Carmen Franck Flippin, DVM

07/07/2025

Ice down some water or a favorite beverage, get out an extra fan, make sure your horse is clean, dry, well-behaved and flysprayed... every week but especially this one because it's national farrier week! 90% of lamenesses are in the hoof so your farrier is key to your horse's soundness! I have been shoeing my own horses for over 20 years and with each foot I touch I gain more respect for this profession. Help them take care of your horse's foundation this week and every week!

This week is National Farriers Week! Thank you to all the farriers out there working with veterinarians to help keep horses healthy and providing quality hoof care across the country.

06/25/2025

Hello all!
If you hadn't noticed, IT'S HOT. And we've gotten several calls for colics, anhidrosis (non-sweaters) and generalized heat exhaustion. Remember when the weather is like this you have to plan ahead but since we are in the heat of it, here are some tips.

#1 - Use common sense! Make sure all water supplies are filled to the max with fresh clean water daily. Make sure all salt and mineral sources are in free choice supply. Make sure every horse is in the coolest location possible, this may be in a run-in shed or cool grove of trees or may be in a stall with a fan. Everyone needs shade and air!

#2 - Hosing is important but so is removing the water. Hot water on a horse can be hotter than having them dry! If you are actively hosing with cold water you can focus on areas like the jugulars, chest, inguinal area, and under the tail but be sure to scrape them dry and stick them in front of a fan afterwards.

#3 - BUY A THERMOMETER, yesterday! I don't know how many times people told me yesterday that the horse did not feel overly hot, and my hottest horse temperature yesterday was 105.8!

#4 - Make sure your horse is sweating. Rapid respiration rate with hair standing on end can be a sign that your horse's sweat glands have fatigued. This can be a dangerous situation very quickly. If you think your horse is not sweating appropriately please let me know right away but all the above rules still apply!

Finally, if you don't have to ride, this would be a good week to rest, for both you and your horse! Stay cool out there!

04/25/2025

For some reason we have lots of donkeys on the agenda this week so June is dressed accordingly

04/12/2025

It's castration day at the clinic! Even our mule castratee was smiling 😁 probably because we removed the world's biggest set of wolf teeth! (Ok maybe not bit they were really big!) June was just mad I didn't let her scrub in!

03/18/2025

Welcome to spring! Brush off those grazing muzzles and make sure you get your spring boosters, THE MOSQUITOES AND GRASS ARE HERE!

02/16/2025

Dear horse people of Virginia,

Obviously Mother Nature is still off her meds. This is your friendly reminder that today is warm it is a perfect opportunity to take off blankets and bring them inside to dry. No matter how thick it is a damp blanket may be worse than no blanket at all. This cold weather and precipitation coming up will need everyone to be dry when it sets in. Our hearts go out to anyone that has been without power and this is also your reminder to fill any backup water systems you have now.

Checklist for today:
Fill waters
Dry blankets
Rest up because she's coming back

All our best,
Dr. Carmen and June

01/07/2025

The results are in! Rose discovered that cats have the dirtiest mouths, horses came in second, pigs are third, goats fourth and dogs are the cleanest. She also reported that cats were the dirtiest by far! We are proud of her and thank her for letting us know that doggie kisses are still safe 😂💙

01/04/2025

So proud of our 7th grade 4-Her Rose Clarke! Her science project is on which species has the most mouth bacteria! The Clarke family has quite the menagerie and had already collected samples from a dog, cat, horse and goat but today she collected swabs from resident PIC (Pig In Charge) Mr. Squiggles! Luckily he lays down for belly rubs so no pigs were harmed in the collection of these samples. We are excited to see what she discovers! What species do you think has the cleanest and dirtiest mouth?

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas from our farm to yours! ❤️🎄❤️

12/17/2024

June says, let's talk about colic!
Colic is the number one killer of horses! Although some colics cannot be prevented, there are a lot of things we can do to minimize the risk and help catch them quickly when they do occur.

#1 - Know your horse's normal! The average horse passes f***s 8 times per day but there are variations to this! I love when I show up to an emergency and the owner says well they've passed f***s one time but their normal for evening is 3... that's so helpful! Are they big drinkers? Do they clean up their feed quickly? All of these are questions that help me determine the severity of what your horse is experiencing.

#2 - Get your horse used to a stall or round pen for monitoring. Just because they have had a visit from me does not mean that we can turn them straight back out and sleep soundly! I like to monitor colics for 12 to 24 hours after the incident even if they are short-lived. Having them used to going into a confined area where we can monitor what they eat, drink and p**p is very helpful. I can't tell you how many times people have looked at me wide-eyed when I say they need to stay in a stall overnight. Remember it's only stressful for your horse if you haven't prepared them BEFORE disaster strikes!

#3 - Let me know right away that something isn't normal. All colics look the same in the first hour. Letting me know something isn't right with your horse allows me to plan and also provides you with the opportunity to make a tailored plan on the farm to maybe avoid a visit all together. It also makes it easier for me to jump into action if things get worse if I've had a heads up.

#4 - Think about a plan with each horse before disaster strikes. Would you do surgery? Are they insured? Are they a golden oldie that has already lived a good life and no heroics will be attempted? Thinking about all these things before you are in a vulnerable emotional state helps you make decisions you won't regret. I can help to guide you but only you know your individual situation with each horse.

#5 - Pulling food and taking a temperature are always my first step. Giving Banamine MAY be my second. It is a great drug to have on hand but please don't give it until after we have spoken and you've completed step 1! Banamine is a fantastic drug but it can mask signs if not given appropriately.

#6 - Last but not least, use common sense! Blizzard coming? Don't deworm your horse at that very moment! Major temperature swings? Don't make feed changes! Sometimes colic can't be avoided but I never want anyone to say "they wish they hadn't". Making smart choices about your horse's care based on what is happening in their environment will keep you from having this feeling of regret.

Special thanks to the world's tiniest vet assistant for staying all smiles in a whirlwind of emergencies!

12/13/2024

Happy National Day of the Horse! Not only are horses helping to raise my girls, they helped to raise another freckle-faced little girl too 💙

11/28/2024

Thankful for another year doing what I love surrounded by the best people on earth - horse people! ♥️💛🧡
Pictured here is our very own lovely and talented Ayla Adams and her handsome boy Sarge at our farm