Mountain Empire Large Animal Hospital

08/27/2024

Our office will be closed 12:00-2:00 pm today for a staff meeting.

08/27/2024

Dr. Christy Miller using our gastroscope to check a horse for gastric ulcers.

07/04/2024

Happy July 4th!

07/02/2024

Extraction of the first mandibular molar on a horse this morning.

06/24/2024

Attention Dairy Exhibitors!!!

County fair and exhibition season is here! Our Animal Health team has resources online for Livestock Exhibition Organizers and Recommendations for Exhibitors of Lactating Dairy Cows Related to H5N1/Avian Influenza of Dairy Cattle. You can find both documents on the Animal Health Alerts page: https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/agriculture/animals/livestock---pets/alerts.html

06/20/2024

Dr. Christy Miller and technician Huntre during an umbilical hernia surgery on an equine patient.

06/19/2024

WITH THE HIGH TEMPS HERE IS SOME INFORMATION REGARDING HEAT STRESS. Livestock can be more prone to the dangers of heat stress. Animals cannot perspire the same way that humans can. Avoid exercising and transporting animals during the hottest part of the day. Adjust feeding schedule to avoid feeding in hottest part of the day. Provide ample shade with ventilation to promote air circulation and reduce heat buildup. Provide fresh, cool water to promote drinking more. Control flies. Fighting aggravating flies in extremely hot conditions doesn’t help with heat stress. Darker and/or heavier livestock such as black cattle are more susceptible for heat stress. In the picture there are some signs to watch for.

06/19/2024

05/27/2024

05/12/2024

Wishing ALL moms Happy Mother’s Day!

05/01/2024

Did you know?

The most common parasites of adult horses cause very little stress on the nutritional status of a horse. Just because a horse looks good from the outside, it does not mean it should not to be checked for internal parasites—as a matter of fact, it is not uncommon for the horse with the best coat and highest body condition score in the herd to also have the highest F***l Egg Count (FEC)!

If your horse has access to pasture, you should assume the animal is exposed to parasites. This spring, talk with your veterinarian to establish a dewormer plan tailored to your horse’s situation that includes at least 1-2 dewormer treatments per year and FEC examinations to monitor treatment efficacy and parasite egg shedding status of individual horses.
•
Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

04/08/2024

Well, the clouds prevented seeing anything but we still had some fun food!

04/08/2024

Happy Eclipse Day!

04/02/2024

Come get some FroYo on April 2nd and support a local little boy that is hospitalized

03/11/2024

Some baby calf cuteness to brighten your Monday! His name is Elvis.

03/01/2024

Rogersville, TN

02/29/2024

DID YOU KNOW?

Strangles is one of the most commonly contagious diseases of the horse (worldwide) and in 2017 it became a nationally monitored disease. This condition is caused by bacterial infection with "Streptococcus equi subspecies equi" (referred to as "S. equi”), which typically infects the upper airway and lymph nodes of the head and neck, and is highly contagious in horse populations—particularly affecting young horses.

Transfer from horse to horse usually involves direct face-to-face contact, or exposure to things such as contaminated feed, water, hands, veterinary instruments or grooming tools. A stall or van recently used to house or transport a horse that is shedding the organism may also be a source of infection.

WATCH OUT FOR ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS!
It is not uncommon for strangles infections to recur on a farm with previous outbreaks of the disease, and the primary source of recurrent infections are most likely asymptomatic carrier horses—animals who display no clinical signs but may continue to shed the bacteria for months to even years, serving as a continual source of new infections.

If you suspect a strangles outbreak, be sure to involve your veterinarian right away to determine the diagnosis and the best control practices for your particular farm. Without control and biosecurity measures, a strangles outbreak will ultimately affect all susceptible horses, last longer, and have a greater chance of leading to complications.

**Please note that strangles is a reportable disease in some states.**

To learn more about strangles, visit our website at https://aaep.org/issue/understanding-equine-strangles
And as always, contact your veterinarian for more information as they remain the best source of advice!

02/20/2024

After numerous requests, we are now accepting Venmo for your convenience as one of our payment methods!

02/16/2024

If you have any questions regarding medications, please call our office 423 282-6194

02/10/2024

As springtime approaches, our schedule begins to book up as breeding season starts, spring babies are born and people prepare for show and riding season. Here are some tips to help keep this busy time a little less stressful for everyone.
**Plan ahead….our reminders are sent a month before services are due. Please schedule as soon as you receive those. Check your Coggins dates, show and sale requirements in advance to allow time for any required testing/exams/vaccines that may be required. Last minute health certificates and testing needs cannot always be accommodated if enough time is not allowed.
**Consider hauling to the hospital….this saves you a farm call and allows our doctors to help more people because they don’t have to spend so much time traveling. Sometimes it also allows you to be seen sooner than a farm visit. For sick animals, we have access to our medical equipment, in house lab work, and technicians to help with treatment.
**Be kind and be flexible. Equine and large animal veterinarians are a dying breed, with less than 10% of new veterinary graduates entering the field, and some 50% of new graduates leaving equine practice within the first 5 years. Workloads are growing and we want to continue providing quality care, day and night in the most sustainable way that we can.

02/08/2024

This is a helpful article about managing brood mares with foaling season quickly approaching.

Fescue toxicosis can cause pregnancy losses and reduced reproductive efficiency in mares. Learn more in this visual guide!

02/02/2024

There's one in every herd. . .

Source : Texas Department of Agriculture

02/01/2024

We are seeing numerous cases of impaction colic. Here is some important information from AAEP about water consumption in cold weather.

Water remains as important for your horse in cold weather as it is in the summer. As a matter of fact, decreased water consumption in the winter is thought to be the primary inducing factor for impaction colic — although there are other predisposing factors such as poor hay quality, lack of exercise, internal parasites and dental problems.

Impaction colic is essentially constipation and most often includes the accumulation of hard, dry f***l material in the colon. The usual signs of impending impaction colic are depression, a decreased appetite, and decreased production and dryness of manure.

Studies demonstrate that you can increase your horse's winter water consumption if you provide access to heated water, but ONLY if that is the only source of water available. As always, if you have any questions about preventing colic in your horse, your local veterinarian remains your best source of information!

01/29/2024

We will be closed from 12-2 today for a staff meeting.

01/16/2024

Due to road conditions we are closing for the day. If you have an emergency please call 423 282-6194 and the doctor on call will be paged.

01/15/2024

Our large animal hospital will be closing at 1:30pm today. If you have an emergency please call 423 282-6194 and the answering service will page the doctor on call.