Previous Equine Veterinary
Newsletters
Dr. John H. Berends
Due to the recent outbreak of equine encephalomyelitis in the south west Michigan area, Dr. Berends would like to update his clients on the most recent recommendations by several leaders in the equine health industry. Each of these sources are recommending, at least, annual vaccinations administered by a veterinarian. In addition, I feel the following is worth mentioning so you, as a responsible horse owner, can make an informed decision regarding the health of your horse(s). If you wish to schedule a booster vaccination for your horse, please call the office as soon as possible. The sooner your horse receives a booster, the more protection he will receive during these last warm days of late summer/early fall.
American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP): Recommends that all horses in an area affected by an equine encephalomyelitis outbreak receive an EWT + WNV booster as soon as possible.
Michigan State University: Recommends that horses vaccinated for EWT+WNV prior to 2/28/10 receive a booster as soon as possible.
Pfizer Animal Health: Recommends that each horse owner follow the recommendation of the state veterinarian (MSU). However, Pfizer is the manufacturer of the current EWT + WNV vaccine used by Dr. Berends, and their product insert states that this vaccine should be administered every year, within a 12 month window from year to year. Pfizer also offers a product promotion for several of their vaccines (EWT + WNV is included in this promotion) that if you have your veterinarian administer one of the vaccines listed on their promotion certificate, and that animal comes down with the disease that they were vaccinated against within that 12 month time frame, Pfizer will provide some financial assistance to the owner of the horse, for the treatment of that disease (see Pfizer's product promotion for full description of requirements).
Please remember to protect yourselves and your families against mosquitoes. The same insect that carries equine encephalomyelitis to your horse, also can infect your family. There is currently no vaccination to protect people from this life threatening disease.
If you have any questions, or wish to schedule a vaccination/booster - please call the office at 269 795 4430.
Thank you -
Dr. John H. Berends
NEWSFLASH - I would like to inform everyone of the current Potomac horse fever outbreak and recommend to anyone that vaccinated their horse(s) prior to April 1 should get a PHF booster to aid in the prevention of this disease. If you have any questions, please feel free to call. (269) 795-4430.
NEWSFLASH - Within the last month, I have seen over 15 cases of Potomac Horse Fever in my practice, and have spoken to several area equine veterinarians that are also treating several cases within their practices. This disease is very debilitating, and in some cases, fatal for horses. If you notice your horse(s) seeming to be depressed in their behavior, off feed, exhibiting mild colic symptoms, dehydrated, showing signs of diarrhea or founder - call the office, immediately. Treatment is required as soon as possible. The following article has been put together by MSU's veterinary school. Please read and if you have any questions, please feel free to call. (269) 795-4430.
Dr. Berends
February 20, 2009
Dr. John Berends
and
EquiVentures Farm
SPRING NEWSLETTER
Spring 2009
Spring – I never thought it would arrive, this year. Even as I type this newsletter, we are under, yet another, winter storm advisory. Hope springs eternal, however, and I fondly remember that 70 degree day we had a couple of weeks ago in early February, and know that many more 70 degree days are right around the corner!
This year, everyone is aware of the sad state of our economy. It seems to be all we talk about, and yet, we have so much to be thankful for. Those of you that eagerly await that first ride across the pasture, the arrival of a new foal, or even just the sunshine and warmer temperatures know that those days are just a few weeks away. To help ease the financial strain of horse ownership, I am instituting a new cash discount policy. Payment at the time of service, for your veterinary work, is my policy, but for those of you that can pay cash, I will give a 5% discount off from regular pricing. I am going to keep my service fees at the 2008 pricing, and hope that any increase in pharmaceutical and veterinary supplies will be kept to a minimum by those manufacturers.
During the month of March, I am offering spring vaccinations, coggins blood draws, and limited wellness exams at my clinic each Saturday from 9AM – noon (3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28). Trailering your horses to the clinic will save you the price of a farm call – no office call charge, either. Payment will be at the time of service, but I am offering the 5% discount described above bringing the cost of this package down to 2007 pricing ($125 per horse). The regular cost of the vaccination package, including a coggins is $132.00 per horse and includes: Eastern/Western encephalomyelitis, tetanus, West Nile Virus, rhino, influenza, rabies and Potomac horse fever vaccinations. If you don’t wish to vaccinate for all of these diseases, you can request other combinations, but EWT + WNV or rhino/flu or PHF/rabies are the 3 combination vaccines that will be available – so if you want EWT your horse will also be vaccinated against WNV, etc. For quicker service while completing coggins paper work please bring last year’s coggins form, a copy of your horse’s registration papers or write down your name, address, telephone and county you live in, horse’s name, color, breed, age or foaling date, registration number (if applicable) and gender. Please use the horse’s name that you will use at the horse shows or 4-H to avoid future confusion with show secretaries. RSVP by the Thursday prior to the Saturday you plan on stopping by. Service will be given on a first come, first served basis.
