UNHS Hooves & Hands Mobile Rural Health

09/02/2026

Hi everyone, after focusing on West Nile Virus and its very effective vaccine last time, we want to reiterate the importance of vaccinating your horses in general.

The American Association of Equine Professionals (AAEP) recommends vaccinating all equids (donkeys, mules, and minis too!) for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Tetanus (aka the 4-way shot), and Rabies (a separate shot).

Now…if you’re taking any of your horses on adventures aka to rodeos (looking at you, Window Rock next weekend! 😉), we definitely recommend the equine Herpesvirus (Rhino) and Influenza virus vaccine as well. These are all recommended annually and you need a 1 month booster for animals that have never been vaccinated before.

We do still have some vaccines available through a grant from the Foundation for the Horse making the total cost for complete vaccination just $30 in Bluff or $70 at your place. We’re down to about 25 doses so if you’re interested, call sooner rather than later! Don’t ever hesitate to call Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer (regular hours M-F 9-5) with any questions or concerns, 435-320-0277.

PS - We also do health certificates and Coggins testing for travel if you're headed to Window Rock or any other rodeos!

https://thehorse.com/110954/infographic-vaccinating-your-horse/

08/27/2026

The kids are heading back to school and that sometimes means more shots. Read on to learn about UNHS's measure of the month, childhood immunizations!

First things first, vaccines are one of the most successful medical advances in modern times. Since 1974, vaccination has prevented 154 million deaths worldwide, including 146 million children younger than 5 years. In the United States between 1994 and 2023, routine childhood vaccination prevented approximately 508 MILLION cases of illness, 32 MILLION hospitalizations, and over 1 MILLION deaths, saving an estimated $2.7 TRILLION in societal costs.

Now let's get some numbers straight. The vaccine schedule supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends 13 vaccines that protect kids against 16 diseases. If a child gets a flu shot every year, that's roughly 54 separate pokes by age 18 (give or take depending on combination vaccines). Here's an example: at age four years, when your child gets their booster shots for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox before starting kindergarten, how many vaccines do you think they get? At most offices, including UNHS, they get 2 pokes, each with 2 combination vaccines to protect against all 8 diseases.

This is not to say that vaccines never cause any adverse reactions. I hate getting poked with needles as much as the next person for one simple reason: it usually hurts! In fact, up to 80% of vaccine doses can cause what are called local adverse reactions that are typically mild and self-limited, including pain and swelling. Sometimes kids also feel achy and feverish afterwards. These symptoms are typically a sign that the body is reacting by activating the immune system to the vaccine. More severe reactions are rare but about 3% of kids can have prolonged pain and swelling of the injection site/limb. Taking acetaminophen after the vaccine is the treatment for all of these reactions and does not make the vaccine significantly less effective.

At the risk of making this post even longer, here are a few other points that I would be happy to discuss further if there's interest:
- thimerosal (a mercury compound) is currently used ONLY in multidose vials of flu vaccine (which are not used at every office) and exposure to thimerosal through vaccines is not associated with adverse neurologic outcomes
- The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine (or any vaccine) is not associated with autism spectrum disorder
- Vaccines don’t contain full-strength germs and don’t contain ingredients that can harm persons who take the vaccine. Vaccines are mostly water.
- Medical organizations constantly monitor the safety of vaccines and respond to safety concerns, including sharing information with the public.
- Vaccines are better than building a natural immune response because many preventable diseases are dangerous and can cause lasting side effects.
- Getting multiple shots in one visit is not too much for the child's immune system. The amount of germs in vaccines is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of germs kids come into contact with on a daily basis, just think about babies crawling on floors and the colds that get passed around schools. The recommended vaccine schedules are timed the way they are to provide the best protection possible and any delays weaken your child's protection.
- The technology used to develop the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is not new. It has been extensively studied and used in cancer research.
- Not vaccinating your child affects your whole community. When many individuals have immunity to a disease, that protects people who aren’t or can’t be vaccinated. This is called herd immunity. If not enough people are vaccinated, deadly diseases like measles can return.

