Wilhite & Frees Equine Hospital

06/18/2025

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬!
If your horse is suddenly breaking out in raised, itchy welts — you’re not alone. With Kansas City’s warm, humid weather and high pollen counts, 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 and 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 are common triggers for hives in horses this time of year.
🔍𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
• Soft, raised bumps on the skin
• Extreme itching or rubbing
• Swollen eyelids, muzzle, or sheath, or neck
•Snoring/wheezing breathing sounds (This is an emergency- call our office!)
💡𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩:
• Schedule an appointment with our office! Regardless if your horse has a serious allergic response or not- hives are uncomfortable. We may be able to implement a product pictured below to improve their comfort level. In some cases allergy testing is necessary and we are happy to provide a referral.
• Hydrotherapy; giving a cool bath and placing your horse under a fan until they can be examined may provide some relief.
•Use fly sheets, boots, masks & insect repellent (check under fly gear daily!)
• Limit turnout during peak pollen/insect hours

𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮: https://practices.allydvm.com/online-booking?practice=wilhitefrees

06/13/2025

Wilhite and Frees Equine Hospital’s Ambulatory Services 🛻 🐴

We are a full service equine hospital with 7 full time veterinarians. Our ambulatory vehicles are fully equipped and visit residences and equine facilities within a 50 mile radius from our hospital in Peculiar, MO. Our portable equipment allows for almost all appointment types to be done in the field: dental floats, lameness exams, vaccinations, gastroscopy exams, radiographs, shockwave, therapeutic laser, ophthalmic exams, wellness exams, and more.

We are available for scheduled appointments between 8am and 5pm during the week and emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. New clients are always welcome! Call 816-779-0100 or click to schedule today: https://practices.allydvm.com/online-booking?practice=wilhitefrees

06/12/2025

The phones are back on, but Haleigh and Sydney aged ten years in one afternoon. Please keep them in your thoughts. 😂👵🏼

Our phone system is currently having a widespread outage due to the Google Cloud Platform. If you have an emergency or need to reach us, please call 844-212-9650, ask to speak to the doctor on call, and we will return your call immediately.

06/06/2025

We’re doing a raffle bucket giveaway! Here’s how it works:
🎟️ Each bag purchased with our referral code listed in the photo below EQV0135 = one raffle entry for client
🏆 On August 1st, we will randomly draw a winner who has used the referral code, and ship the raffle bucket directly to them – no extra work for you!

🎁 The raffle bucket will include: 1 Cosequin 3.5gal bucket, 2 bags of Cosequin ASU Balance, and lots of Cosequin merch/premium items!

06/05/2025

Subtle foreshadowing: pulling a foal while carrying your own! Though she hid her pretty well under her signature green vet bibs, Dr. Taylor Johnson and her husband, Clint welcomed their daughter, Lauren into the world on May 20th. We are all in love with the newest WFEH team member (though she technically already has 9 months of calls under her belt!)

Thank you to Dr. Johnson, for all of your hard work while carrying another person. You showed up and helped so many clients and horses, even on days that were tough for you. We are incredibly proud to have you on our team. Congratulations to the Johnson family!

05/31/2025

05/27/2025

Do you know what TPR stands for? We start every single appointment measuring these things but what does it have to do with you? Knowing your horse’s normal vital signs is VITAL —pun intended!- to detecting distress and a possible emergency!

Practice taking your horse’s vitals often (T.P.R.: temperature, pulse, respiration rate) so you can get to know what’s normal for your equine friends and recognize what is abnormal. If your horse seems a little
“off” and his values are outside the normal range, a call to your equine veterinarian is definitely warranted!
The typical ranges for adult horses are as follows:
* Temperature: 99.0-101.5°F
* Heart rate: 28-40 beats/minute
* Respiration rate: 12-16 breaths/minute
Keep in mind that very hot and humid conditions may cause small variations, so be sure to have a conversation with your horse doctor about what is acceptable and about how to properly assess your horse’s vital signs.
Thank you to the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information and AAEP Horse Docs for sharing! Big thanks to our staff like Chloe (pictured here auscultating gut sounds) for their skills and attention to physical exams! Call or click to schedule with us today: https://practices.allydvm.com/online-booking?practice=wilhitefrees

05/25/2025

When your mom refilled her printer ink cartridge before she had you. 😍 We are coming to the last few mares to foal out at the hospital for the year. It’s a bittersweet time but if you still have a mare to foal out or bred your mare this spring and are planning for next year here are a few reasons why people choose to implement our foaling services.
🐴 Distance from emergency care. If a mare is taking longer than 30 minutes to foal- that is an emergent situation. Consider your distance from your local vet or how long it will take them to drive to you.
🐴 Maiden mares: If it is your mare’s first time foaling they may require some extra help and support.
🐴 Owner comfort level/availability: If you are planning on not being in town or available near your mare’s due date or just would be more comfortable with her foaling out at the hospital.

Whatever the reason may be, we are happy to help! Call or click to schedule today: https://practices.allydvm.com/online-booking?practice=wilhitefrees

05/23/2025

Whether you have a horse with an endocrine disorder or not, this webcast from TheHorse.com is a great resource! Knowing the signs, symptoms, and most current diagnostic and treatment options can help you be the best advocate for your horse.

Learn the latest on equine endocrine disease—causes, diagnosis, dynamic testing, and whole-horse treatment strategies—beyond just laminitis.

05/21/2025

You only have a few more days to take advantage of the farrier radiograph special in May! Be sure to schedule before May 31st for $50 off your horse’s foot films!

Are things going well with your horse? Could they be going better?
🐴Understanding Internal Structures: Radiographs reveal the internal anatomy of the hoof—bones, joints, and soft tissue landmarks—allowing farriers to assess alignment, balance, and overall hoof health more accurately.
🐴Precision Trimming and Shoeing: With radiographic guidance, farriers can tailor trims and shoe placements to support the horse’s unique anatomy, especially in cases of conformation challenges, lameness, or past injuries.
🐴Early Detection of Problems: Conditions such as laminitis, navicular disease, pedal osteitis, and coffin bone rotation can be detected early with radiographs. This allows for quicker intervention and improved outcomes.
🐴Improved Collaboration: Radiographs foster better collaboration between veterinarians and farriers, ensuring a team-based approach to the horse’s care and long-term soundness.
🐴Monitoring Progress: For horses in rehabilitation or under corrective shoeing plans, radiographs provide a way to track changes and adjust care as needed.

☎️ Call or click to schedule today: https://practices.allydvm.com/online-booking?practice=wilhitefrees

05/20/2025

Our friends at are offering this workshop in Topeka. If you saw them at our education event then you know what a great job they do. It will be full of valuable information and is a wonderful opportunity so close to home. Register on KS-TRAIN (train.org), create a lot in, and search for Course ID: 1128860
https://www.train.org/main/course/1128860/live-event

05/15/2025

Protect your horse on and off the farm with the down and dirty of biosecurity!

Next Tuesday, join AAEP member veterinarians Drs. Elizabeth Gorrell and Nikki Scherrer for a webinar discussion that will help you reduce your horse's risk of exposure to infectious diseases when traveling off the farm - and how to prevent bringing those risks back home.

Registration is FREE but required. A recording of the webinar will be available if you miss the live event.

Register here: https://events.zoom.us/ev/Amr5b5WbvVA3csrVdx-tEuBwA0ZyKuQMZVQ5rWTff7jEHRW3Dwq9~AtDnhD9gYDSqbj3DVwxvS_WSZ1hC9ZCDBxkNtFYtp-BO7sH9__0xyZ5H9A

This informative session is brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.