Farm & Field Mobile Veterinary Services PC

08/28/2025

📈Replacement heifers are necessary on a farm to replace older or culled breeding cows, expand the herd size and enhance the genetics of the cow population.

Learn more about heifer replacement and opportunity costs. ⬇️
https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/what-does-raising-replacement-heifers-cost

08/28/2025

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF PROUD FLESH? 🔎

Wounds on the bodies and limbs of our equine companions are exceptionally common. In particular, wounds on lower limbs can be especially difficult to manage. There is little extra skin in these areas, making large wounds difficult to close via suturing.

In addition, wounds on the lower legs are contaminated easily with bacteria since they are closer to the ground, bedding, and manure. The constant movement of an animal's legs as it walks, turns, and bears weight can also greatly impair healing, especially if the wound occurs over a joint. All of these factors can often halt the normal progression of the healing process and result in a chronic wound.

Persistent inflammation, along with infection, is a major contributor to exuberant granulation tissue (or proud flesh) formation in a wound. Proud flesh is not conducive to wound healing as it prevents the wound from epithelializing (the process of the skin cells covering the wound), and sometimes it can become so large that it appears to be a tumor, usually obliterating the original wound.

Prevention of proud flesh involves good wound management. For the best healing, wounds should be identified and treated quickly and properly — especially on the lower limbs. Consult your veterinarian about any wounds that appear deep or extensive, that lie over important structures (like joints and tendons), or that already show signs of proud flesh development. Rather than waste time and money in trials and errors that could delay your equid's healing, ask your veterinarian what products are best for your situation.

04/23/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐏𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝 🔺🐴

Forage-Based. Forage-Only. Grain Free. These are all the latest buzzwords tossed around in the equine feed world. But what do they really mean and is it worth the hype?

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭.

🌱 Forage refers to edible plants or parts of plants eaten by grazing animals. For horses we often consider these grasses or legumes either offered fresh as pasture or preserved as hay, haylage, or silage.

🌽 Grain refers to the edible seed of a plant such as corn, oats, wheat, or barley. These seeds are energy stores in the plant and thus provide additional calories when used in feed and are known to be highly palatable and higher in starch.

🌾 By-products are secondary products made from processing grains or other plants and include wheat middlings, wheat bran, beet pulp, rice bran or soybean hulls, to name a few. These products serve different roles in animal feed due to varying amounts of fiber, protein, or fat. For example, beet pulp is considered a forage alternative often used in feeds while rice bran is commonly used to add fat to the diet.

𝐒𝐨, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

Let’s begin with a forage-based diet. A horse is supposed to consume at least 1.5 to 2.5% of their bodyweight in feed per day with at least 50% coming from forage. This is because the GI tract of the horse is designed to consume high fiber feeds continuously throughout the day. As a result, EVERY diet designed for horses should be forage based. So congratulations! You are currently following the ‘fad’! As a nutritionist, I strive to exceed the 50% minimum and maximize forage in the diet by selecting the appropriate forage for the horse.

While forage-based or forage first is important, it is not always enough to give your horse everything they need. To fully know what your current forage offers, it is important to get it tested by a reputable lab. But forages can be deficient in essential nutrients including protein, vitamin A and E, selenium, copper, or zinc. Additionally, some horses have elevated energy requirements and need additional calories. As a result, a forage-only diet is unlikely to meet all the needs of the horse. There are also many scenarios in which horses who have different nutritional needs are housed together. So while a specific forage may work for one horse, it may not be ideal for all of them. This means, it is our job to provide a balanced feed to fill in the cracks.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞?

Removing whole grains from the feed provided can significantly reduce starch in the diet. While this can have some benefits for horses with gastrointestinal sensitivities, starch is not entirely bad. In fact, there may be some benefits for hard working horses when fed correctly (such as dividing the feed into multiple smaller meals throughout the day).

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝?

No! Fads in horse nutrition tend to follow human nutrition. While processed human food is considered to have poor nutritional value and a lot of additives, processed horse feed is just the opposite. These feeds are designed by experts to balance the diet of the horse and include the necessary vitamins and minerals, among other nutrients, at recommended values to optimize health. Unfortunately, commercially manufactured feeds just get a bad rap as people throw around scary words and misinformation.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞?

Well, every Ph.D. nutritionist I have talked to has the same philosophy, feed forage first and do your best to maximize forage in the diet before using commercial feeds to fill in the cracks (if your nutritionist doesn’t have this philosophy, maybe find a new one). However, we are also aware that forage just isn’t enough in most scenarios – especially hay! And there are also many cases where the owner does not have the ability to tailor the forage provided to be ideal for every single horse they are feeding.

So don’t be scared of commercially manufactured feeds, they have a role and are critical in optimizing the health of the horse. But also know to prioritize forage as best you can. And just remember, that feeding a forage-based diet doesn't have to be as difficult or 'holistic' as some make it out to be, odds are, you are already doing it!

