Cedar Hill Mobile Equine, PLLC

05/08/2025

05/04/2025

Here's another great question that was posed on our recent "Ask the AAEP Horse Doctors" post:

Are oral supplements better than joint injections?

Anything you give to your horse needs to be carefully evaluated for if it lives up to the claims it is making.

Oral supplements are not required to have studies that prove their marketing claims. That being said, some companies have invested in outside research and can provide you with peer-reviewed published research.

Products approved by the FDA (including some injectable joint medications) have to prove safety and effectiveness and can only market based on proven claims. There are many injectable products that are not FDA approved, however, so they should also be questioned for research on safety and effectiveness.

Make sure you are spending your money on a product that is backed by research as there are a lot of unproven options out there.

Before starting any supplement or medication, it is important to know what change you expect to see. It's recommended to evaluate your horse before you start and then again after 30 days. Do you see the change that the product said you would? If yes, continue on. If no, it's time to work with your veterinarian and decide on a potential new plan.

04/23/2025

April showers bring…

…the increased risk of your horse developing a skin condition like rain rot, a contagious bacterial skin disease (often mistaken for a fungal condition) called dermatophilosis which is caused by the bacterium "Dermatophilus congolensis.”

How does rain rot happen?
The organism responsible for rain rot lives in the outer layer of the skin; if the skin is compromised by too much moisture or cracks, or if the horse has a weaker immune system, it’s easier for the pathogen to activate and establish an infection that causes from pinpoint to large, crusty scabs (pro tip: Your horse will NOT thank you for picking at them!).

Why should you not mistake rain rot for a fungal disease?
Antifungal medications and topicals have no effect on the bacteria responsible for rain rot, therefore diagnosing the condition correctly is critical! If left untreated, the condition can even progress to a point where it opens the door for more serious, secondary skin infections. It’s also important to note that this organism is contagious and may be passed to other horses by tack, equipment or insects, therefore disinfection of equipment is vital to prevent spread.

If you suspect your horse has rain rot, be sure to consult your veterinarian on the best treatment plan. While there are a million over-the-counter products available, your horse doctor may have cause to prescribe a specific course of action based on the severity of your horse's case.

04/15/2025

WARMER WEATHER = TICK SEASON! 📢

As the weather warms up, ticks are becoming more active — which clearly means more chances for your horses (or yourself and your family pets) to encounter this parasite. Despite their diminutive size and appearance, ticks are highly equipped to carry and transmit many serious diseases including Equine Piroplasmosis, Lyme Disease, Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (Ehrlichiosis) and Tick Paralysis, so tick control remains an important management practice for horse owners.

Because ticks infected with serious diseases do not usually transmit those pathogens immediately and often must feed for a period of time before disease transmission, removing them from your horse as soon as possible is important. Check your horses for ticks thoroughly after a ride, and at least daily if they’re out on pasture in order to prevent disease transmission.

From a pasture management perspective, you can decrease the number of ticks your horse may pick up by removing brush and mowing tall grass where ticks like to live and discouraging wildlife such as deer that tend to reintroduce ticks to grazing areas.

Additional facts about Lyme disease in horses is available on the�Equine Disease Communication Center's website at: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/lyme-disease

And as always, if you have questions on tick control or the diseases they can transmit to your horses, talk to your local horse doctor!

04/09/2025

Equine dental health is not only crucial for keeping your equine companion's pearly whites healthy but also for the overall health of the animal in general.

Common dental issues such as the ones mentioned in the graphic can negatively affect the health of the teeth themselves as well as gum, gastrointestinal, and overall mouth health. Dental issues can also impact chewing and food grinding, further exacerbating digestive tract issues.

Has your horse struggled with any of these dental issues before? Let us know below ⬇️

As always, if you have questions or concerns about your horse's dental health, contact your equine veterinarian.

03/25/2025

While we are all looking forward to warm spring days and lush green pasture, the transition from winter hay to spring grass should be planned carefully to mitigate any health risks to your equine. In other words — just because your equine friend is not obese or suffering from a nutritionally related disease, doesn’t mean you should just forget about hay entirely and let your horse eat their fill of spring grass.

Feeding high-quality hay is a good way to satisfy a horse’s urge to chew when they can’t graze and provide essential nutrients at the same time. A mature horse will eat 2-2.5% of its body weight per day; roughage should contribute to at least half of this percentage, but most agree forage should be a minimum of 75% of the horse's diet. Please remember that not all horses are made equal, so a horse's total nutritive requirements will ultimately depend on the individual's age, stage of development, metabolism and workload.

Take-home message: Before making any changes to your equine companion's diet this spring, consult your veterinarian to determine their current weight/body condition score and to formulate a balanced and nutritious ration that meets your horse’s specific nutritional needs!

