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Veteranian FAQs - Preventive horse care topics
• What vaccines does my horse need?
• Can my horse get antibody levels checked to find out if vaccination is really needed?
• If titers don't measure immunity how do I know that my horse needs a vaccine?
• Are vaccines safe and effective?
• How often does my horse need his teeth floated?
• Who should perform dental procedures, veterinarians or trained lay professionals?
• What de-worming protocol should my horse be on?
• What are the tests needed to follow a strategic deworming protocol?
• How often do these tests need to be repeated?
• What about "natural" herbal dewormers?
• Are there other ways to help reduce parasite problems?
• Does my horse need a multivitamin/mineral supplement?
What vaccines does my horse need?
Vaccine protocol depends on many factors including your horse's age, occupation, and health status. After a complete history and physical exam on your horse, your veterinarian can present vaccine options and you can make an informed choice. You should consider risks versus benefits of each vaccine as it pertains to your horse's current situation.
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Can my horse get antibody levels checked to find out if vaccination is really needed?
A serum antibody test (titer) is a laboratory procedure done on a portion of your horse's blood that can identify your horse's immunity to certain disease agents. Unfortunately there are two challenges with this approach to "testing immunity". First, the immune response includes more than circulating antibody, therefore testing this one aspect does not necessarily tell you much, if anything, about your horse's true capacity to resist disease. Second, there is limited scientific support in equine medicine correlating titer levels with protection against diseases we commonly vaccinate for. In small animal medicine there is good evidence that titers do measure immunity to two canine diseases (parvo and distempter). In horses, there is some evidence that tetanus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis titers may correlate with immunity. Yet these tests are not readily available, and there is no verified standard to say what exact titer level assures protection.
Future research may reveal valid titers in horses. At the present time these blood tests are of questionable value in developing a sensible vaccination protocol.
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If titers don't measure immunity how do I know that my horse needs a vaccine?
The short answer is, you don't. Most veterinarians believe that vaccines are an essential part of disease prevention. Although widely practiced, current protocol for equine vaccination has been subject to very limited scientific scrutiny.
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Are vaccines safe and effective?
Licensed vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective under experimental conditions. It is not clear how safe or effective they are in actual equine practice settings due to the many factors that cannot be accounted for in the research setting. There are also significant differences in vaccines efficacy between different commercial products, making product selection a complicated process for veterinarians. Despite the extensive research and development a vaccine undergoes before becoming licensed, we have limited assurance that the research results apply to the real life circumstances.
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How often does my horse need his teeth floated?
This varies. Some horses need frequent dental care, as often as twice per year. Other horses do not ever need their teeth floated! Many factors are involved. Every horse should have a full oral exam where the need for dental care can be assessed by a qualified practitioner.
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Who should perform dental procedures, veterinarians or trained lay professionals?
The topic is controversial because many veterinarians believe high quality dentistry requires motorized equipment, which cannot be performed without the use of anesthetic drugs. Additionally many veterinarians believe that X-rays should be part of a complete dental exam (like the standard in human dentistry). So if anesthesia and radiography are part of routine dentistry, then lay professionals are not licensed to provide this service. On the other hand there are many lay dentists who work with veterinarians to provide high quality services. There are also horses that require only simple "floating" that does not require power tools or any medical procedure. When utilizing any service that is offered by non-veterinarians as well as veterinarians, you must consider the laws in your state and the individual competence and suitability of each professional.
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What de-worming protocol should my horse be on?
There are three common approaches to choosing a parasite control program:
1. Continuous deworming (daily Strongid).
2. Frequent intervals using rotating schedule of products.
3. Strategic deworming based on individual need.
For many years horsemen have used approaches 1 or 2, deworming all horses on a rotating schedule every 6 to 8 weeks, or continuously with a daily product. There is little scientific support for these practices. While it did not appear to harm horses, today there is evidence of two main shortcomings. Many horses do not need to be dewormed so often. And for those animals really needing it, frequent deworming may be less effective than in the past because there is growing resistance to the deworming medication. Parasitology research has demonstrated that most adult horses have developed a natural resistance to worm overload. Approximately 20% of horses tend to be highly susceptible to parasite overgrowth. These few individuals will need a more frequent de-worming schedule. Thus an evidence-based approach to worm control is what parasitologists call strategic deworming. Age and health status is part of the picture, but a thorough assessment of your horse's need involves a non-invasive and relatively simple two step testing procedure.
