Photo credits Dr. H. Domoslai DVM

This gelding caught himself in the fence, the result was a large laceration to his face. 

 Photo credit www.cvm.umn.edu

Question:  I bought a horse this fall that had slight aural plaques in her ears and treated them with vetricyn that helped some.. now with the winter coat she has it inside her legs and ventral stomach area... I have not treated her for a few months but she has become very head shy and very touchy under her belly.. any information would be helpful.. Thanks Rose

Answer:  Thanks for your question Rose.  Aural plaques are always limited to the inside of the ears,  I suspect a fungal or bacterial infection on the other parts. -Dr.D.

Roy Domoslai and Buddy, the behind the scenes crew at Corman Park Vet Service!

Question: Is it too late to breed my mare? I had her at the stud in the spring but she is very much in heat right now. Thanks

Answer:  Some rare mares display heat even when pregnant so you can confirm or rule that out by having a vet palpate her. If she is open she may or may not have a full functional heat this late in the year with mature ovulating follicles. If she does become pregnant now the pregnancy should proceed normally. Your main problem would be a September foal who would be pretty small when winter sets in. Foals do better with lots of warm spring and summer weather to run learn and grow more body mass before cold weather. *Dr. Lisa Wayman-CPVS*

The hot days of summer can be dangerous for your horse (pets & humans as well).
Warning signs that your horse is in distress include rapid breathing, lethargy and the primary symptom – depression. 
The simplest advice is to provide your horse with access to shade, a supply of good quality drinking water and salt.  Most horses will be fine.
Electrolytes are a great option; however some horses will not drink them at full strength.  Electrolytes can be added to drinking water at a reduced rate as a proactive heat management tool.
OMG what do I do? 
Get your horse cooled off, a full body blast (no misting if the horse is in distress), offer water, no more than ½ gallon every 10 minutes for an hour (often horses will overdrink on cold water and then colic), then free choice water. 
Are you working/showing your horse?  Horses that are working during extreme heat may tie up dehydrate.  An effective proactive heat management tool is to feed a preworkout electrolyte.  Electrolytes replace potassium lost during exercise - potassium cannot be replaced with drinking water.
Knowing your horse, being vigilant and proactive are the best possible preventative action a horse owner can take.  Do not “wait and see” if your horse is acting out of character, take action and of course contact your veterinarian.
Stay cool!
Dr. Domoslai DVM


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corman-Park-Veterinary-Services/230576870304991

Question:  I have a yearling filly that is loaded with ticks up high between her back legs.  I must have pulled 10 off her yesterday and yet she still has 10 there yet.  I didn't know how sensitive she'd be to pull them off. My other horses don't seem as bothered by them, have pulled the odd one of their face. Is there anything I can use to get rid of the ones on my yearling? Thanks!

Answer:  There is a product you can use on horses that is normally used for dogs. K9 Advantix would work but could be quite costly and has no odor. A product for large animals is called Cylence which works very well is less costly but has a foul odor.
You can consult your vet which product would work best for you.

Thanks Dr. Domoslai

Question:  We have a flock of magpies, about 25-30 and they are making me crazy.  Squawking at 4 a.m., teasing the dog and cats, crapping everywhere in the yard. 
I have moved the pet food so the cats and dog eat, then the food is removed and placed inside.  We tried to place the pet food under a small table outside and the magpies just go under the table.  We no longer have a compost pile, buried that so there is no food source available to them.  They don’t go away, they just seem to multiply like fruit flies.  We are unfortunately in a “no shoot” zone so we can’t shotgun them out of existence.  What can we do to get rid of these pests?  Signed Desperate and Drowning in Magpies….

Answer:  There are a few brilliant live traps that work great.  One that is easy to make is a four-sided box made of chicken wire.  On the very middle of the wire top make a cylinder of wire about 8 inches wide and one foot long make this the entrance hole.  The magpie will land on top of trap and drop down onto the bait within the cage and when he tries to fly out the open wings will prevent his exit.  Bait with something tasty and in the morning you can translocate the magpies by lifting the trap up and carrying them many miles away.   The principle is the same as a fly or wasp trap made out of pop bottles. Dr. Domoslai DVM

March 13, 2012

"In the news at CPVS" with Dr. Domoslai.

We had a horse become progressively recumbent and euthanized her last week.

Tests are pending but differentials now are 1. Injury, 2. Neurological Herpes, or 3. Rabies.

Stay tuned for updates.

March 14, 2012

"In the news at CPVS" Dr. Domoslai, DVM euthanized a horse in the Saskatoon and district area last week. 

Injury and rabies have been ruled out as causes for the horse becoming progressively recumbent.

EHV-1 neurological herpeshas not been positively identified at this time, however the case is being investigated.

The farm is currently under quarantine.

March 15, 2012

The farm is located in the Borden, Saskatchewan area.

Q:  When should horse owners administer their west nile vaccine?

A:  The vaccine will be west nile plus ewt combo vaccine not just west nile virus. Best to give mid May to end of July because west nile is usually an August and September disease.
Boosting will give highest immunity in first 3 to 4 months afterwards even though protective for a whole year.
If you have a pregnant mare vaccinate one month before foaling.
If you have a foal of a vaccinated mare start a series of 3 vaccinations once a month at 3 months.  
If the mare was not vaccinated prior to foaling, start at 5 months which may mean for some it is November by the time foal is 5 months, which is after mosquito season. Those foals can be started on their series the following April so
April-May-June. Dr Lisa Wayman DVM.