We will save supplements at the tippy top of the pyramid for another day, because that one sure is a doozy!

Cheers!
Dr. DeBoer

04/23/2025

Spread the word.

04/23/2025

Determining a long-term, sustainable carrying capacity for a pasture is a key component of balancing forage supply and demand.

You can use regional range health guidelines or the BCRC Carrying Capacity Calculator to estimate the amount of forage available and how many animals a pasture can support.

🎬Check out our video highlighting the calculator: https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/how-to-calculate-carrying-capacity-video/
🧰 Sort through all the stocking rate variables with this calculator: https://www.beefresearch.ca/tools/carrying-capacity-calculator-method-1/

04/23/2025

We have 2 great modules on differentiating neurologic disease - one for cattle and one for small ruminants! Check out Courses 17 & 18 at largeanimalce.com

04/23/2025

With dairy producers top of mind, ABS looks at four trait categories that drive genetic improvement and profitability on a dairy: 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠. They play major roles in milk production, and ultimately, your milk check. We know milk production is the dairy’s main profit center. ⁣
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That’s why the mission of our Beef InFocus program is to 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Before any sire makes it to our Beef InFocus lineup, we measure their predicted performance through Real World Data, calving observations, and our proprietary indices to ensure they meet genetic improvement thresholds. ⁣
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Want to learn more about the BeefAdvantage Index? Check it out here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H021Tvj0

04/23/2025

If you believe that horses need grain in their diet to meet their nutritional needs, you are not alone. However, horses should get most of their nutrients from a good quality forage source such as grass, hay, hay pellets, or a complete feed.

Horses generally eat between 1.5-2% of their body weight each day, so an average size 1,000 lbs horse should eat 15- 20 lbs of hay daily. To help fill any nutrient gaps such as essential vitamins or minerals, a ration balancer may be beneficial. Depending on breed, body condition, and exercise level, concentrates may be added in to provide additional energy but are often not needed.

When deciding on what to feed your horse, it is best to invest in high quality forages as the foundation of your feeding plan. You can even have your hay tested to see exactly what nutrients it is providing.

Please consult with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist about your horse's diet before making any major changes, and remember that any changes should be made gradually over time to avoid GI upset.

Thank you to the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information.

02/07/2025

02/07/2025

An incredibly valuable reminder when it comes to bandaging your horse’s legs, courtesy of the horse doctors at Mid-Rivers Equine Centre.

“Even the slightest wrinkle, fold, or lump in the bandage can cause discomfort for your equine companion. Imagine wearing socks and shoes and the sock has a crease in it. It will be incredibly uncomfortable to walk on.

Improperly applied bandages can not only cause discomfort but also lead to skin irritation and even injury. Be aware of the entire bandage's placement and the padding beneath, ensuring zero wrinkles or bumps. Your horse's leg injury needs the utmost wrapping care and taking the time to ensure a smooth and comfortable bandage application is vital.

APPLYING A BANDAGE
So how exactly can you achieve a flawlessly wrapped bandage? First, start by laying the padding smoothly over the area you intend to wrap. Make sure it's evenly distributed and covers the entirety of your horse's leg. Then, carefully wrap the bandage around the leg, applying gentle pressure as you go. Check frequently for lumps or folds, smoothing them out as you continue wrapping.

Another tip to remember is to avoid wrapping too tightly, which can impede circulation and cause discomfort for your horse. Instead, aim for a snug but comfortable fit, ensuring the bandage won't slip or shift during exercise. Once you've finished wrapping, visually inspect the bandage for any irregularities before securing it in place.”

Our final piece of advice: If you have any questions or concerns about bandaging your horse’s leg, be sure to talk to your veterinarian!

02/07/2025

Whether you're well into or gearing up for its approach, here is a handy checklist for assessing dehydration in young calves.

Download the free printable PDF:https://www.beefresearch.ca/content/uploads/2022/10/Dehydration-Checklist-Letter.pdf

For dehydration treatment info, watch this 4-minute video: https://beefresearch.pulse.ly/ea8ugznwxk

02/07/2025

While the number of confirmed equine rabies cases every year is low, talking about this disease remains important because of the potential for human exposure—which does NOT have to involve a bite from an infected horse, as contact of skin or mucosa with the horse’s saliva could be enough to transmit the disease.

Rabies has many faces, but they are all deadly—once a horse shows clinical signs, the animal invariably dies within a few days as there is no treatment.

The good news is that modern vaccines are highly effective and current AAEP recommendations list rabies as one of the “core vaccines” that should be given to all horses annually to maintain immunity (read the full AAEP vaccination guidelines here: https://aaep.org/guidelines/vaccination-guidelines).

Equine rabies is a real risk for all horses, and a public health concern as well. Be sure to set up a regular vaccination schedule with your veterinarian if you haven’t already done so. Remember that strange behavior on behalf of your equine friend is always a valid reason to check in with your horse doctor!