Teton Equine Mobile Veterinary Practice

12/27/2024

We have a little feathered helper today!

12/06/2024

Sweet little creatures like this just can't help but melt your heart!!! We love our equine patients no matter what shape or size!!

12/03/2024

Get to know our staff!
We think of our clients as part of our family, but what does life look like outside the vet van for our doctors?Dr. Abby Matthaeus is the founding veterinarian of Teton Equine Veterinary Practice. Once finished up for the day at work, Dr. Abby is off to rope on one of her many horses. Dr. Abby loves hunting and fly fishing with her husband and their band of horses and 3 dogs. Enjoy a few pictures of life outside the vet van!

11/29/2024

Lameness (limping) can be caused by a variety of ailments in horses, and rarely are physical exam findings alone enough to definitively diagnose the cause of a lameness in most horses. However, in the case of a peroneus tertius tendon tear (like in this horse) horses will demonstrate the ability to flex the stifle while fully extending or straightening the hock at the same time. The ability to extend the hock and flex the stifle simultaneously (as shown in this picture) is not possible in horses without this injury. Therefore, identifying this is considered a classic clinical sign and diagnosis of this particular injury.

The peroneus tertius tendon is the tendon that courses along the front of the stifle to the hock. The tendon prevents hyperextension of the hock during flexion of the stifle. An injury to this tendon can sometimes result in localized swelling/effusion along the tendon acutely. Fortunately, prognosis for recovery in these horses is still considered good. Stall rest with a slow return to work over the course of 10-12 months, along with additional therapies such as shockwave will commonly lead to a full recovery. Although rare, peroneus tertius tendon ruptures in horses do still occur. This is just another reason why our doctors feel that a thorough physical exam is always of the utmost importance in any patient they see.

11/26/2024

Is your horse consistently back sore? Kissing spines (overriding dorsal spinous processes) is a common cause of back pain in horses. This occurs when the top “fin” or “spine” of each vertebrae come into contact at rest or during motion. When this occurs, it results in bone remodeling and can cause significant back pain.

Clinical symptoms horses may demonstrate that experience this include but are not limited to bucking and kicking, bad behavior associated with being saddled or ridden, reluctance to perform, pain with touch/back pressure/brushing. Kissing spines is more likely to be seen in horses with nutritional imbalances, compensatory lameness issues, lack of muscling (atrophy) around the topline, or due to ill-fitting saddles. This disease is also suspected to have a genetic component with the ability to be hereditary in some bloodlines.

X-rays can be used to identify this issue along with numbing/blocking the back. Treatment options include: Muscle building exercises, shockwave therapy, dorsal spinous process injections with steroids or regenerative biologic therapies and in severe cases surgical procedures. NSAIDs can be used to help control pain and inflammation associated with the disease, however they are not considered a solution to the problem.

These X- rays demonstrate patient’s backs that have been that have been diagnosed with kissing spines. These horses are currently managed with many of the above treatments. And because of these advancements in veterinary care, these horses are still able to perform comfortably and do what they love to do!

If you suspect that your horse may have kissing spines, giive us a call or shoot us a text today (208) 881-7753.

11/21/2024

Blanketing can be useful for older, younger and thin horses that have difficulty regulating their body temperatures. It is also ideal during times of severe wind or wet rain and snow when the hair can’t stay fluffy with air and trap heat. When the hair becomes matted, wet or is flattened by wind, it is difficult for horses to regulate heat as well. Another tip to keep your horses warm is to feed them hay more frequently during periods of severe cold because digestion within the G.I. tract creates a lot of heat within the body.

❄️ Underweight horses are more vulnerable to heat loss in cold weather because they lack the natural insulation of body fat. These horses have a higher Lower Critical Temperature (LCT), meaning they’ll need extra calories to maintain a stable body temperature. 🐴🌡️

Blanketing can be a great tool for underconditioned horses, helping to minimize heat loss and keep them cozy through the chilly months. Remember to check their blanket regularly for comfort and fit!

