Preventative care for horses includes regular wellness exams to look for the first signs of illness or lameness. In this exam, the veterinarian will evaluate your horse’s body condition, each of the orifices, their limbs and back as well as the functioning of their internal organs — like heart rate and lung functioning. How a horse moves its body is generally a major indicator for physical ailments, so we make sure to look at their trot for any concerning changes. Wellness exams are also the perfect time to have an in-depth conversation with the veterinarian about your horse’s habits and overall health. You can review any treatment plans, talk about preventative measures, discuss changes in diet and ask about a timeline for healing injuries.

Vaccinations and parasite prevention and treatment make up another cornerstone of wellness care for horses. We also perform Coggins tests to detect equine infectious anemia virus (EIA) in horses. This infection affects mostly horses in the Southeastern US, and is incurable. We strongly suggest testing for it as part of regular equine wellness care in Huntsville, Fayetteville and beyond.