Sweet River Equine Clinic Inc

12/02/2025

Water remains as important for your horse in cold weather as it is in the summer. As a matter of fact, decreased water consumption in the winter is thought to be the primary inducing factor for impaction colic — although there are other predisposing factors such as poor hay quality, lack of exercise, internal parasites and dental problems.

Impaction colic is essentially constipation and most often includes the accumulation of hard, dry f***l material in the colon. The usual signs of impending impaction colic are depression, a decreased appetite, and decreased production and dryness of manure.

Studies demonstrate that you can increase your horse's winter water consumption if you provide access to heated water, but ONLY if that is the only source of water available. As always, if you have any questions about preventing colic in your horse, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information!

12/02/2025

'Tis the season to get your horse's teeth floated! 🐴

Book an appointment with us December 1, 2025 - January 31, 2026 for 20% in-clinic and 10% off in-field, plus a free f***l exam. Your four legged friends deserve a Christmas gift too. What a perfect way to give back to them this holiday season! 🎁

For an appointment give our office a call at 209-524-9191. We look forward to seeing you this Winter season! 📞❄️

11/26/2025

Wishing all of our clients a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy the time with family & friends. Safe travels to all and we will see you next week! 🦃🥧🍽️

In case of an equine related emergency we will have an on-call doctor available. Please call 209-524-9191 and the medical exchange will get you in touch with the on-call veterinarian.🐴📞🩺

11/25/2025

Hello clients!

We are here to help you understand the current EHM (EHV-1) outbreak. At this time, there are no confirmed cases in California. However, there is the potential for cases because of the events we all like to attend with our horses, local and out of state. It is important to stay diligent and practice safe biosecurity measures to keep our equines healthy and safe at home and on the road. Here are some helpful links to provide important information and answer further questions.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/equine15_is_biosecurity.pdf
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/pdfs/Equine_EHMbrochure.pdf
https://www.equinediseasecc.org/alerts

Updates on current disease outbreaks are listed here as they occur and will include the date listed, disease name, location and current status. Specific premises will not be named but the general location by town, county and state will be listed. When locations, events or horses are at risk they wil...

11/25/2025

As we continue to monitor the current outbreak of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus (EHM) infection, let's take this opportunity to discuss once more the importance of biosecurity measures to stop disease spread. We recommend the following biosecurity precautions for horse owners, particularly if their horses have recently traveled to horse shows or were exposed to horses that have traveled:

1) Monitor horses for clinical signs (including fever, discharge from the nostrils, toe-dragging or a lack of balance) and take the temperature twice daily. Temperature greater than 101.5 F is considered a fever.

2) Immediately isolate any horse(s) showing clinical signs. Equine herpesvirus is an aerosolized virus and is spread through shared airspace, direct contact, and contaminated caretakers or equipment. A good isolation area is a separate barn or shelter that does not share airspace with healthy horses.

3) Implement movement restrictions until the situation is evaluated.

4) Contact your veterinarian to evaluate your horse and to propose a comprehensive biosecurity protocol.

5) Increase biosecurity measures that include extensive cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment that come in contact with affected horses: wash or sanitize your hands between interacting with horses; take time while filling water buckets and feed tubs, do not cross contaminate; minimize the use of shared equipment and tack.

6) Make sure your horse is up to date on vaccinations.

7) Establish communication with all parties involved (owners, boarders, trainers, etc.).

More resources and information regarding biosecurity are available on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://equinediseasecc.org/biosecurity

To learn more Equine Herpesvirus (EHV), visit: https://www.equinediseasecc.org/equine-herpesvirus

10/30/2025

Hello clients!

For those who plan on attending our client seminar this Saturday, November 1st, please keep in mind our parking lot is fairly small, and space is limited. We will have overflow parking available at the back of the property located next to the clinic but it is recommended to carpool if possible. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Additionally, our office will be closed for regular appointments this Saturday, November 1st. We will be return to normal business hours on Monday, November 3rd at 8 AM.

In case of an equine emergency over the weekend, please call our office at 209-524-9191 and the medical exchange service will assist you as needed.

10/23/2025

Hello all!

We are a little over a week out until our Equine Health and Backcountry Education Seminar. 🫏🏕️🩺

Our presenters and veterinarians will be discussing a variety of topics, including Platinum Performance. 👨🏻‍⚕️👩‍⚕️Your registration fee includes a delicious BBQ lunch 🍽️ provided by our sponsor, Boehringer Ingelheim Equine Health, as well as one 🎟️raffle ticket to put towards an assortment of raffle items donated by our sponsors. Following lunch, Dutch oven desserts 🍰🍪 will be provided by Backcountry Horsemen of California - Mid Valley Unit. To end the day, B*H: Mid Valley will also be providing demonstrations on packing with horses & mules, how to set up a high-line, and a brief discussion on trail etiquette. 🐎🌄🌲

If you have not already called to register in advance please make sure you do so we can ensure we have plenty of food for all who attend. Additionally, if you are a current B*HC member and are interested in attending at a discounted price or would be interested in providing a Dutch oven dessert please let us know!

Interested in registering? Give our office a call 209-524-9191 to get added to our list. We look forward to seeing you all soon! 👋🏽📞

10/03/2025

Dr. Sweet will be on-call this weekend for you and your horse on an emergency basis only.

This weekend our clinic is hosting our annual Farrier Seminar so we will be closed for regular appointments.

Please callback on Monday if you are in need of an appointment, to pick up medication, or have a general question for the doctor, please call 📞 us at the office at (209) 524-9191 when we resume normal business hours.

09/26/2025

Dr. Van Hoogmoed will be on-call this weekend for you and your horse on an emergency basis.

Additionally, our office is always open on Saturdays between 8 AM and 12 PM if you need to schedule an appointment, make a payment, or pick up medications.

If our office is not open but you would like to schedule a routine appointment, or have a general question for the doctors, please call 📞 us at the office on Monday at (209) 524-9191 after we open at 8AM.