Category General

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General

Tips on Preventing EPM

Equine Protozoal Myelitis is a devastating illness. There are several things you can do to prevent EPM. Do not allow your horse to closely interact with opossums. Secure feed in places where opossums and birds have no access. Trap and remove opossums to distant locations. Minimize vermin and insects (cockroaches), which may potentially act to spread the infective sporocysts.
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General

Tips on Parasite Control

In the northern United States, wintered horses should be dewormed just prior to being turned out onto pastures in the spring. In this region, it is only necessary to suppress contamination past the beginning of July. After this time, there is insufficient grazing time left for significant pasture infectivity to develop.
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General

Tips on GI Parasites

Symptoms of equine parasite infection vary a lot. Mild parasitism leads to failure to thrive, weight loss, reduced food conversion efficiency (competition for nutrients), impaired growth and predisposition to other infectious diseases. On the other hand, a higher level of parasitism may cause colic, diarrhea, emaciation or unexpected sudden death.
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General

Red Maple Leaves Are Toxic to Horses

The brilliantly colored fallen leaves of autumn bring a potentially fatal danger to horses. The leaves and bark of the red maple tree are highly toxic to them and care should be taken to prevent ingestion. No one knows for sure why the leaves of the red maple ( Acer rubrum ) are poisonous to horses, but they are dangerous, whether they are fresh, wilted or dried.
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General

Bot Larva Tip

Horses are commonly parasitized by bot fly larvae (Gasterophilus). Throughout the summer, bot flies lay their eggs on the hair shafts of horses at pasture. These small yellow bot fly eggs can easily be seen on dark-colored horses. The flies selectively lay their eggs on the hair coat of the fore quarters from where the horse ingests the eggs during grooming (licking) behavior.
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General

Parasite Tip

Generally speaking, the tests used to determine whether a horse is currently parasitized have limitations, because parasites may not be shedding eggs. Therefore, negative fecal tests for parasites should not be interpreted to mean that there are not any larvae in the horse. Furthermore, damage inflicted by parasites may cause intestinal disturbances long after the parasites have been eliminated.
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General

Strongyle Tip

Most adult horses contain a parasite called strongyle in their gastrointestinal tract. The small strongyles actually cause damage by migrating inside the wall of the intestinal tract of horses. Horses acquire this type of parasite by eating pasture grass that has been contaminated by parasite larvae, which develop from eggs shed in horse manure.
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General

Meconium Retention

Meconium is the first fecal material produced by a newborn foal. Composed of cellular debris, amniotic fluid and intestinal secretions, it is formed during the time the fetus is in the uterus. The foal normally passes it within 30 minutes of the foal's first suckling or approximately two hours after birth.
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General

Dealing with Frostbite in Horses

Those of us who live in northern climes have felt it: The chilly, tingly, numbing feeling of ears, nose, fingers or toes exposed to cold. If exposure to frigid temperatures continues, frostbite can occur. But Mother Nature has better provided for horses than for humans against the perils of frostbite.
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General

Tips on Developing a Relationship with Your Vet

A great relationship with your vet involves: Planning for regular health maintenance Keeping your vet informed Requesting procedures ahead of time Carefully following treatment recommendations Understanding each other's time constraints Always strive to improve communication You can freely discuss second opinions where it is necessary.
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General

How to Ensure Your Horse's Care After You Die

Most pet owners want to provide for a pet's care in case the owner dies. But few owners actually look into the practical steps to ensure that care. You can do it, but you need planning and proper legal advice. Here are the basics: First, cleanse your mind of stories about eccentric millionaires who have left fortunes to their dogs and cats, much as you would leave money to your children.
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Red Eared Slider Care

The most commonly kept aquatic turtle or terrapin is the red eared terrapin or red eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans , from the genus of painted turtles. They can live for 30 years quite easily. Although most individuals are easy to manage, some can be aggressive, which makes them unsuitable pets for young children.
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How to Ensure Your Reptile's Care After Your Death

Most pet owners want to provide for a pet's care in case the owner dies. But few owners actually look into the practical steps to ensure that care. You can do it, but you need planning and proper legal advice. Here are the basics: First, cleanse your mind of stories about eccentric millionaires who have left fortunes to their dogs and cats, much as you would leave money to your children.
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General

Meet Sir M: A Bunny Who Helps People Beat the Blues

A 2-year-old Holland lop rabbit who seems to know a thing or two about depression has been honored by a group of Colorado veterinarians for his extraordinary ability to bond with troubled humans. Sir M, who lives with his owner, Paula Vinita, in suburban Denver, received the Human/Animal Bond Award at a special meeting of the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association in Snowmass, Colo.
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General

How to Ensure Your Pet's Care After Your Death

Most pet owners want to provide for a pet's care in case the owner dies. But few owners actually look into the practical steps to ensure that care. You can do it, but you need planning and proper legal advice. Here are the basics: First, cleanse your mind of stories about eccentric millionaires who have left fortunes to their dogs and cats, much as you would leave money to your children.
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General

Urinary Disorders in Rabbits

Normal rabbit urine can vary in color from almost clear yellow to very dark orange or rust color. The color is produced by a pigment called porphyrin, which may be caused by eating plant pigments, especially those foods high in carotenes, like carrots. It may also be produced in times of stress or illness, but should not be considered abnormal.
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General

Hypothermia in Small Mammals

When the skin or blood is cooled enough to lower the body temperature below normal, a state of hypothermia results. In hypothermia, metabolic and physiologic processes slow, respiration and heart rate are slow, blood pressure is low, and there is loss of consciousness. If left untreated, affected animals may die.
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Electrical Injuries in Small Mammals

Electrocution can result in serious injures due primarily to injury to nerve cells and the intense heat generated as the electricity passes through the body tissues. The most common source of electrical injury to pets is when they chew through electrical cords carrying low voltage household currents.
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General

Fracture of the Femur in Small Mammals

Fractures of the femur (thigh bone) are some of the most common fractures seen in veterinary medicine. These fractures are usually the result of major trauma, but they can be caused by disease of the bone itself. Generally, femoral fractures cause acute, non-weight bearing lameness of the affected hind leg.
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General

Laceration in Small Mammals

A laceration is a wound produced by the tearing of body tissue. The skin is often involved. Unlike an incision with smooth edges, a laceration is often jagged and irregular. There can be variable degrees of damage to the underlying body tissue and structures, depending on the depth and force of the trauma that caused the laceration.
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