Gateway Equine Veterinary Services, Inc.

12/17/2024

Our office will be closed the week of Christmas, December 23-27. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday! If you need any medication refills, please let us know so we can get you squared away this week. We will still monitor the phone line to set up appointments and answer questions as needed.

11/15/2024

Dear Sierra Oaks Vet Equine clients,

We wanted to update you on some exciting transitions ahead for the equine services team. Dr. Harms has founded a new independent professional corporation called Gateway Equine Veterinary Services, Inc, and as of November 25, 2024, Dr. Harms will be transitioning to practicing under this new name. The great news is that the essential parts of your client experience will stay the same, without you having to do anything! We will be maintaining the same equine services phone number, patient records, support staff, and ever-expanding and innovative medical capabilities. There will also be some new features including a client portal to access your horse's records at any time, and updated integrated payment systems.
Throughout the transition, we will keep you updated regarding anything additional you may need to know in order to make your experience as stress-free as possible. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
We look forward to continuing to serve you and your horses with excellence and integrity, and we continue to fully support and recommend our colleagues at Sierra Oaks Vet for your small animal veterinary needs.

Sincerely,
Dr. Corey Harms, DVM
Technical staff: Erin, Hannah, Muriel
Administrative Staff: Jessica
Phone number (text/call): 530-955-6556
Email: [email protected]

10/17/2024

Dr. Harms likes puzzles of all kinds. Recently we saw a Thoroughbred mare that had been shaking her head, along with having intermittent nose bleeds.

We sedated her and performed an upper airway endoscopic exam, in hopes of finding the source of her discomfort. Thankfully, we did!

Dr. Harms noticed a certain area at the very back upper part of her nasal passages (ethmoid region) was swollen, and there was a piece of foreign material stuck. Using tiny forceps through the scope, he was able to successfully remove it!

08/27/2024

Dr. Harms made a very cute friend today!
Everybody meet Groot, the beloved BLM B***o.

08/16/2024

Dr. Harms is currently in Central Oregon for a few days serving as a control veterinarian for the AERC National Championships.
These vets help ensure the equine athletes are staying healthy and sound during their endurance races.
Wishing all of the riders a safe & successful ride!

07/29/2024

Strike a pose! Pictured below is Dr. Harms, Erin, and Hannah taking x-rays on Skippy today!

07/11/2024

☀️ How Can I keep My Horse Cool in the Summer?

As our heat wave continues we thought some hot weather tips may be helpful! Horses do not tolerate heat as well as we do. A day that feels comfortably hot to you, may be unbearable to your horse.
Here are some suggestions on cooling your horse on a hot day!

…And remember, we will be back to wind chills and snow shovels in no time!

04/30/2024

Radial Extra-Corporeal Shockwave Therapy (rESWT) transmits acoustic pressure waves through the skin and is used to stimulate tissue regeneration and relieve pain in soft tissue injuries/disorders. It is a non-invasive treatment that takes minimal time, has no significant side effects, and is not painful for the horse. Short-acting light sedation is used for some applications. In the picture Dr. Harms is applying shockwave to a damaged suspensory ligament after Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection, as this helps activate the release of the growth factors.
We are excited to offer this treatment for our equine patients using exceptional medical equipment!

03/14/2024

UNDERSTANDING HOOF ABSCESSES
Sooner or later (and especially at this time of year), nearly all horse owners will deal with a hoof abscess. But what does "hoof abscess" actually mean? The diagram below shows a simplified view of the equine hoof to help you visualize the structures involved in this process.

Although most commonly seen during the wet winter and spring months, hoof abscesses can plague horses year-round and usually occur when debris and bacteria enter the foot through hoof cracks and wounds, even horseshoeing holes. The bacteria then get trapped between the sensitive laminae (the tissue layer that bonds the hoof capsule to the coffin bone) and the hoof wall or sole and create pus; the pus builds up over the course of time and puts pressure behind the hoof wall or sole, until it causes the sudden onset of acute lameness when the pain finally becomes too great.

Hoof abscesses can mimic other more serious diseases or injuries, so involving your veterinarian early on in the diagnosis and prompt treatment of this condition is always a good idea. Some abscesses will be uncomplicated and rupture on their own like a large pimple at the coronary band or heel bulbs; other abscesses, however, could require radiographs and will need to be surgically drained.

As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

02/20/2024

This is Dr. Harms’s idea of desk work… featuring his lovely assistant, Amy Ray! 🤠

02/14/2024

We would like everyone to welcome Muriel to our Equine team!
Muriel Harman was born and raised in Grass Valley. Her love for horses started at a young age, while accompanying her mother on various endurance rides and small arena events. She started her veterinary career in 2010, working at a small animal practice in Colfax after completing the 49er Regional Occupation Program in Veterinary Science.
In 2020, she became an RVT after graduating from Veterinary Allied Staff Education program and passing her state exams. In her down time she enjoys being outdoors camping, riding, and off-roading with her family. We are thrilled to have Muriel on our team!

02/06/2024

We are quite versatile! If there’s a hazardous tree down, you bet the equine team will help you get around! We hope everyone is staying safe & dry during this crazy storm!

Here is a fun picture of Dr. Harms, Hannah, and Muriel helping clean up some trees blocking the roadway so trucks and trailers can safely exit.

01/30/2024

Trivia Tuesday!
Take a look at this picture of a right front hoof and comment on what you think might be the problem and what next diagnostic step would be helpful? The mare was quite lame in this foot.
After you guess, stay tuned for more info tomorrow!

01/28/2024

We love cartilage!
The cartilage that lines joints is essential for normal joint function. It endures huge stresses, yet has no blood vessels and is around 80% water! Injury to cartilage is involved in some of the earliest forms of arthritis. When exercising your horse, a good easy warmup routine is very important for joint health.
Promoting cartilage health is why we also use an arsenal of the latest non-steroid joint treatment options to reduce ongoing inflammation and injury to cartilage and promote healing. This is especially important in young horses with injuries to help slow the progression of joint disease.
In this first picture you can see how in certain joints we can use ultrasound to look at cartilage and the underlying bone to help assess thinning or damage (this shows a nice cartilage layer and underlying bone)

01/21/2024

❄️Rain or Snow, it’s good to know!❄️

FUN FACT FRIDAY! Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice, good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
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Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee