👻🎃👻🎃 Happy Halloween from the Pilchuck Equine Team 👻🎃👻🎃
#pilchuckequine #horse #happyhalloween #spookyseason #equineveterinarymedicine
Happy Veterinary Technician and Assistant Week to our wonderful nursing staff!! 💜🩺🐴🩷
#veterinarytechnicianweek #equineveterinarymedicine #equinevettech #horse #pilchuckequine #aaevt
🐴❗ MRI at Pilchuck Equine Veterinary Hospital 🐴❗
What it is: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an incredibly useful tool in equine lameness.
How it works: MRIs produce a strong magnetic field that forces protons in the soft tissue and bone to move in and out of phase with that field. This process creates detailed anatomic images, and often allows for a very precise diagnosis.
Why should I MRI my horse? MRI gives you an incredible amount of information about joints, tendons, ligaments, and complex anatomical areas like the foot and distal pastern. When your horse is lame, but nothing is showing up on radiographs or ultrasound, MRI can be a tremendous help. MRI can pinpoint the reason your horse is injured, and this can lead to more effective treatment and a better idea of long-term outcomes.
MRI at Pilchuck: We do several MRI scans a month at Pilchuck Equine. When your horse has an MRI, they will undergo general anesthesia, and the scan time takes about 30-60 minutes. Your horse then recovers from anesthesia and then stays the night in the clinic for monitoring.
How is the MRI “read”? : All MRI images are sent to a board-certified radiologist who is experienced in interpreting equine/large animal MRIs. Reports take 24-48 hours to get back and copies are given to the client and referring veterinarian.
Is MRI safe? MRI is one of the safest imaging tools available and does not rely on radiation to produce an image, therefore, it is low risk to your horse and to the doctors and technicians running the MRI/anesthesia equipment. The biggest safety risk with MRI in horses is recovery from general anesthesia, but injury risk is relatively low.
Our equine team is not afraid of your every day superstitions, but there is one 'word' that we try not to ever say 🤐
#pilchuckequine #horse #fridaythe13th
What's Up Wednesday Answer
Answer to What’s Up Wednesday: Regional Limb Perfusion.
Congrats to those who got the correct answer! 🥳
This case was seen recently at Pilchuck Equine after the horse stepped on a nail. Foreign body injuries to the foot can be very serious due to the number of important synovial structures in the area. One of the treatments this horse received was a regional limb perfusion (RLP).
Regional Limb Perfusions (RLPs) are a way to deliver a high concentration of antibiotic to bone or a synovial structure. With an RLP, you can achieve a higher concentration of antibiotic than you normally would with systemic antibiotics alone.
RLPs are performed under standing sedation. The injection site is prepped with antiseptic, and then a tourniquet is placed above the planned injection site. After the tourniquet is placed, the antibiotic is injected. The tourniquet is left in place for 20-30 minutes, and then it’s released. This provides an effective concentration of antibiotic up to 48 hours. For most cases, a total of 3 RLPs are performed.
RLPs are a game changing therapy for the treatment of bone and joint infections and is now a staple of most equine practices. We perform this procedure on many of our cases where there are lacerations near joints and have found that it is a safe and effective treatment backed by many years of research. ❤📚🐎🩺
What's Up Wednesday!!🐎?🐎?🐎?
Do you know what procedure we are preforming on this horse? Put your guess in the comments section and find out the answer tomorrow!
Pilchuck Run
Here we go again! Things that make us run! ❤🐎🏃♀️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻
Pilchuck is here for your sports medicine needs. Whether it's complex lameness or routine maintenance, we are here to help. Call us for an appointment at 360-568-3111. ❤️🐎🩺
Meet the CSR Team!
Next time you stop by, say thank you to our CSR staff! They are a hardworking group of women who help make the hospital run as smoothly as possible. We couldn't do our jobs without their help. ❤🐴🩺
This or That
Our equine team has a varitey of interests amongst the many services that our hospital offers. Check out their choices! What would you choose?
Pilchuck 12 days of Christmas
Enjoy the musical stylings of our equine technicians and assistants! Vocals by Ashley, Kaylie, and Chelsea. Lyrics by Melinda, Rylee, Haley, and Erin. ❤️🐴
Ovariectomy in mare
Last week, Dr. Virgin tackled a bilateral ovariectomy using laparoscopy. This procedure is done standing, avoids unnecessary general anesthesia, and results in smaller surgical sites. The horse is comfortable thanks to heavy sedation and local anesthetic applied to the ovarian tissue prior to removal. Most patients tolerate the procedure well and can go home within 24-48 hours of the surgery. In the video, Dr. Marchant assists by driving the laparoscope as Dr. Virgin grasps and removes the ovary using a Ligasure vessel sealing device and forceps. Pilchuck Equine is excited to offer this standing surgical procedure to our clients!
