Northern Hills Equine Veterinary Clinic

07/17/2024

Some of you may know we have a new member on the staff. Give a shout out to Dr. Hattie Cramer. She is with us 2 days a week and at small animal 2 days a week.

12/04/2023

🎁🎁🎁MERRY🎁🎁🎁
🎅CHRISTMAS 🎅
Look what you could put under your tree!!!!
Sadie has Christmas gift ideas: halters, shoo fly boots, soft ride boots, hay chix hay nets, Heiro, Summit for horses, oral Lift (summit)for dogs and cats or how about a gift certificate???

11/21/2023

HEADS UP HORSE OWNERS. Stock up on bubble wrap. AAEP is coming up again and a lot of equine veterinarians will be MIA for a bit. We will be vetless from 11/29 to 12/3. We will also have to be careful about what we can take in the days leading up to these days as well, once again we won't have veterinarians.

11/15/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100079321375357/posts/257651446888899/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Knowledge Refresher

10/17/2023

Woot woot!! We're jumping for joy because it's National Veterinary Technician Week!!

09/18/2023

It’s difficult for us horse doctors to admit we aren’t superhuman. We’re hardwired to be there for you and your horse whenever you need us. But we’re finally in the midst of an overdue reality check as a profession and admitting that our desire to be available 24/7 isn’t compatible with our own personal health and happiness.

The most significant pain point for many of us is caring for our clients during regular business hours and then being on call for emergencies after hours. If we are a single-doctor or small practice, this traditionally has been the case most nights of the week.

The good news is that the AAEP along with private veterinary practices and veterinary schools are focused on developing new models for emergency care which ease the strain on individual practitioners. This includes the growth of emergency cooperatives where two or more practices in a geographic area work together to share after-hours care, as well as more emergency-only practices and the use of tele-triage services to address client concerns after normal business hours.

As equine veterinarians reevaluate what after-hours care looks like for their practices, we know that the support of our clients is critical to creating a balance that works for both of us. If your horse doctor talks with you about changes in how after-hours care is delivered, we hope you’ll welcome the adjustments, knowing that this evolution of emergency care must take place in order for equine veterinarians to avoid burnout and continue to be available to treat all of our patients. We appreciate our partnership with you, and your horse does too!

08/16/2023

⚠️ 📢 🚨 ⚠️ 📢 🚨 ⚠️ 📢 🚨 ⚠️
As some of you may have already heard. There is some, as of now, unknown pathogen in the surrounding and probable local area. The pathogen/virus/disease so far has been, in almost exclusively, unvaccinated or under vaccinated horses. Be sure your horses are up to date on at least the core vaccines. Such as sleeping sickness (eastern and western), west nile, and tetanus. Rabies is always recommended. Those that rodeo and show consider a rhino flu vaccination also.

05/08/2023

HIRING
We are looking to hire a part time receptionist at our large animal clinic. This position can, could and hopefully will turn into a full time position. Extensive horse or cattle experience is not required. Please have a resume available that can be dropped off or emailed to [email protected].
We will not be responding to messages on Facebook. Please call 6053473606 x2 but preferably you send or drop resumes off. Time is limited for us to field a lot of questions. Thus the need for another receptionist. Lol.

04/25/2023

It's National Veterinary Receptionist week. Give a shout out to our large animal receptionist Deb. We couldn't function without her. Thank you Deb for being our front line.

03/25/2023

Woot woot!

Jessica Routier and her palomino mare, Missy, flew at Rodeo Austin. During the first performance of Rodeo Austin Semifinals, the National Finals duo laid down the fastest run of the entire rodeo with a time of 14.93 seconds.

03/21/2023

Hey all!!! Margie is looking for help at the breeding barn. Horse experience is a must. Great opportunity to learn about breeding and possibly get your foot in the door for other jobs and opportunities. Please contact Margie directly at [email protected] or 6053473606 x1 for small animal clinic.

03/07/2023

Everyone's favorite UPS driver.

12/18/2022

Heads up horse peeps. This has been circulating for a while but they have just recently named the source of botulism. 48 dead and many more affected and more will probably die. Top Of The Rockies alfalfa cubes and lot numbers listed below.

12/08/2022

Still on the hunt.

11/02/2022

Heads up horse owners with accident prone horses. The week of 11/14 to 11/18 we will be short staffed and unable to accommodate a lot extra emergencies.
The week of Thanksgiving we will be without a horse veterinarian from 11/21 to 11/25 and associated weekend days.
The office will be open 11/21, 22 and 23 for phone calls and product purchases but no veterinarian on staff.
The office will be closed Thanksgiving day and Friday. Please plan your needs accordingly and stock up in BUBBLE WRAP!!

