Cane Creek Animal Clinic and Equine

12/20/2023

Our Annual Christmas Party 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
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Good food, secret Santa, a few daring enough to wear an ugly sweater, and a quick game that the small animal team came out victorious over the equine team.
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Wishing all of our wonderful clients a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! ❤️

11/29/2023

As more cases of canine respiratory disease pop up throughout the U.S., we want to share a few best practices to ensure your dog stays healthy and safe this holiday season.

11/23/2023

11/14/2023

The term "fat leg" is pretty self-explanatory, but do you know the difference between stocking up and cellulitis?

Many horses will "stock up" with subcutaneous edema (fluid swelling) in two or more legs (usually the hind limbs). Stocking up generally results from a significant decrease in exercise and usually resolves as the horse starts exercising again.

Lymphangitis (or vasculitis, big leg disease, staph infection, or cellulitis), however, is a bacterial infection and a dramatically different condition. While its causes may vary, it’s easy to spot once it sets in: the swelling will be extreme, hot and very painful to the touch, and the horse will be depressed due to the fever and discomfort.

If you think your equine friend has cellulitis or even if you're not sure, we encourage you to seek professional help promptly. Your horse doctor will make the best treatment recommendations, both to reduce swelling and to address any sort of bacterial infection that might be active or that could occur due to the edema in the soft tissue.

Read more on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/lymphangitis-frustrating-condition

11/08/2023

November is National Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Pets today have a better chance of being successfully treated for neoplasia and cancer than they did before, thanks to advances in early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. And it all starts with regular check-ups with your veterinarian. Here are a few warning signs to know: http://bit.ly/2OenYrc

11/06/2023

Great practical information courtesy of the horse doctors at Barrow Veterinary Service:

NORMAL: NOT JUST A SETTING ON THE DRYER!
If your horse seems a little "off," do you know what his "normal" is? One of the best ways you can determine if your horse is ill is to know his normal vitals—temperature, breaths per minute, heart rate, and capillary refill time. If they are outside the normal range, a call to your equine veterinarian is definitely warranted! Any refusal to eat a meal or to get up from a recumbent position is also a clue that you and your equine friend need assistance.

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween 🎃👻
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Don’t forget to keep your pets away from the candy stash!

10/24/2023

Fall is officially in full swing! Now is the time to crack down on housing, nutrition, and preventative health strategies suitable for the arrival of winter.

The graphic below lists some essential items on the horse owner's fall to-do checklist, but there is much more that needs to be done—like having your horse rugs repaired and waterproofed; securing and storing hay properly; assessing your shelters for safety and soundness; etc.)

Your equine veterinarian is one of your greatest allies this season: be sure to give them a call soon to discuss vaccination and deworming protocols appropriate for your horse’s situation; use this opportunity to chat about recommended changes in nutrition and exercise program as well!

10/16/2023

October 15th-21st is 🩺

Take time to say thank you to those that are the right-hand person of your favorite veterinarian!

10/13/2023

How do I know if my pet’s weight is healthy?

First and foremost, have an honest conversation with your veterinarian about your pet’s weight. Your veterinarian can check your pet’s weight and overall health, and make recommendations specially tailored to your pet’s needs. Learn more about your pet's healthy weight here: https://bit.ly/39G82HB

10/11/2023

While it’s a common equine emergency, espophageal obstruction (“choke”) can look alarming, especially if you've never seen it before. Unlike in human medicine, where choking refers to a tracheal (or windpipe) obstruction, choke in horses refers to an obstruction of the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

Most commonly, choking occur when horses eat concentrated feed too quickly without chewing it appropriately, which results in a firm bolus lodged in the animal's esophagus. However, esophageal obstruction can also occur with hay or straw, hard treats, carrots, or nonfood objects. Poor dentition, which leads to inadequate chewing, is also a frequent cause of choke.

While common, chokes can have serious consequences so be sure to call your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of choke. A bad choke is fairly obvious to both veterinarians and horse owners, but a mild choke could be confused with an upper respiratory tract infection or colic.

Read more about this condition on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/understanding-choke-horses

10/06/2023

October is National Pet Wellness Month. Veterinarians recommend regular wellness exams for your pets the same reason your physician and dentist recommend them – if you can detect a problem in its early stages, it's more likely to be treated and resolved with less expense, less difficulty and better success.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. https://bit.ly/2Srm7RJ

10/02/2023

Pumpkin spice, cooler temps, and changing leaves are not the only things that come with the Fall season. It’s ✨deworming time✨. No matter if your horse is classified as a low-shedder, medium-shedder, or high-shedder, it is recommended that they all get dewormed during this time of the year.

Recommended Dewormers for Fall: Quest Plus or Zimectrin Gold

🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁

09/28/2023

09/27/2023

Today marks the beginning of . Here are 5️⃣ signs your dog may be experiencing hearing problems.

