What is a wellness exam?
Just as in human healthcare, horses benefit from seeing their doctor every year. A wellness exam is a key part of your horse’s preventative care- just like deworming and vaccinating. It gives your veterinarian a chance to examine your horse, make recommendations for management, and discuss any concerns you may have in a low stress environment. Spring and fall are often great times to schedule a wellness exam to help you best prepare for a busy riding season or to prepare for the cold weather ahead.
What to expect during a wellness exam?
During your horse’s wellness exam, your veterinarian will start by observing your horse to assess his overall body condition, weight, coat, and behavior. This is followed by a thorough physical exam- listening to the heart, lungs, and gut with a stethoscope, taking a temperature, looking at his gums, eyes, and looking into your horse’s mouth to assess the need for further dental care. Your veterinarian may also ask questions about your horse’s diet, vaccine history, deworming schedule, and other aspects of his routine management or performance goals.
What are the benefits of doing a wellness exam?
Diseases such as metabolic syndrome, cardiac arrhythmias and murmurs, systemic organ dysfunction and dental disease are just some of the many conditions that can be detected on a wellness exam. Having a veterinarian look over your horse yearly not only helps to catch many medical problems early, but allows time to ask your veterinarian questions about your horse's health and management. This allows you to work with your veterinarian to correct things sooner before they become much bigger problems. A great example of this is identifying a horse that is overweight and at risk for developing metabolic disease and laminitis. Early interventions are life saving for a condition such as this.
Another benefit of doing a wellness exam is to establish a working relationship with your veterinarian. Did you know that a current veterinarian-client-patient is required by law for diagnosing disease and prescribing medications? Planning yearly for wellness care, can streamline getting any needed prescription medications (such as Equioxx, Prascend or Banamine).
Finally, establishing a veterinary-client-patient relationship prioritizes emergency care for your horse if such a situation should arise. We all know how horses love to get sick or injured on a weekend or holiday. While Shoreline Equine makes every attempt to see all equine emergencies, the emergencies of established clients always come first and are seen at a discounted rate. As a bonus, when emergency situations arise, your veterinarian already knows your horse and can be more prepared to offer personalized care.
Written by Dr. Madeline Gehin 9/12/24
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