Charleston Equine Clinic

03/04/2024

We are currently experiencing some issues with our phone lines. If you attempt to call us and are unable to get through, please leave a message or text us at 843-875-5133.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

02/19/2024

We're Hiring!

Charleston Equine Clinic is seeking to add a Barn Attendant to our team! The perfect applicant should -
*Be 18 years of age or older
*Be able to lift up to 50lbs
*Be amenable to working in all weather (within reason)
*Have adequate equine experience
*Have excellent communication skills
*Have reliable transportation
*Be self motivated
*Be able to thrive in a fast paced and quickly changing work environment

This is a position with room to grow within our team oriented environment. Full or part-time inquiries are welcome to apply.

Interested parties should email a cover letter and resume to [email protected] - Subject line: Attention Brittany or Grace.

**No phone calls please**

02/10/2024

***Attention*** A horse in Charleston County tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) on February 2nd. The 19 year old Quarter Horse gelding was not vaccinated for WNV, and has been euthanized. West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne illness that has no cure in horses. While some horses can recover with supportive care, equine mortality rates can reach 30-40%. Vaccinating your horse against WNV and other mosquito-borne illnesses twice a year is highly recommended by our veterinarians due to the prolonged mosquito season in the area. If you would like to schedule a vaccine appointment please text or call our office, or send in an email. If you would like to learn more about West Nile virus, check out the link below.
https://thehorse.com/1124989/south-carolina-horse-tests-positive-for-wnv-2/

02/07/2024

Our office will be closed today due to staff illness.

If you have an emergency, please call 843-875-5133 and select option 1 to speak with a vet. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you.

01/01/2024

2024 is your time to shine! ✨

We are wishing our clients a very happy and abundant New Year!

As a reminder, our office is closed today. If you have an emergency please call 843-875-5133 and select option 1 to speak with our on call vet.

12/29/2023

Our office will be closed Monday, 1/1/2024 to enjoy the New Year Holiday. ✨

As always, we will have a vet on call for all emergencies.

12/27/2023

❗Weather Alert ❗️

The temperature will be dropping Thursday night. Take a look at these cold weather tips below to make sure your horse is ready for the cooler temps!

- Daily Teas are a great way to increase your horses water intake. An extra tea a day may help keep the doctor away!
- Even warming plain water may help your horse to drink. Decreased water intake can often be a cause of colic.
- Be sure to check your water troughs (and outdoor buckets) twice daily and break any ice forming over the trough so that your horse has access to clean, fresh water.
- Blanket your cold weather sensitive horses. These are often older horses, underweight horses, thin coated horses or horses clipped for showing. It's not a blanket statement but, some horses just need blankets to be more comfortable in these frigid temperatures.

Share some of your cold weather tips below!

12/25/2023

From our barn to yours. The Charleston Equine Clinic team wishes our clients a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. 🎄

As a reminder, our office will be closed tomorrow, December 26th. If you have an emergency, please call 843-875-5133 and select option 1 to speak with our on call vet.

12/21/2023

Our office will be closed on Monday 12/25 and Tuesday 12/26 for our staff to enjoy the Christmas holiday. Please be sure to call or stop by the office for anything that you may need prior to the long holiday weekend.

As always, we will have a vet on call to handle any emergencies. 🎄🐴

12/09/2023

We've made the switch!

Book appointments, refill prescriptions or chat directly with us via the Otto app or text message using our new communication platform, Otto!

We can't wait to keep the conversation going! See you there 😎🐴

12/06/2023

If you are planning to breed your mare or stallion this upcoming breeding season, it is time to start making preparations. To support your mare’s fertility and your stallion’s s***m count and motility, our doctors highly recommend the use of Platinum Performance’s line of reproductive care products. These products can be especially helpful for horses with fertility difficulties, broodmares and stallions with metabolic or obesity concerns, stallions with low s***m counts or poor motility, and senior broodmares and stallions. Platinum Performance’s newly released product “PlatinumVet Reproductive Care” was developed using numerous research studies and is designed to support reproductive health and success. This product can only be ordered through a veterinary clinic. If you have any questions about how to best support your mare or stallion this breeding season or how to order Platinum Performance products, please contact our office.

11/28/2023

On November 17th, a horse in Lexington County SC was confirmed positive for West Nile virus (WNV). This 13 year old Tennessee Walking Horse gelding was not vaccinated for WNV, and was humanely euthanized. West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne illness that has no cure and has an equine mortality rate of 30-40%. This disease does have an effective vaccine which our doctors recommend horses in this area to be vaccinated every 6 months since the warm climate supports mosquito populations year-round. If you would like to schedule an appointment to vaccinate your horse or if you have any questions about vaccinating your horse to prevent diseases, please contact our office. To learn more about WNV, please check out the article linked below!

An unvaccinated horse in Lexington County, South Carolina, was confirmed positive for West Nile virus (WNV) and has been euthanized.

11/23/2023

Enjoy this holiday with a warm heart, full belly, and a cheerful smile. Give thanks for full feed buckets, a happy nicker or two and a gentle horse hug.

On this holiday, we are thankful for each and every one of our clients.

