Equine Medical Associates, Inc.

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day!
We want to recognize all the wonderful dads out there who love and support their families even in their horse crazy dreams 😊 Thank you for all do and all you sacrifice for us each and every day💙

05/27/2024

We are so thankful for the men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives to protect life and liberty for all Americans. So today we want to remember and honor each of them.

05/23/2024

We had such a great time sharing our free educational event and dinner with you last night! We hope that those of you who were able to attend enjoyed the dinner and gleaned some new knowledge about seeing lameness in your horse.

If you missed out on last night’s event, don’t worry… going forward we will host these events throughout the year. If you’re not on our email list but would like to be, so that you hear about upcoming events, you can email us at [email protected] and we will get you added!

05/12/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful moms out there… including those who are mothers to your furry family members!❤️ Thank you for all you do to love and care for your families each and every day.

05/09/2024

🌟Wow, this event is less than 2 weeks away and we are almost out of seats!
We hope you'll join us for our first FREE Dinner and Educational Event. This interactive presentation with the doctors from Equine Medical Associates and the Loomis Basin Equine Medical Group will cover a very important topic: "How to See Lameness in Your Horse".
See the flyer in the photos for additional details. To reserve your seat(s) please register for your FREE tickets by visiting: emaevent.eventbrite.com
Space is limited for this event so reserve your ticket today!

05/06/2024

It’s Teacher Appreciation week so what better time to give a big shout out to our own Dr. Stephanie Frank who was awarded the certificate of excellence in teaching for Instruction in Equine Medicine 🥇
She is too humble to say anything herself but we are so proud to have her as a part of our team! Please take a moment to thank her for her contribution to equine veterinary medicine 🥳

04/08/2024

You're invited!
We hope you'll join us for our first FREE dinner and educational event. This interactive presentation with the doctors from Equine Medical Associates and the Loomis Basin Equine Medical Group will cover a very important topic: "How to See Lameness in Your Horse".
See the flyer in the photos for additional details. To reserve your seat(s) please register for your FREE tickets by visiting: emaevent.eventbrite.com
Space is limited for this event so grab your ticket today!

03/09/2024

We are a little late to post this but we couldn’t let Dr. Stephanie Frank’s 10 year anniversary with us go by without some celebration 🎉
Dr. Frank has served so many horses and owners in this community in the past 10 years so we hope you’ll join us in thanking her for all her hard work and outstanding care that she has provided for your horse(s)!

02/26/2024

It’s a real family affair here at Equine Medical Associates. It’s always a fun time when Dr Fish’s mom comes to visit and especially when she steps in to assist! 😄

02/14/2024

❤️Happy Valentine’s Day!❤️

“Your heart horse is one that will make every bad day better, dry your tears, and heal a broken heart. A heart horse is the one that gives you their heart in return.”

We want to see your favorite photo of your heart horse(s) past or present. Share the horse that has held your heart through the years.

02/05/2024

We hope you and your horses are safe with all of the stormy weather we are enduring!
With the rain and general change in temperature here are a few things that we, as horse owners, should watch for.

😫 Colic: Our horses often don’t drink as well when the weather shifts (like us, they may just not feel as thirsty in cooler weather). They also may not move around as much either which can contribute to colic. Be sure to watch for changes in water and feed consumption.

☔️ Rain Rot: Whether you’re on team “Blanket” or “No Blanket” both options can lead to rain rot especially along your horse’s topline.
-For those who DO blanket, never blanket a wet horses as this will trap moisture and can lead to rain rot. Also be careful to take those blankets off often to make sure your horse is not sweating which can also lead to this ailment.
-For those who do NOT blanket, be sure to let your horse have opportunities to dry off completely and be brushed often so that water is not trapped under the coat, against the skin, as this can also lead to rain rot.

🐎 Hoof Abscesses: We see abscesses develop most often when our horses transition from dry to wet environments. Their feet have been so dry all summer that they are now happily soaking up the moisture as it rains but this can also pull bacteria into any little cracks, separations, etc.

