Triton Veterinary Service

10/02/2019

This is the link for SAVE

10/02/2019

As of today we officially bid adieu to Triton Veterinary Service. While retiring the name is bittersweet we are excited to be officially merging the practice into SAVE with Dr. Celeste Grace. What does this mean for our clients? Better service, better coverage and the future addition of another veterinarian to the team. Will continue to be available at our same daytime phone numbers:

Dr. Grace: 208-946-8444
Dr. Grimmett 208-659-6264
After hours emergencies: 208-946-1998

Be sure to like SAVE on Facebook to stay abreast of all of the exciting changes in store!

09/28/2019

With the nasty change of weather we always get questions about how to keep the horses warm and colic free. With abrupt changes in weather like this, especially if it brings wind and moisture horses can get chilled as they haven’t yet completely haired up. Here are a few things you can do this weekend.

1. Feed extra hay. Horses keep themselves warm by fermenting long stem fiber. Keep hay in front of them when it’s abruptly cold like it is this weekend. Of course, use common sense with this recommendation. Obese horses, horses prone to founder or other metabolic concerns should not have an abrupt diet change. If you are having trouble deciding the best course of action, call!

2. Blanket. I know it’s controversial but if have a horse that is prone to colic, is less than a 6 body condition score, is older, or has a thin hair coat it may help to put a waterproof blanket on for the next 48 hrs. It doesn’t mean you will now need to blanket all year. Just until this crazy weather passes. A waterproof rain sheet may be enough to provide a wind break and keep them dry improving their ability to thermoregulate and not burn so many calories. Of our 9 horses 3 are wearing blankets and 6 are not. There is no hard and fast rule here. Use your best judgement.

3. Feeding a soaked feed with additional salt may help with water consumption over the next couple of days. We usually see gas colics (related to barometric pressure changes we think) on the forefront of these weather changes and impaction colics on the tail end from not drinking enough water.

Stay safe everyone! Living in these northern climates is not for the faint of heart!!

09/19/2019

Crazy case of the day! This poor little goat and his friend were minding their own business in their backyard in Sandpoint when a couple of bears decided to fuel up for winter. Unfortunately, the little friend was carried off as a midnight snack and this guy escaped by sacrificing his tail when the bear bit his butt! We had to amputate the tail but this goat will live to tell the hair raising tail! Er, tale!

09/03/2019

Imagine walking out to find your horse with an injury of this caliber. We can often tell the degree of damage by the rate of breathing on the line when we pick up the phone. It can be super scary. But, the old adage “Time heals all wounds” is true. With good wound care the body has an amazing capacity to heal. What may seem catastrophic and beyond repair can look much different in just a couple weeks. This wound was on the mid thorax of an older gelding. We aren’t sure what caused it but seems most likely to be some gate hardware. The original injury was 8/1. The last picture is from today. Kudos to his owners for first rate wound care.

07/29/2019

Just a little clarification on the services we offer. We work on all manner of domestic livestock. We are happy to help you keep your animals healthy at your facility. We do however require a few small concessions to be of service to you. Here are some things to keep in mind before scheduling your appointment.
1. We do not offer dart gun sedation. Any sedation we administer does need to be given through an injection which requires the animal be caught and contained in such a manner that we can safely do that.
2. Catching and restraining the animal is the responsibility of the owner. We are happy to assist if asked but generally prefer that part is done before we get there.
3. There is not an animal that I have met that will generally miss the fact they are receiving an injection just because their head is in a bucket of grain. It helps some of them, for sure, but does not count as a means of restraint.
4. My DVM degree is not a roping, wrestling or training degree. That stuff is out of my pay grade. I’m getting too old. I would like to live past paying off my student debt and I have years to go yet.
5. Cattle must be restrained in safe fencing that is rigidly secured. Cattle panels tied together with twine do not count. Head catches are necessary for anything involving the head of the bovine patient. I know they are expensive and it’s a hassle but see rule #4 and #1 for further information on that point.

There is a world wide shortage of large animal veterinarians out there. Breaking the above list of rules resulting in injured veterinarians is a big part of the reason. Keep us safe and we will happily show up to help you with your farm animal Veterinary needs. But, be forewarned, the older I get the better I get at walking away from the rodeos!!

07/25/2019

Big leap forward today in keeping our equine companions healthy and happy! This has been a long time coming.

BIG WIN FOR HORSES TODAY! 🇺🇸🐎🇺🇸

The American Association of Equine Practitioners hails today’s passage of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act (H.R. 693) in the U.S. House of Representatives! The legislation was approved by an overwhelming 333 to 96 bipartisan vote, and it will help end the cruel practice of horse soring, which is the deliberate infliction of pain to exaggerate a horse’s motion for the purpose of gaining an advantage in the show ring.

“For many years the AAEP has championed legislation to end this cruel practice, and today’s vote in the House is a victory for horses,” said Dr. Jeffrey T. Berk, 2019 AAEP president. “We now will work for passage of the Senate version of the bill.”