10/25/2022

10 things veterinarians want horse owners to know about Banamine.
1)Banamine is a brand name. Flunixin meglumine is the drug name but many people refer to it by the popular brand name “Banamine” made by Merck. This medication is available in injectable liquid and oral paste formulations.
2)Flunixin is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which can be shortened to “NSAID.” NSAIDs reduce inflammation, pain, and fever by decreasing certain biochemical reactions in the body. Other drugs that are also classified as NSAIDs include phenylbutazone (Bute), firocoxib (Equioxx®, Previcoxx®).
3)Flunixin treats pain. By far the most common implication for the use of flunixin in horses is analgesia, or pain control. Flunixin provides good pain control for visceral (in the belly) and ocular (eye) pain. It is often used in cases of colic (abdominal pain) to make the horse more comfortable which reduces the risk of harm to the horse and handlers. It is important to note that flunixin does not cure the cause of colic; it temporarily relieves signs by providing pain relief.
4)Flunixin can reduce fever. A normal horse’s temperature is between 98.5 and 100.9°F. Like humans, horses can develop a fever secondary to an infection or illness. Many febrile horses will not eat or drink well when they have a fever but their appetite improves once the fever decreases. Flunixin can be used to reduce the horse's temperature often making them feel better. On a cautionary note, we often recommend owners take a temperature BEFORE giving flunixin as this can also a mask a fever.
5)Flunixin lasts 12 hours in the horse’s body. Some owners with a sick horse give a full dose of flunixin and then redose the horse a few hours later when he/she became uncomfortable again. This practice is not recommended for two reasons. First, overdosing can increase the risk of adverse effects including kidney damage and gastric ulcers. Second, if a horse's clinical signs do not resolve with a full dose, an examination by your veterinarian is likely warranted sooner rather than later and administering a second dose may delay treatment.
6)Flunixin can cause gastrointestinal and kidney damage. The same pathways that are down-regulated by flunixin to reduce pain and inflammation also partially protect the kidneys and stomach. At a normal dose the risk of these side effects is reduced. However, patients treated with an overdose or long term dosing are at an increased risk for renal (kidney) damage, gastric ulcers, and hind gut (colon) ulcers .
7)“Stacking” NSAIDs is not recommended. As previously stated, other drugs commonly used in horses that are also classified as NSAIDs include bute, Equioxx and Previcoxx). It is important to note that giving either of these medications together or in combination with flunixin can cause the same adverse effects as overdosing. For this reason,we do not recommend “stacking” NSAIDs or administering two of these drugs together. Many geriatric patients receive Equioxx or Previcoxx daily for pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. If this is the case, we recommend discontinuing that medication before starting another NSAID an allowing enough time for the body to clear the first drug completely.
8)Flunixin does not cause sedation or cure colic. Although we often use flunixin in colic cases, it is for the purpose of pain control. Alleviating the signs of colic by controlling pain is safer for the horse and handler when a horse is being treated and gives the horse’s body time to respond to treatment (ie oral fluids, IV fluids, motility agents). We often recommend removing hay/grain from a horse that has been administered flunixin for signs of colic until he/she can be examined by a veterinarian. In some cases, once the horse FEELS better he/she will try to continue eating and make the colic worse. If you think your horse may be colicking, we recommend calling your regular veterinarian and following her/his recommendations on medications and feeding.
9)Flunixin should NOT be given in the muscle (IM). Oddly enough, Banamine is still labeled for IM use in horses on the bottle but I strongly recommend against this practice. In rare cases, IM administration of flunixin (or phenylbutazone) has been known to cause a secondary condition called “Clostridial myositis” which can be fatal. The medication irritates the surrounding muscle tissue and bacterial spores can take advantage of the inflamed environment and cause a massive release of toxins. This disease is extremely painful and the treatment can be quite gruesome but horses that are not diagnosed and treated promptly may die from toxic overload. For this reason, we recommend only injecting flunixin in the vein (IV) or squirting the injectable fluid or paste in the mouth.
10)Flunixin injectable solution can be administered by mouth. The injectable formulation of flunixin can be administered by mouth at the same dose as IV use. Oral administration (either injectable solution or paste) takes about 20-30 min to reach full effect compared to 5-10 min with an IV injection. Oral administration does not take significantly longer than IM injection to reach peak absorption and is much safer for the horse.
Lastly always call your veterinarian if you suspect your horse appears off in any way before administering any medication.