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What are the tests needed to follow a strategic deworming protocol?
The first test will answer the question does my horse need to be dewormed? You can have a test performed on a manure sample (you only need one or two fecal balls for most tests). This test identifies worm eggs passed in the feces. There are different tests but the most useful is called the Fecal Egg Count (because test result reports a number rather just noting presence or absence of eggs). Not all worms pass eggs at all times. So your horse could still have a parasite problem that will not be picked up by this test. The test also requires certain collection, storage and shipping conditions that can affect the test results if degradation occurs. So the test isn't perfect. But used strategically over a period of time, it can provide useful information.
The second test will answer the question does the deworming product work? If the Fecal Egg Count indicates the need for deworming, you administer a commercial product and then perform a second test after deworming (exact time for the second test after deworming depends on what parasites were present and what product you are using). The second test sample is collected the same way as the first. The lab procedure is the same, and the result is reported as the FECR-Fecal Egg Count Reduction. This means how much was the parasite egg count lowered after the medication. This can tell you if the product works. If it doesn't change the count, either the worms have become resistant to it, or a higher dose needed to be given.
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How often do these tests need to be repeated?
That depends on the individual situation. Initially you should run this test several times over the course of your regular deworming schedule. As you identify horses on your property that do have a parasite burden, and which products are effective, you continue periodic testing until you have customized an appropriate schedule.
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What about "natural" herbal dewormers?
The use of herbal deworming agents appeals to some horse owners who wish to reduce the use of synthetic chemicals. Unfortunately there is no evidence that herbal dewormers are effective. If you do fecal egg testing before and after you could prove this to yourself. Many people say their horse is "doing well" on these products. But perhaps these horses did not need to be dewormed in the first place! While these products may be more "environmentally friendly" because they do not harm fish or cause parasite resistance, the best way you can help your horse and ecosystem when it comes to worms is to identify horses that really have a parasite burden, and then develop a scientifically targeted management program. Elimination of unnecessary treatment reduces the risk of parasite resistance. If you find out your horse is one of the 80% that does not need frequent deworming, you save money and the environment!
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Are there other ways to help reduce parasite problems?
Keeping horses in stalls with dry lot turnout minimizes risk of parasite overload. Most parasite spread requires pasture, and/or moist conditions with manure not removed from the horse's environment regularly. Since research shows that 95% of the worm population lives outside of horses, on pastures, there are farm management practices that can help reduce the problem. Avoid overcrowding. Although the recommended space of 1.5 to 3 acres per horse is not feasible in many situations, high density turnout does increase the risk of parasite infection. Regular manure removal is a highly effective way to break the lifecycle and reduce the risk of parasite spread. On properties with the luxury of space, rotating pastures, and dragging with a chain harrow while the pasture is left empty is another effective management strategy.
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Does my horse need a multivitamin/mineral supplement?
Your horse's dietary needs are determined by age, health status, body weight, and performance demands. Some horses need additional supplements and some don't. The market in equine supplements is ever-expanding, as are the advertising claims about health effects. Before you know if any of these products might be useful, you should obtain a complete dietary analysis. Your veterinarian may be able to provide this, or you may seek the advice of someone trained in equine nutrition. A nutrient analysis of your horse's hay is the first step in identifying whether additional nutrients are required. You can send a sample of hay to a laboratory for nutrient analysis. See links page for suggestions on hay sample collection and labs that run nutrient analysis tests. In addition to evaluating vitamin and mineral needs, a dietary evaluation will identify your horse's energy needs and consider the appropriate balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
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Equine Health
VIN: Veterinary Partner
AAEP: My Horse Matters
Equine Research
McPhail Equine Performance Center - Dr. Hilary Clayton
Grass founder information - Safergrass.org
Equine Pulmonary Lab