Greenville Mobile Equine Service, PA

04/22/2025

We have had a handful of chokes lately here is some very useful information on chokes! Pls. comment if you have any questions or know any other tips or tricks that could be useful!

𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 – 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝑰 𝒅𝒐???
-- Stay calm. Keep your horse quiet and calm.
-- Remove all food. Offer water only from the ground.
-- DO NOT PUT ANYTHING INTO THE HORSE’S MOUTH
-- Massage the left side of the neck. If you feel a lump, concentrate there. Work from the jaw down towards the shoulder.
-- If signs do not resolve in 30 minutes, call your veterinarian. Do not wait overnight thinking it will pass.
-- Aspiration pneumonia risk increases as time goes by – this can be fatal. Speak to your veterinarian about antibiotics after the choke has resolved.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒌𝒆?
• Choke is an esophageal obstruction due to feed material – grain, hay, or, less commonly, things like hedge apples, carrots, etc. Rarely, foreign objects like pieces of wood, rocks, etc. are found.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔?
• Signs include gagging, saliva and mucus from the nostrils and mouth, coughing, retching. Some horses may roll or paw as if they are colicky.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔?
• Improper dentition – sharp points, missing teeth, loose teeth
• Eating too fast – not chewing enough prior to swallowing
• Not enough saliva
• Stricture in the esophagus from previous choke, tumor

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅?
• If the choke does not resolve on its own, your veterinarian should be called.
• While waiting for the vet, massage the neck for 10 minutes. Then walk the horse for 10 minutes - move the head side to side and up and down. Then place the horse in a stall for 10 minutes and leave alone. Repeat this sequence until your vet arrives.
• The horse will be evaluated – heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate, lung sounds.
• The horse will be sedated heavily to encourage the head to be low to the ground. This serves multiple purposes: pain management, relaxation of the esophagus, and
encourage gravity flow of all water instilled into the esophagus via the nasogastric tube.
• A nasogastric tube is passed into the esophagus to the level of the obstruction. Water is flushed and the tube pressed against the obstruction to get it to move into the stomach.
• Sometimes, the obstruction is too extensive, too dry, or is not feed material. Some of these cases require referral to a clinic for endoscopy, IV fluid therapy, and further care.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔?
• Dehydration and electrolyte loss. Since the horse cannot drink and is losing sometimes large amounts of saliva, the horse can become dehydrated quickly if left unresolved. Initially, the gut will dehydrate – as the body pulls water from the GI tract into the
circulation. If the situation continues to be unresolved, the horse will become systemically dehydrated.
• Aspiration pneumonia is a real and significant risk. The risk increases as time goes by. Pleuropneumonia (where the infection results in fluid within the chest) can occur as quickly as 12 hours after a choke episode if left untreated. Antibiotics after a choke
episode are frequently required to prevent pneumonia. The type of antibiotic is based on veterinarian preference, how long the choke had been going on, and the patient status (age, other health concerns).
• Stricture at the obstruction site. This can occur if the obstruction is left or if the material is damaging enough to cause a circumferential scar which shrinks down to cause a stricture.

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅?
• Regular dental exams and floats. Young and old horses should have exams twice a year, middle aged horses once a year.
• If your horse has choked in the past, using a pelleted diet that is easily digested can be helpful.
• Soaking the feed can help slow down eating and also help the feed pass through the esophagus.
• Using large rocks or slow feeder pans can help reduce bolting of food. Feeding separated can also help reduce speed-eating due to bullies.
• Feed from the ground – this has been shown to increase chewing, increase saliva production, and slow the horse down when eating.

04/21/2025

Client appreciate post! 💜
Check out one of our clients shirts! "Hug life". No matter how stressful our lovely horses are alway remember to take a breather and enjoy the little things and check on your horsey friends. 😊
Shout out to one of our clients for allowing us to share and for putting a smile on our vet and students face!

04/16/2025

04/15/2025

Happy Tuesday!!
We are seeing more and more acute onset of lameness caused by abscesses lately. Horses with foot abscess will typically present toe touching or non-weight bearing lame very suddenly.
❔So what causes an abscess? Usually the hoof gets a crack or gets to wet in rainy conditions. When the crack heals or the hoof hardens in warmer weather, some opportunistic bacteria can get stuck inside. The bacteria will grow and the body will try to fight the infection, a perfect storm that causes an abscess.
🤠If you think your horse may have an abscess you can treat by soaking the foot in a warm Epsom salt and betadine solution bath for 15-20 minutes daily. Some people use feed pans, or soaking boots, or thicker plastic bags for foot soaks. After soaking, be sure to place a poultice foot bandage to continue to draw out the bacterial infection. You will usually smell a foul odor at time of bandage change. If there is no improvement in 2-3 days please call us to further evaluate other causes of lameness. We also have a video posted in put albums on how to make and wrap using a duct tape boot.
🤩Here is a fun video of a draining abscess for those who like pimple popping!

04/11/2025

04/09/2025

Spring is here ya’ll! This is our friendly reminder to be deworming our horses. 🪱
~Did you know that in most herds one horse can be responsible for 80% of the herds parasite load? Surprising, right! If your interested in identifying the individual with the highest burden we can help with a F***l Egg Count. It’s a pretty simple, inexpensive test in which you can drop off a fresh f***l sample and we will identify and count the eggs. Please remember to clearly label each bag with a sample with the horses name.
~After identifying the horse in the herd with the highest burden we will provide deworming recommendations. To make sure there is no resistance to dewormers on your farm, we can perform another F***l Egg Count 30 days after deworming to calculate the reduction of the load.
❓Can you identify which parasite eggs are in the photo?

