Beyond Vaccination: The Importance of Opting for a Complete Annual Exam

By: Dr. Meg Bacon

Don’t misunderstand the value of a thorough annual exam of your horse! What really is the difference between just getting vaccines done versus a complete annual exam? At Alpine Equine Hospital, if you only want vaccines, then the temperature of your horse will be checked to make sure there is no fever prior to administration and their overall attitude will be evaluated. A complete annual exam includes temperature, heart evaluation, lung evaluation, gastrointestinal sound evaluation, unsedated brief oral evaluation, brief eye evaluation, overt lameness impression, and general body palpation for areas of swelling, sensitivity, reduced motion and muscle loss.

We know that veterinary care can get expensive, but identifying medical concerns early can often mean the ability to begin preventative measures instead of dealing with the aftermath when that issue has advanced to a bigger problem. This can keep your horse feeling his or her best and better allow performance at a desired level. After complete evaluation, our office will send you the findings during our examination and any further recommendations that may come with those.

What kind of things may be found on a complete examination of your horse?

Dental Concerns

Looking the gums and front teeth often identify significant periodontal conditions. These conditions can be significantly painful that result in weight loss, emergency choke situations, colic, and behavioral problems like head-shy behavior. One such conditions is called Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. This is a painful and progressive condition of the incisor teeth best addressed as soon as possible to reduce the effects on the bones of the jaw, as well as reduce side effects of inadequately chewing food such as weight loss, choke, and colic.


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Eye evaluation

Horses can have some changes of the eyes simple due to environment. Unfortunately, there are some changes of the eyes that are associated with cancers, especially in horses with pink pigmented skin around the eyes. Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common cancers to find, which can be diagnosed further with biopsy. If caught early, the eye and vision can be saved, whereas instances of late diagnosis may result in complete removal of the eye.


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Joint Swelling

Swelling in areas associated with joints are not uncommon in aged horses. Inflammation has many stages and may or may not be associated with lameness. Superficial lameness examination may be enough to evaluate some of that association. Early lameness detection can be paramount in supporting our horses’ longevity. Delaying progression of arthritis can occur with systemic supplements and medications such as Adequan, Legend, and Platinum Performance CJ. It can also occur with early joint therapies such as joint injections which can more specifically target the areas of concern. Our team is here to support you no matter which path you choose, and identification of areas of concern is the first step.


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Muscle Loss

Whether it is generalized muscle loss or uneven muscle quality found during examination, both are important and worth a veterinarian’s advice. Generalized muscle loss or wasting can be indicative of a metabolic disease such as Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID; Equine Cushing’s), which is a treatable condition with medication. Untreated PPID can lead to recurrent infections, recurrent hoof abscesses, and laminitis. Muscle loss along the topline without indicators of metabolic disease is often an indicator of back arthritis and inflammation. Asymmetry in larger muscle groups can indicate areas disuse atrophy secondary to pain, hypomobility, or innervation deficits. In these instances, your horse may benefit from further diagnostic work such as radiographs, ultrasound, or more thorough lameness exam. Depending on examination findings, rehabilitation exercises, pain medications, shock wave, or joint injections can be options for management.

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Muscle loss becomes more profound the longer a condition goes unsupported. Pictured left: Left hind muscle group atrophy secondary to disuse and arthritis after lower limb surgery. This horse would have benefited from early rehabilitation and pain management guidance. Pictured right: Bilateral topline muscle atrophy secondary to pain and arthritis of the axial skeleton. This horse would have benefited from early rehabilitation exercises, chiropractic treatments, and pain modulators.



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