Unfortunately, VS (vesicular stomatitis) has returned to Larimer County, Colorado. Visit the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s VS page for the latest information, including quarantine updates and what to do. VS is a nasty disease, spread by insects. It can hit your horse, particularly in the mouth, preventing them from eating. This is a good time to stock up on everything anti-fly. Here, we use full-body fly sheets, fly masks with ear protection, insect repellent sprays, bug-repellent ointments for little wounds, long lasting insect-repellent drops, like Equi-Spot, and Spaulding Fly Predators (little wasp-shaped insects that eat fly larvae). If your horse won’t put up with fly spray, you might try Farnam Wipe.
This is also a good time to avoid large gatherings of horses, if possible. Stranger danger: Never allow your horse to use a community water trough or buckets used by unknown horses. An infected horse can transmit VS via drinking water. Plan ahead: VS flare-ups can result in revised horse show exhibitor health requirements, and inter-state travel requirements. If your barn gets VS, you can be quarantined by the state. Keep your stalls and pens clean. The old saying about an ounce of prevention is so true here.
