Yuma Veterinary Clinic

04/30/2026

Goat herd health is an important aspect of disease prevention and management. We can help you test your herd for CAE (caprine arthritis and encephalitis) and other diseases before it becomes a problem.

04/30/2026

If you believe that horses need grain in their diet to meet their nutritional needs, you are not alone. However, horses should get most of their nutrients from a good quality forage source such as grass, hay, hay pellets, or a complete feed.

Horses generally eat between 1.5-2% of their body weight each day, so an average size 1,000 lbs horse should eat 15- 20 lbs of hay daily. To help fill any nutrient gaps such as essential vitamins or minerals, a ration balancer may be beneficial. Depending on breed, body condition, and exercise level, concentrates may be added in to provide additional energy but are often not needed.

When deciding on what to feed your horse, it is best to invest in high quality forages as the foundation of your feeding plan. You can even have your hay tested to see exactly what nutrients it is providing.

Please consult with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist about your horse's diet before making any major changes, and remember that any changes should be made gradually over time to avoid GI upset.

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

04/07/2026

With the increase in insects and flies comes more insecticide use. Keep an eye out for pet poisonings and use and store your insecticides and pesticides away from pets and children.

Spring is almost here and so are the insects. Pet owners may be reaching for insecticides so now is a great time to remind them that responsible use protects pets and local wildlife. Save and share, then brush up on safe practices for Poison Prevention Month! https://mrkmnls.co/44y9CXI

04/07/2026

Keep your Coggins (Equine Infectious Anemia) tests up to date yearly for easier travel with your horses. This test information has to be on every health certificate we write for across state line travel. Call us for an appointment if yours is out of date and needing to be re-drawn. Outbreaks happen, testing helps prevent disease spread.

Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a potentially fatal blood-borne infectious viral disease that produces a persistent infection among equids nearly worldwide.

03/25/2026

Save this post to reference when choosing kitty friendly flowers this Easter and Spring season!

Let's kick off Poison Prevention Week with plants and pets. Many plants that share the same common name are in different families and have different levels of toxicity. Save and share this infographic with pet owners to remind them to choose their houseplants wisely! Learn more: https://mrkmnls.co/4dxCe8v

01/16/2026

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SPOT COLIC IN HORSES? 🔎

Colic indicates a painful problem in the horse's abdomen (belly), which can be caused by a number of different conditions. Less than 10% of all colic cases are severe enough to require surgery or cause the death of the horse; nevertheless, every case of colic should be taken seriously because it can be difficult to tell the mild ones from the potentially serious ones in the early stages.

Horses show signs of abdominal pain in a wide variety of ways, and usually a horse shows only a few of the signs during an episode of colic. A good rule of thumb: the more obvious the signs of pain, the more serious the problem.

If you suspect the horse is suffering from colic, we suggest that you:

• Alert your veterinarian immediately.

• Remove all hay and grain from the horse's surroundings.

• Don't medicate without your veterinarian's approval, as pain medications can mask clinical signs.

• Walk the horse around if it's continually rolling or in danger of hurting itself, but do not tire the horse with relentless walking. Don't approach the animal if it's not safe.

• Keep the horse under close observation until the signs of colic resolve or the veterinarian arrives.

The key to increasing the chances of a good outcome is to identify the problem early and get your veterinarian involved from the start.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of colic signs. Horses are individuals and may display signs of pain in a variety of ways. Always consult your horse doctor for more information.

01/13/2026

Is your horse protected? Tree thorns, sticks, and fencing are all common culprits for unnoticed puncture wounds that can make an entry point for a tetanus infection. Foals are particularly susceptible.

Did you know horses are especially sensitive to tetanus? Tetanus is caused by a toxin from the bacteria Clostridium tetani, which lives in soil and manure. It can enter your horse’s body through wounds, hoof abscesses, or even the umbilical area in foals.

What to Watch For (note this is not an exhaustive list):
• Stiffness and trouble walking
• “Sawhorse” stance (legs stiff and spread apart)
• Difficulty eating or swallowing
• Protruding third eyelid
• Agitation
• Trismus (lock jaw)
• Muscle spasms, especially after noise or touch

Tetanus is often fatal, but it’s almost 100% preventable with annual vaccination. Even small or unseen wounds can lead to infection, so don’t take chances! It's also important to note that the vaccine takes weeks to start working, so once a wound is present the tetanus antitoxin (TAT) is necessary. However, availability of TAT is variable, so do not rely exclusively on its use.

Protect your horse:
• Keep up with yearly tetanus shots
• Clean and monitor wounds right away
• Call your vet if your horse is injured or showing any signs of illness

If you have questions or concerns about tetanus, be sure to reach out to your equine veterinarian.

11/20/2025

If your horse is exhibiting any of these symptoms please quarantine and call our office at 928-344-1956 for a consultation.
If your horse has not been vaccinated yet this fall, call for a vaccine appointment so we can provide what protection is available as soon as possible.
If you own a venue or boarding facility and need additional information regarding quarantine protocols and biosecurity call us so we can help form a plan to reduce the likelihood of a potential outbreak in our community.

As we continue to monitor the current outbreak of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus (EHM) infection, let's take this opportunity to discuss once more the importance of biosecurity measures to stop disease spread. We recommend the following biosecurity precautions for horse owners, particularly if their horses have recently traveled to horse shows or were exposed to horses that have traveled:

1) Monitor horses for clinical signs (including fever, discharge from the nostrils, toe-dragging or a lack of balance) and take the temperature twice daily. Temperature greater than 101.5 F is considered a fever.

2) Immediately isolate any horse(s) showing clinical signs. Equine herpesvirus is an aerosolized virus and is spread through shared airspace, direct contact, and contaminated caretakers or equipment. A good isolation area is a separate barn or shelter that does not share airspace with healthy horses.

3) Implement movement restrictions until the situation is evaluated.

4) Contact your veterinarian to evaluate your horse and to propose a comprehensive biosecurity protocol.

5) Increase biosecurity measures that include extensive cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment that come in contact with affected horses: wash or sanitize your hands between interacting with horses; take time while filling water buckets and feed tubs, do not cross contaminate; minimize the use of shared equipment and tack.

6) Make sure your horse is up to date on vaccinations.

7) Establish communication with all parties involved (owners, boarders, trainers, etc.).

More resources and information regarding biosecurity are available on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://equinediseasecc.org/biosecurity

To learn more Equine Herpesvirus (EHV), visit: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/equine-herpesvirus

11/20/2025

If you are looking for regularly updated information regarding the current EHM / EHV outbreak, this is a good resource from the Equine Disease Communication Center

The Equine Disease Communication Center is monitoring an outbreak of EHM that originated at the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) World Finals and Elite Barrel Race event Nov 5-9. To date, officially confirmed cases have been reported in the following states-

11/18/2025

Make sure you have your Coggins and Health Certificates ready for Vegas and the competition season!
If you can’t make our walk-in clinic just call the office and we can fit you into the schedule most days.
Follow the signs to the new horse trailer parking and turn around!