West Valley Equine Veterinary Services

23/11/2025

Update as of Sat morning. 3 positive asymptomatic horses in AZ. They are under quarantine. This may affect health certificates and movement to other states . Will keep you posted especially with Vegas coming up next 2 weeks.

21/11/2025

Today's EHM/ EHV-1 statistics. Please be aware there can be lag on results as it takes 1-2 days to confirm horses being tested.

21/11/2025

🐴 EHM update...Here are stats as of today... no cases in Arizona🤞🏻

20/11/2025

🚨 Equine Herpes Virus Update (EHV-1/EHM) – specifically EHM...Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (Neurologic strain)🚨

The Arizona State Veterinarian has confirmed an EHV-1/EHM outbreak linked to a recent barrel racing event in Waco, TX (Nov 5–9). This particular strain is highly virulent, has caused neurologic disease, and has shown a high mortality rate in affected horses. As of today, no confirmed cases in Arizona. I will keep you updated as new information arises. Please don't panic because of social media.

Because many horses have already dispersed back to their home states—including Arizona—the next 10–14 days are critical for monitoring.

🐎What to Know About EHV-1:
• Horses may incubate the virus for 2–14 days, typically showing fever first, followed by neurologic signs.
• Horses infected at an event may appear normal traveling home but can become contagious and sick after returning.
• Fever of unknown origin is often the earliest indicator—temp >101.5°F

🏇 Recommendations :
• Use caution when traveling, hauling, or attending shows, ropings, rodeos, or group events for the next 2-3 weeks
• Any horse returning from a rodeo event in the last week should be isolated for several days, with temperatures checked twice daily.
• Horses showing fever, neurologic signs, or “just not right” should be quarantined and evaluated immediately.
• Event organizers are being asked to strengthen biosecurity—limit horse movement, regulate warm-up areas, and enforce cleaning and disinfection.

💉 Vaccination Matters:
While no vaccine completely prevents EHV-1, horses with current flu/rhino vaccinations may have stronger immune responses and reduced risk of severe disease.
✔️We do recommend current vaccines

👍🏼Biosecurity Is Your Best Defense:
New horses or horses attending rodeo events in last 2 weeks should be quarantined for 2 weeks and temperatures monitored

Dr Hulse will keep our equine community updated as more information becomes available from the Arizona State Veterinarian 🐎💜

— West Valley Equine Veterinary Services

06/11/2025

06/11/2025

Dr Traci Hulse will now be offering microchipping services. Since the US Equestrian is implementing its new microchipping rule starting Dec 1, 2025 which requires all horses competing in USEF licensed or endorsed competitions must be microchipped with a 15-digit ISO compliant 11784/11785 chip. I will be offering the Bio-Thermo chip which meets this compliance as well as being able to be scanned and measure your horse's temperature.

06/11/2025

2 Horses in Cochise County in Arizona tested positive for Vesicular Stomatitis. About Vesicular Stomatitis

Vesicular stomatitis is a viral disease of horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, swine and New World camelids that occurs in the Western Hemisphere. It is named for the characteristic vesicular lesions it causes in the form of blisters, crusts and ulceration of the lips, muzzle, nose, tongue, ears, sheath, teats and/or coronary band. The virus is transmitted by biting midges and therefore is seasonal.

Clinical Signs for vesicular stomatitis include:

Vesicle formation leading to ulcerative lesions on the lips, muzzle, nostrils and tongue. The tongue is often the most severely affected area.

Ulceration of the inner surface of the lips.
Crusting of the muzzle, nostrils, and/or inside the ears.
Excessive salivation secondary to the oral lesions.
Difficulty picking up and chewing feed.
Lameness due to painful erosions on the coronary band.
Lesions can occur on the udder, sheath and inside of the ear.
Lesions can develop secondary infections resulting in slow-to-heal wounds.
Animals on pastures are at increased risk of vesicular stomatitis.
Initial diagnosis is based on recognition of characteristic vesicular lesions. Infection is confirmed via laboratory testing for serum antibodies and/or virus identification in fluid samples from active lesions. Veterinarians are required to report suspected cases to state/federal animal health officials who will direct sample submission to an approved regulatory laboratory for diagnostic testing.

There is no specific treatment for vesicular stomatitis. Best practices include implementing good biosecurity and treating affected horses with pain relievers, anti-inflammatories and supportive care as recommended by a veterinarian.

Isolating all affected animals and placing the premise on immediate quarantine is required until all horses have fully recovered and no active lesions are present. The State Veterinarian will work with the local veterinarian to determine and implement necessary quarantine procedures.

Also- this will affect interstate travel and health certificate timeframes for some states and may be as short as 7 days instead of the usual 30 days.

30/10/2025

A day in the life of a horse doctor (and horse dentist!)

29/10/2025

This sweet dwarf miniature mare has some dental malocclusions... Dr Hulse corrected the underbite and hooks to make her life better!

28/10/2025

Do you ever feel like two turkeys are watching you work?!

26/10/2025

Minis, minis, minis! Little but mighty! Got mini stand, mini speculum, and mini dental tools just the right size to perform dental work on these "fun size" horses!

25/10/2025

Other "fun" events that happened this month... got whacked in the head by a horses hoof. No concussion. Just a goose egg, headache and stitches.