Ask the Vet - Tick prevention, straw bedding, when to call the vet, and more! - June 2018

You asked, we answered! In this episode of our monthly series, Ask the Vet, Dr. Lydia Gray and SmartPaker Sarah start out by answering some fan mail! Then they answer your questions about tick prevention, straw bedding, when to call the vet, the noises that comes from a gelding's sheath, bone supplements for horses with navicular, and way more!

Additional reading/watching material mentioned in the video:

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Questions answered in this episode:
1. As it relates to horse health, what are the pros and cons of straw bedding?
2. When should one call the vet for the horse? And please do not say, "in any situation when you are not sure," because that is almost all the time and would become very expensive and bothersome to the vet! Aside from trauma, what are some other obvious signals to do so?
3. My gelding makes weird noises with his sheath when we work...I'm told that it's air, is that true? What is the cause? Is there anything I can do about it?
4. I was wondering what you thought about using bone health supplements on a horse with navicular. Horse in question was first X-rayed in 2011. Since then has had regular Osphos and has stayed sound for normal work. Would a bone supplement help keep the horse sound as she gets older? Will one even help a horse with navicular?
5. What’s the best way to deal with ticks? As summer is approaching, more and more riders are trail riding and trails mean ticks. I always find them on my horse and am not sure about proper removal. How should we treat the wound after pulling the tick out? Any good prevention tactics? My horse gets nasty swollen bites...any SmartPak supplements or products to help?

[Meirjolanknits]

Hi, My gelding is submissive towards other horses. But he always wants to support/help me if I need to correct another horse. One day I had to correct a horse that tried to kick me in the pasture. I took the horse on a leadrope and made him do different excersises like backing up and trotting around me, stopping him on the circle to see if he understood that he has to have respect en has to be polite towards me. The moment I started to ask him to trot in a circle around me, my gelding joined me in the middle and pivoted next to me to stay in place as I lunged that horse. It looked as if he was a student learning how to lunge a horse standing next to the teacher lunging in the middle. My gelding was castrated very early, he doesn't know about the birds and the bees. Two years ago I bought a filly. He 'adopted' the filly and took care of her as her surrogate mother. Now she is becoming old enough to start little excercises of groundwork with her in the pasture. My gelding started to nicker softly and very low(like a greeting nicker) when I finish putting the halter on my filly or when I ask her to walk around me in a circle. And sometimes he comes and stands on the edge of the circle nickering and trying to bite her as she walks by. What does he mean with this nickering? And does he bite her because he is jealous that she gets the attention? He does come stand next to her if I play like i'm going to get on her back (she is far too young but she needs to learn to be comfortable around my silly movements). I hope you can help brainstorming about this strange behaviour. Greetings Marjolein

[re-ridersuzanne]

Please tell the 9 year old, I had the same problem. Loved horses from a baby. I babysat, worked on various jobs and got my lessons. Don't give up!

[abbylol]

My horse got a runny eye and almost called the vet, even though I knew it was because she has allergies😂 I talked to the vet later on and she said it was normal for this time of year.

[millietomlinson]

I keep my horses on straw on of them I found out it has bad thrush is straw or shavings better ❤️

[marlenemalmesbury]

I have a 36 year old dwb gelding who was diagnosed with cushings and been on pracend for ten years. He's in general good health (cbc good) but continues to present with a sticky, gummy, greasy film on his skin that binds to his coat and makes him uncomfortable during grooming. Bathing in warm water and applying shapley's helps, but i'd like to know what causes it so i might prevent it.

[theascott]

I love how you go into a lot of depth with your answers it is really helpful xxPlease can you ask how to treat small cuts and grazes please xx 😘

[lentheschutten]

I absolutely LOVE these videos!!!, I always try to come up with good questions! It's a lot of knowledge with a funny undertone! Very valuable.
Kind regards from The Netherlands ❤🇳🇱

[slick.adventures]

Will you ever make your "if horse were people" videos again? I love this series you do. But I miss those videos greatly, you did such an amazing job with them

[elliemccarthy]

My barn uses straw bedding and it is the least smelly barn I have ever been in. People come to the barn from other bars and they always comment on the lack of urine smell 😂. But we do fully clean out the stalls every day and pick them 2-3 additional times. The horses love their princess beds

[re-ridersuzanne]

Curious about the ticks around the ears. My friend's horses have trees at the perimeter of their pasture. They seem to get them when they are brought in.

[Keelari]

if a bone supplement is best for degenerative bone navicular, would a ligament supp be best for impar navicular?