By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent
 
AMARILLO, Tex. — You may know him as Dr. Richard Webber, chief of surgery on Grey’s Anatomy. But when Cleveland, Ohio-born actor James Pickens, Jr. lost his roping horse, “Smokey,” it was devastating to him, and brought home the importance of having all his horses seen by a veterinarian twice a year.

Now, Pickens has joined forces with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA )and Fort Dodge Animal Health in a national public awareness campaign called “Keeping Horses Healthy.”
Pickens, an AQHA member, is using his celebrity power to spread the word about horse health through three television spots and three radio public service announcements. An American Quarter Horse owner and competitive roper, it is Pickens’ love of horses that has led him to help educate other owners on the importance of twice-a-year wellness exams from a veterinarian and the health dangers their horses face.

“The health challenges faced by the nation’s 9.2 million horses are many – from deadly mosquito-borne and respiratory diseases, to joint health and nutrition issues, injuries and infections,” said AQHA Executive Vice President Don Treadway Jr.

“Yet according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, nearly half of all horses won’t see a veterinarian this year. Not surprisingly, equine health emergencies happen more often than they should, and many are preventable.”

Twice-yearly wellness exams help veterinarians detect, treat and prevent equine health problems before they result in emergencies or a prolonged setback. Exams are also the ideal time for veterinarians to educate horse owners about nutrition, behavior, emerging local disease threats and other horse health issues in the area.

According to America’s Healthy Horse, certain kinds of colic, lameness, some foaling conditions and nearly all common equine diseases are examples of “potential” emergencies that may be prevented through twice-a-year wellness exams, routine vaccinations and year-round parasite control.

Scheduling regular spring and fall exams gives an equine practitioner the opportunity to detect, treat and prevent problems before they result in emergencies or a prolonged setback. It also allows the veterinarian to tailor season-specific vaccinations and parasite control treatments at the time of year when they are most beneficial and also helps the veterinarian better address the many medical issues of senior horses, which, like other animals, age faster than humans.

These semi-annual visits should include questions from a veterinarian on the horse’s diet, level of activity, behavior, performance issues and any changes since the last veterinary visit. During the visit, a veterinarian may perform a variety of other procedures as well, from assessing overall condition and analyzing posture and gait to administering parasite control medication and/or a dental examination.

Horses are vulnerable to a wide range of neurological, respiratory, reproductive and other diseases. Fortunately, most of them are preventable through routine vaccination. An equine practitioner will recommend a vaccination protocol based on the results of the horse’s wellness exam, vaccination history, disease threats in specific areas (of the country) and the time of year (some vaccines are more effective given in the spring). Some of the most common equine vaccinations include West Nile virus, encephalomyelitis (EEE, WEE, VEE), influenza, tetanus toxoid, rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4), strangles (Strep. equi), rabies, Potomac horse fever, botulism, equine viral arteritis and rotavirus.

Fore more information, visit www.americashealthyhorse.com