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Emergency Evacuation Tips by Kim Sergent, DVM, of All County Equine Services |
As we head into the fire season it’s a good time to revisit the lessons learned in our area’s scorched past and put them to use in the form of preventative measures. Now is the time to take all of the following steps: Trailer Loading This is probably the most important thing a horse has to do in an emergency. We hear time after time how someone’s horse was left behind to fend for itself because they simply would not load in the trailer. As you know, this could mean life or death for the horse. So why not prevent that by teaching your horse to load easily in and out of the trailer. If you are unable or unwilling to teach your horse to load, seek the help of a reputable trainer to help you. Emergency Kits Everyone should have some form of emergency kit for the horse trailer or truck. A kit should contain: vet wrap, scissors, super glue, bandages, ice packs, thermometers, stethoscope, duct tape, antibiotic ointment and saline eye flush. All of these things are important to have on hand if your horse gets injured. During a disaster anything can happen and it’s our job as horse owners to be prepared for anything. Diet Changes and Colic When your horse is evacuated to another location, you may not have control of what they eat. We’ve had to treat several colics that were a result of a sudden change in diet. Take as much of your horse’s feed with you as possible to keep their diet consistent. If that is not possible, and if they’d had a sudden diet change as a result of the evacuation, try to slowly adjust their diet back to normal. If they skip a meal or exhibit any other colic symptoms, don’t hesitate to call your vet. While sometimes you may see improvement, other times waiting can make the difference between life and death. Microchipping Many of you that evacuated used spray paint, tags on halters or some form of external identification so that you could find your horse once it was relocated to a safer place. But how many of you have your horses microchipped? Paints can be washed off and tags can be easily removed. A microchip implanted under the skin is a safe and foolproof means of positively identifying your horse. Microchip scanners are currently being used by law enforcement and animal control agencies throughout the country to identify lost animals and return them to their rightful owners. Please call us for details about this process: 619-659-3532.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Israel and the Latigo team at info@latigoequestrian.com, by phone at 1-866-663-9813 or visit www.latigoequestrian.com.
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