If you have and questions or concerns about your horse(s) during this wet weather, please know that we are always here for you and happy to answer any questions you might have. 949-588-6950, [email protected]
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01/25/2024

VSV update:
How about some positive news?!
The USDA issued an update on January 22nd regarding VSV in California.
In this update it was stated that there have been NO NEW CASES for the last two weeks. The most recent facility that had a case was released from quarantine on January 18th 2024.
It’s always good to stay vigilant when it comes to your horse’s health but we are so glad to receive this news from the USDA and state veterinary officials!

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01/01/2024

Here we go… jumping into 2024!
We look forward to another great year serving all of you and helping you reach all your goals (big and small) with your beloved horses!

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas from our families to yours!
Thank you for being not just our clients but also our friends. We hope you’ve had a magical holiday season. 🎄❤️🐴

12/04/2023

The doctors, techs and supporting staff of Equine Medical Associates, Inc. and Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center had the amazing opportunity to learn the latest innovations in equine medicine and surgery at this year’s American Association of Equine Practitioners convention in San Diego over the weekend. We are excited to put that knowledge to good use!

06/15/2023

Please welcome this new addition to our practice! 💖 A little but mighty filly born overnight, pictured with Dr. Sapp.

05/25/2023

Information regarding Vesicular Stomatitis Virus! Please read!

***HEALTH ALERT***

There is currently a veterinary alert across the state of California regarding VSV (Vesicular Stomatitis Virus) which can affect horses, donkeys, mules, cattle, swine, and new world camelids. There are now 19 affected premises in Riverside and San Diego counties.
Any property found to have VSV infected animals will be quarantined for 14 days following the onset of the last case on that property.

Incubation period (time from exposure to first symptoms): 2-8 days

Signs/symptoms: fever at onset, blisters on tongue, gums, and possibly coronary band, sloughing off of surface of the tongue. Drooling, frothing of the mouth, reluctance to eat due to mouth pain.

Treatment: feeding soft feeds to reduce mouth discomfort. Anti-inflammatory medications to minimize swelling and pain and encourage eating and drinking. If the horse becomes dehydrated, your veterinarian may need to provide additional supportive care using intravenous fluids. Ulcerated areas can become infected and use of antibiotics may be required. Flushing the mouth regularly with a dilute antiseptic solution may reduce the chances of infection and help speed healing.

Duration: VS generally runs its course in 2 weeks but healing may take months.

Transmission: while not fully understood it is known to be passed by flies, midges, and other insects as well horse to horse contact or horses coming in contact with surfaces that have been contaminated with saliva or fluid from blisters.

Prevention: quarantine any new horse away from others for a minimum of 21 days. Implement fly control to minimize spread by insects. Disinfect tools, buckets etc used between horses with chlorine bleach or septisol. If possible, have feed and water buckets for each horse rather than communal areas.

VS can be transmitted to humans. In humans, it tends to cause severe flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue. People rarely develop blisters in their mouths.

This outbreak will cause delays in the ability to move animals between states. If you have an animal that needs to move in or out of California you will need to work with your vet to determine the guidelines as it varies from state to state.

If you have any questions or concerns please let us know and we will help answer your questions as best we can.

03/11/2023

Happy to be a part of the Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center team! Welcome to the world little babe!

03/01/2023

We are happy to be a part of the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition and serve the community of SJC and beyond!

06/08/2022

We’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ellie Carrier! Dr. Carrier grew up riding and showing eventing horses in Virginia. Dr. Carrier went to veterinary school at the Royal Veterinary College in England, and she then completed an internship at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala, in Florida. She has strong interest in emergency medicine/critical care and equine surgery.

Here is Dr. Carrier (and our registered veterinary technician, Jenn) performing a FLASH abdominal ultrasound in the case of a severe, acute colic.

FLASH abdominal ultrasounds can provide a large amount of information without any invasive procedures.

