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just curious ...vet or no vet

4K views 36 replies 21 participants last post by  StarfireSparrow 
#1 ·
just curious... since i joined a few months ago it seems some people have access to vets more so then others. and i was wondering if anyone would like to share why that is.

i don't have access to vets every time there is an emergency. our closest vet service is a 30 minutes away but they don't service my area even if i paid extra(i asked). the only vet service that does is in another state. 2hours away from my farm. and sometimes they just can't get out there. if there is a storm in my area we are on our own. Thankfully we have some nice vets because everytime they come out they teach us something new... even if it doesn't pertain to why they came out. example. like how to handle deep wounds if they can't come and how you can use butterfly stitches to close it until they get there. which could be days depending on weather. and the list goes on.

so please share why and how you have access to your vet... i am really interested. i think it helps understand where everyone is coming from.
thanks :D
 
#3 ·
I have one vet 30 minutes to the east who has treated my horses. He's older now and prefers to do small animals, but because we have a long term relationship (over 20 years) he will look at my horses.

His son is 30 minutes to the west of me and has set up a wonderful practice that caters to all animals small and large. He, personally, specializes in equines.

Both vets travel. I've never had an issue getting a vet out. Perhaps that's something particular to Canada, or Alberta, but with the wide open spaces we have here, you really have to travel!

I've also trailered my horses to the vet's if they cannot come out. I consider this to be one of the necessities and responsibilities of horse ownership for me; to be able to provide vet care for my charges. Therefore I keep my truck and trailer in good condition for these emergencies.
 
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#4 ·
Can't help really, I've only ever had to call a vet out once in my life and it was because of a foster horse (that little pig) had gotten into more food than he could handle and colicked and I was unable to walk him through it.

To be honest, I've just never run into a situation where I needed a vet. I learned how to do my own shots a few years ago from my Grandma (she's been doing it for years), and in all honesty I just have the most health-amazing horse on the planet. I take care of any cuts she gets, watch for infections and fight it as they come... the only time I've come close to calling a vet was when she had a blown abscess- but it was already done in a few days. My family is very do-it ourselves sort of people.

However, I still have a number of a vet the next town over (the only one I know who does horses) in the case something goes seriously bad, and I keep my horse neighbor (who lives ten minutes away) on call as well, she has MANY years of experience that I have admittedly relied on more than once.

Really I think it's just as important to have people nearby who have experience and can help just as important as it is to know of a vet you can call when things go down the drain. Minor things though, like mud fever, small abscesses, colds, topical fungal infections, cuts and abrasions ect- I say just try to have a mentor and learn to do it yourself.
Hope that helps at least a little bit, if nothing else it's just some two-cents to add to the pile :)
 
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#5 ·
Tianimalz, curious question; what do you do about coggins? Only a vet is authorized to do those.

Since two of my horses routinely leave the property, I'm required to have a current negative coggins on them.

Plus, here in VA only a vet is supposed to administer the rabies vaccine, mostly so they can keep track of what animals have and haven't had them.

I'm out in the boonies, and the vets I use are all 40-50 miles away. Even my emergency vet is 40 miles out. VA's a big state, so I'm a little surprised that a smaller state like NJ wouldn't have closer vets.

I rarely call them, preferring to doctor known things myself, but then, I've had horses well over 30 years so don't panic when something minor happens.
 
#7 ·
Tianimalz, curious question; what do you do about coggins? Only a vet is authorized to do those.

Since two of my horses routinely leave the property, I'm required to have a current negative coggins on them.
Got coggins done once right before I got her. But I don't leave the area, so I have no reason to go get them just yet. Will I have too? Sure, eventually, but I don't have a trailer... heck I don't even have a truck yet so putting it off so my bank account doesn't turn inside out :rofl:
 
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#9 ·
Our vet will come out for just about anything, we have a ton in the area too though. Although, depending on severity, would just load them up and bring them to the big vet center 20 mins away.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
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#10 ·
Kait, different states of course have different laws. I CAN administer the rabies vaccine myself, but neither the state nor my vet would recognize it if there was an outbreak in my area. Which does happen. There was a case of a horse with rabies not more than 20 miles from me in 2009.
 
