Haymarket Veterinary Service

10/13/2025

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week!

We are so blessed to have an amazing team of veterinary technicians and assistants that are the backbone of Haymarket Veterinary Service. They bring so much compassion to the untold amount of hours of hard work every day!

If you see these ladies on the road or at your barn, be sure to thank them for all they do 👏👏

10/07/2025

Equine Gastric Ulcers ‼️

Clinical signs are variable and not always consistent with the severity of disease. Every horse internalizes stress and demonstrates pain in different ways, so it’s important to pay attention to subtle shifts in attitude especially during times of change!

Things to watch out for:
-mild to moderate colic episodes, especially repeated with no obvious cause
-sensitivity to grooming, especially over the abdomen
-stretching out after eating
-disinterest in grain but good appetite for forage
-refusal to go forward or engage under saddle
-girthiness during tack up
-weight loss/difficulty gaining weight
-and many more!

Diagnosis is only made via Gastroscopy. This procedure is done after a period of overnight fasting. The HVS team is able to bring this procedure right to the farm to avoid the stress of traveling!

Gastroscopy gives us an exact picture of what type of ulcers are present and how severe they are. It helps us tailor the medication and management plan for each horse, and allows us to track response/healing over time.

Contact the office to schedule an evaluation if any of these signs are similar to what you’re seeing in your horse!
703-754-3309 📞
[email protected] 📧

09/27/2025

Another vaccine reminder with a positive case in a county close-by! Horses should be vaccinated for West Nile Virus twice yearly. Don’t delay on scheduling!

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says a horse in Orange County tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV).

09/24/2025

Senior Horse Care—A common misconception!

‼️“My horse is old so he doesn’t need dentals anymore” ⁉️

We’ve run into the comment with some frequency, so we want to talk about it! The typical recommendation for our equines is a once yearly sedated oral exam and dental. It is true that as the horse ages, the rate of tooth eruption slows down, with faster growth in our younger animals.

However, taking care of the teeth of senior horses is still especially important for a several reasons:

-Knowing the status of geriatric teeth greatly influences the feed types they’re able to eat. Older horses are at an increased risk for choke if not fed correctly.
-Older teeth commonly loosen and cause discomfort, a sedated exam can identify those teeth for extraction.
-Senior horses can have difficulty gaining/maintaining their weight and digestion starts in the mouth.
-EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercemetosis) is prevalent in older horses and causes significant pain. *see picture below*

If you have a senior equine in your family, fall is a great time to schedule an oral exam and dental. This makes sure their teeth are in the best condition before winter!

Call the office today!
703-754-3309 📞

09/17/2025

It’s Wound Wednesday! Pictures ahead, click with caution!

This is a case of a gelding who sustained a large laceration over his left hamstrings at the end of April this year. Thankfully no large muscles were injured but the skin took a big hit. This is an example of the skin being traumatized, losing blood supply, and dying, which leaves an even larger gap to heal. Healing a wound this size takes a team approach, with the owner being extremely committed to wound care—this included daily cleaning and stall rest to reduce tension on the new skin. This wound was also at a high risk for a summer sore developing, so regular deworming and topical Aluspray was critical.

The pink/red area between the skin edges is granulation tissue, and some of the healthiest we could have asked for…no proud flesh here!

Check out the timeline for healing a wound this size. It is not a fast process!

09/12/2025

Farewell and best wishes to a team member!

Meredith has been with the HVS team for 2 years, spending countless hours providing care and compassion to our owners and their animals. We will all miss her and want to wish her well in her future endeavors!

08/30/2025

Holiday weekend hours!

The office will close at 2pm today and reopen 9am on Tuesday in celebration of the holiday. On call veterinarians are available as always to support any emergencies!

Wishing you and your family a happy Labor Day weekend 🎇🎆

08/28/2025

Dr. Cilinski and Liam made a visit to Lift Me Up! Therapeutic Riding last week for dental day.

They spent time getting many of the horses their annual dental check-ups and taking care of their oral health. It was also a great learning opportunity for the students to learn about dentistry and experience equine veterinary medicine.

We always enjoy a chance to share knowledge and hopefully peak the interest of a future equine professional!

08/19/2025

Welcoming new horses and owners into the practice!

Dr. Cilinski and Dr. Beatty met Buddy as a new addition to the HVS family for a performance evaluation and tune-up. A chiropractic adjustment and joint injections had Buddy feeling like new!

We provide the full-spectrum of performance and lameness care right on the farm for all levels of athlete! The plan is always tailored to the patient with the ability to use orthobiologic products like PRP and Prostride and adjunctive care like chiropractic and acupuncture.

We are always happy to add new horses and clients to the Haymarket family! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the office or visit our website to learn more about what we have to offer.

Phone: 703-754-3309
Website: https://haymarketvet.com/
Email: [email protected]

08/13/2025

Reminder! ‼️

Fall is quickly approaching, and that means so are fall vaccine boosters! Keep in mind that if your equine friend gets vaccinated early in the spring that we need to be seeing them this month for 6 month vaccines for several common diseases.

We are still in high bug season, and this is a time when there can be lapses in coverage for vector-borne diseases like West Nile Virus and Potomac Horse Fever 🦟

Our office can update you on any upcoming vaccine reminders with a quick call!

703-754-3309 📞

07/16/2025

What is one very common question our veterinarians, technicians, or front desk staff will ask when triaging a sick horse?

“Are you able to take a temperature?” 🌡️

Being able to provide a re**al temperature on your horse when sickness or emergencies arise is very important. It can help us decide how emergent your horse should be seen and helps the veterinarian prepare for what may be going on.

❗️ Tips for success! ❗️
-Have access to a working thermometer.
-Train your horse to be comfortable and stand still to take a re**al temperature. Bonus points if you can do it safely alone!
-Think ahead and have this information available when calling in.
-Remember the “normals”
Adult: 99.0-101.5*F
Foal: 99.0-102.0*F

Summer is a common time for fevers and overheating. Taking a temperature on any horse that is quiet, inappetent, or just ADR (Ain’t Doin Right) is never the wrong answer!

07/03/2025

Happy July 4th! 🎆🎇

The office will be closing at 2pm today and remain closed until 9am Saturday morning. We have on call veterinarians available for any emergency needs!

Stay cool and happy holidays!