Breeding horses is not inexpensive or for the faint of heart. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but sometimes it can be heartwrenching when things go wrong. If you're thinking of breeding your mare, but not sure if you should, here are some things to consider.
Responsible breeders are willing to care for any animal they produce for the rest of its life. Are you ready to keep any foals you produce for the rest of their lives? If they are sold but have a problem later, will you take back a (possibly sick or injured) horse for many years of further care?
Are you looking to make money? Most foals are worth less than the cost of the stud fee plus the feed, board, training and veterinary care required to produce them. Unless your foals are exceptionally valuable, you are unlikely to make any money by breeding your mare.
Are the mare and stallion worth breeding? There are already more horses than there are homes in this country. As a society we do not need to produce horses just because we can; we should produce them with a specific goal in mind -- improving the breed or sport. Your mare should be very accomplished with good genetics and you need a keen eye to know her flaws as well as her strengths. Likewise, you should choose a stallion who will improve upon your mare's traits. You should look not only at the mare and stallion themselves, but any offspring they have produced and the offspring of their relatives. A structurally sound, healthy foal with a great attitude is our goal.
The foal won't be a duplicate of your mare. Just like we are not an exact replica of our mothers or fathers, foals are not exactly like their dams or sires. If you want to find another horse that is very much like your mare or stallion, you a better off choosing one that is already the right breed, color, sex, age, size and temperament. Trying to breed a similar horse may take many, many breedings and you may end up with many foals you don't want to get the one you do. Even then, you'll have to wait years for the foal to grow up, costing a substantial amount of money and effort to raise, to see how it turns out.
Raising a foal can be an expensive and risky prospect. You start with the stud fee, which can range from free to tens of thousands of dollars, and the other costs associated with breeding. Then there is caring for your pregnant mare, including veterinary bills associated with proper prenatal care. Your foal should have an examination and testing within a day of birth to help ensure its health, and may need treatment to prevent disease right away. The foal will need several years of feed, board, and training before it can be ridden, and of course will need veterinary care to ensure its wellness and treat the usual coughs and cuts that foals get as they grow and play. And of course, things could always go wrong - your mare could have trouble getting pregnant, your mare could lose the foal, the foal could be born with a problem or the mare have trouble giving birth. The foal, as it grows, could have problems that make it lame or otherwise a poor candidate for the job you want. So you may not end up the foal you want, or the costs you expect.
It's not our goal to dissuade you from breeding your mare. We want to be sure you make a rational, educated decision about what is right for you and your mare, both now and in the future.
Call us if you have questions about the proper care of mares and foals or if you have any questions about the breeding, pregnancy and foaling process.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Cushing's Disease
Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (EPPID), or "Cushing's Disease," is a common disorder in older horses.
In this disorder, the part of the brain called the pars intermedia, a part of the pituitary gland, gets enlarged and overactive. As a result, the horse over-produces the stress hormones (non-sexual steroids, or cortisols) that are normally present at low levels in the horse. This overproduction makes the body feel "stressed out" all the time, prevents normal response to stress, and can cause many health problems such as:
Testing involves blood samples and sometimes stimulating the animal by giving a cortisol-type medication and then taking samples to see whether the animal's natural production can turn down rather than persist at an overly-high level. Due to natural variations in the levels of cortisol in the horse during the fall and winter as well as during times of stress, your horse may need to be tested during the spring or summer and when he isn't in a lot of pain or under stress.
There is an FDA approved medication, Prascend, to treat this disorder. Pergolide, the active ingredient, has been used for years. It is given once or twice daily for life and suppresses the overproduction of cortisol.
In this disorder, the part of the brain called the pars intermedia, a part of the pituitary gland, gets enlarged and overactive. As a result, the horse over-produces the stress hormones (non-sexual steroids, or cortisols) that are normally present at low levels in the horse. This overproduction makes the body feel "stressed out" all the time, prevents normal response to stress, and can cause many health problems such as:
- Immunosuppression - reduced ability to fight off infection
- Liver damage
- Hirsutism - retained or altered hair coat (this is a later sign, often only occuring after the patient has been overproducing cortisol for several years)
- Weight loss or gain
- Muscle loss, especially lack of muscle apparent on the topline and an enlarged, weak abdominal wall (sagging or large belly)
- Change in distribution of body fat
- Increased risk of poor blood sugar regulation
- Increased risk of laminitis / founder
- Personality change - becoming more calm or, rarely, crankier
Testing involves blood samples and sometimes stimulating the animal by giving a cortisol-type medication and then taking samples to see whether the animal's natural production can turn down rather than persist at an overly-high level. Due to natural variations in the levels of cortisol in the horse during the fall and winter as well as during times of stress, your horse may need to be tested during the spring or summer and when he isn't in a lot of pain or under stress.
There is an FDA approved medication, Prascend, to treat this disorder. Pergolide, the active ingredient, has been used for years. It is given once or twice daily for life and suppresses the overproduction of cortisol.
Lameness and Pain
Lame. No one wants to hear that word.
If your horse is in pain, however, it is important to notice and take care of the problem so that the chance of long term problems are reduced.
How can you tell if your horse is in pain as opposed to "moving funny"?
Horses and other animals very very rarely "move funny" unless it hurts. Occasionally scarring or prior injury can cause an odd way of going, but this would be a permanent result of an injury, not something that comes and goes. Most forms of unusual gait can be treated, whether pain or some other problem is the cause. Bottom line? If your horse moves funny, it needs to be diagnosed by a veterinarian.