Happy Thanksgiving 🐴

If you have an emergency, please call 843-875-5133 and select option 1 to speak with our on call vet.

11/21/2023

Our office will be closed November 23 & 24 to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. Be sure to stop by or give our office a call if there is anything we can do to get you and your herd through the long holiday weekend.

As always, we will have a vet on call to handle all emergencies.

11/08/2023

The term "fat leg" is pretty self-explanatory, but do you know the difference between stocking up and cellulitis?

Many horses will "stock up" with subcutaneous edema (fluid swelling) in two or more legs (usually the hind limbs). Stocking up generally results from a significant decrease in exercise and usually resolves as the horse starts exercising again.

Lymphangitis (or vasculitis, big leg disease, staph infection, or cellulitis), however, is a bacterial infection and a dramatically different condition. While its causes may vary, it’s easy to spot once it sets in: the swelling will be extreme, hot and very painful to the touch, and the horse will be depressed due to the fever and discomfort.

If you think your equine friend has cellulitis or even if you're not sure, we encourage you to seek professional help promptly. Your horse doctor will make the best treatment recommendations, both to reduce swelling and to address any sort of bacterial infection that might be active or that could occur due to the edema in the soft tissue.

Read more on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/lymphangitis-frustrating-condition

10/25/2023

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to give your horse medication, but they just won’t eat it? Situations like these prompt us to get very creative in finding a method or treat that the horse likes. Here are some of our favorite suggestions to help get your horse to take pills!

One of the best ways to get a horse to take medication, and to have a positive experience while doing so, is to hide it in treats or mix it with something that covers up the flavor of the medication. There are many different treats you can hide pills in, like a soft german muffin treat, a fig newton, a hollowed out carrot, or even in a slice of banana. You could also crush the pills or dissolve them into a watery solution. By adding karo syrup, molasses, or applesauce to the mixture you can make it oh-so-tasty! This mixture could be drizzled over their grain or administered via an oral syringe. If they really like the taste of the mixture from the syringe, you might even have an easier time deworming your horse in the future! We would love to hear how you are able to medicate your horse, comment below to share your creative methods with us!

10/20/2023

Fall is officially in full swing! Now is the time to crack down on housing, nutrition, and preventative health strategies suitable for the arrival of winter.

The graphic below lists some essential items on the horse owner's fall to-do checklist, but there is much more that needs to be done—like having your horse rugs repaired and waterproofed; securing and storing hay properly; assessing your shelters for safety and soundness; etc.)

Your equine veterinarian is one of your greatest allies this season: be sure to give them a call soon to discuss vaccination and deworming protocols appropriate for your horse’s situation; use this opportunity to chat about recommended changes in nutrition and exercise program as well!

10/09/2023

** Eye am always an emergency **

Equine eye injuries can go from bad to worse quickly! We always consider an eye issue to be an emergency. Swollen, squinting, and draining eyes should always been seen by one of our vets ASAP. Hesitation in calling our office for your horse's eye issue or attempting to treat the issue on your own prior to calling our office can also be a lot harder on your wallet. Eyes are a fickle organ that require immediate and proper treatment.

As the winter winds kick up, don't hesitate to call our office if your horse experiences any signs of discomfort with their eyes. 📞🐴

09/25/2023

Just about every horse owner knows to be wary of laminitis in the spring because of the lush new grass, but did you know that the fall is also a time that horses are more likely to develop a laminitic flare? To learn more about how autumn laminitis works, how it is different from spring laminitis, and how to detect and prevent it, please read the fascinating and informative article linked below.

Yes, spring brings an increased risk of endocrinopathic laminitis for susceptible horses—but so does autumn. Here’s why.

09/21/2023

Due to the sandy soil of the Lowcountry, horses in this area are likely to consume sand when they’re grazing, eating hay off the ground, or nibbling on grain that has fallen to the ground. The ingestion of sand can cause chronic GI irritation which can lead to loose manure, discomfort, and weight loss. A buildup of sand in the GI system can also lead to sand colic. The most important way to combat sand is to prevent your horse from consuming it. This can be done in a variety of ways, including placing a mat under your horse’s feed dish and sweeping sand off of it as needed, securing a hay net in a tub so the horse isn’t eating hay off the ground, and feeding your horse in a sand free area such as in a stall.

To help determine the current sand load of your horse, our clinic performs a sand float with every f***l egg count. Our doctors create treatment plans based on the amount of sand present in the horse’s manure to best help you reduce your horse’s sand load. We welcome clients to drop off their horse’s f***l sample at our clinic any time during business hours to have a f***l egg count and sand float evaluated. The attached image shows the sand float from a horse with a very heavy sand load. You can see that the fingers of the glove are nearly completely full with sand! If you would like to learn more about preventing the ingestion or build up of sand, or about psyllium- the product recommended for prevention of sand buildup- please read the article below.

https://thehorse.com/1122537/psyllium-for-horses-in-sandy-areas/

09/12/2023

The 🐴 ASERVO EQUIHALER is responsibly manufactured to deliver a new standard of care. The eco-design is 100% propellant-free, and the body of the inhaler is made of up to 50% recycled materials. Now, in an industry first, you can recycle ASERVO EQUIHALER through the ASERVO EQUIHALER Free Recycling Program to protect our planet! 🌎

