Cornerstone Equine Services

12/01/2024

Another installment!

https://www.doctorramey.com/sometimes-you-dont-need-advanced-diagnostics-for-your-horse/?fbclid=IwY2xjawG5031leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfGSwroX8gesYDSOHtflJddkgLRggoiNGUSP27TWgIl5K3rgX8vmTSHpTA_aem_1bq-YcoTuTSyOnzvYeQ3qA

One of the fun things about my career has been watching the introduction of new diagnostic tests to help try to figure out what’s wrong with a particular horse.  From MRI to CT, from bone scans to digital radiography, and from genetic tests on hair to testing a horse’s blood for a newly discove...

11/28/2024

10/30/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/icDdg5JwNaQFX895/

10/22/2024

https://www.facebook.com/AAEPHorseDocs/posts/pfbid02tD62SCPbo48VqSRDL3fcQ39dUXS2igoTCYxZ29G6bMDZ8igGvB8pMs8iCCUQmo5nl

Fall laminitis refers to cases of laminitis or founder that occur in the autumnal months. Although laminitis can happen in any season, anecdotally there seems to be an uptick in the number of cases in the fall.

Why could this be?

• As the days get shorter and colder, grasses have been shown to respond to this stress with higher sugar concentrations. Diets with higher simple sugar concentrations may increase the risk of laminitis.

• Decreases in exercise may cause increases in body condition. Fat or obese horses are at risk of developing laminitis.

• Horses naturally have increased levels of certain hormones in the fall. If you have a horse with PPID (previously referred to as equine Cushing’s), the increase in their cortisol levels could put them at risk for laminitis.

If you have questions concerning fall laminitis or are concerned that your horse may be at an increased risk, contact your equine veterinarian so that they can properly evaluate your horse's unique situation.

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

10/21/2024

More excellent advice from Dr Ramey.

And don't forget to stock up on those capers.

https://www.doctorramey.com/what-to-do-about-barn-bullying/

10/18/2024

Yup, it seems like it.

09/29/2024

Another winner from friend and colleague Dr. Ramey.

As most of you probably know – or have probably read about – there seems to be a shortage of equine veterinarians. It’s not for want of demand, apparently – there are still plenty of horses in need of veterinary care. It’s just that, according to, oh, just about everyone (clients, the Amer...

09/26/2024

It's getting a little late to do "Spring Shots", but the mosquitoes are still around.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 26, 2024Contact: Kelly Mella, Public Information Officer, (608) 440-0294, [email protected]

09/10/2024

If you could add a thought bubble above the horse's head..... what would it say?

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/yyZfTPnK6vyFfqPm/?mibextid=oFDknk

09/10/2024

With each passing year, horses are living longer lives and many survive easily to 25 years of age or older. While this is good news, it also means that we need to be aware of changes that can occur with age in order to preserve the health and quality of life of our equine friends.

For example, Equine Cushing’s disease is one of the most common diseases of horses 15 years of age or older. This syndrome is better defined as Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) because it reflects the location within the brain that is abnormal. Clinical signs are associated with abnormally elevated hormone concentrations in the blood.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is another endocrine disorder that can affect mature horses and shares some of the same clinical signs as PPID. Although the two disorders feature some striking clinical similarities — most notably a predisposition to development of chronic laminitis — the underlying disease biology is quite different in each case. Successful management relies on proper diagnosis by your equine veterinarian first.

Our understanding of both conditions, especially EMS, is incomplete and evolving, but sufficient information is currently available to highlight some important similarities and differences for the interested horse owner. Consult your veterinarian for more information and work with them to develop the best wellness practices to ensure a healthy life for your mature horse.
- The American Association of Equine Practitioners

08/23/2024

To be fair..... I wouldn't be whispering.

07/08/2024

There are a whole lot of National ( *fill in the blank* ) Days/Weeks/Months, but this is one I can enthusiastically support.

06/18/2024

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has updated their guidelines for internal parasite control.

We've been using the basics of these since Dr. Nielsen's concerns about the resistance of many worm populations to various deworming medications were published.

The only "new" dewormer on the market is moxidectin, with no others on the way, so it's recommended that we don't use Quest or unless we've tried everything else first.

20% of the horses in a herd can be responsible for 80% of the parasite egg contamination of the pasture.

To summarize the summary......

1) Run f***l egg counts (FEC) to find out where you stand (at least in general).

2) Use only ivermectin products (or ivermectin+praziquantel) unless FECs indicate otherwise.

3) The goal is to try to get to the point where we only deworm once or twice a year.

These Internal Parasite Control Guidelines were revised by the AAEP in May 2024. You can access the entire guidelines document by clicking the Download Resource button. Parasite groups discussed in these guidelines include: Cyathostomins (Small Strongyles), Large strongyles, Anoplocephala perfoliata...