Circle R Equine

25/12/2024

28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I’m thankful for all of you and the wonderful creatures you allow me to work with! I hope everyone has a safe and blessed holiday! Stay warm!

11/11/2024

Today we honor all our veterans.
Thank you for your service and all that you have done and do for our country.
Thank you for keeping our country safe and strong.
Thank you for your courage and selflessness.
May God continue to bless you today and every day.
Happy Veterans Day!

25/09/2024

Hey everyone! I will be out of town today-9/29. Non-urgent matters will be addressed when I return. Urgent matters will be addressed as I’m able to or referred if needed.

Hope everyone is having a great start to fall! 🐴

09/08/2024

Contact dermatitis: inflammation of the skin due to contact with an irritant. Or in my horse Tater’s case - when you get a rash from rolling in something you shouldn’t.

Tater is a 25 year old QH gelding that gives a few beginner lessons every other week but is otherwise living the pasture life. On Monday, Tater was found to have a rash consisting of slightly oozing scabs along both sides of his neck, poll, and ears. The skin at the base of both ears was warm, and he was incredibly ear shy with the left being worse than the right. No discharge was noted directly from the ear, just the skin covering the ears.

Tater was diagnosed with contact dermatitis from most likely laying/rolling in some irritating weeds in his pasture. Treatment consisted of bathing with a medicated shampoo (Ketohex) every other day for a week and topical application of SSD (silver sulfadiazine) cream daily for a few days then switching to topical zinc oxide daily. Systemic antibiotics and anti-inflammatories were administered on the first day due to the amount of pain and inflammation present. The scabs were only removed once softened, nothing was actively picked off as that would be further irritating to the skin.

Tater has responded well to treatment and should be back to toting around 4 year olds soon. While dermatitis is manageable at home for most horse owners, a severe case like Tater’s definitely required veterinary intervention!

06/08/2024

Guess what?? We now have portable xray equipment!

This may not have been in the plan for this year but who can pass up a good deal? 😂 I’m still focusing on dentistry and chiropractic, but also the horses overall health. X-rays are only going to help improve that with the ability to take dental and hoof radiographs, as well as other structures, for diagnostic purposes. So let’s put this equipment to use and do some imaging!

25/07/2024

PSA: Dr. Ryan will be out of town Monday July 29th through Saturday August 3rd. Emergent issues will be addressed if possible, however non-emergent issues will be addressed the following Monday 😊

15/07/2024

Happy National I Love Horses Day! 🐴

Horse people of a breed of their own. I can say that because I am one! Let’s celebrate by posting a picture of your beloved horse(s) in the comments below! And enjoy this picture of my goobs that I love dearly 😂

24/06/2024

Coggins and Health Certificates

I’ve talked about Coggins and what that tests for in a previous post, but for this one, I thought I’d share some test turnaround time so you can plan ahead and have your documents before you need them.

A regular Coggins utilizes an AGID (agar gel immunodiffusion) test which takes 2-3 days for the lab to run. With the electronic Coggins I do through GlobalVetLink, I’d recommend giving at least 7 days to obtain a regular Coggins though. I drive my samples to the lab directly, so I try to either have a few samples before I make the trip or wait until I’m already traveling that direction to drop them off.

A quick Coggins utilizes an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test which takes only a few hours to run. If the sample gets to the Springfield lab before 1 pm, results will be available by the end of the day (you as the client will be responsible for dropping them off for same day samples). Samples received after that will be available the next day. The lab is closed on the weekends, so samples received on Friday afternoon won’t be available until Monday.

Health certificates are required when crossing state lines. Some shows require them as well even when local. Most health certificates are good for 30 days to the specific location they were written for. A current Coggins (meaning done within the last 12 months) and brief exam with a temperature are required to complete a health certificate. I recommend giving at least 24 hours to obtain a health certificate once the exam has been completed.

**What inspired this post was a work stress dream 😅. A client was selling a horse that was leaving the next day but had waited to call me out for a Coggins on a Friday afternoon. There was nothing I could do. Situations like this have actually happened though, so hopefully this information will help you plan ahead and prevent these situations from happening!

05/06/2024

Some key takeaways from these new guidelines are:

-Deworm all horses at a baseline rate (I recommend twice a year in the Spring and Fall) and target selected horses more often based on f***l egg counts

-Stop blindly rotating anthelmintic classes. Consult your veterinarian before purchasing those deworming packages online. Using these protocols on every horse is breeding resistance which is what we want to avoid!

