New Prairie Large Animal Practice

02/18/2025

UPCOMING DATES ...

FEB 27th - Dr. Smith UNAVAILABLE and office closed
FEB 28th - Office Closed

MAR 21st - Dr Smith UNAVAILABLE

APR 2nd - Office Closed

MAY 10th - LaPorte County 4H Horse and Pony Vaccination Day. (Minis and drafts welcome also)

JUN 1st - Deadline for 4H Horse and Pony Vaccines.

02/18/2025

Stop panicking. Whether he should be or not is irrelevant.... Doc is back to taking calls. Granted, it's still on a case by case basis depending on what it is, as he still has limited mobility and can't maneuver through snow or mud etc.

02/15/2025

As some of you have experienced already, lately, we have had to cancel or reschedule calls quite a bit. The simple truth is... Doc's body is struggling to keep up with the demands placed upon it. He has a knee issue (aside from it needing replaced) that has made walking difficult at best and near impossible at worst.

That being said, Doc is unavailable currently, and all future appointments will be made on a case by case basis determined by his ability at the time.

Again, I highly encourage you to seek a backup plan in the event of an emergency, and Doc can't come.

Shout out to Dr. Shireman for helping our clients who have had to call. We truly appreciate you and Megan and your willingness to help.

02/06/2025

01/17/2025

I apologize for the short notice but after reviewing forecast, due to the very low temps, the office will be closed Monday Jan 20 and Tuesday Jan 21st. Dr Smith will be available for valid emergencies only. We will be back to normal hours on Wednesday the 22nd.

01/16/2025

🐾 Why We’re Calling on Rescues 🐾

Our shelter is filled with amazing dogs, but some of them are struggling. The sounds and constant activity in the shelter can be overwhelming, especially for pets who have been with us for weeks. Despite our best efforts to make them feel at home, some dogs are showing signs of stress and anxiety that make it hard for us to see their true personalities.

We believe that partnering with experienced rescues is the safest and best choice for some of these animals. Rescue teams are skilled in helping stressed and anxious dogs decompress, and they can provide the individualized care these pups need to thrive.

Please TAG all the PIT BULL RESCUES you know in the comments below.

Rescues, if you’ve been tagged, send us a DM if you can help. Together, we can ensure these sweet dogs get the second chance they deserve! 🐕💖

Note: Photos are a (very) small sampling of animals on-site.

01/10/2025

🐾 We Need Your Help! 🐾

Our shelter is beyond capacity plus we have 30+ animals in foster homes. While some find their forever homes, more arrive daily. We urgently need help placing large dogs and teen/adult cats.

⭐️ Know a dog or cat rescue? TAG them in the comments!
📩 Rescues: If you're tagged in this post, please DM us to start the conversation about pulling from our shelter.

Thank you for your help!

01/08/2025

I apologize for the short notice but the office will be closing early ...

Today, Wednesday January 8th at 11 am.

And

Monday, January 13th at 1230.

01/01/2025

12/17/2024

Holiday Schedule.

The office will be closed on :

Christmas Eve Dec 24th
Christmas Day Dec 25th
New Years Eve Dec 31st
New Years Day Jan 1st

12/17/2024

Lately we have had an increase in folks with small animals being referred to us. We do not do small /companion animals. We are a livestock only practice. We appreciate the thought but we are unable to provide care. However there is another option now aside from Purdue Emergency Center in Westville. If you find yourself needing urgent or Emergency care for your small animals Michigan City Animal Hospital has answered the call.

12/09/2024

The office will close early Tuesday December 10th at 1130. Sorry for any inconvenience.

12/02/2024

The office will close early on Wednesday December 4th at 11:30.

11/20/2024

Because there is always one.. DO NOT inject banamine in the muscle. EVER.

Yellowstone fans that are real horse people got a little confusing information on the Sunday, November 17, 2024 episode. This popular show appears to take pride in its western production on being very authentic - yet some how they had a BIG mistake with treating a horse with intramuscular Banamine.

What is the BIG deal? In this Yellowstone episode a horse was administered Banamine (Flunixin Meglumine) intramuscularly. Yet the nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory is only administered orally (in the mouth) or intravenously (in the vein). Remember Banamine is never recommend to be administered to horses any other way.

Why not? Banamine causes muscle damage when injected intramuscularly! There are spores of bacteria known as clostridium that can rest in healthy muscle; however, the bacteria may awaken if the muscle becomes damaged from an IM injection particularly when Banamine is administered this way. This may cause clostridial myositis - which is a serious and sometimes fatal disease. Post injection signs of a problem would be swelling and a painful injection site with gas underneath the skin. The bacterial toxins may migrate into the bloodstream causing depression, colic, fever and a lose of appetite. Treatment by a licensed DVM is necessary if you make this mistake. Supportive care, antibiotics, and possibly a surgical excision of the infected injected site may be necessary.

This episode of Yellowstone was a good reminder - what is entertaining may not always be real and correct. Check with your equine veterinarian if you are unsure how to administer Banamine.

11/15/2024

End of year Sale. 20% off. Heartworm, flea and tick treatment, all in one! Get yours today while supplies last.

11/08/2024

Heads up...

Dr Smith will be UNAVAILABLE this weekend , Saturday November 9th and Sunday November 10th. He will be back at it come Monday the 11th. As always the office is closed on weekends.