Our sincere thank you goes to Rep. Kurt Schrader and Rep. Ted Yoho, both veterinarians, who have been instrumental in securing this huge win for horses!

You can read our full statement here: https://aaep.org/news/equine-veterinarians-praise-passage-anti-soring-legislation-us-house
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06/27/2019

Meet the new pup! Tormund is doing the summer rounds while Paddy takes some time to hang out at home in the shade. We almost always have one red dog with us and if you catch Doc Jenni on a weekend or after hours call the Green Hornet may be full of big red dogs!!

He’s seriously the cutest little videoing partner around😊

06/01/2019

This one kept us busy for several hours this afternoon. Gotta love a big repair. I’ve included the picture of the tiny little hook she caught herself on.

05/16/2019

05/11/2019

Goaties!!! One of the many blessings of spring.

05/04/2019

Today was one of those days in rural mobile veterinary medicine when there were more emergencies than regularly scheduled appointments attended. It can be so frustrating for not only us but the poor client left waiting for hours or being forced to reschedule when these things happen. Especially when we are already booked solid for the next two weeks. Thanks to our clients for always being so understanding when these things occur. Someday it may be your emergency we are rushing off to!! Our apologies today to those we didn’t get to and those we kept waiting for hours like these cattle awaiting trich testing, bangs vaccination and preg checking before heading to pasture.

05/03/2019

Busy day of emergencies scattered across the panhandle. This one took some time today.

05/02/2019

Happy May Day! Here are some snippets of our day. The Green Hornet even got a bath today.

04/18/2019

It’s been a LONG winter but the mare motel will be open for business April 22nd. If you have plans to breed your mare this spring via AI please contact us to make arrangements for your mares. We provide artificial insemmination using both fresh cooled and frozen semen. Accommodations for dry mares as well as mares with foals. Breeding facility is located in Sagle, ID. Contact us at 208-659-6264.

04/17/2019

For those of you who travel with your horses to our neighboring states, we have a new system for processing the necessary paperwork that will eventually make for very smooth and efficient receipt of your Coggins and extended health certificate paperwork. Global Vet Link is new provider of digital CVI’s and extended CVI’s that allows you to download your test results as soon as they are processed thereby decreasing turn around time for your paperwork. This also means that instead of keeping track of your paper copy your digital copy will always be available to you right from your phone! Cool, eh?

The only snaffu for this season is that WA, OR and CA can’t quite agree to get on board with the new system, while MT is accepting only the new system. So, for this year we will be issuing both the electronic CVI for folks traveling to MT and other destinations but you will still he receiving the yellow paper copy for WA and OR. We are entering everyone into the new system and processing your Coggins that way then issuing your health certificates depending on the destinations. If you think you MIGHT be traveling to MT this year we encourage you to go ahead and get the digital health certificate for this year.

Clear as mud? Check out the Global Vet Link website to learn more and feel free to call if you have any questions. https://www.globalvetlink.com/

Remember you also need your brand inspection certificate for traveling and we do like to see those certificates when completing paperwork to get everyone entered properly and hopefully simplify the system for you!

GVL provides online animal health software solutions for veterinarians for electronic Veterinary Feed Directives (VFDs), health certificates (certificates of veterinary inspection or CVIs), veterinary prescriptions (scripts), Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) or Coggins tests and GoPass Equine Passport...

04/10/2019

The vaccine is the least of what we do during spring check ups. Seeing our patients annually allows us to see some of the things you may have missed, evaluate your feeding program and address other health concerns before they become an issue. Tailoring the vaccines for each individual horse also helps you to avoid over vaccination. Make sure your horse is protected and healthy this spring!

Improperly handled, stored or administered vaccines can leave horses exposed.

03/30/2019

We will be closed for regular appointments until April 8th. No fear, the illustrious and accomplished Dr. Celeste Grace, DVM is on hand for all of your large animal emergencies. She can be reached at 208-946-8444. If you would like to schedule an appointment for all your spring time needs, Carolyn would be happy to get you on the books! She can be reached at our regular number, 208-659-6264. Happy spring, everyone!

03/02/2019

Starting the weekend off with a couple of lambs wondering why they left their nice warm room this morning. 12 degrees is a rough way to wake up!

02/21/2019

Super fun little repair today. This little mare caught her nostril on a cattle panel and shredded it into three pieces. If all goes as planned with her healing I don’t think you will be able to tell!

02/13/2019

Finished this blizzardy day with these two twins. They got a little tangled trying to make their debut so needed some sorting out. Mom and the two babies are doing well. I think they should name them Snow and Flake.

02/12/2019

One of our emergencies yesterday. You can even see the Green Hornet in the background. Birthing emergencies are often both miraculous and heart warming as well as devastating. It makes every win count double.

02/08/2019

Foaling and breeding season is in full swing in N Idaho. A Clydesdale mare looks on while we ultrasound her filly’s belly button.

12/21/2018

Dental December has about come to a close. The count as of today is 50 floats. That’s approximately 1500$ that Triton Veterinary clients saved on Equine Dental work this month!! Thank you to everyone who has participated. We thank you and your horses thank you. We have just a few appointments left available on the 31st. That’s your last day to cash in on 20% discounts on dental work!