#11 ·
speed racer- they don't count it??? my mom does the shots thing and all but we order it through some vet system and they document to what animal it is going to and where it is.
i will have to findout how she does to be exact. but thats how i think she does it, if i remember correctly.
and thats crazy in your state if they have crazy breakouts i would just let the vet do it somehow... :/

i like how this is going so far i am learning so much already about everyone and different situations everyone is or has to go through.
thanks everyone
 
#12 ·
The way VA sees it, although you may have BOUGHT the rabies vaccine, they have no record of you having actually given it to your animal. So it's just easier to schedule the vet out to do rabies on my three when she's out pulling coggins on the two riding horses. I'm already paying for a farm call, so the $13.00 extra for each horse for the rabies vaccine is small beans. :-p
 
#14 ·
I'm in Nebraska in a town with about 27000 people. There are 4 vet clinics here & none of them will touch a horse. My vet is about 30 minutes away. One vet & 2 vet tec's. We normally have to trailer the boys down to him. We had an emergency this spring with Jack, on a Saturday, of course! Called Doc, he had back to back appointments all day & couldn't get till us till late afternoon. It sucks but around here, large animal vets are getting few & far between
 
#15 ·
I trailer my horsees to the vet clinic during business hours and they always take care of me. A farm call takes longer because I live in a large county and there is only one clinic with about 6 vets that cover the whole thing. Even at that I've only had to wait a couple of hours when it was an emergency. Once the vet was on his way past my place when I called so he stopped and didn't charge me for the farm call. I guess we're pretty lucky here.
 
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#16 ·
littrella- that is nuts!!!! i thought i had it rough :)

kevinhorses- wow around me none of them seem to like people trailering there horses in. most of the vets near me don't have a facility for them. I am glad you have that opporunity. It definitely helps to have that option. We have to travel 3-3 1/2 hours for a facility for the horses to be treated.
 
#17 ·
I think economics plays a big part in vet availability. There has to be enough demand for a vet practice to make a good living & people willing & able to pay. Supply & demand.
Some things can't be done at home. I recently had a horse with a mystery illness that 3 different vets could not figure out. Luckily the vet school here knew what it was simply by pictures. She was only the second horse in this State with the problem. Figures it would be one of mine. She's fine but it sure is a relief to have an answer.
 
#18 ·
Reading this thread has made me realize how fortunate I am to have wonderful vets at my beck and call. While I am able to take care of the minor cuts and scrapes myself, I have an established relationship with my equine vets so that they will come and take care of my horses in an emergency.

Sometimes I trailer them to the office for routine care or follow-ups, but most of the time I have them do a farm call. I think it is $37 for a farm call, but it would cost me that much for my gas and time if I hauled them to the office 30 miles away.

The other advantage of establishing a good rapport with a vet is you can call and ask a question for no charge. Beats asking the neighbor if you ask me!
 
#19 ·
You need to have a large animal Veteranarian for your horse. 30 minutes is NEVER too far away. I started out with one the most outstanding Vets, at least in IL, and he only serves horse owners. His clinic was about 40 minutes away, and he and his associates did ambulatory visits. He taught me to do my own shots, but I did have to call him out for a few emergencies. But, after I found my place in the country, he was over 1 1/4 hours from my new place. I needed to find a closer Vet, and she lives 6 miles from my house. She has a small practice, dogs, cats and horses--I have all 3--and cannot do any major surjuries. But she does my yearly shots, keeps me up to date--we don't give rabies shots...yet, here--and does yearly Coggins. We are 35 minutes from the University of IL Vet clinic. Should I have a major emergency, she can stabilize my horse and talk the U of I clinic in "Veteranrian-ese" as we transport in.Veteranarians who serve large animals are becoming fewer. You might want to learn how to do some of the basic stuff yourself, like shots and general first aid. =D
 
#20 ·
We are VERY fortunate.

