The UF veterinarians and staff believe in enriching the human-animal bond through compassion and advanced veterinary medicine. We want to share our knowledge with animal owners in order to improve and extend the life of your animals. Here are some spring tips for horse owners, provided by our large animal veterinary specialists.
Tips for Horse Owners
- Rotating dewormers every eight weeks is no longer recommended due to increasing parasite resistance. Develop a deworming program with your veterinarian.
- The risk of laminitis has been known to increase in the spring and summer months due to increases in grazing behavior and nutritional content. Be sure to improve forage management to decrease the risk of laminitis.
- A symptom of equine Cushing’s disease is a long, wavy hair coat that doesn’t shed seasonally. Call your veterinarian if shedding is not normal.
- There are seasonal advantages and disadvantages when breeding; call our Large Animal Reproduction service to maximize the breeding potential of your mares and stallions.
- Florida’s tropical climate promotes skin infections in large animals that can be difficult to treat. The Large Animal Dermatology service treats all cases.
- Mosquito season is just around the corner. Contact your veterinarian to be sure your horse is vaccinated for EEE, WEE and WNV.
More Information
The UF Large Animal Hospital veterinarians treat equine and large animal patients from the Gainesville, Ocala and Jacksonville areas, including Alachua and Marion Counties in Florida, and our clients come from all over the United States. Contact us to make an appointment.