For more information:
https://familydoctor.org/childhood-vaccines-what-they-are-and-why-your-child-needs-them/
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Recommended-Immunization-Schedules.aspx
https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center
https://dhhs.utah.gov/up2date/

08/18/2026

West Nile Virus Season is here (the first human case “of the 2026 season” was reported in Salt Lake County in late July and per the state vet today, we are up to five horse cases)! West Nile Virus is carried by mosquitoes and most prevalent during late summer - fall. Horses who get this disease can have neurologic issues - meaning they can have a fever, incoordination, wobbliness, or muscle twitches/seizures. Horses and humans can both get West Nile, though it is not contagious horse to horse or horse to human.

The great news is that the virus is quite preventable with the West Nile vaccine (part of the 4-way and 5-way/6-way vaccine); good mosquito management helps too. ALSO, we most definitely have this disease in San Juan county, as we diagnosed an equine case last year (confirmed with blood test) - while West Nile is often fatal, that horse is living her best life after some prompt supportive care. 😊 Stay safe and don’t hesitate to call with any questions/concerns or to schedule an appointment: 435-320-0277. Have a great Tuesday!

08/06/2026

What is cyclosporiasis and is it in my lettuce?

What happened?
- Last month, many of us started hearing about this infection that might be coming from lettuce.
- On July 17, 2026, the company Taylor Farms initiated a recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.
- This lettuce was distributed and sold in at least 27 states to consumers, restaurants, and retailers, including Taco Bell locations and Marketside-brand products at select Walmart stores.
- On Monday, it was announced that two people in Michigan had died from this infection, both of whom had significant underlying health conditions.
- Just yesterday, multiple new states were added to the list as new cases were confirmed so this is an evolving situation.
- As of this posting, NO AFFECTED LETTUCE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS SOLD IN ANY OF THE FOUR CORNERS STATES and there have been NO cases linked to this outbreak in UT, CO, AZ, or NM.

What is cyclosporiasis?
- Cyclosporiasis is a GI illness with explosive, watery diarrhea, cramping, bloating, gassiness, loss of appetite, fatigue, and weight loss.
- These symptoms typically start about one week (ranging from 2 days to 2+ weeks) after eating contaminated food.

What should I do?
- The best-by dates for the recalled products have passed and they should no longer be available in stores or restaurants. If you check your home and have recalled lettuce, do not eat it. Throw it away or return it for a full refund. Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the recalled lettuce using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
- If you have symptoms of cyclosporiasis, contact your healthcare provider to report symptoms and receive care, especially if you ate shredded iceberg lettuce in the two weeks before you got sick. You may need to request special testing for it.
- If you have symptoms, stay well-hydrated.
- Wash your hands and any fresh produce thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.

For more information, visit the official FDA recall page at https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/taylor-fresh-foods-recalls-iceberg-lettuce-central-mexico-because-possible-health-risk

07/31/2026

Helping Your Animals Survive the Heat

Because it is genuinely too hot this week.

1. Make shade - be it a shade sail or a lean to, just somewhere to get out of the sun to help beat the sun’s rays.
2. If you have livestock, consider increasing forage, like hay, and decreasing grain rations. This will help avoid colic/bloating/acidosis (when the rumen gets too acidic and can cause bad bacterial overgrowth).
3. Make sure water is free choice when it’s this hot to avoid colic or dehydration.
4. Adding electrolytes to a separate bucket of water, in addition to regular water can help keep adequate hydration; and if your animals aren’t good drinkers (looking at you horses), make it tasty. We used to make “sweet tea” for animals recovering from surgery - this is just sweet feed dumped in a bucket with water and can make water just a little more appetizing.
5. If you notice increased breathing/open mouth breathing, lying down inappropriately, or lethargy, these can be signs of heat stress or heat stroke. Don’t hesitate to call your veterinarian.

UNHS Hooves and Hands’s Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer can be reached at 435-320-0277.

Stay cool!

07/15/2026

PSA For anyone wondering about which ointments/creams/salves to have on hand and for what purpose (you know we're Manuka honey obsessed😀) here's a great chance to learn from the experts! Tonight at 6:00pm, see you there!

