After the warm summer months have passed, clients’ thoughts often turn from infectious diseases to other matters. As they shift their focus to securing hay and ensuring that they have enough water trough heaters, vaccinations may be the farthest thing from your clients’ mind. Unfortunately, cooler temperatures may not eliminate the threat of infectious disease. Depending on your geographic location and your patients’ individual risk factors, vaccine boosters in September or October can play an important role in protecting your equine patients.

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a common summer problem, as Culicoides (i.e. gnats, midges, no-see-ums) and other biting flies become more active. Different than typical insect bites, IBH is caused by an allergic reaction that certain horses have to the insects’ saliva, and clinical signs can range from hives to hair loss. Once you’ve tested for and confirmed IBH, it’s important to talk to your clients about different treatment options to try to ease their horses’ suffering.

While veterinarians have long regarded recurrent airway obstruction (RAO or heaves) and inflammatory airway disease (IAD) as two clinically distinct entities, these two conditions have been combined under the umbrella term “equine asthma.”

All vaccines are not created equal. While it may be tempting to save money by administering vaccines yourself, there are significant costs associated with the decision to do so. Ensure the best possible outcomes by having your horse vaccinated by your veterinarian, who is familiar with you, your barn, and your horse.

There’s no doubt that West Nile virus (WNV) is a serious threat for horses. WNV is the leading cause of encephalitis in horses, with over 25,000 reported cases since its introduction in 1999.