Sandhill Veterinary Services

11/19/2024

To all our favorite friends it is so important to stay up to date on vaccines! In Florida we have mosquitoes year round and they spread a lot of dangerous viruses such as West Nile and Encephalitis! At Sandhill we recommend vaccines every 6 months, please call and get scheduled to keep your four legged friends as healthy as possible!

🦟 West Nile Virus Alert 🦟
In the last two months, there have been 12 confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in Florida alone—11 in horses (8 of them right next door in Marion County) and 1 in an alpaca.

Mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus are a year-round threat in Florida. Vaccination is the best way to protect your animals from this potentially fatal disease.

💉 Are your animals up to date? If you're unsure, call our office today to review their vaccination status and make sure they're fully protected.

📞 McCleery Equine Veterinary Service: Keeping your herd safe and healthy.

🔗 For updates on current disease alerts in Florida horses, check the link in the comments.

Don’t wait. Protect your herd today.

11/13/2024

To all of our wonderful clients and friends! This organization is wonderful and provides so much for kids and the community! Please go out and support them while enjoying your four legged family member!

09/24/2024

UPDATE: World Equestrian Center - Ocala has reached capacity and is no longer accepting equine evacuees for Tropical Storm Helene. Please find alternative accommodations and stay safe.

For evacuees staying at WEC - Ocala, please email
[email protected] with questions.

Required health documents can be found here: bit.ly/3Bo7nfU

07/30/2024

Exciting announcement for current and future clients!

We are thrilled to announce that we have expanded our team here at Sandhill Veterinary Services!
Please join us in welcoming our newest staff member, Erika!

📞 Erika will be your first point of contact when you call! She is here to assist you with all your scheduling, inquiries, record requests, emergency triage, and medication request needs. The phone number will remain the same at 386-293-2591!

Our patients and their owners are at the heart of everything we do, Erika is dedicated to providing you with top-notch customer service and ensuring your experience is exceptional; but please be patient with the transition as we do know technology can be a bit tricky sometimes! We are currently working diligently to resolve any technical issues and everything should be running smoothly soon.

Thank you for trusting Sandhill Veterinary Services to provide care for your horses!

-Dr. Callie Ward

07/30/2024

HOW AND WHY DO HORSES GET ULCERS?

Equine gastric ulcers can affect any horse of any age. Up to 90% of racehorses and 60% of show horses, as well as non-performance horses and even foals are affected by equine gastric ulcers. Gastric ulcers result from the erosion of the stomach lining due to a prolonged exposure to the normal acid present in the stomach.

Unlike ulcers in humans, bacteria do not appear to cause equine gastric ulcers. Instead, this condition is often a man-made disease. Stall confinement alone can lead to the development of ulcers. A horse’s feeding schedule and high-grain diets can also contribute to the development of ulcers.

Stress, both environmental and physical, can increase the likelihood of ulcers, as can hauling, training, and mixing groups of horses. Strenuous exercise can decrease the emptying of the stomach as well as the blood flow, thus further contributing to the problem.

The treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers is directed at removing these predisposing factors, therefore decreasing acid production within the horse’s stomach. Prevention of ulcers is the key in helping your horse, as neutralizing the production of stomach acid is nature’s best antacid.

Please note that the only way to definitively diagnose ulcers is through a gastroscopy. An equine veterinarian should always be consulted in any case of suspected gastric ulcers to determine the best course of action and treatment for the individual horse.

07/17/2024

Please contact Bar J if you’re interested in a wonderful pup!

07/02/2024

🚨Attention CLIENTS!🚨

✈️Dr. Callie Ward is out of town and unavailable from July 4th - 8th! Dr. Emily Pulliam with Iris Equine will be covering Dr. Callie’s CLIENT ONLY EMERGENCIES during this time.

🐴CURRENT CLIENTS: Please contact Dr. Pulliam if you have an equine emergency at (386) 316-4816.

🚑Please ensure you also have the means to HAUL your horse(s) during these dates. Be prepared to take emergencies to Peterson & Smith, EMCO, or UF if necessary or recommended by Dr. Pulliam. If you do not have a trailer—phone a friend, PLEASE!!

✌🏻Thank you all for your continued support! We will see y’all when we’re back!!

💗Dr. Ward & the Sandhill Veterinary Team!!

06/06/2024

**BIG NEWS**

As many of our clients know, Dr. Callie did not have an X-ray machine for the last year of practice but was arranging to use one from a colleague in order to get your horses taken care of! We are so excited to announce that Sandhill Veterinary Services is the proud new owner of a X-ray machine! The team will be receiving training next week and then it will be ready for action! A big thank you to all of our clients support through out the last year of practice and here is to the next year!

05/17/2024

Lip is safe and sound!! We found him this morning, we love him so much and our so grateful for everyone who shared our post!

LOST PLEASE HELP BRING LIP HOME!!!

Please please share! Lip got out somewhere between Daytona Flea market and Deland! Lip is very very loved and we want anything to bring him back! He is black with white on his chest and has a blue reflective collar on!

Please share!
Contact Jesse Mayhew 386-314-6875
Callie Ward 386-293-2591

04/08/2024

✈️ OUT OF TOWN April 10-14th!✈️

Sandhill veterinary Clients, we appreciate all of your business! We are posting to inform you that Dr. Callie Ward will be out of state and unavailable from April 10-April 14th! She will not be returning any phone calls until she returns on April 15th. If you have an EMERGENCY ONLY during this time and you are a CURRENT CLIENT then please contact Dr. Emily Pulliam at 386-316-4816! We appreciate your understanding! If you call to schedule an appointment please leave a voicemail or send a text message and Dr. Callie or Vicky will get back with you on April 15th!