Does your horse need pain medication?
By the time you can tell your horse is in pain, he needs medication. Think of yourself. Many minor aches and pains come and go without being obvious to someone looking at you. How much pain are you in before someone can just look at you and tell something is wrong? The same is true of our animal companions. Most minor pains you won't even see; they will suffer them in silence. By the time the pain is enough to cause lameness, behavior change, or other signs it is enough that it needs treatment.
If your horse is in pain, however, it is important to notice and take care of the problem so that the chance of long term problems are reduced.
How can you tell if your horse is in pain as opposed to "moving funny"?
Horses and other animals very very rarely "move funny" unless it hurts. Occasionally scarring or prior injury can cause an odd way of going, but this would be a permanent result of an injury, not something that comes and goes. Most forms of unusual gait can be treated, whether pain or some other problem is the cause. Bottom line? If your horse moves funny, it needs to be diagnosed by a veterinarian.
Does your horse need pain medication?
By the time you can tell your horse is in pain, he needs medication. Think of yourself. Many minor aches and pains come and go without being obvious to someone looking at you. How much pain are you in before someone can just look at you and tell something is wrong? The same is true of our animal companions. Most minor pains you won't even see; they will suffer them in silence. By the time the pain is enough to cause lameness, behavior change, or other signs it is enough that it needs treatment.
Appointments
To make an appointment, please call 832-408-0747 during business hours (9am - 6pm).
You may also email us and we will call you back during business hours to schedule your appointment. Doctor's hours are by appointment, and are usually available 9-5, Sunday through Thursday. We are available for emergencies. Since Dr. Devaney can't be in two places at once, in the rare event that she is unavailable, she will refer you to another qualified vet or the nearest hospital.
APPOINTMENT POLICIES:
As a veterinarian, I commit to my clients that:
As a client, you will facilitate a better veterinary experience by:
- Gates open on driveways
- Loose animals (including dogs) put in their pens or in the house
- Horses in stalls or otherwise immediately catchable with halters and lead ropes immediately available
- Wearing closed shoes and, if appropriate, gloves
- We reserve the right to charge our hourly service fee (in 15 minute increments) if we arrive as notified and must wait more than 15 minutes for safe and prepared working conditions.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Please be courteous and call to cancel your appointment at least 1 business day in advance. Be advised that if you wish to cancel or reschedule an appointment or emergency when the vet is already enroute or at the premises, there is a cancellation fee equal to the house call charge.PAYMENT:
Payment is due in full at the time of the appointment.We accept:
- Cash
- Checks
- Credit Cards (Visa or Mastercard)
- ATM or Debit/Check Cards (Visa or Mastercard branded)
- Care Credit
Services
Sugar Land Pet Hospital is a full service, ambulatory equine veterinary provider for the greater Houston/Fort Bend region.
Our services include, but are not limited to:
We provide at-home care for your horse, which gives you the convenience of not having to haul your horses to another facility, and your horse the comfort and security of his normal environment. Our ambulatory-only philosophy means we carry all our supplies in the truck. This allows our doctors to come to you, and keeps our overhead low so that your costs are lower.
What animals do you treat?
Equines, which include horses, donkeys, mules, hinnies, and zebras. We do not treat goats, sheep, pigs, camels, alpacas, llamas, cattle, or other animals not in the horse family.
- Preventative care (vaccines, dentistry, etc.)
- Lameness and performance horse medicine
- Reproduction (mare, foal and stallion care)
- Internal Medicine (colic, pneumonia, and other illnesses)
- Field Surgery (castration, wound repair, etc.)
- Emergency Services
We provide at-home care for your horse, which gives you the convenience of not having to haul your horses to another facility, and your horse the comfort and security of his normal environment. Our ambulatory-only philosophy means we carry all our supplies in the truck. This allows our doctors to come to you, and keeps our overhead low so that your costs are lower.
What animals do you treat?
Equines, which include horses, donkeys, mules, hinnies, and zebras. We do not treat goats, sheep, pigs, camels, alpacas, llamas, cattle, or other animals not in the horse family.
Areas We Serve
SLPH Equine serves Fort Bend and surrounding counties. We will happily travel to your location.
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About Sugar Land Pet Hospital - Equine
Sugar Land Pet Hospital was founded in 1978. Since 1999 it has been owned by Dr. Hendrix. In 2010, Dr. Devaney began working with the team and in May 2012 they introduced a mobile equine service.
SLPH Equine Service provides medical and surgical services to your horse at your barn. We love to keep horses healthy with annual examinations, immunizations to prevent disease, and consulting to help ensure your horse is getting the best feed, farriery, and husbandry. We are happy to help when your horse has a cough, cut or colic or otherwise needs a veterinarian's attention. If you are planning to breed your mare, we can help you from the pre-pregnancy planning, through breeding and pregnancy care, to foaling and newborn wellness. We will partner with you for every stage of your horse's life, from birth and growth, to adult performance, through the senior years and end-of-life care.
SLPH Equine Service provides medical and surgical services to your horse at your barn. We love to keep horses healthy with annual examinations, immunizations to prevent disease, and consulting to help ensure your horse is getting the best feed, farriery, and husbandry. We are happy to help when your horse has a cough, cut or colic or otherwise needs a veterinarian's attention. If you are planning to breed your mare, we can help you from the pre-pregnancy planning, through breeding and pregnancy care, to foaling and newborn wellness. We will partner with you for every stage of your horse's life, from birth and growth, to adult performance, through the senior years and end-of-life care.
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