Crater Animal Clinic

Equine Preventative Medicine Program

The following are recommendations for your horse. All equine are different and we use these as a guideline to taylor you horses best health care plan for their individual needs.

Equine Annual Wellness Exam:

Horses, like humans, are living longer and healthier lives. In order to achieve these extended healthy lifetimes, preventative health care and improved nutrition are vitally important. To ensure the optimal health and longevity of your equine companions, Crater Animal Clinic stresses a thorough wellness examination so that any abnormalities can be addressed in a timely fashion, before they develop into more severe problems.

The equine wellness exam includes examination of the eyes, mouth, teeth, lymph nodes, skin, heart, lungs, abdomen, and genital areas. A brief exam of the limbs for joint effusion or bony or soft tissue abnormalities is included. Any problems will be noted and treatment options discussed with you.  We will also discuss your horse’s body condition and nutrition to give recommendations on feeding your horse for optimal health and performance. This is also a good time to review your equine parasite prevention program.

A locomotion exam of your horse can be scheduled at the time of your wellness exam. This exam includes observation of your horse at the trot in straight lines and in circles on the lunge line to watch for any abnormalities in locomotion. If abnormalities are seen, a more in depth lameness exam can be scheduled for another time.

Selenium is a micronutrient that is low in the soils of the Pacific Northwest and therefore can also be low in the feeds grown here. Deficiencies in selenium can cause weight loss, ill thrift, performance problems, reproductive problems as well as numerous other health issues. Your horse’s diet should include a selenium supplement. We recommend testing your horse’s selenium via a blood test. At this time, a full complete blood count and chemistry panel can also be performed to further evaluate your horse’s overall health.
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The annual wellness exam can be scheduled at the same time as vaccination appointments. The wellness exam fee is reduced when performed at the same time as vaccinations.  Our recommendations for vaccinations are listed below and are part of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) vaccine guidelines.

Equine Parasite Prevention Program

Parasite control is important to the health and well being of your horses. We recommend semi-annual fecal testing two weeks before your next deworming as follow-up to make sure the program is working for your horses. You can bring 2-3 fecal balls with you to your appointment, or you can drop them off to have a fecal test performed without brining your horse. Since parasites are primarily transferred through manure, a good pasture management program is key. Along with clean, plentiful water, high quality feed, love and attention, an effective control program can help your horse be as healthy on the inside as he appears on the outside.

Rotation of deworming products every 2 months is recommended to aid in the control of parasites, and to help prevent drug resistant parasites.

Dental Care

Annual dental exams should begin at birth to check for malocclusions. Wolf teeth can be extracted at 1-2 years of age or at the time of castration if your horse is male. Teeth should be floated on an as needed basis, but we recommend having them done annually for optimum health and performance. Performance dentistry includes creating bit seats and doing reconstructive work as needed.

Foal Health Program

We know just how long you’ve waited for your foal to arrive and we are ready to help adjust your new baby to life outside the womb. Neonates have special needs that can be addressed by the veterinarians at Crater Animal Clinic. Post foaling exams are an important part of your foal health program and should be performed shortly after birth. Besides a clean area in which to be born, foals also need good mothers, plenty of colostrum and should have their umbilicus disinfected shortly after birth. During a post foaling exam we can assess whether the foal has any angular limb deformities or congenital disorders that may need to be addressed early. We also check out the mare and make sure that she was not damaged during the birth process, that she has passed her placenta and that she will be ready and healthy to be bred in the coming year. Twenty four hours after birth we recommend having an IgG blood test performed to determine if your foal received enough colostrum antibodies from its dam.