Full service* equine hospital less than 10 miles away. 10 doctors on staff. Primary on call and 2 back up on call doctors. You can trailer in for appointments or they can come out.

*breeding - AI, flush, embyro transfers, foaling, ect
*lameness - FEI level lameness expert, thermo imaging, digital x-rays
*dental - 3 dentists
*full surgical suite


If they are stumped, they have the University Vet hospital doctors for back up.

On top of the medical service, they are truly wonderful as to how they treat their equine clients and the owners. You never feel dumb asking a question and they never make you feel as though you made the wrong decision.
 
#21 ·
I don't know why anyone would want to pay a vet to give vaccines. It's quite easy.
 
#28 ·
Yes, it is easy. However, if he is coming out to pull for coggins and give rabies, he might as well do them all. Nevermind the fact that routine shots can go horribly wrong. I know it is rare, but it happened to two of my horses. I am not sure the drug company would have covered all the vet care had I done the shot myself.
 
#22 ·
kevinhorses- its not about how easy it is. its about the proof of having it done. : ) speed racer helped me understand it earlier in the post. some states need records of the vaccines and will only accept vet records not home records. especially when it comes to an outbreak of something. and others might just feel more comfortable with a vet :)
 
#24 ·
That's not the way in every state and not every horse needs a rabies shot or a coggins test.
 
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#23 ·
It's $65 for a farm call here, as long as it's a farm call during regular business hours - after hours it's $150+. We have three vets in the area, but one no longer does farm calls at all (health reasons), and one isn't especially good with horses, though he considers himself an equine vet.

Our (newish) regular vet really is an equine specialist - though he also treats other farm and small animals. His partner is actually the small animal part of the practice.

We've had to have help over the phone from their office with a mild case of colic in the middle of the night (vet was on another emergency call at the time) and we've recently had to have him come out on a farm call. He's great at giving us advice on how to treat emergencies over the phone so we can keep a horse going until he can get out there.
 
#25 · (Edited)
True, but you will need a negative Coggins if you SELL your horse. We travel and have health papers done for that, too. We go to SD a lot, so we're considering getting permanent brand registration as well. I have heard the stories of horses impounded by police bc the owners didn't get the appropriate work done. We ALSO make several copies of the above, and have them available if the owner of a horse camp might want them after looking at our originals.
I haven't forgoten how to give shots. I did it myself for 14 years. I keep a couple of vials of Tetanus Antitoxin in my fridge, and I store packaged, sterile styringe/needles, just in the case of a bad accident.
 
#27 ·
for me the closest vet was 1 hour and 1.5 hours away. we now have a vet in town 3 afternoons a week. I'm lucky that over years working are top level stables and studs with veterinarians (same clinic with 6 equine vets) who showed me alot and were confident enough to drop off what I needed and I could go it myself.

There are things I will not do myself but for most of it I'm fine.
 
#29 ·
I live in a fairly rural area (total population in the tri-city area is maybe 70,000, if that) and we have seven vet clinics within a twenty mile radius who handle large animals and make farm calls. One of the vet clinics (the one I happen to use) even has a large equine facility that they just built that is state-of-the-art. Even the smaller vet clinic I worked for in high school has a fairly decent equine facility set up. The vet that we use now will make a farm call at any time they are needed, for whatever reason. In fact, I've seen the vet out at our barn more in the past three months than I've seen a vet for any of my animals...ever (beyond routine vaccines). Not for my horse, thankfully, but several of the horses at the barn have colicked in recent months, as well as a couple of them getting random wounds. Also, if you have to trailer your horse to the equine facility, they will meet you there any time day or night.
 
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