Want to learn more about blanketing your horse, read our article:
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11/18/2024

Can you spot the lameness?

This horse was initially sore on the right front, but when we blocked (numbed) his heel bulb he became immediately sore on the left front. Horses will often times show a limp (or lameness) on the limb that is the most sore at the time. Once the pain is removed from the limb that is the most sore, like in this case with a heel bulb block, then they can all of a sudden show us lameness in the contralateral limb. When this happens we know that the horse is actually sore on both limbs but the right front is more sore than the left. Sometimes, when a horse is sore on both front feet you will notice a stiff and stilted shuffling gait sometimes making it difficult to identify which limb the horse is sore on. The reason this horse was sore was because his heels were slightly under-run and the shoes he was wearing were putting too much pressure on his low heels. Sometimes just altering the angles of the foot or applying a special shoe that allows heel relief is all that is needed! This is why having a good farrier-veterinary relationship is so important for our equine friends!

P.S- The answer to the question was left front.

Call or text if you think your horse may be showing soreness today (208) 881-7753.

11/15/2024

Can you spot the abnormality? Pre-purchase exams are an important step in making sure you are setting yourself and the horse you are considering up for success. A pre-purchase exam consists of an in-depth physical examination, an ophthalmic exam, a lameness evaluation with flexions, and a neurologic examination. A pre-purchase exam helps to rule out conditions that may affect the ability of the horse to do their desired job. Based on the findings during the examination, the doctor might recommend more specific diagnostics (such as US or X rays) that may find abnormalities such as this bone fragment. During this horse’s pre-purchase examination, Dr. Poisson noticed very mild swelling of the fetlock. The horse was not lame. Radiographs revealed a bone fragment that was later surgically removed. If left in the joint, the fragment would have caused severe inflammation within the joint, which could ultimately result in a progressive arthritis and cause future lameness issues.

11/07/2024

SPECIAL ALERT! For the month of November, Shockwave therapy will be 25% off! Shockwave is a non-invasive treatment that uses high energy sound waves to stimulate healthy, pro-healing, anti-pain inflammation into specific joint or soft tissue areas. This therapy is proven to help speed up the healing time for soft tissue injuries such as tendon injuries or muscle injuries and hard tissue conditions such as arthritis, kissing spines, or neck/back pain. Shockwave can also be used to keep your performance horse healthy and happy as a form of routine maintenance. Call for more information or to schedule today! Call or text today to schedule your appointment! (208) 881-7753.

11/01/2024

Ask us about our F***l Float special for the month of November!!! Running f***ls to check for parasites at a discounted rate for the month of November!! Call or text us at (208) 881-7753. Remember....If you don't check you don't know! And if your horse does not have worms then you could be wasting your money deworming all your horses annually, biannually etc.!! Text or call us at (208) 881-7753 to schedule a manure drop off soon!

10/31/2024

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM ALL OF US AT TETON EQUINE!!! Anyone knoe whats going on here? No it's not a "googley eye" in the spirit of Halloween.

This is actually a picture of a patient who luxated (displaced) their lens within their eye. The lens is the part of the eyeball that is responsible for our focus. The lens is like our built in magnifying glass. It allows us to see near and far objects. The lens job is to stay in alignment with the pupil and project an image of the object we are focusing on to the back of the eye (the retina) which then sends the message to the brain thru a nerve at the back of the eye called the optic nerve! Typically it is very hard to visualize the lens (this disc like structure at the back of the eye). However, because this horse luxated it's lens you can actually see the lens structure is sitting through the pupil and to the left. This is a rare condition to have in horses and can result in blindness.

It's important to remember that horses can't talk to us and tell us what's wrong. Therefore, if they are acting spooky or their behavior seems off or abnormal on one side or another it may be a behavior that has developed due to decreased or poor vision (among other possibilities) but sometimes this is the first sign we notice. If you have noticed any abnormal behaviors in your horse, chat with our doctors today. Call or text (208) 881-7753.