01/29/2024

Today was a super fun day for us at Sandhill! Thank you Surfs Ranch for trusting us to care for sweet Annabelle, the retired Budweiser Clydesdale! Also, a big shout out to Tina Marie for making my day by having Doodle decked out in Sandhill accessories while visiting to take care of some beloved equine friends!! We are so grateful for amazing clients and animals that we get to take care of! ❤️

01/27/2024

Love these tips for my clients with the older gals/girls but it’s also all great advice for younger horses as well ❤️

It’s not uncommon to find horses and ponies living well into their 20s and 30s, thanks to continuous advances in nutrition and health care.

Horse owners have a big impact as well and can help their horses thrive in their golden years through proper management practices like those illustrated in the graphic. But remember: although there is much you can on your own do to keep your older horse happy and spry, some conditions associated with aging require medical intervention.

Scheduling regular visits and keeping a good line of communication with your veterinarian will allow you to respond quickly to any ailments or injuries that could cause your horse a serious or prolonged set back. That means less worry for you, and a better quality of life for your old friend!

01/24/2024

As many of you know Dr. Callie works small animal medicine full time AND owns Sandhill! I know all of our wonderful clients are accustomed to the previous normal scheduling days however those will be changing! Dr. Callie will be working for Sandhill on THURSDAYS AND TUESDAY AFTERNOONS for regular scheduled appointments! As it has always been she does her best to get to all of her clients in emergency situations even if that is not on a regular scheduled days! We ask that you be patient and prepared in the instance that she cannot get to you right away including having the ability to haul to a referral hospital if needed! Emergency services are for established clients only! If you need SMALL ANIMAL appointments you MUST contact FloridaWild Veterinary Hospital to schedule an appointment! Dr. Callie DOES NOT see small animal emergencies or appointments through Sandhill!

Thank you to all our amazing clients and we look forward to continuing to serve our surrounding area!

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Callie Ward to our team.

Dr. Ward is a born and raised Floridian, she completed her Bachelors of Animal Science degree from the University of Florida in 2019. She then moved on to Mississippi State University to obtain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. She took up residency in Deland, FL and is very excited to be at FloridaWild. Her main interests include ultrasonography and soft tissue surgery. In her free time Dr. Callie enjoys spending time with her Fiancé' on their quarter horse and cattle ranch. She also has 4 furry kids that hold her heart close, their names are Remmi, Barbara Jean, Lip, and Dot. She is looking forward to servicing the community and offering the upmost care to the pets that you trust her to work on.

01/16/2024

Please please be aware of the weather! ❤️

As a storm threat of freezing rain and snow marches across the U.S. and Canada ❄️🌨🫧🌬, below are some tips for keeping your horses safe during extreme winter weather events:

1. While lots of hay is ideal for horses to eat to keep warm, now is NOT the time to introduce a round bale if they’ve never had access to one before. It may be more work, but keep throwing them their normal hay source—just more frequently.

2. Similarly, if your horse is not used to being locked up in a stall now is NOT the time. The stress of a major change and the decreased activity can be risk factors for colic. Be sure your animals have access to shelter, hay, and drinkable water but let them move around if they choose to do so.

3. Horses that are thin, older, or fully body clipped are those most at risk in extreme weather.

4. Well fitting blankets are great but be sure horses do not get sweaty under them or that the blankets don’t soak through if snow or rain covered. Wet, cold, and covered is worse that dry, cold, and naked.

5. Some of the highest risk times are when the temperatures hover right around freezing, as that can result in sleet/freezing rain/ice that can make horses wet and therefore colder. Slippery footing is a concern, too.

6. If using electric water heaters, be sure they are functioning and not shocking horses. Take your gloves off and stick your hand in the water (briefly!) to double check.

7. “Trick” your horses into consuming extra water by flavoring a bucket, adding electrolytes to their meals, or soaking their meals in warm water. If you’ve never fed beet pulp before, be sure to add LOTS of warm water. Dry beet pulp is a common source of choke.

8. Tips of ears can be at risk for frostbite. Putting a jumper-style ear bonnet or other ear cover can protect them from wind chills.

Stay safe, friends!

01/08/2024

Please on these cold rainy days always make sure your horses have fresh clean water available 24/7, shelter to get away from the bad weather, and good quality forage!

During these cold winter days you may be thinking about offering bran mashes to your horse as a warm, comforting treat and also as a way to help prevent colic due to the higher fiber content of bran. This, however, is an outdated concept and nutritionists point out several potential problems associated with feeding bran mash too often—namely, an imbalance of the dietary calcium-phosphorus ratio that could lead to bone disorders, and a disruption of the healthy fermentation patterns in the horse’s intestinal tract.

The best way to help your horse stay warm this winter is by increasing forage 🌾 and providing shelter 🏠 during a cold snap. And as far as the risk of colic, your first line of defense is to provide plenty of water to keep your horse hydrated. 💦

As always, your equine veterinarian remains your best source of information; contact them to learn more about feeding mashes (they are typically not an issue if fed as the occasional treat) and colic prevention this winter.
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Brough to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee