Country Care Equine Veterinary Services, P.A.

07/30/2026

Horse POSITIVE for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) in Benton County MN.

EDCC Alert

July 29, 2026
Equine Infectious Anemia, Benton County, MN
Alert ID: 5094
Source: State Animal Health Official
Number Confirmed: 1;
Number Exposed: 63;
Facility Type: Private Facility;
Horse 1:
Age: 28;
Gender: Mare;
Breed: Haflinger;
Usage: Trail Riding;
Clinical Signs: none;
Horse Status: Quarantined;
Comments: Horse was bought from riding camp herd dispersal in February with no previous Coggins test history. The new owner tested during routine spring vaccine visit. Disease trace investigation is in progress.;

EDCC Alert

July 29, 2026
Equine Infectious Anemia, Benton County, MN
Alert ID: 5094
Source: State Animal Health Official
Number Confirmed: 1;
Number Exposed: 63;
Facility Type: Private Facility;
Horse 1:
Age: 28;
Gender: Mare;
Breed: Haflinger;
Usage: Trail Riding;
Clinical Signs: none;
Horse Status: Quarantined;
Comments: Horse was bought from riding camp herd dispersal in February with no previous Coggins test history. The new owner tested during routine spring vaccine visit. Disease trace investigation is in progress.;

07/16/2026

Poor air quality from wildlifes burning in northern Minnesota and Canada can cause health issues for more than just humans. Check out these helpful tips from the EPA on protecting large animals and livestock from negative effects:https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2026-06/protect-large-animals-and-livestock-factsheet.pdf

07/15/2026

🔥 Wildfire Smoke & Horse Health 🐴💨

Poor air quality can be harmful not only to us but our horses too. Smoke from wildfires can irritate a horse's respiratory system and cause fatigue, coughing, difficulty breathing, etc.

You can monitor local air quality at www.airnow.gov. During periods of poor air quality, you can protect your horse's health by:

🐎 Limiting or avoiding exercise.
💧 Providing free access to fresh water.
💦 Controlling dust such as watering dry lots and soaking or feeding dust-free hay.
🕰 Allowing time for recovery: airway damage from wildfire smoke takes 4 to 6 weeks to heal after air quality returns to normal.
☎️ Consult your vet if you notice signs of smoke irritation.

For more information visit: ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/wildfire-smoke-and-horses

07/09/2026

She’s such a 💎

07/04/2026

07/04/2026

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Fourth of July!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 250 years of Independence!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

(Had to go deep into the archives for these 7•4•13)☺️

07/03/2026

If you feel hot, your horse feels even hotter.

Horses have a much harder time processing heat and humidity than humans. And among horses, foals usually cannot handle as much heat as adult horses. A mare may be fine, but her foal may be getting sick from being out on a hot day.

Horses with heavy muscling or excess fat or in poor condition will also be more susceptible to heat exhaustion. Keep in mind that exercise is a major source of body heat and strenuous work on a hot, humid day can lead to problems in a short period of time for even the best-conditioned horse.

Does this mean you should not ride on a hot and humid day? Not necessarily. It just means you should take precautions and use common sense. And remember: don't push it! If your horse looks tired, it’s time for a drink, a cold bath, and a break in the shade.

06/29/2026

🚨PSA — using water to cool down a horse 🚨

Summer definitely showed up today. 🥵🥵
As a quick reminder, if you’re trying to cool your horses off by hosing them down, make sure to scrape them off afterwards. If not, the water serves as an insulation keeping the heat in and making the horse even more hot than it potentially already was.

06/22/2026

Equine asthma is a breathing problem caused by inflammation in the airways. It can range from mild to severe, but across all forms, one thing matters most: reducing dust and irritants in the horse's environment.

What many owners think of as "dust" is more than just visible dirt. It can include bacteria, mold and fungal spores, mites, endotoxins, and other tiny particles that trigger inflammation in the lungs. Some of the worst particles are actually too small to see.

The key is the horse's breathing zone - the air right around the nose. Dust in that area matters much more than dust elsewhere in the barn. Even a stable that looks clean can still have harmful tiny particles in the air.

Common dust and irritant sources can include:
• Hay
• Bedding
• Sweeping or mucking stalls
• Barn blowers
• Round bale feeding
• Very dry, windy conditions
• Pollens or other allergens
• Unusual triggers like nearby manure piles, chemical sprays, chickens, or certain bedding materials

Management often focuses on lowering dust exposure:
• Reconsidering hay and bedding
• Using wood shavings
• Feeding a pelleted diet or hay cubes
• Soaking hay
• Steaming hay correctly
• Considering haylage
• Avoiding round bale feeding in horses prone to severe asthma

Note that medication may help control inflammation or open the airways, but there is no replacement to environmental management. Long-term improvement depends on reducing dust in the horse's environment, especially in the breathing zone.

If you have questions or concerns about your specific equine, contact your veterinarian.

06/16/2026

Many horse owners have at one point or another gone to pick out their horse's feet only to be met with a foul odor to the nose and the sight of black discharge. 🤢

This is an infection of the frog called thrush, most often associated with a compromised, recessed frog and conditions that let dirt, manure, urine, and moisture accumulate in the sulci.

It's commonly recognized by:
• Black discharge in the frog grooves
• Strong, foul odor
• A narrow, eroded, unhealthy-looking frog
• Sometimes a deep crack in the central sulcus
• Pain or lameness in more severe cases

Key Points:
• Wet, dirty footing and poor daily hoof care can contribute.
• Lack of exercise may also play a role.
• Cases often improve best when you address both the infection and the hoof mechanics/farriery behind the unhealthy frog.
• Simply applying products without improving the frog's health and hoof shape may have limited value.

Basic care include:
• Daily hoof cleaning
• Keeping the horse in a clean, dry environment
• Ongoing hoof care/farriery attention
• Veterinary/farrier involvement if the frog is painful, deeply fissured, bleeding, or the horse is lame

If you suspect your equine companion has thrush, reach out to your veterinarian and farrier.