Rocky River Large Animal Veterinary Clinic

06/08/2026

Cases of New World screwworm have been confirmed only in Texas, and risks for the East Coast seem low, but we wanted to help our pet owners, farmers and others responsible for animal health in our agriculture-heavy state stay up-to-date on knowledge about the parasite and what to be on the lookout for.

For starters, keep an eye on an animal's wounds or body openings, including the nose, ears, genitalia or the navel of newborn animals. 👀 A screwworm infestation begins only when a female fly lays eggs on a wound or body opening.

Find questions and more answers and check back for updates here:

https://cvm.ncsu.edu/news/new-world-screwworm-in-the-u-s-what-it-means-for-north-carolina/

05/28/2026

Most equine owners know that a negative Coggins test is a document required to be able to transport their animal across state lines, enter them in a competitive event, or board at someone's barn. But what does the phrase "negative Coggins test" actually mean?

A "Coggins" is a blood test that can only be performed by USDA-approved laboratories and checks for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) antibodies in the blood. Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is a potentially fatal blood-borne infectious viral disease that produces a persistent infection among equids nearly worldwide. Transmission through blood transfusions or contaminated needles/syringes, surgical instruments or dental equipment is most common. The virus can also be transmitted through vectors via fly bite.

The clinical signs of disease can vary dramatically from an acute infection to an inapparent form, but what is important to know is that it produces a persistent infection. Once an animal tests positive for EIA it becomes a lifelong source of disease transmission, so the owner can only choose between quarantine for life or humane euthanasia to ensure that large outbreaks of the disease don’t occur. There is no vaccine or treatment for EIA.

Take-home message: While a Coggins test is a necessary travel document, don’t forget that it's also first and foremost a way to identify and remove EIA carriers to keep the disease under control.

To learn more about EIA, visit our website at: https://aaep.org/resource/equine-infectious-anemia/ or visit the Equine Disease Communication Center's website: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/equine-infectious-anemia

05/28/2026

With foaling season in full swing, let’s talk about retained placentas!

A major thing to watch for with your mare after foaling is that she normally passes her entire placenta within 3 hours. If she hasn’t or if there is a portion missing, then this is considered a veterinary emergency and you should contact your veterinarian right away.

Retained placentas are normally caused by a small portion of the placenta remaining attached inside the uterus. Even a very small piece can make your mare very sick if left untreated!

Once your mare passes her placenta, examine it for any obvious missing pieces then place it in a container, in a cool place to save for your veterinarian to examine when they come out within 24 hours of foaling.

At Rocky River we do a “MFP Exam” or Mare, Foal, Placenta Exam and look over your mare, her foal, and her placenta to make sure all are doing good and everything looks normal.

Retained placentas should never be ignored. They can lead to serious complications including uterine infection, endotoxemia, laminitis (founder), severe illness, or even death.

Call your veterinarian once your foal is born to schedule your MFP exam to make sure all is checking out as it should.

*Fun fact about retained placentas…draft horses and Friesians are more prone to retained placentas than other breeds!

05/04/2026

Wow, these false T-shirt posts are popping up as fast as we can delete them. We apologize. If you were tagged in one, please report it and delete it so it doesn't propagate!

04/15/2026

We’ve noticed a lot of spam lately with posts about selling T-shirts. We do not have an official T-shirt for sale, so theses posts are spam. Please do not click on the links. Thanks!

04/03/2026

***ATTENTION***
Due to staffing shortages our office will be closing at 4pm today April 3rd and will not be having haul in tomorrow April 4th.
As always we have a veterinarian on call 24/7 for Emergencies.

03/30/2026

03/30/2026

Preparing to welcome a foal? Jacquelin Boggs, DVM, MS, DACVIM, created a guide to help you prepare. Learn more: https://www.zoetisequine.com/blog-articles/caring-for-your-newborn-foal

03/30/2026

03/30/2026

DID YOU GUESS UVEITIS FOR #2? 👀

If so, you were correct! ✅

Common signs of uveitis include the following:
• squinting
• discharge
• a cloudy-looking cornea
• the pupil getting very small
• sometimes blood or pus is visible in the front of the eye

As we mentioned in our first post, any issues involving the eye are an emergency. If you arrive at the barn and notice your horse's eye resembling this photo or exhibiting any other eye issue, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

Stay tuned over the next couple weeks as we reveal answers 3 and 4!