b'EQUINE WELLNESS EXAMS 101be diagnosed in geriatric equids. Practi-tioners use annual bloodwork to test for insulin resistance, a condition that results in increased insulin circulating in the blood and associated problems, the most common of which is laminitis. Vaccinations Each spring your horses veterinarian will visit the farm to perform routine health tasks such as pulling blood for a Coggins test to rule out equine infectious AMY K. DRAGOOanemia and administering vaccinations.Vaccines are designed to (induce) a horses natural immune response to com-mon infectious organisms and induceYour veterinarian will administer core vaccines and recommend additional risk-based vaccines long-term (immune system) memory,depending on your horses lifestyle and where he lives.says Laura Perry, DVM, of West Wind Veterinary Hospital, in Sherwood Park,Veterinarians recommend these coreHoof Care Alberta.vaccines for every horse, regardlessThough veterinarians are not responsi-A vaccine exposes a horse to a non- of lifestyle. Risk-based vaccines (e.g.,ble for day-to-day hoof maintenance, it is pathogenic (not disease-causing) particlestrangles, influenza, equine herpesvirus,still an essential part of equine wellness. of a particular disease. This substanceetc.) guard against diseases that are notAfter examining your horses hooves, will not infect your horse but, rather,necessarily widespread. Whether a horseyour veterinarian can offer guidance on allow him to mount an immune reac- should receive these immunizations de- conditions affecting them (e.g., thrush, tion to it. This way, if vaccinated horsespends on his lifestyle, diet, where he lives,subsolar abscesses, white line disease) get exposed to the disease agent, theirand other factors that put him at risk forand provide recommendations for farrier immune systems can rapidly recognizeencountering the pathogens in question.care. This might be augmented by diag-the pathogen and launch a response toSenior horse considerations Contrarynostic imaging. combat the infection, Perry says. to popular belief, there are no publishedFinding a competent, reliable, trust-Does every horse need every availabledata suggesting senior horses have life- worthy farrier is an absolute necessity. vaccine? Absolutely not. Instead, there arelong immunity to diseases because theyThese professionals are on the front line core and risk-based vaccines. Core vac- were vaccinated regularly. In fact, recentof hoof care and see your horse more fre-cines (Eastern/Western equine encephalo- research has revealed senior horses havequently than your veterinarian does. The myelitis, rabies, tetanus, West Nile virus)reduced immunity. Geriatric horses stillhoof grows continuously and needs to be protect against diseases that are endemic,very much require at least the core vac- addressed on a regular schedule. Ignoring are highly contagious, pose a significantcinations to be protected. this growth can lead to severe conditions risk for disease, are of a public healthFor a complete list of core vs. risk- that can affect your horses comfort. significance, or (for which the vaccines)based vaccines, see TheHorse.com/Youll see mechanical changes that are required by law, Perry explains. vaxcheatsheet. compromise the hoof and the leg or soft tissue changes of the limb, both of which can lead to lameness, says Patrick Reilly, chief of farrier services at the University Dandy Products, Inc. of Pennsylvanias New Bolton Center School of Veterinary Medicine, in Ken-PADDING & FLOORING SPECIALISTS nett Square. Commonly, farriers assess horses every Padding At Its Best Non-Slip Safetysix to eight weeks. Prolonging this inter-Breeding Sheds, Stocks, Stalls,Floors for All Areas val can lead to devastating hoof changes. Trailers, Exercise & TrainingPavesafe Bricks & Tiles,We know the hoof angle gets 3.5 degrees Areas, Induction & RecoveryTrac-Roll & Vet-Trac Floors,lower over the course of seven weeks, Rooms Table & Surgical Pads,Wash Stall,Grooming,says Reilly. We know there is 11.5% Neo-Natal Foal Beds Aisleway and Trailer Mats increase of force on the deep digital flexor tendon (that runs down the back of the Toll-Free 888.883.8386513.625.3000 lower limb and attaches to the bottom FAX 513.625.2600of the coffin bone within the hoof) at an 3314 State Route 131, Goshen, Ohio 45122www.dandyproducts.net eight-week cycle. Roughly 80% of lameness cases start 14March 2020The Horse|TheHorse.comWellnessExams.indd 14 2/5/20 12:02 PM'