We are excited to have Dr. Carrier as part of our team so please help us welcome her to Orange County! 🍊

05/19/2022

A dental exam and routine floating are typically done yearly but in some instances more frequently. Always call if you feel like your horse is acting strangely in the mouth or having difficulty eating. You never know what we’ll find—broken teeth (image #3), sticks (image #4) and missing teeth to name a few abnormalities.

04/02/2022

EMA uses on-the-go blood testing tools for stable side results. This helps create tailored treatment plans for each case. Serum amyloid A reads infection status within 10 minutes, and the lactometer checks hydration/perfusion within 15 seconds.

03/31/2022

Another day in the life of .
A recheck and bloodwork for little Cappie and radiographs for Sarge today with Dr. Sapp and Jenn, the team’s new Registered Vet Tech.

01/11/2022

Call or text the office if you’d like to set up an appointment to discuss or test your horse!
Dr. Stephanie Frank-Borden is a board certified specialist in large animal internal medicine and would love to answer any questions you may have!

(949) 588-6950

IS YOUR HORSE 15 OR OLDER? Read on!

With each passing year, horses are living longer lives and many survive easily to 25 years of age or older. While this is good news, it also means that horse owners need to be aware of changes occurring with age, so they can preserve the health and quality of life of their equine friends throughout middle age and the geriatric years.

For example, Equine Cushing’s disease is one of the most common diseases of horses greater than 15 years of age. This syndrome is better defined as Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) because it reflects the location within the brain that is abnormal, and the clinical signs are associated with abnormally elevated hormone concentrations in the blood.

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is another endocrine disorder that can affect mature horses and shares some of the same clinical signs as PPID. Although the two disorders feature some striking clinical similarities — most notably a predisposition to development of chronic laminitis — the underlying disease biology is quite different in each case and successful management requires proper diagnosis by a competent veterinarian first.

Our understanding of both conditions, especially EMS, is incomplete and subject to continuous evolution, but sufficient information is currently available to highlight some important similarities and differences for the interested horse owner. Consult your veterinarian for more information and work with them to develop the best wellness practices to ensure a healthy life for your mature horse.

Additional information regarding the older horse’s care and nutrition is available on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/older-horse-special-care-nutrition

12/16/2021

ATTENTION EMA CLIENTS AND FRIENDS:

Have you heard of "Pigeon Fever" or "Dryland Distemper" in horses? Would you be able to recognize it?
We have had several confirmed cases in Orange County in the last couple of months. These cases have been isolated and cared for by several veterinarians in the area.
Tomorrow, Friday December 17th at 5pm there will be a webinar led by infectious disease expert Dr. Robert Keene from Boehringer Ingelheim to learn more specifics about Pigeon Fever (Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis) and what we can do to manage and prevent it.
Please join us and feel free to tell your friends!

Below is the link for the Zoom Meeting:

https://boehringer.zoom.us/j/96916949038?pwd=OTU3d2pnQnBmb3R5MENLNGViYTU3Zz09

Passcode: 061068

Please call or text us at the office if you have any questions!
(949) 588-6950

09/27/2021

Dr. Sapp and Dr. Bracken had the opportunity to be the on-site veterinarians for the Pro Bull Riding Rodeo in Anaheim. What a wild experience it was. We are impressed by the athleticism of all the bulls and the pickup horse named Mistress!

07/14/2021

05/06/2021

REGENERATIVE THERAPY ALERT:

Dr. Sapp and Dr. Bracken had their work cut out for them with this point of the hock laceration. Ultimately, due to poor wound healing, an amnion graft was used. The graft provided properties for cell growth and reduction of inflammation. After two amnion patches, this wound was nearly healed. Check out the progression!

02/10/2021

Doctor duo today for radiograph guided navicular bursa injections!

02/07/2021

We are keeping a watchful 👁 on this horse’s eye! This is an example of a “melting” ulcer, which is an abrasion to the eye and subsequent infection with fungal and bacterial organisms. Melting describes the character of the outer surface of the eye...the protective surface is often soft and gooey. Hopefully with round-the-clock treatment this horse will be all fixed up soon!