Not all wound care ointments and sprays are created equal. Register for our free webinar with Dr. Carrie Hammer and Dr. Nikki Scherrer to learn strategies for basic wound healing and the effectiveness of common disinfectants, sprays and creams used to treat equine problems. We'd love to see you there! https://tinyurl.com/3n66xtw6

07/10/2026

Some schedule updates: we will be in Navajo Mountain next Monday-Thursday, July 13-16!

We are happy to see anyone there, you will just have to travel a bit…unless you’re in Navajo Mountain, in which case feel free to call us to schedule an appointment for your horses or livestock or yourself (Dr. Reale will be working in the clinic there)!

We will then be out of town July 17-27 for our annual pilgrimage back to our families on the east coast and for a sister’s wedding. We will be checking our phones, please don’t hesitate to call with questions.

07/09/2026

With temperatures soaring into the 100s these days, here are some tips to stay healthy in the heat.

Most of you reading this post either have been or soon will be in an "Extreme Heat Warning." For southeastern Utah, the next one will be from Saturday at noon until Sunday at midnight with dangerously hot conditions with temperatures up to 110 possible.

Heat-related illness is the broad medical term that covers the problems people can develop as a result of being too hot, from mild heat cramps to potentially deadly heat stroke. These all happen when excessive heat exposure and your natural body heat production overwhelm your body's ability to regulate and dissipate that heat.

There are a lot of things that can increase your risk of heat-related illness, like working outdoors, being socially isolated, not being used to the heat, wearing heavy clothing, not resting, having a sedentary lifestyle, and many medical conditions and medications.

There are also many symptoms of heat-related illness. Mild symptoms include swelling of the hands or feet, a rash, or muscle cramps. A little more serious are things like weakness and fainting. The most important and dangerous symptoms are confusion, disorientation, agitation, and lethargy. If someone is not acting right after being in the heat, IT IS AN EMERGENCY.

Treatment is always based on cooling the person and getting hydrated and a medical professional can help with further guidance. As is true with many things, preventing heat-related illness in the first place is much more preferable.

To prevent heat-related illness, take the following steps:
- wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing
- gradually get used to the heat, starting at 1 hour per day with gradual increase to 2 hours per day, over 7–14 days
- limit strenuous activities during peak temperatures and take frequent breaks, ideally in a cool environment
- drink water for activities lasting less than 1 hour and sports drinks for activities over 1 hour or with excessive sweating
- check in frequently on heat-vulnerable individuals like elders or people who live alone or have mobility issues
- do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles as car interiors reach deadly temperatures in a matter of minutes

If you have any questions about the heat or any other medical topics, reach out to Dr. Reale at 435-320-0511. Also, let us know in a comment what other topics you'd like to to learn about!

Stay cool out there!

07/02/2026

Hi all, the Utah Department of Agriculture just gave an update on New World Screwworm - do not worry, it’s not in Utah at this time (one case in NM, rest in Texas).

They included the map of the areas where screwworm has been found and the surrounding area of concern. Also, did want to share this graphic they had in case you (like us) were confused as to how to tell the difference between botflies and screwworm. 🙂

If you want to know exactly where the screwworms cases are (geographically), go to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/current-status/us-confirmed-cases-new-world and if you are looking for Utah’s informational website, go to https://ag.utah.gov/animal-industry/animal-health-program/new-world-screwworm/

If you have any questions OR any suspicion that you might have found a screwworm infestation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your vet. Dr. Magdalena Niedermeyer can be reached at 435-320-0277, normal business hours 9-5 M-F. As always, it never hurts to call with questions/concerns, ESPECIALLY with this. Have a great Thursday!

06/24/2026

Since the weather has been roasty toasty, we figured now is a good time to stress the importance of free choice clean water access AND what to do if animals accidentally go without water.

For reference, the average horse just living their life drinks 5-10 gallons per day and the average sheep drinks 1-4 gallons per day. This requirement INCREASES with heat and exercise. While we cannot force them to drink, we can at least make sure the opportunity is always there.

If, for some reason (spill, hose is accidentally turned off), your livestock go without water for some length of time, too much rehydration can also make them sick by what’s called salt toxicity or poisoning. If you find that your animals have been without water for some period of time, consider SLOW rehydration, which can be done by watering the ground or only putting a little water in a bucket at a time (