UPDATES GUIDELINES AVAILABLE 📢

The AAEP has issued revised Internal Parasite Control Guidelines to help minimize the risk of parasitic disease and maintain the effectiveness of current drugs for as long as possible by delaying further development of anthelmintic resistance.

The updated guidelines account for recent advances in knowledge concerning increased anthelmintic resistance and optimization of parasite control management practices. They also address common misconceptions and offer parasite control program recommendations for senior horses (over 15 years old), mature horses (between 5 and 15 years old), and young horses (under 5 years old).

Read more at: https://aaep.org/post/aaep-publishes-updated-internal-parasite-control-guidelines/

The guidelines were reviewed and updated by the AAEP Internal Parasite Control Guidelines Task Force, chaired by Dr. Nielsen and comprised of 10 AAEP members predominantly board certified in veterinary internal medicine, veterinary parasitology and/or veterinary microbiology. We thank them for their incredibly important work!

27/05/2024

Honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice - Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇸

21/05/2024

Important illustration on emergencies vs. non-emergencies. If you ever have a question, please don’t hesitate to ask! And if you can capture a picture or video, those are always appreciated!

30/04/2024

Hoof Health Tips

With all the rain we've been having, it's important to keep an eye on your horse's hooves. Standing in mud and water can soften the hooves and create an environment perfect for bacteria, leading to Thrush and White Line Disease. Another common problem this time of year are hoof abscesses. Here are some tips to help keep your horse's hooves health:
• Pick your horse's feet out daily
• Provide a dry area for your horse to be able to get out of the mud
• Apply ThrushBuster, Kopertox, or 50:50 Bleach-water solution topically no more than once a week for prevention. Overuse of these products can lead to more resistant bacteria!
• Work with a good farrier! Most horses need trimmed at least every 6-12 weeks. This time of year horse's hooves are growing fast, so I'd recommend more of a 4-6 week cycle now. But work with your farrier to come up with a plan for your horse. And make sure they trim all the dead frog and sole away to prevent the harboring of bacteria in those areas!
• Supplement vitamins and minerals to encourage proper hoof health. My favorite hoof supplement is Platinum Performance Hoof Support - I've seen this do wonders for many horses! This product can only be purchased through a veterinarian or online directly from Platinum Performance.

If you have any questions, please let me know! Hopefully this helps keep your horse healthy and you riding!

22/04/2024

Since (hopefully🤞🏻) we're all getting to spend more time with our horses and most likely traveling more, here's a checklist for those first aid kits that you should keep in your barn and/or trailer.

*Please note some of the medications are prescription only. To have access to these medications, you must have an established veterinary-client-patient-relationship. This means I must have examined your horse within the last year.

If you need help putting a first aid kit together, please let me know! Happy riding!

15/04/2024

Coggins💉🩸

Most horse owners know that their horses need a Coggins done annually, but what is it?

A Coggins is a blood test that evaluates for Equine Infectious Anemia or EIA. This is caused by a bloodborne viral pathogen for which there is no treatment. Symptoms of EIA range from fever, disorientation, lethargy, anorexia, and ventral edema to sudden death to no symptoms as some horses can be carriers without showing any outward clinical signs. The main goal of testing is to identify these carriers to prevent further spread of the disease.

What happens if a horse comes back positive for EIA? The State Veterinarian's office gets involved, and the positive horse will have two main options:
1) permanent quarantine from other equine species within 200 yards and permanent identification with a tattoo or brand
2) euthanasia
All exposed horses will undergo quarantine and retesting as well. So far this year, a few cases have been reported in TX, CA, CT and a few places in Canada. The last positive horse for MO was reported in 2022.

While most people only get Coggins if their horses will be traveling, it's important to test every horse annually to prevent the spread. It only takes one carrier and some biting insects to cause an outbreak. If you need to schedule your horses for Coggins testing, please send me a message or call/text me at 417-501-9936.

13/04/2024

Apparently our Redbirds are not horse savvy 😂

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/bGTwfgPa3N29urHw/?mibextid=WC7FNe

01/04/2024

I hope everyone had a great Easter! It’s a blessing to be able to see how good God is and how He always keeps His promises, not only on Easter but every day through the work with all my clients and patients 🩷