Equine Field Service

Services We Offer

Wellness Exams

For optimum health and wellness, your horse should have a veterinary examination at least annually. For many horses, more frequent visits may be appropriate. By evaluating factors such as age, breed, health and environment, we can discuss with you the recommended frequency of visits based on your horse's individual needs.

Preventive Health Care

• Vaccinations:
  Regular vaccinations prevent disease from harmful viruses and other pathogens to help keep your horse, as well as other horses, safe.
• Deworming:
  We can work with you to create targeted deworming programs tailored to each individual horse.
• Diet consultation
• Dentistry:
  Our field service can perform exams, floating (filing down rough edges of uneven teeth), and tooth extractions.

Lameness Exams & Management

• Digital radiography:
  With our portable X-ray capabilities, we can perform examinations of the head, neck, and extremities.
• Ultrasound evaluations:
  Ultrasonography allows us to evaluate soft-tissue organs such as the abdomen, thorax, neck, and musculoskeletal system.
• Joint injections:
  Inserting medication into a horse's joint can help the joint heal, can protect the joint, can block pain, and/or can help us determine lameness.

Ultrasound Examinations

In addition to lameness examination, we use our ultrasound capabilites to help assess and monitor your mares throughout pregnancy.

Dr. Ann Sellers also specializes in using ultrasound during colic examinations.

Artificial Insemination

We can perform artifical insemination using cooled and frozen semen.

Newborn Foal Exams

Newborn foals should receive a complete physical examination to determine overall health, vigor, and attitude. This exam should also include a blood test and tests to determine immune status.

Acupuncture

During acupuncture, needles are inserted into points of the body to relieve pain.

Upper Airway Endoscopy

Equine performance issues often can be attributed to upper airway disorders. Endoscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic tool that uses a small fiber optic tube equipped with a small camera to directly visualize areas of interest such as the upper airway. This safe, non-surgical approach requires sedation.

Coggins (EIA) Tests

Equine infectious anemia is caused by a retrovirus very similar to the human immunodeficiency viris. The Coggins test is used to diagnose this disease.

Surgery in the Field

• Castrations:
  Gelded (castrated) horses often are managed more easily alongside other horses, both male and female. Castration should be considered for male horses that aren't intended for breeding.
• Cryptorchid castrations:
  Cryptochid castrations are a condition where one or both testes have not decended into the scrotum. These types of testes are more prone to tumors and do not produce fertile sperm.
• Lump removal:
  Horses can develop a variety of lumps or bumps, such as sarcoids, which we can diagnose and remove in many cases.
• Wound management:
  In the field, we can perform surgical repair, bandaging, and application of casts to treat many wounds.

Euthanasia

It is sometimes necessary to consider your horse's health and quality of life when deciding whether or not to continue treatment. We can aid you in making these decisions and, should you decide euthanasia is the best decision for your horse, can perform the procedure at your own barn, a comfortable and familiar environment to your horse.

We also can offer you the assitance of counselors at our Argus Institute, who can guide you through all of the considerations of end-of-life decision making, grieving, and moving forward.

Health Certificates

In many travel situations your horse will need a health certificate. We can perform the proper examination and issue you a certificate of health.

Pre-Purchase Examinations

As a potential buyer, you want to know that you're investing in a healthy horse. We can perform a complete examination to assess the health of the horse and discuss any issues that may compromise its athletic soundness.