Dr. Ross Goodman, DVM
Dr. Emily Jansen, DVM,
Dr. Carina Cooper, DVM
Equine Newsletter
Autumn 2013
Days have been getting shorter and colder by the hour! Our new
equine vet, Dr. Carina Cooper, has been working hard to help our
clients get their horses and paddocks ready for the winter. What’s left
to do? Dentals to remove points before the tougher winter hay, afterfrost deworming to clear out and start next year off healthy and FEI
Passport updates to keep our athletes competing. Read On to learn
more…
Dentistry News
With the colder weather upon us, and hay
coming out of storage, now is the time to really
make sure our horse’s teeth are ready to meet
the challenge.
What’s In This Month’s Newsletter:
· Dentistry News
· Fall deworming plans
· FEI Passport updates
Dentistry is commonly performed with a
Stay tuned for the next edition!
combination of hand rasps and power floats.
Hand rasps have metallic “teeth” that are meant
to be pulled or pushed over a horse’s tooth, in
Have you seen our new website?
order to remove sharp points and hooks and
Almonte Veterinary Services has recently
other normal signs of wearing. Using hand rasps
launched www.almontevet.com to better
takes a bit longer but allows the vet more control
serve you! You can now also stay in contact
over exactly what is being removed. Hand rasps
with our staff via Facebook at
facebook.com/almontevet
are most useful in minor dentistry procedure or to
finish edges neatly in hard to reach areas.
Because our horses are living longer and pathologies are sometimes complex,
veterinarians have developed new motorized floating instruments. These grind the
surface of the teeth fairly quickly and allow practitioners to reduce the time needed to
restrain or sedate the horse. Motorized floating is most practical for more severe
Hours: Mon-Tues 8am - 5:30pm
Wed
8am – 8pm
Thu-Fri 8am - 5:30pm
Sat
8am - 1pm
Visit us at : almontevet.com
Or Facebook: facebook.com/almontevet
Dr. Ross Goodman, DVM
Dr. Emily Jansen, DVM,
Dr. Carina Cooper, DVM
dentistries and pathologies, like waves, overgrown molars, impacted teeth and other
pathologies. There has been quite a buzz in the equine news about power floating and
the perceived risks involved, so please call us anytime to discuss any questions or help
dispel some myths. We’re here to help!
The goal of rasping or floating is to remove only sharp regions on the teeth to
avoid horses cutting their cheeks or tongues while they eat, and more importantly, to
make sure that their teeth are meeting normally and efficiently during each bite. Molars,
the grinding teeth at the back of the mouth, have a tendency to overgrow if not perfectly
aligned or routinely filed down, which means that incisors, the nipping teeth at the front
of the mouth, may no longer touch! Have your vet out at least once a year to take a look
and see if your horse is at risk for overgrowing teeth, or a sore mouth. Signs can be
subtle, like not taking a bit, not working well in one direction or even just head tossing!
Fall-Frost Dewoming
Recently we’ve had quite a few phone calls asking about fall management.
Almonte Veterinary Services uses standards set by the American Association of Equine
Practitioners to prevent further resistance of parasites to dewormers. We have been
using a Fecal Egg Count (FEC) and treatment program during our annual wellness
visits, to try and ensure we only treat horses that have a “high burden” and to make sure
that the products we use are still effective. Pasture management suggestions are also
part of the FEC service to help reduce exposure to infection and educate owners and
barn managers on any new recommendations. With diligent cleaning and routine
monitoring, deworming is may only be needed in the spring, before turnout, and one
dose of a combination product, given after the first frost to clean out tapeworms and bot
larvae, and clear the system of any remaining parasites.
FEI Passports – Updating
For all you competitors out there! Here is your reminder to make sure your
Influenza vaccines are up to date before the winter show season south of the border! If
you are unsure of the requirements or if your passport needs to be updated, please
contact Almonte Veterinary Services to discuss a plan with the vet! Don’t forget about
your Coggins (EIA testing) and Export Health Certificates too!
Hours: Mon-Tues 8am - 5:30pm
Wed
8am – 8pm
Thu-Fri 8am - 5:30pm
Sat
8am - 1pm
Visit us at : almontevet.com
Or Facebook: facebook.com/almontevet