answering phones and can help with questions, or schedule appointments for when he returns.

We will have contacts to refer you to should an emergency come up during this time.

In the meantime, one of the biggest things you can do to avoid an emergency is to make sure your horse is drinking plenty of water to help prevent colic. This is especially important during these temperature changes as we transition to Winter. ❄️ And remember, horses are more inclined to drink tepid (warmer) water as opposed to icy cold water during winter—so make sure your stock tank heaters are working!

11/25/2024

Does your horse live at a boarding facility?

Do you travel year round with your horse for shows and competitions?

Or do you as a horse owner frequent other equine facilities other than your own?

Then it may be a good idea to booster your horses for flu/rhino before Winter. This vaccine is typically recommended every 6 months for horses that travel often or have contact with other horses.

Call or text us to get on the schedule (406) 728-5667

11/13/2024

Oh hay there 🤠🐴

Here are some really good tips to calculating how much hay you want to have stored for your herd.

And remember, one of the best ways to keep your horse warm is by feeding them hay! So always plan for extra hay to get them through those extremely frigid Montana cold snaps.

11/05/2024

❄️ Do you have an older horse you’re worried about getting through Winter comfortably? ❄️

🦷 Keeping weight on older horses is a common concern for horse owners. Bring them in for a dental to make sure dental health isn’t holding them back from getting the most out of their feed this Winter. 🦷

🐴 We can help walk you through the best feeding plan for your senior horse, and discuss your options to keep them comfortable during those harsh cold days🐴.

Call or text to get on the schedule 📞
406-728-5667

10/15/2024

Winter is coming!

Make sure your horses are dewormed and vaccinated before the snow hits ⛄️

Our Fall Wellness special is still going on. Call or text to get on the schedule for your horse’s fall vaccination and get 50% off fall deworming.

406-728-5667

10/08/2024

Trivia Tuesday:

Do you know what these little yellow specs are?

Call or text us to get on the schedule for your fall vaccines and deworming, and we will make sure you’re using the right dewormer to kill this pesky parasite.

(406) 728-5667

10/02/2024

FALL WELLNESS SPECIAL

From October 15-November 15 when you schedule your Fall Vaccination 💉 get 50% off your Fall deworming as well. 🪱

Call or text to get on the schedule
406-728-5667

09/24/2024

Announcement 📣

We have changed our phone system! From now on, we will be responding to all inquires through our office phone number.

406-728-5667

This should be the only phone number you need saved for the clinic.

Don’t worry, when you call with an emergency after-hours you will still be able to get a hold of Dr. Witzel directly.

You should now also be able to text this office line with non-emergent questions, or send picture updates, during normal business hours (9-5, M-F).

And please remember to always leave a voicemail if we don’t answer 😊

09/17/2024

PSA: Your Veterinarians like to relax after work too! 😌 💤

Our clinic’s normal business hours are from 🔹9am-5pm Mon-Fri 🔹We are more than happy to answer your questions, and get you scheduled for medication pick-ups, or regular appointments during this time.

Please reserve after-hours for emergencies only.
And remember, if we don’t answer right away, please leave a voicemail so we know what’s happening and how urgent the matter is. We wouldn’t want to mistake your colic for a pocket dial or vice-versa!

Thank you for respecting these hours and helping keep us sane!

09/16/2024

Cover Photo Contest time!

Comment your photo below and we will choose a winner to be the new cover photo for our page.

Rules:
Must be in landscape orientation
Must be equine related

Like your favorite ones to vote for them. 🤠

09/10/2024

A friendly reminder to our clients:
We are encouraging more haul-ins for appointments.
🐎 This helps save you 💵 money 💵 from the call fee
🐎 We will better be able to accommodate the increased client load, now that we are down to one doctor 👨🏻‍⚕️
🐎 It is good practice to make sure you have a rig that is safe to haul, and a horse that is well trained to load in the event of an emergency.
🔥🚒With fire season we have had a lot of evacuation warnings this year. Make sure you have a plan before things become an
🚨 emergency.🚨

09/03/2024

As some of you may already know, Dr. Tori Stierns will be leaving Western Montana Equine at the end of this week. She will be transitioning to small animal emergency medicine, as a veterinarian at Pet Emergency Center here in Missoula. Although we will miss her dearly, and are very privileged to have had her on our team for the last 3 years, we wish her the best of luck on her new path. We never wish any emergencies on any of our clients, but should you find yourself in need of an emergency small animal doctor, we highly recommend taking your critters to Pet Emergency Center.
Please have patience with us as we navigate operating a two doctor client load with a single doctor. We will be making some scheduling changes to accommodate our regular clients to fit into Dr. Witzel's schedule as best as possible. Please watch for an email detailing some of the changes we will be making.

