Mazon Mobile Veterinary Service

29/08/2025

02/08/2025

‼️‼️‼️

THE MORE YOU KNOW...

Did you know that humans can be exposed to Rabies WITHOUT sustaining a bite from an infected equine? This is because contact of skin or mucosa with the saliva could be enough to transmit the disease.

Rabies has many faces, but they are all deadly—once a horse shows clinical signs, the animal invariably dies within a few days as there is no treatment.

The good news is that modern vaccines are highly effective and current AAEP recommendations list rabies as one of the “core vaccines” that should be given to all equines annually to maintain immunity (read the full AAEP vaccination guidelines here: https://aaep.org/guidelines/vaccination-guidelines).

Equine rabies is a real risk for all horses, and a public health concern as well. Be sure to set up a regular vaccination schedule with your veterinarian if you haven’t already done so. Remember that strange behavior on behalf of your equine friend is always a valid reason to check in with your veterinarian!

28/07/2025

While it’s a common equine emergency, esophageal obstruction (“choke”) can look alarming, especially if you've never seen it before. Unlike in human medicine, where choking refers to a tracheal (or windpipe) obstruction, choke in horses refers to an obstruction of the esophagus (the muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach).

Most commonly, choking occurs when horses eat concentrated feed too quickly without chewing appropriately, which results in a firm bolus lodged in the animal's esophagus. However, esophageal obstruction can also occur with hay or straw, hard treats, carrots, or nonfood objects. Poor dentition, which leads to inadequate chewing, is also a frequent cause of choke.

While common, choke can have serious consequences. So, be sure to call your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of choke. A bad choke is fairly obvious to both veterinarians and horse owners, but a mild choke could be confused with an upper respiratory tract infection or colic.

13/07/2025

20/05/2025

‼️Important! ‼️

I will be on vacation May 27-June 4th! If you have an emergency during this time, please contact the University of Illinois. Anything non urgent/scheduling, I will reach back out when I return! 👍🥰

Thank you!

02/04/2025

DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSES GRASS FOUNDER?

Spring is a wonderful time of the year, but it may be the beginning of some serious problems for horses vulnerable to grass founder — like horses that are over the age of 10, easy keepers, overweight or cresty-necked.

Laminitis or founder, as it is commonly called, is inflammation of the laminae of the horse’s foot. Laminae are the delicate, accordion-like tissues that attach the inner surface of the hoof wall to the coffin bone (the bone in the foot). A horse suffering from laminitis experiences a decrease in blood flow to the laminae, which in turn begin to die and separate. The final result is hoof wall separation, rotation of the coffin bone and extreme pain. In severe cases, the coffin bone will actually rotate through the sole of the horse’s hoof where it becomes infected and can ultimately lead to the horse having to be euthanized.

Laminitis can be triggered by different causes, like repeated concussion on hard ground (road founder), grain overload, retained placenta, hormonal imbalance (Cushing’s syndrome), obesity, and lush grass.

In cases of grass founder, the sugar fructans produced by rapidly growing grass stimulates an overgrowth of bacteria in the horse’s large intestine. The bacteria produce and release toxins (endotoxins) that are carried by the bloodstream to the foot where they cause damage to the laminae and small blood vessels.

The best way to deal with laminitis is preventing and managing the causes under your control. Consult your equine practitioner for further information and to formulate a plan tailored to your horse's individual situation. If you suspect laminitis, consider it a medical emergency and notify your veterinarian immediately.

04/03/2025

Are your cattle itchy and scratchy? 🪲Managing external parasites requires a year-round approach and should include preventative measures and proper pest identification.

✅Consult with your veterinarian to see if chemical control is an option.
✅Apply the correct product at the correct dosage.
✅Alternate products from one year to the next.

🖥️ Get your questions answered during the BCRC's March 19 parasite management webinar. REGISTER NOW. ⬇️ https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qJVicZU0SrOXmmLDy6Mjig #/registration

01/03/2025

Happy ! Not to be confused with National Bacon Day (you’ll have to wait till December 30th to celebrate that!)

Pigs play a big role in Illinois agriculture, supporting 57,000 jobs and contributing $13.8 billion to our economy. They also play a large role here at SIU, where students have the opportunity to work with farrowing sows at the University Farms and learn about the swine management.

28/02/2025

10/01/2025

🐴🐴🐴

Great article on f***l water syndrome in horses from AAEP!

28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from MMVS! Wishing everyone a day full of family and great food!! 🦃🍗🙏🤩🎉🥰

I will be out of town today and tomorrow celebrating Thanksgiving in my hometown with family but reachable by phone!

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?!?

23/11/2024

Did you know your horse can catch the flu, too?

While there isn’t a specific time of the year for “flu season” in the equine world, any time is good to learn more about this highly contagious respiratory condition—particularly because it’s one of the most common infectious diseases of the respiratory tract of horses, and recent years have been unusually active for Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) on a global scale.

EIV spreads rapidly through groups of horses in aerosolized droplets dispersed by coughing, and the severity of clinical signs depends on the degree of existing immunity within the affected individual, among other factors (i.e., correctly vaccinated horses are less affected than unvaccinated horses).
Any horse showing signs of respiratory disease (cough, nasal discharge, persistent fever) should be isolated immediately until your veterinarian can determine the exact cause.

To learn more about Equine Influenza Virus (EIV), visit these resources:
https://aaep.org/resource/aaep-infectious-disease-guidelines-equine-influenza-eiv/
&
https://www.equinediseasecc.org/equine-influenza

As always, your horse doctor remains your best source of information. Contact them to learn more about how to prevent this disease through an appropriate vaccination protocol and biosecurity practices.