03/18/2025

It’s springtime! Please plan on approximately two weeks for routine visits. Emergencies will be worked in. Thank you

02/01/2025

It’s not uncommon to find horses and ponies living well into their 20s and 30s, thanks to continuous advances in nutrition and health care.

Horse owners have a big impact as well and can help their horses thrive in their golden years through proper management practices like those illustrated in the graphic. But remember, although there is much you can do on your own to keep your older horse happy and spry, some conditions associated with aging require medical intervention.

Scheduling regular visits and keeping a good line of communication with your veterinarian will allow you to respond quickly to any ailments or injuries that could cause your horse a serious or prolonged set back. That means less worry for you, and a better quality of life for your old friend!

01/30/2025

As the source of 50 to 90% of a healthy horse's nutritional needs, hay warrants careful consideration as a precious commodity. This becomes especially true during the winter, when roughage in the diet is the main source of heat for the horse.

Generally, horses at rest in ambient temperatures of 70°F consume 2% of their body weight in roughage (hay) per day. A 1,100-pound horse will eat approximately 22 pounds of hay per day. A horse with a moderate hair coat starts requiring additional calories for body temperature regulation at approximately 50°F. Add about 2 pounds more hay for every 10-degree temperature drop. With wind and rain at near-freezing temperatures, the feed required increases by approximately 10-15 pounds to 32-47 pounds of hay per day!

If you're purchasing hay for your horse this winter, remember that there’s no such thing as “the best hay” when it comes to the nutrient value. That all depends on your horse’s protein and energy requirements, which are ultimately determined the individual's age, stage of development, metabolism and workload. If you think your horse is too fat or too thin (or even if you are unsure), discuss the appropriate feeding recommendations with your veterinarian; they can help you formulate a balanced and cost-effective diet that meets your individual horse's dietary requirements.

Finally, always keep in mind that water is critical for digestion, so be sure to monitor your horse’s water intake to minimize the chance of intestinal impactions!

01/25/2025

Though we wish our horse doctors could be there for our equine friends in any emergency, the reality is that our horses' primary veterinarian cannot be available 24/7 and still juggle the needs of their own personal lives, health and happiness.

The most significant pain point for many veterinarians is caring for their clients during regular business hours and then also being on call for emergencies after hours. For single-doctor or small practices, this traditionally has been the case most nights of the week.

However, private veterinary practices and veterinary schools have more recently focused on developing new models for emergency care which ease the strain on individual practitioners. This includes the growth of emergency cooperatives where two or more practices in a geographic area work together to share after-hours care, as well as more emergency-only practices and the use of tele-triage services to address client concerns after normal business hours.

As equine veterinarians reevaluate what after-hours care looks like for their practices, the support of their clients is critical to creating a balance that works for both parties. If your horse doctor talks with you about changes in how after-hours care is delivered, we hope you’ll welcome the adjustments. This evolution of emergency care must take place in order for equine veterinarians to avoid burnout and continue to be at their best to treat all of your equine friends.

01/03/2025

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

12/16/2024

As the cold winter weather trudges on, Dr. Sarah Reuss, AAEP Vice President and a horse owner herself, shares the following advice to keep your horse safe during extreme weather.

1. While lots of hay is ideal for horses to eat to keep warm, now is NOT the time to introduce a round bale if they’ve never had access to one before. It may be more work, but keep throwing them their normal hay source, just more frequently.

2. Similarly, if your horse is not used to being in a stall, now is NOT the time. The stress of a major change and the decreased activity can be risk factors for colic. Be sure they have access to shelter, hay, and drinkable water but let them move around if they choose to do so.

3. Horses that are thin, older, or fully body clipped are those most at risk in extreme weather.

4. Well-fitting blankets are great but be sure that horses do not get sweaty under them, or that the blankets don’t soak through if snow or rain covered. Wet, cold and covered is worse that dry, cold and naked.

5. Some of the highest risk times are when the temperatures hover right around freezing, as that can result in sleet/freezing rain/ice that can make horses wet and therefore colder. Slippery footing is a concern, too.

6. If using electric water heaters, be sure they are functioning and not shocking horses. Take your gloves off and stick your hand in the water (briefly!!!) to double check.

7. Entice your horses to consume extra water by flavoring a bucket, adding electrolytes to their meals, or soaking their meals in warm water. If you’ve never fed beet pulp before, be sure to add LOTS of warm water. Dry beet pulp is a common source of choke.

8. The tips of your horses' ears can be at risk for frostbite. Putting on a waterproof, jumper-style ear bonnet or other waterproof ear cover can protect them from wind chills.

If you have any questions or concerns about keeping your horses safe this winter, contact your veterinarian for advice.