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3fUbbYl

09/07/2023

Did you know that your veterinarian may not use mineral oil when treating a horse suffering from impaction colic? Mineral oil has been used to treat colic in horses for many years, but it does not stand up to the use of epsom salts and warm water in resolving an impaction. The water and epsom salts actually break down the impaction so that it can pass through the GI (gastrointestinal) system easier. Mineral oil lubricates the GI and may soften the impaction some, but the idea behind its use is to act as a marker to see when it has passed through the entire GI system. However, the oil can flow around the impaction without affecting it, giving a false sense of security. On the other hand, warm water softens and dissolves an impaction while the epsom salts act as a laxative and draws water from the body into the GI to help reduce the impaction further.

These principles can be observed outside of the horse. In the video linked, a f***l ball was submerged in either mineral oil or water with epsom salts and was left for several hours. You can tell from the time lapse that the f***l material is dissolving in the water with epsom salts, yet remains unchanged in the mineral oil. So the next time you are helping with a colicky horse, don’t be surprised if the veterinarian does not give the horse mineral oil. After all, epsom salts in water are the best way to break it down!

08/30/2023

Our office will be closing today at 10:00am in preparation for passing Hurricane Idalia. We will be operating on an emergency only basis.

Stay safe and stay dry! 🐴

08/22/2023

Ensuring that your horse is consuming a proper diet is one of the components to managing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), formerly known as equine Cushing's disease. While every horse's dietary needs are different, testing your hay and feeding a diet low in NSCs can help maintain normal insulin levels.

Contact us for more information on managing PPID in your horse.

08/17/2023

We ❤️ this infographic from AAEP

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!

07/21/2023

Let’s talk about sweat! Did you know that some horses don’t produce an adequate amount of sweat? This condition is called anhidrosis. Anhidrosis can vary in severity; some horses sweat a decreased amount, some sweat on parts of their body and not others, and some cannot sweat at all. When sweat evaporates from the skin, it pulls heat away from the body. This is the primary way horses are able to cool themselves- horses lose 65-70% of heat through their evaporating sweat. Anhidrotic horses run the risk of overheating due to their impaired ability to sweat. If severe enough, hyperthermia (increased body temperature) can lead to thermal injury or even death.

With these summer days bringing intense heat, please keep an eye on your horse to make sure they are sweating adequately! If you have any concerns about your horse we are only a call, text, or email away. Stay cool out there, and keep on sweating!

07/17/2023

Summer days in the lowcountry are typically extremely hot and humid. These conditions can make it difficult for horses to regulate their body temperature. With temperatures nearing 100 degrees this week, it is especially important to monitor your horses for signs of heat stress. Please take a moment to read the article linked below; it gives great tips on how to prevent heat stress, how to recognize heat stress in horses, and what to do if your horse overheats. Stay cool out there!

Follow these steps to keep your horse cool and comfortable in the heat.

07/12/2023

Dear family, friends, and valued clients,

Ever since I was 14 years old all I have ever wanted to be was an equine veterinarian. I remember that exact moment watching the veterinarians save my horse’s life in colic surgery and thinking “wow, these people are incredible, and this is what I’m destined to do.” Almost exactly 11 years after that surgery, after many years of school, numerous trials and tribulations, and countless challenges, I achieved this goal. I have traveled all over the country enhancing my skills in different areas of equine medicine, doing whatever I can to better horses’ quality of life.

Over the last several years, I have developed a passion for teaching and constantly soaking up as much knowledge as possible to bring to my colleagues and clients.

Recently I have been offered a new opportunity to follow this passion further. After many long, hard conversations with my family and friends, I have come to realize it’s an opportunity I cannot turn down. So it is with deep sadness that I announce I will be leaving Charleston Equine Clinic and general private practice.

Charleston Equine Clinic has been my home for the last 4 years and all the staff my family. I have even much longer history than that with many of the staff. A very special thank you to Drs. Justin and Karen Miller for being there for me in so many ways other than just my employers, I owe y’all so much. To Dr. Sally Banner-Brown for being my mentor, confidant, and friend for over 20 years. To Dr. K for being my sister in arms and always being there for me through many difficult cases and difficult times. To the legit best office staff in the lowcountry, y’all keep me sane on a daily basis and I wouldn’t make it through my days without y’all, as friends and coworkers.

I will not be leaving the area, just changing my general focus as a veterinarian. I WILL continue to offer chiropractic and acupuncture services through Charleston Equine Clinic a few days a month because this is a service the lowcountry desperately needs and I truly love to provide.

My last full day at Charleston Equine Clinic will be July 28. It has truly been my honor and pleasure to have served the horses and clients of the lowcountry for so many years. Thank you all so much.

~Howland Mansfield, DVM, CVA, CVMMP

06/27/2023

Allergy season is upon us! Check out this article to learn why allergies happen, how they affect your horse’s body, and how to avoid or treat them.

Allergies can develop at any time, in any horse, and seemingly for any reason.

06/18/2023

Celebrating all of the dads out there! 👏