Wellness Plans

A clinical exam is one of the most important aspects of routine preventative health care for your horse. The clinical exam firstly includes evaluation of your horse’s vital parameters (temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate). Your veterinarian will also auscultate (listen to with a stethoscope) your horse’s heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Auscultation of these organs can identify heart murmurs or arrhythmias, abnormal lungs sounds indicative of various respiratory issues, and can potentially identify the presence of sand within the large colon. Mucous membrane colour, moistness and capillary refill time will also be assessed. Following the basic exam, a thorough hands-all-over examination, checking for any swellings, lumps, or bumps anywhere on the horse, and ascertaining if there is abnormal distention of any joints is performed. The body condition of your horse will also be assessed and a weight tape will be used to estimate their weight. A basic ocular (eye) exam is also performed to detect any significant abnormalities and/or age-related changes.

A basic exam on a hard surface in a straight line is a great opportunity to evaluate your horse’s gaits, hoof conformation and trimming. Poor foot conformation can lead to early arthritis in the affected limb or compensation injuries in other limbs. Subtle lameness or gait abnormalities caught early can allow your veterinarian to intervene and possibly correct or cure a problem.

Following the exam, your veterinarian can consult with you on any significant findings noted on the exam and address any questions or concerns you may have. All exam findings will be documented in detail for future reference.

In addition to proper management, vaccination is generally considered one of the important and cost effective methods of disease prevention. Your veterinarian will consult with you regarding the vaccination needs of each individual horse. For more information on the different vaccinations available see our ‘Vaccination Fact Sheet’ (under the Forms and Fact Sheets tab).

In addition to a physical examination and vaccinations, routine dental care is another important aspect of your horse’s overall health care plan. As a part of our wellness plan, a thorough oral exam will be performed under standing sedation with an oral speculum. Examination also includes the use of a mirror and a dental explorer/pick. If deemed necessary, motorized dentistry will be performed to remove any sharp enamel points which have developed and correct any mild abnormalities including hooks, ramps, or wave-mouth. A thorough oral exam also allows us to identify more advanced conditions such as a loose or fractured tooth, or periodontal disease.

Gone are the days of blanket treating all horses the same with frequent deworming. Due to the development of parasitic resistance to dewormers, our approach is now based on faecal egg counts. This allows us to determine an individual horse’s parasite burden and develop a deworming program specifically based on that horse’s needs. Every horse should be dewormed a minimum of once a year. Any additional deworming will be based on the results of the fecal analysis. By using this method, we are helping to reduce the overuse of dewormers. Keeping your horse’s parasite burden low may decrease the risk of colic, anemia, and respiratory problems which can arise due to migrating larvae.

Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Serum Biochemistry

Routine blood work is another tool in monitoring your horse’s overall health status. A CBC is used to identify any signs of anemia, infection, or inflammatory disease. The biochemistry profile is an indicator of organ function by measuring enzymes and electrolytes in the blood and comparing them to a standardised reference range.

ACTH is a hormone that increases above normal limits in horses with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Disease (commonly known as Cushing’s disease). A single blood sample is submitted to the laboratory for measurement. Annual ACTH measurement is routinely recommended, during the Autumn months, in all horses aged 15 and over.

Insulin and glucose are often elevated in horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome. In suspect cases, if baseline insulin results are normal, then an in-feed glucose test is recommended, to detect the presence of Insulin Resistance. Note that for scheduling, this test is performed first thing in the morning.

This package helps you and your farrier have a more complete view of the health and balance of the front hooves, which will benefit your horse by allowing your farrier perform a more personalised trimming. This package includes 4 balance views of the front feet.

In the high-performance competition horse, optimal airway health is essential. Resting endoscopy of the upper airway and trachea is recommended to detect any obvious airway obstructions, or evidence of tracheal mucus or blood; all of which can limit performance.

Gastroscopy is also recommended to definitively rule in or out the presence of gastric ulcers; another factor that can limit performance. The procedure involves assessment of both the squamous and glandular gastric mucosa, and development of an individual treatment plan if necessary. Note that for scheduling, due to overnight fasting requirements, this procedure is ideally performed first thing in the morning.