We are back again, this time with a tag-team talk with Dr. Lauren McPherson to talk about colic, the number one killer of horses.  Come learn some basic anatomy and then delve into what can go wrong, as well as some diseases that can mimic colic signs.  Learn signs of colic and what you can do to prevent it.  Lastly, we will have a guest speaker from ASPCA Pet Health Insurance to discuss equine medical insurance.  As always, snacks will be provided.  

Date: Saturday, January 18
Time: 1:30-3:30
Location: Licking County Library Main branch
                 101 W. Main St.
                  Newark, OH 43055
Cost: FREE
RSVP (below) appreciated

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​It's that time of year again! Join us for a discussion on common myths in equine health care as well as a brief talk about how to become your veterinarian's favorite client. As always, snacks will be provided and admission is free. Bring your questions and your friends. RSVP appreciated

Date:  Sunday, January 28th
Time: 2:00-4:00
Location: Newark Public Library
                 101 W Main St.
                 Newark, OH 43055
​Cost: FREE

Do you dread the effect of the annual vaccine/wellness visit on your bank balance? Let us help by offering both premium service and a payment plan! Choose the wellness program (listed below) that best fits your equestrian lifestyle. 
Wellness Plans:
                                                                              Backyard Horse       Boarded/Show Horse
West Nile Virus (WNV)                                                Yes                                                  Yes
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)                            Yes                                                  Yes
Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE)                         Yes                                                  Yes
Tetanus                                                                         Yes                                                  Yes
Rabies                                                                            Yes                                                  Yes
Equine Herpes Virus (rhinipneumonitis)                  No                                   Yes (2x/year)
Equine Influenza Virus (flu)                                         No                                   Yes (2x/year)
Fecal Exam                                                                    Yes (1x/year)                   Yes (2x/year)
Physical Exam                                                               Yes (1x/year)                  Yes (2x/year)
Dental exam and floating (with sedation)               Yes                                                   Yes
Coggins Test                                                                 No                                                    Yes
Price:                                                                             $25/month                        $37/month

Beyond annual/semi-annual visits, members of the wellness plan will receive the following benefits:
-10% discount on farm call for each horse on the wellness plan, for all visits during the course of the year (discount not to exceed 50% of the farm call)
-50% discount on emergency fees.
-You no longer have to remember to call to schedule vaccines, we will call you to set up a convenient time.
*Farm call is not included in the program and will be assessed separately at the time of the appointment.

When is a horse considered to be a senior?  What are special concerns regarding diseases, vaccines, dentistry, deworming and nutrition?  Dr. Snedden will answer all of these topics and more with time left over to answer your questions.  Admission is free and refreshments will be provided, plus you will have a chance at some fabulous door prizes.  Everyone is welcome so bring a friend!

Date: Sunday, February 19, 2017
Time: 2:00-4:00
Location: Newark Public Library
                 101 W Main St.
                  Newark, OH 43055

​Thank you to everyone who showed up on a beautiful 64 degree day in January in Ohio.  We appreciate your support.  Mark your calendars for February 19th from 2-4 for a second seminar (topic to be determined). 

it's cold outside so come on in and and join our annual educational talks!  We will be kicking off the new year with a discussion of "winter horse care".  Questions about blanketing or feeding your senior horse...we will cover all this and more.  Bring a friend and your questions.  As always, snacks will be provided.  
Date:  Sunday, January 22, 2017
Time:  2:00 - 4:00 pm
Where: Newark Public Library
              101 W Main St.
              Newark, OH 43055
Cost:   FREE

Looking for the perfect gift for horse owning friends/family; would you just like to give your horse something nice for Christmas?  Check out FHVP gift certificates for some of our most popular services.  Lock in discounted prices* now and use any time in 2015. Click here to go to our "store" page and choose the service you would like to purchase. You can pay online using Paypal or simply contact us via phone or e-mail, and arrange payment.  Act soon, gift certificates at these prices will only be offered until December 31. 
 *Prices do not include call fees which can be waived if the horse is brought to FHVP in Thornville. 

Let's face it, winter in Ohio is often not much fun for riding.  It is however a good time to stay inside and increase your knowledge on horse health.  Join us at the Newark Public Library (101 West Main St., Newark, OH) January 10th & February 7th from 2-4 pm for educational seminars regarding equine health.  These seminars are free of charge and snacks will be provided.

You may have read that Dr. Snedden just received her certification in Equine Veterinary Medical Manipulation. This seminar is your chance to get more information such as how it works, what conditions manipulation can help, when it may not help, what to look for when choosing a practitioner and much more. 

Thank you to everyone who attended our first owner education seminar of the year.  We look forward to seeing you in February! 

Are you a new horse owner or maybe you have owned horses for years but feel like you are sometimes in over your head when it comes to health issues.  This is your chance to go back to the basics (or visit them for the first time).   We will touch on many aspects of horse care including deworming, nutrition, vaccines, how to do a basic physical exam and when to call the vet.  Attendees will receive a gift certificate for a free fecal exam.  

Dr. Snedden is currently completing coursework to become certified in equine spinal manipulation.  You may ask  the difference between spinal manipulation and chiropractic. It's pretty simple really,to be considered a chiropractor, one needs to attend a 3-4 year postgraduate school and graduate with a Doctrate of Chiropractic (DC), which then allows you to earn your living working on people.   In order to treat animals, both DVMs and DCs need further education.  While there are several animal spinal manipulation courses  open to both DVM's and DC's  focusing  on both horses and dogs, Dr. Snedden, has chosen to attend the Integrative Veterinary Medicine Institute in Florida which is only open to DVM's and focuses solely on horses.  

The first session, focusing on the head and neck, consisted of 20 hours of lecture and 10 hours of lab covering not only the theory of spinal manipulation (it's not really about putting bones back in place), but also delved into topics such as the interrelations between dentistry and the spine, as well as dissection and ultrasound labs to refresh a solid understanding of the applicable anatomy.  

Check out Dr. Snedden's facebook posts from the first trip for some relevant tips for evaluating your own horse.  

We want to hear from you!  Have you had experience with equine spinal manipulation in the past?  What were the results?  What questions to you have for us?

In the 1950's penicillin was a wonder drug, today any Tom, Dick or Harry can show up to the local feed store and pick some up, but do they know how to safely and effectively use it?  Here's a hint, as an equine veterinarian seeing a fair amount of sick and/or injured horses, I probably only prescribe penicillin 2-4 x PER YEAR.  

Here are a few reasons why:

1) There are often better choices available. While penicillin can still be a very effective drug, it actually has a pretty narrow spectrum of bacteria against which it is effective.  If you don't have a reasonable idea of which bacteria you are dealing with, or don't pair penicillin with another drug with a complementary spectrum of action, it may well be useless.

2) Penicillin is thick which means you need to you a larger bore needle for administration (which horses become progressively less appreciative of over time)

3) It needs to be given in relatively large and frequent doses (~ 30 mL 2x/day).  (I find it exceedingly frustrating when I get am told that the horse has been receiving 10 mL 1x/day as this is only causing discomfort for the horse and contributing to antibiotic resistance)

Last and most importantly
4) PENICILLIN CAN KILL YOUR HORSE!  Yest that's right.  Procaine Penicillin G if given in the vein (or even if given in the muscle in an inflamed area where it can quickly migrate into the blood stream) will cause a reaction which can range from the horse blindly walking or running into anything or anyone in it's path for several never ending minutes,  to simply falling down seizing and dying.   

Please, please, please consult with your veterinarian before administering penicillin to your horse because there are probably both more effective and safer options out there.

I'll get off of my soap box now:)