Ledford Vet Services

14/01/2025

Here is the newest discount code for 15% off your prescriptions ! 💊🐴

14/01/2025

Lower leg wounds can be scary 😱. Fortunately, this laceration DID NOT pe*****te the digital tendon sheath or the fetlock joint pouch🙏.

It is vital that these wounds be investigated to ensure they do not pe*****te a synovial structure.

04/01/2025

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

31/12/2024

This is one of the many wires we have removed from a horse's tongue this year. We were able to remove it by making an incision in the base of the tongue, underneath the jaw.

The most common symptoms of tongue foreign bodies are excessive drooling, decreased appetite, and lethargy.

This horse had swelling at the base of the tongue due to an abscess forming.

This mare made a great recovery and is doing well!

21/12/2024

18/12/2024

18/12/2024

18/12/2024

Stock up for the New Year with 20% off your entire order using this discount code! 🎄💊💉🎁

13/12/2024

So great to see Maysie thriving! We are so glad treatment has worked for her and she is looking better than ever! True miracle story and a true testament to Angie’s love and dedication for every horse brought in at Easy R Equine Rescue!

We have great news!! Ledford Vet Services came out yesterday to draw blood on Maysie to, once again, test her liver function—hoping to have made progress in her numbers.
We got the report this morning and her GGT level went from 306 all the way down to 38!! Normal level is between 2-36. We will continue the Vitamin E and Platinum Performance Liver Support for a while longer.

What an amazing horse this girl is!!

13/12/2024

06/12/2024

DID YOU KNOW?

Strangles was one of the first equine diseases to be described by the early writers of veterinary science (was first reported in 1215) and is one of the most commonly diagnosed contagious diseases of the horse, worldwide. Though strangles is highly contagious and can affect many horses on a farm, particularly young animals, most horses with infection recover without complication.

It is not uncommon for strangles infections to recur on a farm with previous outbreaks of the disease. The bacteria can survive in water sources for over a month, but the primary source of recurrent infections is most likely asymptomatic carrier horses. Anywhere from 4-50% of the horses on farms with recurring strangles are asymptomatic carriers of the infection, and they may continue to shed the bacteria for months to even years, serving as a continual source of new infections.

If you suspect a strangles outbreak, be sure to involve your veterinarian right away to determine the diagnosis and the best control practices for your particular farm. Strangles is a reportable disease in some states. Movement of any horses on or off the farm should be stopped, and new horses should not be introduced. Monitoring the temperature of all horses daily and isolating horses at the first sign of fever is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of infection. Infected horses can transmit the bacteria to healthy horses one to two days after they develop a fever.

To learn more about strangles, visit our website at https://aaep.org/resource/client-education-presentation-understanding-equine-strangles/

As always, your veterinarian remains your best source of information and advice!

28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 We are so grateful, thankful and blessed to have served you all for ONE WHOLE YEAR! Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Ledford Vet Services!

28/11/2024

🌾 Feeding forage is key to helping horses maintain body temperature during winter! ❄️ When horses digest forage, microbes in the hindgut produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs) for energy, which also generates heat as a natural by-product. This internal heat from fiber digestion helps keep horses warm in colder weather. 🔥🐴
Non-fiber carbohydrates (like sugars and starches) and fats don’t produce heat directly during digestion but still provide calories to support metabolic heat production. Ensuring your horse has access to quality forage is one of the best ways to promote a stable body temperature all winter long!

Learn more about keeping your horse healthy in the winter in our article:
🇨🇦https://madbarn.ca/feed-horse-in-winter/
🇺🇲https://madbarn.com/feed-horse-in-winter/

26/11/2024

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!

22/11/2024

‼️IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT‼️

If you are in need of Coggins, health certs, injections, etc before Vegas or any other end of year rodeos please plan accordingly and give us a call to schedule! Thank you! 🐴

19/11/2024

Here is the newest discount code, make sure to take advantage of 15% off your prescriptions through our online pharmacy! 💊

13/11/2024

If your horse has a cough that persists into exercise or is heard while your equine friend is at rest in the barn, be sure to talk to your veterinarian about evaluating your horse for respiratory disease. It could be a problem with the upper airway (the nasal passages and throat) or the lower airway (the lungs).

While waiting for your appointment, try decreasing your horse’s exposure to dust, as that is a primary trigger for lower respiratory disease such as asthma or heaves. Some simple things you can do include avoiding straw bedding, feeding hay on the ground and/or soaking it, not using a leaf blower on barn aisles, and not storing hay or bedding above your horse’s stall. Last but not least, while us humans may be more comfortable with all the barn doors closed on a cold day, your horses’ lungs will appreciate open doors/windows and good ventilation!

As always, if you have questions or would like to learn more about preserving your horse’s respiratory health, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

07/11/2024

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOUR HORSE IS ACCIDENT-PRONE...🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️

If you own horses long enough, sooner or later you are likely to confront a medical emergency. There are several behavioral traits that make horses especially accident-prone: one is their instinctive flight-or-fight response; another is their need to establish the pecking order within a herd; and a third is their natural curiosity. Such behaviors account for many of the cuts, bruises, and abrasions that horses suffer. In fact, lacerations are probably the most common emergency that horse owners must contend with.

Do you know what to do if your horse is cut or bleeding? The initial steps you take to treat a wound can prevent further damage and speed healing, and maintaining your presence of mind could save your horse's life. Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind in case of emergency; how you will ultimately proceed will depend on your horse's individual circumstances, and on the advice you receive from your veterinarian.