Glacier FarmMedia – Modern horse feeding advice frequently recommends adding concentrated feeds to pasture or hay diets. This is often considered essential to meet caloric needs for performance or to ensure sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals. There is growing evidence that paints a different picture. Grain-heavy processed diets may contribute to various digestive and […] Read more
Tag Archives equine health
Inside scoop a swallow away
The camera in a pill has come to the equine world. A first in Canada, the endoscopy capsule technology is being tested at the University of Saskatchewan and is a collaborative effort between engineering and veterinary medicine. The new tool may soon open up a new world of diagnosis inside the horse’s small intestines, which […] Read more
Vet reminds horse owners of vaccine importance
COCHRANE, Alta. — Vaccinations should be on the spring agenda for horse owners. Spring vaccines are recommended so that the immune system is built up before disease-spreading mosquitoes and other pests become active, said veterinarian Brettly Battistone of Burwash Equine Services in Calgary. Some diseases are not commonly seen in this part of the world, […] Read more
Tests determine if deworming necessary
Parasite resistance to commonly used treatments is increasing so egg counts are advised to ensure the right treatment is used
COCHRANE, Alta. — Deworming horses is a common springtime practice, but producers must also consider the growing problem of parasite resistance to commonly used treatments, says an Alberta veterinarian. “We know resistance is building, and it is a herd based problem,” Brettly Battistone with Burwash Equine Services of Calgary told a horse workshop in Cochrane. […] Read more
Don’t show love for your horse with food, says equine expert
A horse may need to be put on a diet if its back is so fat it looks like a tabletop, says veterinarian
COCHRANE, Alta. — Horses that eat too much and exercise too little put on weight that can affect their health. “Feed by weight and feed judiciously. You can kill a horse with kindness,” says horse expert Ron Anderson of Calgary. A horse should eat 1.5 to two percent of its body weight per day. For […] Read more
Health guidelines target horses on show circuit
Close proximity at events Keep an animal that isn’t feeling well at home ‘for the greater good of the horse community,’ says veterinarian
The need for preventive measures became clear to horse owners and veterinarians when 28 horses be-came ill with the equine herpesvirus at a horse show in Utah. Alberta’s horse owners now have a new guide available to do just that. The guide, which was developed by the Equine Industry Biosecurity Outreach Program, focuses on what […] Read more
Camera used for inside view
Endoscope | Device can help vets see all the way into the animal’s stomach
It is impossible for a horse with throat problems to open wide and say aaah. Instead, a veterinarian can use an endoscope to see inside and do a more accurate diagnosis. Also used in human medicine, the endoscope has a long, small flexible tube with a light and camera attached to the end. By manipulating […] Read more