08/20/2024

As fall draws closer, many horse owners are busy securing their fall and winter hay supply. If you are considering purchasing round bales for your equine companions—due to their cost-effectiveness and greater convenience for feeding pastured animals— remember that there are a few things to consider when choosing between square or round bales.

• Are you equipped/prepared to store your hay correctly?
Improperly stored round bales can lose much of their nutritional value and are also more susceptible to mold, dust, and bacteria growth, which can cause respiratory issues and even colic.

• Are your horses protected from botulism?
Round bales provide an optimum environment for the development of the botulism toxin. This toxin is produced when "Clostridium botulinum" is exposed to the right environmental conditions — such as when forage materials are baled and stored while still damp, or when they include the carcasses of dead animals, like birds and mice.

Prevention of this disease through vaccination is critical, especially in areas where the condition is prevalent (such as Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, and Tennessee).

• Are round bales a good choice for your horse?
Horses prone to respiratory conditions usually have increased problems with round bales due to their higher dust content.

• Do you have a feeder to place your round bales in?
Round bales not placed in a feeder can create more waste, which means your horses may not be meeting their nutritional requirements.

• Can you secure high-quality round bales?
Not all hay is created equal. Be sure to choose high-quality hay to meet your horse's nutritional needs and minimize the risk of impaction colic, which increases with lower-quality, less digestible forage.

As always, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information and advice—consult your horse doctor on best practices when feeding hay this fall and winter!

For more information on botulism, visit our website at: https://aaep.org/guidelines-resources/resource-library/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEwcuRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHV5P3MHpvOoAOGsW2VwZTo-v_0pkILq8xN-reSg_yb3W01gGW_lfk0Nrnw_aem_Pp0WTnTG0S7pEH-BcTMV1g&_search=botulism

08/16/2024

Have you ever been told to not allow a hot, sweaty horse to drink cold water because it could lead to colic, founder or tie up?

This notion is actually a myth, and a dangerous one too, because it could lead to dehydration and very serious (and real) consequences. A sweaty, hardworking horse needs to be rehydrated without delay (i.e. don’t wait for the horse to cool down first).

The key, however, is to know how much water to allow at one time — because of the equine stomach’s relatively small capacity, offer small amounts of water every 20 minutes until the horse drinks his fill rather than letting the animal drink it all at once.

Remember that water is the most vital nutrient for a horse. A horse’s daily water requirements are influenced by many factors, but the average idle 1,100-pound horse in a cool environment will drink 6 to 10 gallons of water per day. That amount may easily double or triple in a hot environment! Therefore, it goes without saying that providing cool, clean water to your horses at all times is of paramount importance.

Source: Equus Magazine and AAEP member Dr. Anthony Blikslager. More information about offering a horse water can be found at https://equusmagazine.com/.../offering-a-horse-water...

07/13/2024

There’s no doubt about it, summer is DEFINITELY here! Watch out for sunburn on those pink noses and eyes!

The summer heat and sun won't be letting up any time soon, so make sure your equine friends are adequately protected from harmful UV rays. ☀️

Hot summer weather puts horses at risk not only for dehydration and heat stress but also the skin damage and discomfort that accompany a sunburn— just like humans.

A lot of equestrians love some chrome on a horse, but it's important to remember that those beautiful white markings and the non-pigmented pink skin underneath are more likely to suffer from sunburn, especially in areas where the skin is more sensitive — like around the eyes and the nostrils.

In addition to the pain and discomfort, horses that are prone to recurrent sunburn may also face other long-term consequences, like the increased likelihood of developing squamous cell carcinoma (a common cancer).

If your horse is susceptible to sunburn, contact your veterinarian for more information about sun damage and recommendations to keep your horse protected this summer.

04/11/2024

Hay friends!
Spring is (probably) here so don’t forget to update your horse’s vaccines.
The core recommended diseases to vaccinate against annually are West Nile Virus, Eastern Encephalitis Virus, Western Encephalitis Virus, Tetanus and Rabies. Every horse is at risk for these diseases because of mosquitos and living outside.
The other recommended vaccine for horses that travel or see a lot of other horses is for the Influenza and Rhinopneumonitis Viruses. This vaccine is recommended every 6 months.

Ask us about Pigeon Fever, Potomac Horse Fever or Strangles vaccines as well!

Call the office to get on our schedule (406) 728-5667.

02/26/2024

Did you know that all equines have brachydont teeth? This means the teeth you see inside their mouth can change one year to the next. That’s why it’s important to have your equine’s teeth checked, and often floated every year to prevent any health problems related to poor dentition.

Dental month has been a huge success so far! Don’t forget there’s still time to schedule dentals as we’ve extended the 10% discount through the beginning of March.