Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

01/02/2025

We loved hearing all about your 2024! Pugsley’s biggest accomplishment of last year was being born! He’s looking forward to causing the maximum amount of chaos this year.

What are your pets’ New Year’s resolutions?

01/01/2025

Happy New Year! We are so grateful for all of your support over the last year, and getting to help so many critters! In early 2024, we completed our clinic expansion to include our small animal clinic! We thought we’d look back at how many appointments for each species we got to do, and we can’t wait for these numbers to go up this year when we get to help even more animals!

Now, for what’s up Wednesday, we want you to tell us about your 2024! Did you add new animals to your life? What kinds of milestones did you hit in your riding? Let’s celebrate the year that just passed as we prepare for the year to come! #2025

12/29/2024

Excellent tips from

If you own horses long enough, sooner or later you are likely to be confronted with a medical emergency—even during the holidays. Are you prepared to act?

Having a clear emergency action plan will help you stay focused and effective if a crisis strikes. Below are some basic guidelines that can help you prepare for an equine emergency:

1. Know how to reach your regular veterinarian after hours. Ask about a back-up or referring veterinarian in case your regular horse doctor is not available for emergencies.

2. Have a plan for transporting the horse if necessary and know in advance the most direct route to an equine surgery center.

3. Prepare a first aid kit and store it in a clean, dry, readily accessible place. Keep a first aid kit in your horse trailer or towing vehicle as well and be sure to check your supplies periodically and restock as needed. First-aid kits can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like; seek your horse doctor's advice on what to add, especially regarding any drugs that could be included and how they should be administered.

12/26/2024

Answer Thursday! We loved reading all your answers, but we know that the very best gift you can give your animals is the gift of health and wellness!

It’s not too late to sneak another gift under the tree, give us a call today at 352-472-1620 to schedule your pet’s wellness visit for next year! We’re looking most especially at you, cat owners! Cats need the doctor at least once a year just like dogs and horses, but most cats in the US aren’t taken to the vet every year.

The good news is, we can come to you! Call to set up your house call appointment for all of your animals! We hope you had a fabulous holiday!

12/25/2024

What’s Up Wednesday? Why, it’s Christmas of course! And the beginning of Hanukkah this year!

We know what we think your pets’ favorite gift will be this year, but we’d love to hear in the comments what you think!

From all of us at Springhill Equine and Companion Animal Clinic, we hope you have a very happy holiday!!

12/23/2024

Someone feels like their horse friend has been hitting the Christmas cookies a little hard. Shortcut helped us get a weight estimation using our weight tape. Swipe to see his reaction to the number 😅

12/22/2024

Helped the Newberry Elf deliver tons of toys to tons of kids this afternoon! That Elf embodies the meaning of Christmas ❤️

12/19/2024

Answer Thursday!
Thus is an intracellular bacteria inside of a neutrophil.
The neutrophil is being pointed to by the pointer, and its purple-pink nucleus almost looks like it’s hugging the dark purple cocci inside its cytoplasm.
Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cells and work by traveling to the site of infection and literally *eating* the bad bugs in the body. (The medical term for that is phagocytosis…$10 word of the day!)

Finding intracellular bacteria on a slide confirms for us that the bacteria are actually infecting the patient rather than just living on the surface, so it’s always a nice microscopic find!

12/18/2024

What’s Up Wednesday?
This was a very cool finding under the microscope. It’s a very common thing but we don’t always find evidence under the microscope.
Tell us in the comments what you think we’re looking at here and come back tomorrow for the answer!

12/17/2024

This week, Whinny explains the importance of Coggins and Health Certificates, and why they are required to do most things. We've made a ton of progress in limiting major disease outbreaks in our horse populations, and this is a big part of keeping it that way!

Whinny's Wisdoms - This week Whinny explains what Coggins and Health Certificates are and why they're important for all horses.

12/15/2024

Sunday Vibes 🍂

Pusley had his last kitten vaccines this week, he’s almost all grown up! We’ve had this little monster since he was 2 days old, and he’s blossoming into a wonderful clinic cat.

Did you know that the American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends kittens finish their vaccine series at 6 months of age? This is later than previously recommended, and has to do with what we’ve learned about how the immune system responds to vaccines over time.

The best Christmas gift for your pets is to be healthy, be sure to schedule your kitten’s check ups for 2025 so they can start the year off right!

12/14/2024

It's our most favorite day of the year!!! Time to Drop The Balls, and Deck The Halls. That's right, today is our Annual Castration Clinic with the vet students from The University of Florida @ . Stay tuned for pictures from the best day of the year.

12/12/2024

Answer Thursday!
Let’s talk puppies!!
Puppies should see their doctor about every 4 weeks from 8 weeks to at least 20 weeks. Typically, they’ll get vaccines at most of those visits.
Puppy vaccines are going to include protection for: distemper, parvovirus, panleukopenia, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, rabies, bordetella, and influenza.
Just like babies, puppies’ immune systems aren’t mature and so they need our help to keep them healthy!
These puppy visits also include testing for infectious diseases and parasites, as well as appropriate preventions to protect against external and internal parasites. Especially in Florida, parasites are everywhere, and in about every puppy!

Most importantly, these puppy visits allow the veterinarian to monitor the puppy’s growth and development, and catch any health issues early before they become a big problem!

12/11/2024

What’s up Wednesday?

It’s pretty clear we have an angelic puppy here….but what do YOU know about what puppies need from their first vet visits?
Tell us all about it in the comments, and come back tomorrow to learn more!

12/09/2024

Dr. Lacher, Dr. Carter, and Kimber, along with Justin, are all attending the American Association of Equine Practitioners Conference this week. They claim there's lots of learning going on, but all we got was this picture of them playing Whack A Mole for prizes in the Trade Show 😅

12/07/2024

Weekend Vibes: Boop the Snoot!
Is there anything better than a soft horse nose to brighten your day?
Wishing everyone a weekend full of boops and happiness. ❤️

Show us your favorite snoots to boop in the comments!

12/06/2024

Bundle Up, It’s Cold Out! 🧥

Even our Florida horses (and vets!) are bundling up this weekend to stay warm! But did you know cold weather can lead to a decrease in water intake for horses? Staying hydrated is just as important now as it is during the summer, so here are a few tricks to keep your equine friends sipping:
🧂Add salt or electrolytes to their feed or water to encourage drinking.
🚿Soak their grain or hay to sneak in some extra moisture.
🧃Make them a “sweet tea” bucket! Add a small handful of their favorite grain to the bottom of a water bucket to flavor it—horses can’t resist it!

A hydrated horse is a happy horse, even when it’s chilly outside. Have questions about keeping your herd cozy and healthy this winter? We’re here to help! Stay warm, everyone!

12/05/2024

Answer Thursday: What Are Those Yellow Dots?

Those tiny yellow dots on your horse’s chest, legs, and undersides? They’re bot fly eggs! These pests have a life cycle centered on your horse:
Bot flies lay eggs on your horse’s coat.
When the horse licks or rubs the area, the eggs hatch into larvae that burrow into the gums or migrate to the stomach.
There, they grow before passing out with the manure to start the cycle over.

Bots can cause ulcers, colic, weight loss, and other health issues.

How to manage bots:
Treat: Ivermectin works well when temps are above 80°F.
Prevent: Remove eggs with a bot knife or grooming block and practice good fly control.

Got questions or need help? Give us a call—we’re here to help keep your horse bot-free!