12/12/2018

We are almost half way through Dental December! Why not give your horse a new smile for Christmas? And with 20% off you can treat yourself to something special too!

12/04/2018

Excellent kick off to Dental December! Save 20% on floats all month. Several floats and clients saving money. Do you know how many teeth an adult male horse has? How about a mare? Why are they different? I’ll post the answer in the comments later today.

11/28/2018

We are just a few days away from the kick off of Triton Veterinary Service Dental December! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to save 20% on equine dental work for the month of December. Don’t let something like this lurk in the depths of your horse’s mouth this winter! Call, text or message to schedule your appointment today. 208-659-6264

11/21/2018

A little flashback to the days of the hand float. Triton Veterinary Service provides full care dental work with power equipment that makes the entire process quicker and less painful for both parties 😉!! Don’t miss out on dental month. Make sure your horse’s teeth are ship shape and ready for a winter’s worth of grinding down their hay. 20% off on equine dental work for the month of December. Call, text or message now to schedule your appointment. 208-659-6264

11/16/2018

This photo isn’t quite as clear as I would have liked but this is a 15+ year old mare that has a history of dropping feed and refusing the bit. That’s a large ulcer in the side of her cheek from a sharp point that had been cutting into the sensitive tissue for years. She had a smaller one on the other side. These are so easy to fix and even easier to prevent. Schedule your horse for routine dental work in the month of December and receive a 20% discount. December is dental month at Triton Veterinary Service.

10/08/2018

While we are off chasing our Cowboy Dressage dreams this week, Dr. Grace will be available to handle all of your emergencies and urgencies and the ever fabulous Carolyn is able to handle refills of medications, paperwork issues and appointment scheduling. Call (don’t text) 208-659-6264 to reach Carolyn and 208-946-8444 to reach Dr. Grace. Have a safe week! We are back on the road seeing appointments on October 17th.

10/05/2018

Helped bring this cute little bull calf into the world today. His mama prefers to have somebody else do all the work when it comes to labor. She seems to like him, though!

09/19/2018

A couple of the wound repairs that have scrambled our schedule the past few days. The cool fall mornings have the horses feeling frisky.

08/25/2018

I’ve had many requests for some follow up on the severed tongue case. I am happy to report the horse is healing and doing very well! We lost a good portion of that tongue due to compromised blood flow but the body has an amazing capacity to heal. Our biggest hurdle is she seems to have lost the ability to distinguish food due to loss of taste buds and is eating a lot of dirt ( a phenomenon called pica). She is still on soaked feeds but I think she can go back on hay/graze in another few weeks. She is receiving excellent diligent care!

08/18/2018

Saturday sutures. BTW, dry heaving is strictly forbidden when I’m suturing. If you have to, drop the head and walk away 😉. It’s a standing rule around here! Lol! Consequently a good part of this suture job was done on the move. Life of a rural large animal vet.

08/08/2018

Yikes!! Bad tongue injury due to we believe bailing twine left in the pen. As near as we can figure she picked up the twine in her mouth, stepped on it and panicked. Horses do the dangest things to injure themselves. Hopefully this tongue is able to hang in there!

06/16/2018

6 weeks of bandaging and treatment with raw local honey. This horse is walking normally. They really have an amazing capacity to heal.

05/02/2018

Happy May Day!! Here are some snapshots of life on the road as a mobile large animal veterinarian. We didn’t quite get photos from every stop and we still have a few stops to make yet today. Spring is the busiest time for a rural veterinarian.

04/26/2018

We don’t see this very often but here was a full set of wolf teeth on a 3 yr old Mustang mare. The little ones had no root but sat just in front of the bottom molar

04/17/2018

We have had a lot of discussions this week with clients concerning the quagmire that is equine vaccination protocols. If you have questions about why, how or what to vaccinate for, please check out this blog article. If you have any questions after reading, please let us know and we would be happy to help!

It is spring time in the Northwest and time to make sure your equine partner is healthy and ready for the adventures you have planned th...

04/12/2018

Since we have now had two of these this week I thought it might be time for a public service announcement about re**al prolapses is young pigs. This is a very common occurrence in pigs and we most common in feeder pigs. Typically these occur after a change in weather causing the pigs to huddle up in a dog pile for warmth. The pig on the bottom gets squished a bit and results in a prolapse. It can also occur with excessive diarrhea or constipation from a food change and I have seen a few that seemed to be caused just by stress. These are fairly easily repaired when attended to quickly. If this occurs with your pig, it is important to separate the pig from his room mates to reduce the risk of the protruding re**um being chewed on. We then sedate the pig and replace the re**um and suture it in place. Most pigs will heal with no further problems. When the prolapse is left for a long period of time or the re**um becomes damaged we may need to remove the damaged tissue necessitating a more difficult procedure that may have more complications down the line. So moral of the story: Keep those young pigs nice and toasty warm while our weather is so chilly, keep their stress levels down and most of all, call us right away if you notice a problem with your pig!