July 1, 2008

Third Annual Equine Healthcare Conference

Will be Held July 26, 2008

2:00-5:00pm

@ Heritage Christian Stables

1103 Salt Rd, Webster NY 14580

We welcome clients and non clients alike to a fun and interactive day which will include lectures, live demonstrations and hands on experiences. 

Topic discussions to include:

• Foot Sore Horses
•  Joint Therapy
•  Gastric Ulcers
•  Dentistry
• Ophthalmic implants
•  Equine First Aid...And so much more!

Relax and enjoy informational talks, demonstrations, and door prizes. Food concessions will be available.

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Interested in knowing more about preventable diseases? Click here

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  July 14, 2008

     Ledgewood Equine would like to welcome Dr. Annie Hauff, DVM. Annie is a recent graduate of Cornell University and we  are privileged that Annie has joined us for her 1 year internship. Please be sure to stop by and meet her at the Annual Equine Health Care Conference Saturday July 26th!!

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May 13, 2008

Ledgewood Equine would like to extend a very warm welcome to Dr. Elizabeth Bush, DVM our new Associate Veterinarian! Liz will be joining our practice on July 1st, please be sure to stop by and meet her at the Annual Equine Health Care Conference on July 26 at Heritage Christian Stables.

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Herpes Viral Outbreak

Many of you may have heard of the Herpes viral outbreaks in places such as Florida, California and New Jersey. Although New York has had no reported cases associated with these outbreaks, it is an important to know the cause and preventive measures as we prepare for another busy show season. Herpes virus, also known as rhinopneumonitis is present in the majority of horses in a dormant form. Most of the time it causes respiratory "flu" like symptoms, which resolve with time. Equine Herpes virus 1 (EHV-1) has also been known to cause abortions in pregnant mares. The current EHV-1 neurological outbreak is most likely a mutation of the "normal" virus. It is primarily spread by nasal secretions and in experimental situations can be spread as far as 35 feet from the affected horse. It can also be spread by contaminated clothes, water buckets, shoes, trailers, stalls or feed. As you can see, it can be difficult to try to control exposure especially if you are showing. But that does not mean you should not try to do so.
Ideally,

1. Wash the stalls with dilute Clorox (1 part Clorox: 10 parts water)
2. Limit nose to nose contact with other horses
3. Do not allow drinking from communal water troughs
4. Do not dip water buckets into communal water troughs
5. Do not allow others to pet your horse on the nose

There is currently no vaccine which has been shown to be effective in studies to prevent the neurological form. Some preliminary work has shown that the modified live vaccine may be beneficial which is why LEVC switched to it last year for our clients. If you choose to switch to the modified live vaccine then a booster will need to be given 4 weeks after the initial vaccine. Vaccination should be required by all events to help lower shedding of the virus by carriers. Over vaccination has been shown to increase the chances of getting sick (as what happened in the Findlay outbreak). We recommended vaccination ever 6 months as a result.

For additional information check out www.thehorse.com

 

Avid Equine Microchipping Program

 We offer a microchip identification program. This service includes injection of a rice-sized microchip into the nuccal ligament on your horse's neck (near the mane) and prepaid registration with Horsetrac, a national horse registry. Placement of a microchip is a simple and permanent form of identification. Being able to identify your horse is very important especially in cases of natural disasters or theft. The microchip from AVID has a number that can be read by a scanner. This number cannot be erased or altered. This number, once registered with Horsetrac, can help law enforcement, disaster workers and veterinarians acquire ownership information so that your horse can be returned to you. Horsetrac registration is transferable if you sell your horse.

For further information on microchipping and Horsetrac please visit their websites at www.horsetracusa.com and www.avidequineid.com

 

Interested in breeding your mare? Click here for additional information on breeding and mare care.

November, 2007

Dear Stable and Horse Owners:

This letter is to remind you of the billing policy that has gone into effect at Ledgewood Equine Veterinary Clinic as of late 2006. In the interests of keeping billing costs and therefore your costs down, we are requiring payment at time of service for all accounts.

This is especially significant for larger boarding facilities where owners are oftentimes not present for the appointment. If you are unable to be there for the appointment, please leave a check at the barn to pay for your portion of the appointment or call the clinic ahead of time with a credit card number or to make other arrangements. Some clients choose to leave a credit card on file at the clinic for their routine needs. This can also be advantageous if your horse experiences an emergency - it's one less thing you have to worry about - you can just let the doctor know that you have one on file. If anyone has any questions regarding this policy, please feel free to call the clinic.

Inflation affects all of us. This is just one more thing that we can do to help keep our prices down. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Thank you from all of us at Ledgewood Equine.