Tularosa Equine Clinic

12/18/2024

Happy Holidays to our Tularosa Equine Clinic Clients! Hope your Christmas is full of good food, great company, and plenty of well-deserved relaxation.”

The clinic will close December 24 and re open Jan 2, 2025.

12/18/2024

Winter Tips

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.

12/11/2024

AAEP updates internal parasite control guidelines

The following is a snap shot:

The guidelines include several key considerations, such as the following:
Perform f***l egg count reduction tests annually to ensure that you are using effective dewormers in every herd or barn.

Recognize that no anthelmintic will eliminate all parasitic stages from a horse.

Continue using f***l egg counts once or twice per year to stratify horses into low, medium, and high shedders to reduce pasture contamination.

Deworm all horses at a baseline rate and target selected horses more often based on f***l egg counts.

Do not use f***l egg counts to diagnose disease in horses as there is no correlation between f***l egg counts and disease-causing parasite life stages.

Discontinue deworming all horses with fixed intervals year-round and stop blindly rotating anthelmintic classes.

Stay educated.

12/05/2024

12/05/2024

Tularosa Equine Clinic is now scheduling screening appointments for a clinical trial we are participating in. The study is addressing Insulin Dysregulation. If you have a overweight horse give us a call at 575 585 3561 to discuss the study. There is no cost to the owner but your time.

11/26/2024

Tularosa Equine Clinic would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

The clinic will be closed November 27 through December 1.

11/26/2024

Water remains as important for your horse in cold weather as it is in the summer. As a matter of fact, decreased water consumption in the winter is thought to be the primary inducing factor for impaction colic — although there are other predisposing factors such as poor hay quality, lack of exercise, internal parasites and dental problems.

Impaction colic is essentially constipation and most often includes the accumulation of hard, dry f***l material in the colon. The usual signs of impending impaction colic are depression, a decreased appetite, and decreased production and dryness of manure.

Studies demonstrate that you can increase your horse's winter water consumption if you provide access to heated water, but ONLY if that is the only source of water available. As always, if you have any questions about preventing colic in your horse, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!

11/13/2024

Hello! This is your reminder the holidays are fast approaching. If you need an appointment please give us a call. The schedule has been filling quickly. 575 585 3561

Have you checked your traveling papers??

11/11/2024

Do you know how to body condition score your horse??

11/11/2024

Previously we shared Dr Hamilton and Courtney attended the Purina Conference. This will be one of a few posts to share information about the conference.

All of us hear a lot about Probiotics and many of us administer them to our horses. Sometimes the marketing a company puts out there gets our attention and other times a individual has completed research to determine which probiotic they believe best fits their horse.

Here are some questions to ask:

Why am I using a probiotic? (Anti inflammatory, Digestive Support, Anti Pathogenic?
Does the probiotic survive the acid of the stomach?
Does the probiotic contain live and active bacteria that will provide a benefit to my horse?
Which bacteria can survive the acid of the stomach?

Something to think about!

11/04/2024

Tularosa Equine Clinic is currently participating in a study. If your horse or pony is overweight and it continues to be a issue give us a call. 575 585 3561. ( Participation in the study is at no cost to you.)

10/15/2024

Dr Hamilton and Courtney attended the 2024 Purina Conference. Stay tuned for some new information!!

10/09/2024

I am sure a lot of you are aware there have been a lot of positive EIA cases. (Coggins) We want to ensure everyone is educated on what EIA is.

EIA is an infectious and potentially fatal viral disease of horses. No vaccine or treatment exists. Some horses become carriers and never show symptoms. However please be aware this is a ugly virus and causes a ugly death.

Transmission can happen from horse to horse by large biting insects such as horseflies and deerflies. A second means of transmission can be from contaminated blood sources such as needles.

Clinical signs can been fever, weight loss, yellowing of body tissues, anemia, swelling in the limbs or weakness.

Diagnosis - A Coggins test which was developed in 1970 and it is internationally recognized.

We tend to think oh this will never impact my horses. At this moment in time we have had a lot of positive cases in our State. So as cases continue to rise please keep yourself informed. You represent your horse.

10/09/2024

Hello!!! Starting Thursday October 10th through Sunday evening October 13, 2024 Tularosa Equine will not be open or able to provide emergency services. Dr. Hamilton and Courtney will be attending a conference through Purina. Stay tuned for some exciting new information that they will bring back with them!

10/08/2024

Here’s a little fun for the week? What is this picture of?

Answer: yes indeed a Seahorse. Just another breed of a horse. I hope that made you laugh!!

10/01/2024

Coupons are now available for the following products:
Legend (through October 31st)
Prascend (through November 30th)
Equioxx and Gastrogard (through December 31st)
These rebates are up and running on the Boehringer Ingelheim Equine Rebate Center

09/27/2024

AAEP has another wonderful post.

The term "fat leg" is pretty self-explanatory, but do you know the difference between stocking up and cellulitis?

Many horses will "stock up" with subcutaneous edema (fluid swelling) in two or more legs (usually the hind limbs). Stocking up generally results from a significant decrease in exercise and usually resolves as the horse starts exercising again.

Lymphangitis (or vasculitis, big leg disease, staph infection, or cellulitis), however, is a bacterial infection and a dramatically different condition. While its causes may vary, it’s easy to spot once it sets in. The swelling will be extreme, hot, very painful to the touch, and the horse will be depressed due to the fever and discomfort.

If you think your equine friend has cellulitis or even if you're not sure, we encourage you to seek professional help promptly. Your horse doctor will make the best treatment recommendations, both to reduce swelling and to address any sort of bacterial infection that might be active or that could occur due to the edema in the soft tissue.

09/25/2024

Time for another …..do you know what this is?

Answer: Yes Foxtail.

When horses eat hay with foxtail, they can lodge in the mouth and gums, working their way through the tissue, causing lesions, infections, and pain. These like to travel. So check your hay.

Thanks for participating everyone!!