Orlando Equine Veterinary Care, Inc.

07/07/2026

According to the AAEP's 2025 publication Borrelia Burgdorferi Infection and Lyme Disease Guidelines, “Many horses infected with B. burgdorferi will remain asymptomatic and never develop clinical disease, and it is generally considered that infection is common, but clinical Lyme disease is rare.”

And yet, equine practitioners report that owners frequently believe their horses are showing signs of Lyme disease. Clinical signs owners attribute to Lyme disease predominantly include general malaise, stiffness, and lameness but might also include weight loss, low-grade fever, muscle tenderness, and poor performance.

While it’s possible that Lyme disease causes these signs, the AAEP states that only limited evidence exists supporting lameness as a clinical sign. Instead, documented syndromes attributable to Lyme disease include neuroborreliosis, cutaneous pseudolymphoma, nuchal bursitis, and uveitis.

The 2018 ACVIM Consensus Statement on B. burgdorferi further states, “The association of B. burgdorferi infection with stiffness and lameness in horses is not well documented, and there is no evidence of the infection causing laminitis. … The actual range and ­specific clinical signs associated with Lyme disease needs further experimental and epidemiological evaluation.”

Read more in this article: https://equimanagement.com/research-medical/disease/are-we-overdiagnosing-lyme-disease-in-horses/

06/09/2026

05/14/2026

🔗: https://equimanagement.com/research-medical/disease/preventing-strangulating-lipoma-colic-new-insights-on-equine-risk-factors/

Historically, the risk of strangulating lipoma obstruction in horses has been attributed to specific signalment criteria, such as older age, s*x, and breed.

In a recent collaborative, multicenter study at Colorado State University, University of Florida, and Three Counties Equine Hospital, researchers reviewed potential risk factors that may be modifiable to mitigate the risk of strangulating lipoma colic.

03/26/2026

LET'S TALK KISSING SPINE! 🔎

“Kissing spine” is a common cause of back pain where the bony points along the top of the spine (dorsal spinous processes) sit too close together and rub or “impinge.” It’s most often seen in the mid-back area (around T13–T18), but it can also involve the lumbar spine.

Important note:
Many horses can have kissing spine changes on X-rays and not show obvious problems, but horses with kissing spine findings are about 3x more likely to have back pain.

Common signs owners may notice:
• Vague “poor performance” or not wanting to work as usual
• Change in head/neck carriage
• Unwillingness to move a certain direction or bend
• Behavioral changes under saddle such as bucking
• Back soreness when pressed firmly
• Sometimes hind-end lameness at the same time

Treatment & outlook:
• Many cases can be managed medically, especially when paired with core strengthening and conditioning.
• Some horses benefit from injections at affected sites for short-term relief, but recurrence can be common.
• Surgery can be an option (especially if a horse needs repeated injections to stay comfortable). One surgery type (interspinous ligament desmotomy) can be done standing, and published outcomes have been strong.

If your horse suddenly resists work, won’t bend, changes topline use, or seems back-sore, talk with your veterinarian. Back pain can have multiple causes, and X-rays are only one piece of the puzzle.

02/12/2026

In an ongoing effort to support equine welfare, US Equestrian is unveiling a new, free feature for recorded horses called Lifetime Care Contacts.

01/31/2026

FOALING SEASON IS UPON US!

Are you ready to assist your broodmare? Here are some tried and true guidelines to remember during foaling:

• Unless there's an emergency, allow the foal time to break the fetal membranes. Once the foal breaks through, be sure it’s breathing.

• Generally, it’s not recommended to cut or break the umbilical cord. If it has not broken during delivery, it will usually break when the mare or foal gets up.

• Encourage the mare and foal to rest as long as possible. Give them an opportunity to bond undisturbed.

• Following birth of the foal, the mare and her newborn should be monitored for normal breathing, brightness and alertness. The mare should be non-aggressive, curious and accepting of the foal.

• The foal should stand and nurse within two hours of birth. If the foal has not nursed within three hours, call your veterinarian. The foal may be weak and in need of assistance or medical attention.

• By the third hour, the mare should pass the placenta, and the foal should pass meconium. Once the placenta has been expelled, examine it to make sure it is intact, particularly at the tips of the horns. The afterbirth will be Y-shaped and should have only the hole through which the foal emerged.

• A foal must receive colostrum (the mare's first milk) within the first eight to 12 hours of life in order to absorb the antibodies. If a foal is too weak to nurse, it may be necessary to milk the mare and give the colostrum to the foal via a stomach tube.

Contact your veterinarian to learn more so you can be prepared to help the new mother and foal get off to a great start! If your mare and foal are not meeting these milestones in the appropriate timeframe, call your vet immediately.

01/25/2026

One of the most common causes of surgical colic, strangulating lipomas were more common in horses with a prior history of laminitis or horses whose stabling had increased over the past four weeks: https://tinyurl.com/4npuy8mm

01/14/2026

Our phones are affected by the Verizon outage, so please use iPhone iMessage Texting. Non- emergent problems use email. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Soooo, pager is also down. This line works: 407-489-5083. We will field to correct on call doc.