10/30/2024

This is a patient of ours that fractured one of his premolars. Once identified, we immediately extracted the fractured molar because if it's not removed, it serves as a nidus for infection and results in significant discomfort to the horse. Fractured teeth are very painful in horses as they are in humans. They can result in pain,"bad" behavior, bit avoidance, weight loss, or eventually cause the horse to become mouth or head shy. Additionally, because horse molars are so tightly interlocked in horses, if the infected tooth is left untreated, the infection can fester and migrate from one tooth root to the next eventually compromising the entire arcade.

10/29/2024

Temperatures dropping means winter is coming! Are you ready?

Dr. Morgan will be staying in Idaho this winter to take care of the clients and horses that choose to brave the cold temperatures. Dr. Abby will be headed to Wickenburg in December to look after all of our warmer weather folks!

With temperatures dropping and impending travel, now is the perfect time to booster the flu/rhino vaccine. This vaccine covers the two most common respiratory diseases in horses. Just like in humans, flu season for horses is approaching and travel and cold temps lower the immune system’s ability to fight these diseases. For horses traveling or around horses that are traveling, it is recommended to vaccinate against flu/rhino every 6 months. While we are here, let’s make sure your horse’s coggins is ready to go for the year! Call or text now to schedule your fall shots!

10/28/2024

Can anyone guess what this is??

These are strongyle eggs. It is a parasite egg that is found in the manure of horses. At very low doses, it is not always recommended to deworm you horse as they do not hurt your horse and frequent deworming can result in dewormer resistance (similar to antibiotic resistance).

However, if present in higher concentrations, we do recommend deworming your horse with a dewormer specific to the types of eggs present. We will select a specific dewormer that will target the types of parasites we know are present and producing the eggs in the sample.

The gold standard is to perform what is called a f***l float on your horses manure 1-2 times each year to determine if your horse has any parasites at all, and if so, what parasites may be present. This will also help us to decide which dewormer should be used to most effectively target and kill the parasites in the GI tract.

Remember, not all dewormers kill ALL parasites. If you are interested in having a f***l float performed on your horse, all we need is a fresh manure sample consisting of a couple fresh f***l balls. If you cannot bring the sample in right away, please keep in a cooler of sorts as it is recommended the sample should stay refrigerated until it can be evaluated. We recommend the sample be no more than 24 hours old.

Call or text us for pricing and to set up your horses f***l float today! (208) 881-7753.

10/06/2024

Dr. Abby Matthaeus got to attend a veterinary conference this weekend and play around with equine simulators and real horses this weekend. The conference involved injecting all sorts of joints via ultrasound guidance. Joints ranging from the neck, back, hip, SI, elbow and shoulder joints. These injections are some of the most complex injections that we do and some of the more rare (yet important when needed) joint injections in horses. Veterinary conferences like these are a great way for us to stay up to date on the newest technologies and most advanced treatments and diagnostics. This allows us to provide our equine patients with the highest standard of veterinary care possible. At Teton Equine Veterinary Practice we feel that continued education is important as we strive to improve offer our equine friends the best possible care we can!

10/04/2024

Dr. Abby is attending a specialized veterinary conference in Seattle this weekend regarding ultrasound guided complex injections! At Teton Equine Vet, it’s extremely important for us to stay up to date on the newest and most advanced treatments and technologies in regards to equine sports medicine and lameness. Therefore, we can provide our patients with the highest quality and most optimal form of care.

This veterinary conference focuses specifically on advanced ultrasound guided injections of the equine neck, back, hip, shoulder, elbow joint, tendinous structures and other complex joints. These educational conferences allow us to provide our patients with the best possible care out there!

10/03/2024

Dr. Morgan and Dr. Abby collaborating on a difficult lameness case and performing an ultrasonographic examination of the flexor tendons on this horse.