I know this is going to be a tougher year for horse owners, than the last several years have been. However, the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association still recommend that vaccinating your horses is less expensive than treating a horse that becomes ill from one of these preventable diseases. The AAEP has a list of CORE vaccines, or those that they feel are extremely important because they can be transmitted to the horse and to its’ owner (a public health concern). If you can’t vaccinate for all of the above listed recommended diseases, please vaccinate with Core vaccines: Tetanus, West Nile Virus, Eastern/Western encephalomyelitis and Rabies.
Other suggested ways to manage a horse’s care on a tight budget are:
1 To help keep your veterinary costs down, establish a good working relationship with your vet. In this way, when an emergency arises, I understand what you, the horse owner, can handle on your own, and we can work up a management plan that allows you to do as much as you are comfortable with. I am always available for you to haul your horse to the clinic for veterinary services. That saves you the cost of a farm call.
2 Fecal testing and deworming help prevent internal parasites, a number 1 cause of colic. Schedule a fecal exam to help plan your deworming needs for this year.
3 Proper nutrition helps to maintain a healthy horse. If you plan to make a change to your horse’s feed, make this change over a 7 – 10 day period. Start by feeding only 25% of the new grain or hay the first day, and gradually increase the amount of the new feed while decreasing the amount of the old feed, until the change has been completed. Don’t waste your money by over-feeding your horses. Feed should be based on body weight, age, use, etc. The AAEP recommends a horse needs 1% to 2.5% of its body weight in hay per day, which translates to 10 – 22 pounds of hay per day for a 1000 pound horse. Use a scale to weigh your hay to bring excessive feeding under control. When you start a new grain, follow the manufacturer’s feed guide on the package. Feed manufacturers have spent a lot of money to come up with those guidelines, don’t be afraid to use them. You can make necessary adjustments later.
4 Dental and farrier care are also important to keeping your horse healthy. When a horse’s mouth is sore, they don’t eat properly, many times causing grain to drop out of their mouths – causing waste. An annual, manual floating may be all that is needed to give your horse a proper grinding surface. The expense of this float may be offset through nutritional gain and the reduced chance of colic. Regular hoof care is important to a healthy horse. Healthy and balanced hooves require daily cleaning, and trimming every 6 – 8 weeks. The cost of a certified farrier visiting on a regular basis may keep costly lameness issues at bay. .
Thank you for the opportunity to care for your horses. I appreciate the continued confidence that you place in me. If I can answer any horse care questions, please call my office 269 795 4430, email berendsj@hotmail.com or FAX 2697962609, and I will try to get back to you within 24 hours. As always, in case of a horse care emergency, please call my cell phone @ 231 250 5236. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you this spring.
Dr. John Berends
April 10, 2008
It has been a while since I have last updated the online News Letter. Thank you to all of you that have subscribed to this News Letter. This News Letter contains the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners Vaccination Guidelines. I hope this information is helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Dr. John Berends
2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners Vaccination Guidelines
West Nile Virus (WNV)
Foals:
1st dose at 3-4 months of age, 2nd dose at 1 month following initial vaccination, 3rd dose at 6 months of age if in high risk area
Yearlings and Older:
Annual booster (minimum)
Semi annually (recommended)
Tetanus Toxoid
Foals:
Non-vaccinated dam: 1st dose at 3-4 months, 2nd dose at 4-5 months
Vaccinated dam: 1st dose at 6 months, 2nd dose at 7 months, 3rd dose at 8-9 months
Yearlings and Older:
Annual booster (minimum)
Semi annually (recommended)
Booster at time of penetrating injury or surgery.
