I know my horses are healthy. They dont need an exam. They just need vaccines. I am very impressed with how observant horse owners are. You guys love your horses and know them better than anyone else. You are very good at picking up on subtle clues like appetite and behavior changes when things arent right and that information is super helpful when I examine and diagnose them, especially since I see them at one point in time and they will act different around me than the rest of the time when you are able to watch them. However, when I examine horses I find lots of things that are under the radar. I find heart murmurs and arrhythmias all the time (youd only hear these with a stethoscope). I find major hoof capsule distortions (poor conformation or farrier work) that can lead to lameness down the road. I find a lot of uveitis (inflammation in the eye) that, although subtle and often missed by owners, eventually can make them permanently blind if untreated. I find skin tumors that people thought were rub marks or scars. I notice changes in weight that owners didnt realize because they see the horse every day. I see early clues of metabolic problems that can be diagnosed and treated before there are bad effects on the horse, especially laminitis. I find wolf teeth and other dental problems that can interfere with the bit/training and eating. I can identify things that have been dismissed as normal for that horse that the horse shouldnt have to live with. Horse owners often want to make sure they are doing everything they should for their horses, and they usually think of the biggies like vaccines, deworming, coggins, and farrier care. Many dont recognize the importance of a physical exam with the proper recordkeeping for future reference. In my mind, the physical exam is the foundation to everything else. It takes a look at the whole horse and identifies all kinds of issues and risk factors. Identifying and addressing current problems should not be overshadowed by vaccines, which prevent only a handful of diseases which your horse may or may not be exposed to in the future. Kind of like if you had pain in your eyes or a headache day after day, or even year after year, and the doctor was more worried about giving you a flu shot. Youd want your current issue addressed more than youd want to be protected from something else. As a side note, vaccines dont work well on sick horses, and some diseases can get worse after vaccinations. Thats why vaccine labels say they should only be given to healthy horses.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 01:07:58 +0000
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