Bud is coming along nicely. I have been slowly cutting back on his low starch Kool and Kalm horse feed and adding some timothy hay cubes. I tested him for sensitivity to timothy and he came back borderline. I waited over a month for him to heal his gut from the bermuda and alfalfa sensitivity … Continue Reading »
It is fall in Central Texas which means mesquite bean and acorn season. I got a call from my neighbor a few days ago and her donkey with insulin resistance was walking stiff. My friend was confused because even though we had had some rain, the grass had not had time to grow so she … Continue Reading »
I am headed out of town this weekend to speak at the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association meeting. My brother, Morry, is feeding the horses for me while I am gone. I know he is very responsible and will do his best but I am nervous because he does not have any experience with horses. … Continue Reading »
We are finally getting rain here in South Central Texas but not a moment too soon. I have noticed an increase in horse bursa injuries this year and I believe this has to do with how hard the ground has been. Bursas are pouches of fluid over joints and bony parts of the body. For … Continue Reading »
The weather is finally being more normal for south, central Texas and we are having highs in the low to mid nineties. Not only are the days less hot but the nights are cooler and the heat does not start so early in the morning. Many people who stopped riding during the extreme heat are … Continue Reading »
As I look out my window right now Bud is running up and down the fence line screaming like a maniac. He kept me up most of last night with the same behavior. It seems that now that my mare, Cerise, is in heat she thinks Bud is wonderful. Last week she was charging at … Continue Reading »
What do you do if your checkbook is screaming for cash while your horse is whinnying for attention? In these penny-pinching economic times, what’s a horse-addict to do? It seems like everything costs way too much money these days, from showing your horse to paying the farrier. So what can you do? Easy … practice … Continue Reading »
In developing the Five-Element typing system my intention is to help people better understand their horses and handle them in ways most suited to each horse. The obvious next step is to actually change the way we approach our horses once we have determined their type. Let’s look at this from the horse’s point of … Continue Reading »
I was watching one of my hens last night right before bedtime. I heard her making that sound they make when they are annoyed but I could not see any cats or lurking fox around bothering her. As a matter of fact she was all by herself stomping around outside the pen. This is the … Continue Reading »
Bud is coming along very well. He has not had any obvious discomfort for over 3 weeks and I feel his gut is finally on the mend. He is able to handle larger meals and is close to being on free choice low starch Kool and Kalm. He gets his beet pulp 3 times a … Continue Reading »
I got blood work and food sensitivity results back on Bud last week and they confirmed several of my suspicions. Bud is still losing protein through his gut and he has increased immune response going on. This would be consistent with food sensitivities and indeed his tests came back with border line positive to both … Continue Reading »
Bud’s muzzle came in and it seems to be a good fit. He is not that impressed but has not tried to get it off. I let him out for about 2 hours yesterday and he got to hang out across the fence from the horses when they went down to the lower pasture. Bud … Continue Reading »
I trimmed Remi’s front feet this morning and I am fairly happy so far with his progress. The cracks at his toes are almost grown off on both feet but I am still having trouble with him growing tough wall. He wears off the wall faster than he grows it and then he starts wearing … Continue Reading »
Bud has been improving steadily but he still has a way to go. I have been able to learn so much having him right outside my window where I can watch him closely. I have determined that food sensitivities are a huge issue for him. He also can’t handle much food at one time. He … Continue Reading »
I still have Bud at the clinic and he is doing great. After watching him closely for a month it was clear that he always felt bad immediately after eating. He did not act like colic so much as he seemed to have very low energy and would lay down and sleep. I finally decided … Continue Reading »
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and that means fireworks in many areas. Fireworks and horses are not a match at all. In my veterinary career I have treated many horses, including my own, that were seriously injured by running into or through fences when they were frightened by the loud noise and flashing lights … Continue Reading »
One on the advantages of having Remi a barefoot horse again is that I can take him swimming in the lake without having to worry about him pulling shoes off in the mud. The temp has been over 100 for the past week so this morning my friend, Sharon, and I went to the lake … Continue Reading »
I am so excited that I may finally be able to get Remi back to being a barefoot horse. The shoes with the fill in pad material seem to have done their job of letting him build up some sole. His last radiographs show his sole thickness has almost doubled in the six months he … Continue Reading »
Bud did very well yesterday and ate most of a small flake of coastal hay. In the past when he has eaten much coastal he has acted like he had an impaction. This makes me think his gut does not have good motility. It is possible he has a sensitivity to the coastal but he … Continue Reading »
Bud, the Arabian gelding with inflammatory bowel disease, is still living at my clinic. I thought he was turning a corner with getting his appetite back and gaining weight but after 1 day of eating me out of house and home he started acting uncomfortable again and backed off his eating. I have talked in … Continue Reading »