10/16/2022

https://equimanagement.com/articles/what-does-an-equine-vet-tech-do/

Equine veterinary technicians, like they veterinarians they work with, do a hard job because they love it.

09/28/2022

Heads up!!

https://www.facebook.com/266872157804/posts/10159126210112805/

Anthrax confirmed in Meade County, SD herd

Anthrax has been confirmed in South Dakota livestock for the first time this year. According to South Dakota State Veterinarian Dr. Beth Thompson, several cows died from a herd of 160 unvaccinated cattle in Meade County. The Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at SDSU confirmed the disease from samples submitted over the weekend.
Anthrax is an economically devastating disease for the livestock industry because it can cause the rapid loss of many animals in a short time. Affected livestock are often found dead with no illness detected. Anthrax spores survive indefinitely in contaminated soil, and much of South Dakota has the potential of experiencing an outbreak. Significant climate change, such as drought, floods, and winds, can expose anthrax spores to grazing livestock. Alkaline soils, high humidity and high temperatures present conditions for anthrax spores to vegetate and become infectious to grazing livestock.
Strict enforcement of quarantines and proper burning and burying of carcasses suspected to have died from anthrax is important to prevent further soil contamination with the bacterial spores.
If Anthrax is Suspected Contact Your Local Veterinarian or the Animal Industry Board.
Thompson emphasizes preventative actions. “During the summer, producers should take time to check all cattle frequently and promptly investigate any unexpected deaths on pasture, whether in cows, bulls or calves. With anthrax and many other diseases, treatments and preventive measures are available, and prompt action can help prevent excessive losses.” If a producer suspects anthrax, the case should be reported immediately to local veterinarians or to the State Veterinarian at 605- 773-3321. Suspect carcasses should not be moved or disturbed until a diagnosis has been made. “Local veterinarians are excellent sources of information for cattle producers regarding anthrax,” Thompson said.

09/12/2022

Calling all veterinary technicians.

To clarify your duties would include IVC, anesthesia induction, maintenance and recovery plus other technical duties. If you have zero knowledge of what or how that happens the veterinary technician position is not for you.

We are hiring at our large animal facility. Horse experience is a must. You don't have to be the next Horse Whisperer but being comfortable around horses and hopefully cattle is a must. It is a moderately active job and requires jogging, wrestling/handling (foals) and frequent kneeling to work on feet.
Benefits include insurance, vacation, pto and retirement plan.
Please give us a call at 6053473606 x2 or stop in with a resume.

07/06/2022

Did you know we have some Back On Track sheets at the clinic. These sheets are hard to find right now.

05/23/2022

This is said better than I could.

To all the veterinarians out there—I see you.

I see you on our farm weighing the options over a sick cow. You know that milk prices have been horrible lately and the cost to save her might be more than she can pay back with meat or milk. You understand that we are agonizing over the decision of how to treat her, and you lay out our options without judgment.

I see you checking your phone on nights and weekends and taking your precious personal time to answer a question, no matter how trivial it may seem. I know you left the dinner table to answer a call, and let your supper grow cold to talk a farmer through treating a sick lamb.

I see you dropping everything when you’re on-call. You had to leave your kid’s soccer game early... again. You stumble out of bed at 3 am, even though you just crawled in it at 2:30 am from the last emergency. You pull on your coveralls anyway and double check your truck to make sure you have everything you need for a difficult calving.

I see you fretting over an emergency call. They’re not a regular client, or they have an overdue balance and you know they can’t pay for services. You have the tough job of telling them you can’t come to the farm, even though it hurts you just as much as it hurts them. You toss and turn all night wondering how their animal is doing all the while knowing you can’t pay your bills if the clinic doesn’t get paid.

I see you as you try to compose yourself after reading a bad review online. The story is one-sided and you’re painted as an uncaring vet because you couldn’t attend an emergency call for a former client with an unpaid balance two years in collections. They don’t see the dollars that add up for the gas to drive out to the farm, the antibiotics and suture materials you would have had to use, and your student loans slowly collecting interest from the 8 years of school it took you to get here. You shut your laptop down but the words haunt you all day.

I see you emotionally exhausted after an euthanasia where you cried as hard as the horse owner. I see you awake at night, running through the what-ifs, and wishing too that things would have turned out differently. I see you when every positive outcome can’t free your mind from the animals you couldn’t save and the student debt you can barely repay with the income you receive as a rural large animal vet.

