Ledford Vet Services

09/03/2025

05/03/2025

26/02/2025

With spring only a few weeks away (🙌), it’s not too early to start thinking about a deworming plan for your equine companions.

If deworming is something you’ve been doing the same way for as long as you can remember, this year we encourage you to break tradition and work with your veterinarian instead. Thanks to tools like the f***l egg count, your horse doctor can help you devise a treatment tailored to the needs of your equine friend plus monitor the efficacy of the dewormer used last.

And before you dismiss this notion because you’ve been “doing it for years,” you should know that the old-school approach to deworming is quickly becoming outdated—not only a waste of money but it also builds drug resistance in the parasitic fauna of equines, which means we are running out of drugs that can effectively help us control parasite infections.

As always, consult your equine veterinarian to learn more and for questions specific to your animals!

22/02/2025

Make sure you keep up to date on this important vaccination! 💉

Core EQ Innovator® is the only vaccine that protects against all five core diseases, including rabies, with a single injection¹. Talk to your veterinarian today to learn more.​
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1. Zoetis Inc. Data on file. Study Report No. B951R-US-20-160, Zoetis Inc.

22/02/2025

It's Dental Health Awareness Month! Keeping up to date with veterinary dental exams is crucial to your horse's wellbeing. Get ahead of unwanted surprises and performance challenges - schedule an exam today!

11/02/2025

Enjoy 20% off with this months code: 20FEBRUARY 💊

08/02/2025

As foaling season approaches, feel confident knowing that your mare and foal are protected with Core EQ innovator®. The first and only single-dose vaccine that helps protect against all five core equine diseases is also safe for use during the third trimester.

Learn more: https://shorturl.at/hzaZB

23/01/2025

Winter tip: regularly check your bucket heaters to ensure they’re in proper working order. A malfunctioning bucket or trough heater can send an electrical current through the water, shocking horses when they try to drink. This experience can cause them to avoid drinking and lead to dehydration. If any part of the heater or power cord shows signs of wear, it’s time to replace it.

22/01/2025

Let us know how we can assist you in preparing for an equine emergency 🚨🩺🏥

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!