News
Vaccine & Coggins Clinics are coming this spring! On March 31st we will be conducting a Vaccine & Coggins clinic at CN Sawdust & Feed in Rockford, MI. We will be there from 10am to 3pm to administer vaccines and draw blood for coggins tests.
Vaccine prices for the Vaccine and Coggins Clinics: Vetera Gold (West Nile, EWT, Flu & Rhino) $55.00, Vetera (West Nile, EWT)$34.00, Potomac Horse Fever & Rabies $23.00, Potomac Horse Fever $21.00, Coggins Tests will be $27.00. For any horse receiving two vaccines Dr. Fitzgerald will also provide a complimentary brief exam. These prices are good for the Vaccine & Coggins clinics only, normal pricing will occur at any other time. We will be accepting Cash & Checks only during the Vaccine & Coggins clinics and payment will be due at time of service.
10/07/11 The Animal House is pleased to announce that Dr. Chudy will be joining our staff the week of October 10th 2011! Formerly from the Cedar Springs area, Dr. Chudy brings a wealth of small animal and exotic experience to our practice.
6/27/11 Thorwood Equine has moved!!!!! We are located at 9599 E Fulton. Our new phone number is 616-897-7877. We will be serving " All creatures great and small" from this location!
7/30/10 Worried about Eastern Equine Encephalitis? Click first on the 'More' below and then CLICK HERE for more information
5/27/10 Find us on Facebook!!!
3/15/10 RABID HORSE IN LAPEER COUNTY
State Veterinarian Urges Pet and Livestock Owners to Vaccinate Against Rabies Rabid horse identified in Lapeer County is state’s third rabies case this year.
LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) State Veterinarian Dr. Steven Halstead today urged Michigan citizens to be pro-active and have their pets and livestock vaccinated against rabies and other diseases after confirmation that a horse in Lapeer County tested positive for rabies. "It is essential pet and livestock owners take steps to vaccinate against rabies and other diseases because of the possibility human exposure to the disease from interaction with infected horses, cattle, dogs, and cats," Dr. Halstead said. “By working with their veterinarian, owners can take significant steps toward providing a safe and healthy environment for their families and animals."
A quarantine was issued on the Lapeer County horse farm and will be monitored by county animal control officers. Feral cats and any pet cat on the premises showing clinical signs consistent with rabies or with a history of biting someone within the previous 10 days will be tested. Six people, including the owner, trainer, and veterinarian, that may have been exposed to the rabid horse are receiving a series of preventative rabies shots. No other humans or animals are known to have been exposed at this time.
This is the third case of rabies in Michigan thus far in 2010 - a skunk was found to be rabid in St. Clair County and a bat was found to be rabid in Kent County.
A standard vaccination program for pets and livestock includes vaccinations required by law, along with vaccinations for diseases commonly found throughout the state. Licensed vaccines are also available for horses, cows, sheep and goats. "It is important to make sure animals attending fairs or exhibitions, field trials or shows receive additional vaccinations to protect against diseases they may be exposed to in group housing or stressful situations. Owners should consult their private veterinarian to develop an appropriate vaccination program specific for their animals,” Halstead said.
State law requires ferrets and dogs be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. It is also important to make sure that cats kept indoors also be vaccinated as bats frequently get into homes exposing the cats.
Dr. Halstead also recommends the following vaccinations:
All horses against rabies, Eastern/Western Equine Encephalitis, Tetanus, and West Nile Virus. Having dogs checked for heartworm and intestinal parasites, along with vaccinations against canine distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus. Having cats checked for heartworm and internal parasites and vaccinations for cats include rabies, herpes virus, calicivirus, and panleukopenia.
2/12/10 VACCINE AND COGGINS DISCOUNTS for barns of 10 or more horses. 10% off your vaccines and coggins, when 10 or more horses are each receiving Spring vaccines. (Spring vaccines include EWT/WN, Potomac and Flu/Rhino)
1/1/10 Happy New Year!!
10/28/09 PREVENTICARE CLIENTS!!!! - You should have received a letter in the mail from Pfizer regarding how you should re-enroll your horse(s). You are now able to go online and submit all information yourself, rather than having to have us fill out and mail in forms for you. This reduces a great deal of time and paperwork for us both :) Please visit www.equinepreventicare.com if you have additional questions.
6/24/09 It is Potomac Horse Fever season once again. We have treated several suspect cases already this summer, and MSU College of Veterinary Medicine has been treating many hospitalized cases as well. The fact that your horse has been immunized for the disease does not mean that it is protected completely. The vaccine may lessen the severity with some strains of the organism, and in other cases the symptoms may be severe and life-threatening even in a well-immunized horse. If your horse shows lethargy, poor appetite, fever, or has loose stool between June and October, please contact us immediately to consult about the liklihood of Potomac.
6/23/09 Consider having hoof balance radiographs of your horse's front hooves taken periodically to provide the farrier with a blueprint of your horse's hooves. This will help him or her to see the exact relationship of the bony column to the hoof capsule, and know what adjustments need made to arrive at a perfectly balanced hoof. Many times, abnormalities in balance are detected using radiographs when outward examination, or “reading” the hoof, fails to identify any problems. Out-of-balance hooves can lead to chronic degenerative problems of the hoof including navicular disease, ringbone, sidebones, and hoof cracks, just to name a few.
4/15/09 Dr. Fitzgerald just completed the fourth ISELP conference on stifle lameness in beautiful Middleburg, VA. Jean-Marie Denoix hosted this conference at Virginia Equine Imaging, a referral practice owned and operated by Dr. Kent Allen. Three days were spent intensely exploring the anatomy of the stifle joint with demonstrations of ultrasound technique and new joint injection techniques. Various case studies were presented showing videos of lameness along with ultrasound and radiographic images of abnormal stifle joints. There was a lecture from a European veterinarian on CT imaging of the stifle joint as well. These meetings have provided a wealth of new information to help diagnose and treat lameness issues in the horse.