Encephalomyelitis (EEE, WEE)
Foals:
1st dose at 3-4 months, 2nd dose at 4-5 months, 3rd dose at 5-6 months
Yearlings and Older:
Annual booster (minimum)
Semi annually (recommended)
Influenza (flu) - Inactivated Injectable
Foals:
1st dose at 6 months, 2nd dose at 7 months, 3rd dose at 8 months, Booster every 3 months
Intra-nasal modified live: 1st dose at 11 months
Yearlings and Older:
Injectable every 3-4 months, Intra-nasal every 6 months (Not recommended for pregnant mares)
Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4)
Foals:
1st dose at 4-6 months, 2nd dose at 5-7 months, 3rd dose at 6-8 months, Follow up every 3 months
Yearlings and Older:
Booster every 3 months
Broodmares:
At 3,5,7,8 months of gestation with inactivated EHV-1 (Pneumabort K + 1b)
Breeding Stallions:
Vaccinate before breeding season begins and semiannually
Strangles:
Foals:
1st dose at 6-9 months (Intra-nasal), 2nd dose at 3 weeks following first dose
Yearlings:
Semi-annually
Older Horses:
Annually
Rabies
Foals:
1st dose at 3-4 months, 2nd dose at 6-7 months
Yearlings and Older:
Annually
Potomac Horse Fever (PHF)
Foals:
1st dose at 5-6 months, 2nd dose at 6-7 months
Yearlings and Older:
Semi-annually
Rotovirus A
Broodmares:
At 8,9,10 months of gestation
Passive transfer of colostral antibodies aid in prevention of rotoviral diarrhea in foals
June 15, 2006
I cannot believe how fast this spring has gone!
My kids are thrilled to be out of school for a while. I want to take
a moment to thank all of my clients for the extraordinary way you have
welcomed me back into your equine community and for the many referrals
to your friends and family.
HEALTH TIPS
As you all know, routine vaccinations and deworming
programs are the backbone of your equine health program. If you haven’t
scheduled your horse(s)’ spring vaccinations, please be sure to
do that ASAP. I recommend vaccinating against: West Nile Virus, Potomac
Horse Fever, Eastern/Western encephalomyelitis, Tetanus, Influenza and
Rhino in the spring, and later in the summer (before fair week) against
Rabies and boosting your flu/rhino. Remember to keep pregnant mares
up to date against rhino with Pneaumabort K vaccinations at 3,5,7 and
9 months of gestation. Unfortunately, while vaccines are the best infectious
disease fighters that we have, they are not 100% effective. I wanted
to remind you of some simple farm management ideas to reduce the risks
for many of the infectious equine diseases that are a risk to the health
of your horses. My source for these tips is the Equine Disease Quarterly.
Clean and disinfect stalls, water buckets, grooming
tools, pitchforks, barn aisles and other items, routinely. Increase
frequency in case of an outbreak.
Group horses together according to their primary
use; do not put broodmares and young foals together with show horses
that are frequently transported off the premises.
When the farrier, veterinarian, etc visits your
farm, ask them to see your most ‘at risk’ horses first (broodmares,
foals, etc). This reduces the risk of infectious pathogens being carried
to your most ‘at risk’ horses.
Isolate new horses to your farm for a minimum
of 14 days. This allows you to monitor for infections, and vaccinate
and deworm, if necessary prior to introducing the new horse to your
herd.
Provide antibacterial hand washing products and
paper towels for everyone’s use (waterless hand foam works well
if you don’t have running water available). This protects your
family, as well as your horses.
Rodent and bird control is very important. Rats,
mice, birds, bats all carry numerous diseases that can affect your horse’s
health. Be sure to remove standing water, bird nests and other rodent
habitat. One barn mouse can carry salmonella and many other types of
bacteria.
NEW PRODUCT TIP
Be sure to ask me about a new product being marketed
as an aid for reducing stress or equine anxiety in situations such as:
trailering, new environments, shoeing, clipping, training and other
non-painful situations. It does not diminish pain, sedate horses, increase
the horse’s performance or create any dependency. It mimics the
natural equine appeasing pheromone produced by mares for several days
after the birth of a foal. Horses recognize and react to these pheromones
throughout life. It should be administered 30 minutes prior to the stress,
and lasts approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours.
WHEN TO CALL
Throughout the summer, I am asked for a guideline
as to when to call the veterinarian. The following is a portion of a
guide that was put together by the American Association of Equine Practitioners
(AAEP).
CRITICAL – call immediately:
- Non-weight bearing lameness – may indicate
a fracture
- Sudden/severe inability to breathe normally
- Persistent bleeding from an opening or a wound
- Colic
- Profound behavior change, staggering, lack of
coordination
- Acute laminitis
- Foaling that takes more than 30 minutes
- Fever over 102
- Heat stroke
- Severe trauma or orthopedic injuries
- And, if you are unsure, call for advice!
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