04/03/2025

Here is a list we recommend for an emergency first aid kit!
Please leave a comment with some more useful things you carry in your kit.

04/02/2025

We want to thank everyone who has allowed the students coming through to work on your horses😁
Please enjoy a few snapshots of LMU students Caleb and Logan learning and preparing to practice veterinary medicine!

04/02/2025

DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSES GRASS FOUNDER?

Spring is a wonderful time of the year, but it may be the beginning of some serious problems for horses vulnerable to grass founder — like horses that are over the age of 10, easy keepers, overweight or cresty-necked.

Laminitis or founder, as it is commonly called, is inflammation of the laminae of the horse’s foot. Laminae are the delicate, accordion-like tissues that attach the inner surface of the hoof wall to the coffin bone (the bone in the foot). A horse suffering from laminitis experiences a decrease in blood flow to the laminae, which in turn begin to die and separate. The final result is hoof wall separation, rotation of the coffin bone and extreme pain. In severe cases, the coffin bone will actually rotate through the sole of the horse’s hoof where it becomes infected and can ultimately lead to the horse having to be euthanized.

Laminitis can be triggered by different causes, like repeated concussion on hard ground (road founder), grain overload, retained placenta, hormonal imbalance (Cushing’s syndrome), obesity, and lush grass.

In cases of grass founder, the sugar fructans produced by rapidly growing grass stimulates an overgrowth of bacteria in the horse’s large intestine. The bacteria produce and release toxins (endotoxins) that are carried by the bloodstream to the foot where they cause damage to the laminae and small blood vessels.

The best way to deal with laminitis is preventing and managing the causes under your control. Consult your equine practitioner for further information and to formulate a plan tailored to your horse's individual situation. If you suspect laminitis, consider it a medical emergency and notify your veterinarian immediately.

03/17/2025

GMES Updates:

1. Dr. Lauren is back BUT very limited in what she's allowed to do. She's not allowed to bend or squat, so Osteo, Lameness, floats, etc aren't happening. She's basically allowed to do routine shots/coggins and help with ultrasounding mares. So, if you'd like to see her, please do not pull the "Doc while you're here" because likely she'll have to tell you no.

2. We have acquired a second wireless x-ray system to make it easier to schedule taking radiographs. The old wired system will now stay at the clinic.

3. We have a 4th year vet student for the next 4 weeks named Caleb Hebert. The future doctor graduates in May and we're helping him get prepared for the real world. Please allow him to help take care of your horses.

03/11/2025

Meet the staff: The person behind the phone☎️
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Katie is originally from Washington, NC and has been involved with horses since she was 10 years old. Her love of horses has taken her many places. In the spring of 2003 she graduated from Meredith Manor with honors and became a certified riding instructor. From there she moved to San Antonio, TX where she rode and taught for Russell Equestrian Center. Her experiences brought her back to Washington where she ran a small lesson and boarding stable until 2008.

Now you can find her at GMES dividing her knowledge between assisting the Doctors and working in the office.

03/04/2025

While we are all looking forward to warm spring days and lush green pasture, the transition from winter hay to spring grass should be planned carefully to mitigate any health risks to your equine. In other words — just because your equine friend is not obese or suffering from a nutritionally related disease, doesn’t mean you should just forget about hay entirely and let your horse eat their fill of spring grass.

Feeding high-quality hay is a good way to satisfy a horse’s urge to chew when they can’t graze and provide essential nutrients at the same time. A mature horse will eat 2-2.5% of its body weight per day; roughage should contribute to at least half of this percentage, but most agree forage should be a minimum of 75% of the horse's diet. Please remember that not all horses are made equal, so a horse's total nutritive requirements will ultimately depend on the individual's age, stage of development, metabolism and workload.

Take-home message: Before making any changes to your equine companion's diet this spring, consult your veterinarian to determine their current weight/body condition score and to formulate a balanced and nutritious ration that meets your horse’s specific nutritional needs!

02/20/2025

Ice day! May be pretty, but we’re not driving in it. Office closed. Stay safe!

02/13/2025

Ready, set, SAVE! 🤩Starting February 17-19, you can go to our online pharmacy and save some $$.

Step 1: Go to our website ( https://www.gmesvet.com/ )
Step 2: Click on "Online Pharmacy" at the top or use this link ( https://gmesvet.covetruspharmacy.com/ )
Step 3: Start SAVING!!🥳

02/13/2025

This is a NCSU offer only. Just sharing

02/12/2025

With this lovely weather we are having, horses are more susceptible to getting a hoof abscess.

What is an abscess? An abscess is similar to acne in humans. Interesting right? Abscesses are localized infections caused by bacteria being trapped within a hoof which causes a pocket of pus-like substance. Abscess can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to erupt and heal. In the meantime horses typically show up very lame and can become dull.

Here are some ways we go about treating an abscess:

~Soaking the infected hoof in warm water and epsom salt for 15 mins once a day. (in a bucket or a soaking boot)
~Drawing salve/Poulticing the hoof and wrapping with a duct tape boot
~If erupted some may flush out the abscess site

Attached below is an educational video showing how to poultice and create a duct tape boot.