Signature Equine Hospital

06/23/2025

06/23/2025

We are incredibly grateful for these amazing sponsors for their support in and out of the arena. Each of them are a crucial part of this team!

Be sure to check them out, you will not be disappointed!

06/19/2025

💉 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐅𝐥𝐮-𝐑𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 🦟

Two of the most contagious respiratory diseases in horses are Equine Influenza (Flu) and Equine Rhinopneumonitis (Rhino) and both can sideline your horse or even cause life-threatening complications. While these illnesses can look similar at first, understanding their differences is essential to protecting your horse’s health, especially in high-traffic environments like boarding barns, training facilities, and showgrounds.

🔬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐑𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 (𝐑𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨)?
Rhino is caused by Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1 & EHV-4)
▪ EHV-1: Can cause respiratory illness, abortion in pregnant mares, and neurologic disease (EHM)
▪ EHV-4: Primarily causes respiratory signs

Symptoms may include:
▪️ Fever
▪️ Nasal discharge
▪️ Lethargy and poor appetite
▪️ Swollen lymph nodes
▪️ Incoordination or hindlimb weakness in neurologic cases
▪️ Abortions in mares (typically late-term)

🌬️ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐚 (𝐅𝐥𝐮)?
Caused by the equine influenza A virus (EIV), it’s one of the most contagious respiratory diseases in horses. It spreads fast, especially where horses travel, show, or are in close contact.

Symptoms may include:
▪️ Sudden high fever (up to 106°F)
▪️ Harsh, dry cough
▪️ Thick nasal discharge
▪️ Fatigue, muscle soreness
▪️ Inappetence and reluctance to move

🚑 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐥𝐮 & 𝐑𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨:
Both diseases are spread via aerosolized droplets (sneezing, coughing), contaminated gear or handlers, direct contact, shared tack, and latently infected horses during stress or illness. Horses can shed the virus for up to 10 days, even without severe symptoms!

💉 Prevention is Key
There’s no cure for either disease, but vaccination is your best defense. At Signature Equine Hospital, we recommend a tailored vaccine schedule based on your horse’s age, travel habits, and risk level.

📝 Additional Prevention Tips:
▪ Isolate new or sick horses for 2–3 weeks
▪ Don’t share water buckets or grooming tools
▪ Limit shared water sources and communal equipment
▪ Clean and disinfect stalls, tack, and grooming tools regularly

🗓️ 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐀𝐀𝐄𝐏 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬):
▪ Foals: Begin series at 6–9 months
▪ Adults: Annual or semi-annual boosters
▪ Pregnant mares: Rhino at 5, 7, and 9 months of gestation
▪ High-risk horses (traveling, showing, breeding): Require more frequent boosters

Whether you compete, trail ride, or own retirees, respiratory viruses don’t discriminate. Protect your horse with a proactive vaccine plan and biosecurity protocols! Call us today with any questions, or to get on the schedule for your horse's vaccines! Have a whole herd or barm you need vaccinated? We can help! We have several Ambulatory Veterinarians who are available for Farm Calls!

www.sehtx.com | 📱 254-968-7898

06/19/2025

Happy to be part of the team! 💪🏼🏆

helping me keep my horses sound as we hit the road this summer 💪🏼

06/18/2025

🦟 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬, 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 & 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐄𝐏) 🪰

Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne blood disease caused by obligate intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites Theileria equi or Babesia caballi. It affects horses, donkeys, mules, and even zebras and can be deadly, with mortality rates reaching up to 50% in severe cases. Horses that survive may become lifelong carriers and a source of infection to others.

While EP is common in tropical and subtropical regions like Central & South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and parts of Europe, it’s considered a foreign animal disease in the U.S. However, isolated outbreaks have occurred in the United States.

🦟 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐄𝐏 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬:
▪ Through tick bites (especially in endemic areas)
▪ Contaminated needles, syringes, or IV sets
▪ Blood transfusions from infected horses

⏱️ 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 & 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬:
Infected horses may not show signs for 10–30 days. Symptoms can range from mild to severe:
▪ Mild signs: Poor appetite, weakness
▪ Severe signs: Fever, anemia, jaundice, weight loss, swollen abdomen, labored breathing, or even sudden death.

🩺 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
Horses are tested using a cELISA blood test, especially before import. Chronic carriers can look healthy but still spread the disease. There is no vaccine! Prevention is key:
▪ Never reuse needles or syringes
▪ Use only clean, sterile equipment
▪ Don’t share IV lines between horses
▪ Use tick control products and check horses regularly
▪ Remove brush and tall weeds that can harbor ticks

If a case is suspected, it must be reported to state or federal animal health authorities. Infected horses are quarantined and treated under strict veterinary supervision. The USDA now offers a treatment program, and most horses can eventually be cleared and released from quarantine. Testing may be required for horses traveling, competing, or being imported. A Piroplasmosis test is required for entry into specific states and countries so it is important to check regulations before hitting the road!

📸: Visavet Outreach Journal

www.sehtx.com | 📱 254-968-7898

06/17/2025

06/17/2025

🧬 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐲𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲 (𝐏𝐒𝐒𝐌): 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 🐎

Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM) is a hereditary muscle disorder that causes abnormal accumulation of glycogen (sugar) in a horse's muscles. This condition disrupts normal muscle function and can lead to pain, stiffness, and even muscle damage, especially after exercise.

🔹 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐒𝐒𝐌𝟏?
PSSM1 is caused by a mutation in the GYS1 gene, which results in the continuous overproduction and storage of glycogen in muscle cells. Affected horses can't effectively use this extra sugar for energy, leading to muscle soreness, stiffness, and tying-up episodes, even with light work. PSSM1 is commonly seen in Quarter Horses, Paints, Appaloosas, and draft breeds, and can be confirmed with a genetic test.

🔸 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐒𝐒𝐌𝟐?
PSSM2 refers to similar clinical signs in horses without the GYS1 mutation. The cause is still not fully understood, and diagnosis relies on a muscle biopsy. PSSM2 is more often seen in Warmbloods and Arabians.

💡𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐒𝐒𝐌 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:
▪ Muscle cramping or “tying-up”
▪ Stiffness and reluctance to move
▪ Muscle tremors and sweating
▪ Poor performance or unwillingness under saddle
▪ Muscle atrophy in chronic cases

⚖️ 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐒𝐒𝐌:
While there is no cure, most horses can live comfortable, active lives with proper care:
▪ Feed a low-NSC (sugar) diet (