I see you, and I hope you see how we as farmers and animal caretakers value you. The veterinary su***de rate is 2-3.5 times the national average. Compassion fatigue is a real problem and callous treatment by stressed animal owners only adds to the mental strife that veterinarians face. The next time your vet can’t make it out to an emergency and refers you to a different clinic, remember that they may already be at an emergency, or may have had to make a policy to only treat current clients in emergency calls due to a high volume of non-payments. I guarantee they still care, and they will probably be thinking about your animal long after you contacted a different clinic. We need to treat our veterinarians like the compassionate professionals they are and try to understand the circumstances they deal with day in and day out.

(Photo credit to our amazing vet Nicole Costello)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157376966265990&id=552660989&sfnsn=mo

04/29/2022

Snow removal service has been working hard at the clinic the last few days.

04/12/2022

With summer right around the corner, here is some great information on feeding salt.

Learn about the benefits of adding salt to your horse's diet.

03/22/2022

WELCOME SPRING!

PSA No. 1: During shedding season, wear lip balm and fleece at your own risk.

PSA No. 2: If your horse is NOT shedding his coat this spring, or even not shedding as much as you think he should be, be sure to give your veterinarian a call — especially if your horse is 15 or older. A long haircoat that fails to shed according to normal seasonal patterns is the most classic sign of Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), also known as Cushing’s disease. This disorder of the pituitary gland results in hormonal imbalances and is one of the most common diseases of middle-aged and geriatric horses.

Recognition of the clinical signs and early diagnoses are the first steps in identification of horses with PPID; treatment and implementation of excellent wellness practices (like strict attention to diet, teeth and hooves) are the key features to extending the life of a horse with PPID. Without treatment, symptoms tend to worsen over time and many horses are euthanized as a consequence of laminitis, recurrent foot abscesses or complications related to bacterial infections.

Contact your veterinarian for more information, or read more on our website at https://aaep.org/issue/equine-endocrinology-cushings-disease-and-metabolic-syndrome or at https://aaep.org/issue/equine-cushings-disease-equine-pituitary-pars-intermedia-dysfunction

03/17/2022

There are steps—some simple, some cutting-edge—breeders can take to obtain foals from mares with waning fertility.

02/15/2022

We found a ring in the parking lot. If you can identify it you may claim Your Precious.

02/09/2022

This is for the people questioning why they need a coggins test.

Find out where veterinarians are seeing an uptick in equine infectious anemia cases.

02/09/2022

This article right here could save you hundreds to thousands of dollars and many lives of foals.

Approximately 5-20% of newborn foals are diagnosed with failure of passive transfer and are at risk for developing serious medical conditions.

02/07/2022

Say it louder for the ones in the back!!!

The correct answer is: NEITHER.

Owning a horse is a big investment in terms of money, time and emotion. This is why it’s important to investigate a prospective horse’s overall health and condition through a pre-purchase examination (PPE) conducted by an equine veterinarian.

Pre-purchase exams may vary depending on the situation and the veterinarian who is doing the examination, but the main question you will always need to answer at the beginning is, “what will I be doing with this horse?”
What is my experience level?
What are my goals? (E.g., will I compete?)
Will I board it or will it stay at my farm?
Is this horse going to be sold in the future?

There are no correct (or wrong) answers, it’s all about your personal level of comfort. So don’t be afraid to express your concerns to your veterinarians — keeping an open and honest line of communications is key!

Based on your answers, the veterinarian will then discuss with you how the findings from the PPE might impact your goals from a health standpoint; however, remember that he/she cannot predict the future and there are many factors out of the veterinarian’s control that can affect a horse’s short- and long-term ability to perform. Namely, things like hoof care; use of protective leg gear; fitness and conditioning of the horse; manner of training; experience of the rider; injury; genetic predisposition and more.

So in the end, the veterinarian’s role when doing a pre-purchase examination is not to pass or fail the horse, but simply to find out everything possible about the animal’s physical status. Equipped with that information and based on how much risk you’re willing to assume, the decision to purchase the horse is then totally up to you.

02/07/2022

No one is a fan of stall rest but sometimes it becomes a necessary evil — whether to minimize re-injury and encourage optimum healing, or possibly to keep your horse sheltered from severe weather.

Our friends at Stable Management Magazine have some tips that could help both you and your horse get through stall rest in good spirits. Additional suggestions are available at https://stablemanagement.com/articles/horses-sane-stall-rest-27616