Centennial Equine Sports Medicine, Professional LLC

01/29/2026

We see occasional spikes in cases of inflammatory liver disease in this area. Diagnosis can be tricky, as culturing the virus from liver biopsy samples is the primary identification method, but it's definitely something to be aware of.

Have you heard of Equine Parvovirus-Hepatitis (EqPV-H)? Here's some important information to know about the disease.

How Does It Spread?
• The preponderance of evidence currently suggests direct contact and nasal transmission as the most likely major route of horizontal transmission.
• The virus is shed in nasal secretions, saliva, and f***s of recently infected horses.
• Direct contact or a high burden of biting flies is likely required for transmission.
• In rare situations, it can also be transmitted through biologic products (these are special treatments like plasma, serum, or antitoxins).
• Chronic carriers do not appear to be contagious.

What Should You Watch For?
⚠️ At this time, it is unknown what causes some horses to develop the clinical form. While most horses stay healthy, a small number may develop:
• Tiredness or depression
• Not wanting to eat
• Yellowing of the eyes or gums (jaundice)
• Dark urine
• Unusual behavior or trouble walking (in severe cases)

What Can You Do?
• Watch for any signs of liver trouble, especially if your horse has recently received biologic products.
• Maintain a clean environment and avoid sharing needles or equipment between horses.
• If your horse seems unwell, contact your veterinarian promptly.

Key Takeaways:
• Although we just discovered it, this is not a new virus or new emerging threat to horses. There's no need to panic as some 15-20% of horses are already infected.
• Horses become long-term carriers, so they can test positive for years without any current disease or risk of developing liver disease.
• Horses in early infection and during liver disease are contagious for a few months.
• Carriers with low viral load do NOT appear to be contagious and we don't recommend isolation based on current knowledge.
• Because of the carrier status, a positive test for parvovirus does not mean it is causing disease, other causes of liver disease need to be thoroughly ruled out.
• There’s currently no vaccine for EqPV-H, but the risk of serious illness is low for most horses.

As always, if you have concerns about your specific equine, contact your veterinarian.

📸 Dr. Mason C. Jager (this photo shows a liver biopsy)

12/25/2025

Centennial Equine Sports Medicine wishes all our equine friends and their families a very Merry Christmas! May your day be filled with joy, love, and plenty of treats! 🎄🐎🥕❤️

12/07/2025

It's that time of year again! Drs. Bell and Harris are attending the American Association of Equine Practitioners annual convention held this year in Denver, CO. Dr. Temple Grandin is giving the Keynote address.
(On a personal note, we're very grateful to Dr. Katie Stone for holding down the fort. The last time the two founding doctors attended the same AAEP Annual Convention was San Diego in 2008!)

12/02/2025

Check out some helpful cold weather facts from American Association of Equine Practitioners to keep your horses warm and healthy this winter. ❄️❤️🐴

THE COLD WEATHER IS UPON US! ❄️

Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice; good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal, and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

11/27/2025

🍁From our family at Centennial Equine Sports Medicine to yours (including the horses, of course), may this Thanksgiving be filled with joy, love, and gratitude.🍂

11/26/2025

EHV-1 Updates for horse owners!
Click the link below to learn more about the recent EHV-1 outbreak. Feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns you may have.

This is the recording of a webinar held November 25, 2025. Please note that the current EHV-1 situation is changing rapidly. To get the most updated informat...

03/26/2025

Cortez Montezuma County Fairground Appointment dates are open! We're planning on a visit every other week (with some exception for MCF events) April - September, 2025.

02/26/2025

Centennial Equine is hiring!

As we expand to include three veterinarians this spring, we are looking to expand our field technical staff. Ideally we are looking for a full-time (4 days/week) assistant who can start now (or before April 1). Applicants should be knowledgeable and capable horse handlers; previous veterinary experience is not required. Call our office at (970) 731-4100 for more information and/or email [email protected].

01/31/2025

You might notice a new voice answering our phones when you call us. Please welcome Cindy Cunningham, our new office manager! Cindy has extensive experience in managing veterinary practices and as a veterinary field technician and we are so excited to have her on our team. We'll try to get her in the field to meet some of you soon.

12/08/2024

We see a few cases each year, though some years are worse than others!

DID YOU KNOW?

Strangles was one of the first equine diseases to be described by the early writers of veterinary science (was first reported in 1215) and is one of the most commonly diagnosed contagious diseases of the horse, worldwide. Though strangles is highly contagious and can affect many horses on a farm, particularly young animals, most horses with infection recover without complication.

It is not uncommon for strangles infections to recur on a farm with previous outbreaks of the disease. The bacteria can survive in water sources for over a month, but the primary source of recurrent infections is most likely asymptomatic carrier horses. Anywhere from 4-50% of the horses on farms with recurring strangles are asymptomatic carriers of the infection, and they may continue to shed the bacteria for months to even years, serving as a continual source of new infections.

If you suspect a strangles outbreak, be sure to involve your veterinarian right away to determine the diagnosis and the best control practices for your particular farm. Strangles is a reportable disease in some states. Movement of any horses on or off the farm should be stopped, and new horses should not be introduced. Monitoring the temperature of all horses daily and isolating horses at the first sign of fever is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of infection. Infected horses can transmit the bacteria to healthy horses one to two days after they develop a fever.

To learn more about strangles, visit our website at https://aaep.org/resource/client-education-presentation-understanding-equine-strangles/

As always, your veterinarian remains your best source of information and advice!

10/12/2024

Wondering which way to vote on CO Prop 145?
Here's a great discussion on the subject:

Letting non-vets diagnose and perform surgery poses risks with questionable benefits

08/02/2024

Check out this webinar about disaster preparedness that is taking place next Thursday, August 8th at 6 pm MDT. Register using the link below:

https://aaep.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=098934c9131c3fad1fa75df6c&id=522e72255d&e=3009e181db