Bristol Veterinary Service

08/18/2026

Not sure if you should call us, or just treat at home? Here are some helpful hints from the AAEP as to when you should call the vet.

08/12/2026

Do you know your horse’s baseline? 🤔

Knowing what’s normal for your horse’s vital signs is one of the best tools you have for spotting early signs of distress or illness!

Practicing taking your horse’s TPR (Temperature, Pulse, Respiration) regularly helps you know their personal baseline so you can quickly spot when something is off. If your horse seems unusually dull or anxious and their numbers fall outside these typical ranges, it’s time to call your equine veterinarian:

🌡️ Temperature: 99.0°F – 101.5°F
❤️ Heart Rate: 28 – 40 beats/min
😮‍💨 Respiration Rate: 12 – 16 breaths/min

Note: Hot weather and high humidity can cause minor shifts in these numbers. Chat with your veterinarian about what’s normal for your specific horse and environmental conditions, and ask them to double-check your technique at your next visit!

💡 Special thanks to the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee for sharing these essential health guidelines.

08/10/2026

Update***** Our phones are now working!

Our phones are not working at the moment. Please be patient with us as we work to get them back online. If you need to contact us, please either email us at [email protected], or you can send a text to 855-440-1835. Thank you!

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

‼️URGENT ‼️

If you are using Adequan please check your bottles.

RECALL ALERT: American Regent, Inc. Animal Health is conducting a nationwide recall of two lots (25011 and 3369) of Adequan® Canine Injection (for dogs), 100 mg/mL 5mL multi-dose vials and two lots (24416 and 25265P) of Adequan® i.m. Injection (for horses), 500mg/5 mL single-dose 5mL vials to the consumer level. The products are being recalled due to the presence of glass fibers found during testing of internally retained samples. MORE: https://bit.ly/454WV92

07/21/2026

In light of yesterday's confirmation of a rabid bat by the Racine County Public Health Department we felt the need to share this information regarding vaccination for and the signs of Rabies in horses.

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!

07/16/2026

Nice tool to use to see if it is safe to ride.

07/16/2026

Can you smell the fires? Here are some things to consider while we are dealing with this smoke for the next few days.

🔥 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

07/13/2026

Well someone cranked up the heat again! Here are some more helpful heat tips for you and your horse.