Large Animal Veterinary Associates is now offering permanent identification for your horse with AVID microchips. Avid is the leader in personal identification chips for animals. It is even used by many wildlife agencies for marking and tracking wild animals such as bears and lions. Each chip contains a unique number that is readable with a scanner. The chips are placed in the nuchal ligament of the neck, half way between the poll and the withers and the injection is as easy as a vaccination. Once a horse receives a microchip he or she has their own unique number much like a social security number or the VIN# of a car.

Once your horse is chipped, he or she can be identified if lost or stolen. A perfect example of this were the fires in 2003 and 2007, as many horses were displaced without the owner’s knowledge. Microchipping would help owners reunite with their companions and is also helpful in ownership verification. Many breeding facilities utilize these chips to assure accuracy when breeding. A horse that has an AVID microchip will be registered with our practice and the owner will have copies of the ID# for their records. In addition the horse can be enrolled in “HORSEtrac”. This is AVID’s 24/7 disaster and recovery program. If a horse is found and scanned, HORSEtrac will contact the owner with the location of their horse.

This is truly a wonderful opportunity to have peace of mind knowing that your horse is permanently identified. The chips are guaranteed for the life of the horse. Microchips have been used for years by several of the breed registries and are now available to the general horse owner as well. If you have any questions or would like to see how the chips work, please contact our office at 619-590-1991. Microchipping is $75.00*, including the life time registration with HORSEtrac.

*Cost does not include sedation. Sedation may or may not be necessary for all horses to be microchipped. Please consult your veterinarian if you think your horse may need sedation.

Thinking of becoming a veterinarian?  Check out these stats from MSU’s Vet School Class:

Please complete the form below for your horse(s). Then email, fax, or mail it to our office. We will input the information about your horse(s) into our program. If you’d like to include a photo of your horse(s), that would be great. Thank you!

Please print and complete the Client Information Form. Then email (lava@lava.sdcoxmail.com), fax (619-590-0083), or mail (725 Jamacha Rd., El Cajon, CA 92019) it to our office. Thank you!

Please print and complete the following form. After completion fax (619-590-0083) or email lava@lava.sdcoxmail.com or mail it to our office at LAVA, 725 Jamacha Rd., El Cajon, CA 92019. All personal information is kept on our secure, password protected software and all credit card information is encrypted.Thank you!

Please print this form, write in your stable name and the day, date & time of the clinic. Then post for owners to add their horse(s) to the list and circle the desired services. Please call (619) 590-1991 or (760)789-6845 or email, lava@lava.sdcoxmail.com, if you have any questions. Thank you!

The Jockey Club Registry, www.registry.jockeyclub.com , offers a free tattoo lookup and research service to help owners identify their thoroughbred horses using the tattoo located on the horse’s upper lip. Tattoo Lookup (for completely legible tattoos) and Tattoo Research (based on markings and the partial tattoo) are free and available to all Interactive Registration customers. Press Control and Click simultaneously on the link below to sign up for “Interactive Registration.”

https://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/registry.cfm?page=dotRegistryHelpDeskTattoo&CFID=22469273&CFTOKEN=93619386

Tips for Reading Lip Tattoos
A Thoroughbred tattoo is a letter followed by four or five numbers. The letter represents the year of foaling (see chart). Note: In tattoos that contain five numbers after the letter, the first number will be from zero to five.

The only exception to the letter is a foreign-born horse that was imported into North America. It will have an asterisk (*) in front of its tattoo.
• Use a cloth to blot the lip to reduce shine and massage the area.
• Take the horse into a dim area and shine a flashlight, blacklight, or colored LED light on the tattoo from below the lip, then try the light at different angles.

• Take a digital picture of the tattoo and enhance the contrast. Note: Do not use a flash and take the picture on an overcast day or out of direct sunlight.
Codes for Tattoos of Thoroughbreds

These individuals are not veterinarians, have varying degrees of education and experience and are not governed or sanctioned by Consumer Affairs or the American Veterinary Medical Association. No requirements or prerequisites exist to call one-self an Equine Dentist. Many of these individuals claim certifications and professional titles such as “Certified Equine Dentist” or “Equine Dental Technician” based on the completion of a non-AVMA sanctioned dental school. Some of these schools include the American School of Equine Dentistry, Academy of Equine Dentistry or the Texas Institute of Equine Dentistry. Others claim membership in organizations such as the National Association of Equine Dentists or the International Association of Equine Dentists. While this group of individuals has done a great job marketing themselves as competent dental care providers (and a percentage of them may very well be competent) no extensive training is required, no governing body exists and no internship period or under-study program is in place to assure your equine companion will receive proper dental care. All of this summates to no accountability and no guarantee for you and your equine companion.
Dental care for your horse does not begin and end with the teeth. Some metabolic conditions can lead to significant changes in the oral cavity of the horse, such as osteoporosis secondary to cushings disease. In contrast, conditions in the oral cavity can give indications of other conditions going on in the horse. A example of this is kidney disease. Oral conditions can be the cause of other disease conditions such as bacterial endocarditis. The individual you should trust with every aspect of your equine companion’s health is your veterinarian. While veterinarians vary in the degree of expertise they possess with regards to dental care, all have had extensive training in veterinary medicine as a whole. They have a broad base of knowledge that comes from many years of higher education in all aspects of equine care including and not limited to the oral cavity. A good dental care provider needs expertise in anesthesia, surgery, anatomy, physiology and metabolism. Often oral and dental issues require advanced diagnostic modalities such as radiology, scintigraphy, MRI or CT scans. Veterinarians are well governed and have to pass rigorous certification and licensing tests and are required to perform continued education to remain licensed.
California state law requires that a NVDCP must work under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. This means a veterinarian on the premises at the time the dental procedure is being performed. The veterinarian is to administer the necessary sedation and follow up medication if required. The veterinarian is to oversee the dental procedure and approve all aspects of the treatment. NVDCP cannot prescribe or administer sedation, anesthesia or medications. We have been amazed by the number of people that are unaware of these facts and have allowed dental care to be provided by a NVDCP.

Dental care is a very important aspect of equine health care. We recommend yearly examinations and will advise you on the necessary procedures your horse may require. Feel free to contact the office regarding you horse’s dental care needs.