Neuse River Equine Hospital

07/25/2025

The term "fat leg" is pretty self-explanatory, but do you know the difference between stocking up and cellulitis?

Many horses will "stock up" with subcutaneous edema (fluid swelling) in two or more legs (usually the hind limbs). Stocking up generally results from a significant decrease in exercise and usually resolves as the horse starts exercising again.

Lymphangitis (or vasculitis, big leg disease, staph infection, or cellulitis), however, is a bacterial infection and a dramatically different condition. While its causes may vary, it’s easy to spot once it sets in. The swelling will be extreme, hot, very painful to the touch, and the horse will be depressed due to the fever and discomfort.

If you think your equine friend has cellulitis or even if you're not sure, we encourage you to seek professional help promptly. Your equine practitioner will make the best treatment recommendations, both to reduce swelling and to address any sort of bacterial infection that might be active or that could occur due to the edema in the soft tissue.

07/24/2025

07/20/2025

It's MYTHBUSTER time!

The core vaccinations for every horse, regardless of their travel status, include Rabies, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), and Tetanus.

Unfortunately, mosquitoes, bacteria, and rabid animals do not discriminate when it comes to infecting horses. Whether a horse is in a freshly bedded stall, wide open pasture, or on show grounds, mosquitoes can potentially infect your horse with life threatening diseases such as EEE, WEE, and/or WNV.

Tetanus is a common clostridial bacteria present in the dirt and can infect a horse who has never left its home just the same as a horse who shows every weekend if it doesn't have proper vaccine status.

Rabies is a 100% fatal disease once clinical signs are present and is easily transmissible to humans and other animals both at home and on the trails.

It's also important to note that different regions in the U.S. may have additional "core" recommendations so be sure to ask your veterinarian what is best for your horse!

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information!

07/20/2025

07/20/2025

Big shout out to Marleigh Whaley and Emerson Riddick who did a great job representing North Carolina at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs, Wyoming !!
The biggest rodeo in the world !

07/18/2025

07/18/2025

"I think it's in the shoulder doc!"

Picture this: You notice your horse has a lameness in the front end.
Two scenarios - it has come on over time or it has shown up overnight. In either case, it is often in the foot!

The most common cause of lameness in horses is in the foot, despite the way your horse may present the pain to you. For example, foot abscesses are capable of causing acute pain and three-legged lameness in a very short period of time. Other common instances of lameness in the front end that may be less acute are a result of changes to the navicular bone or surrounding soft tissue, changes to the coffin bone or joint, thin soles, etc.

As the old adage goes, "no foot, no horse!" and now you know why!

Additional resource: https://open.lib.umn.edu/largeanimalsurgery/chapter/lameness-diagnosis/

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information.