If you spot any of these common hearing loss signs from your pet, please contact your veterinarian.

09/18/2023

Summer and fall are prime time for arbovirus infection as these diseases (which include Eastern Equine Encephalitis [EEE], West Nile Virus [WNV], Western Equine Encephalitis [WEE] and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis [VEE]) are transmitted by many different species of mosquitoes and biting insects.

With more states reporting cases of West Nile Virus (70 cases were reported in August alone), here is your reminder that keeping all horses up to date on vaccinations with the guidance of your veterinarian is the best protection you can offer your equine friends.

Read more and download the arbovirus factsheet on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website at https://tinyurl.com/ukaa3zwv

08/31/2023

Jokes aside, we're not saying that ALL Internet advice is bad. You can and should use the online resources available to your advantage, like to find good tips for basic training issues or to learn more about specific diseases.

But this is your reminder that relying on Drs. Google and Facebook when you're seeking answers about your horse's health is generally a bad idea and there are MANY reasons to start with your own veterinarian first. An Internet consultation cannot replace the physical exam performed by a trained and experienced veterinarian, and treatment without a proper diagnosis can often result in a waste of money and time.

Your horse doctor invested a lot of time and resources in their training to be able to provide the highest standard of care to your equine friends—trust them to care as much as you do!

08/26/2023

HAPPY 🐕🐶🦴🐕‍🦺🐾🦮

08/24/2023

It’s difficult for us horse doctors to admit we aren’t superhuman. We’re hardwired to be there for you and your horse whenever you need us. But we’re finally in the midst of an overdue reality check as a profession and admitting that our desire to be available 24/7 isn’t compatible with our own personal health and happiness.

The most significant pain point for many of us is caring for our clients during regular business hours and then being on call for emergencies after hours. If we are a single-doctor or small practice, this traditionally has been the case most nights of the week.

The good news is that the AAEP along with private veterinary practices and veterinary schools are focused on developing new models for emergency care which ease the strain on individual practitioners. This includes the growth of emergency cooperatives where two or more practices in a geographic area work together to share after-hours care, as well as more emergency-only practices and the use of tele-triage services to address client concerns after normal business hours.

As equine veterinarians reevaluate what after-hours care looks like for their practices, we know that the support of our clients is critical to creating a balance that works for both of us. If your horse doctor talks with you about changes in how after-hours care is delivered, we hope you’ll welcome the adjustments, knowing that this evolution of emergency care must take place in order for equine veterinarians to avoid burnout and continue to be available to treat all of our patients. We appreciate our partnership with you, and your horse does too!

08/22/2023

08/16/2023

A little for you: Puncture wounds in the foot qualify as medical **emergencies,** due to the amount of vital structures just beneath the sole that can be physically damaged and/or contaminated with bacteria when they are penetrated by a sharp object.

If your horse steps on a nail or other sharp object and it remains embedded in the hoof, resist the temptation to pull the nail out and consult with your veterinarian first. Leaving the nail in place will allow the vet to take x-rays of the foot before removal, which helps to identify exactly what structures have been penetrated, and to plan the most appropriate strategy for dealing with the situation.

Penetrating hoof wounds can be extremely serious and shouldn’t be underestimated. The prognosis for successful recovery depends on quick action to identify the path of the nail, treatment of potential infection and mechanical damage to the foot, and proper aftercare.

As always, our favorite piece of advice is to consult your horse doctor directly for more information!

08/15/2023

08/10/2023

Hey everyone! My name is Gracie Towles. I will now be managing the social media account(s). I may be a familiar face to some but a new one to others. This is my second year working my summer and winter break with the practice. I spend majority of my time out with Dr. Ted Wright on farm calls.
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I am an undergrad student at NC State University majoring in Animal Science with a Veterinary Bioscience Concentration, but I am local to the area (Leicester, NC). I also have no shortage of pets with 3 miniature donkeys, 3 dogs, 2 horses, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, 1 goat, and 1 pot-bellied pig. With my horses, I travel and compete as a barrel racer.
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I look forward to passing along news, updates, and reminders! This platform will NOT be a form of communication to schedule appointments or things of that nature. Continue to call the office @ 828-628-9908 from 8am to 5pm. For after hour emergencies, call 828-650-8422 for equine or consult with one of the several emergency clinics in the area for small animal (MedVet 828-665-4399, VEG 828-532-3876, Western Carolina Regional Animal Hospital & Veterinary Emergency Hospital 828-697-7767).

06/02/2023

Your best friends become ours too!

12/16/2021

Happy Paw-lidays from Cane Creek Animal Clinic & Equine. 💝🎄Your family, our passion!🐾🐶