Great Bay Equine

25/11/2024

Please note! In order to give our wonderful staff some much needed rest with family and friends, the office will be closing at 12:30 this coming Wednesday and reopening for routine services again on Monday December 2nd. As always, a veterinarian will be on call for urgent cases 24/7 through the holiday weekend!

Wishing our patients and clients a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

31/10/2024

Wishing our GBE clients and patients a spooky (but safe!) and happy Halloween! Thanks to Vet Assistant Carolyn for our beautiful, little GBE pumpkin!

25/10/2024

A great infographic from our friends at the AAEP highlighting the key differences between Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and PPID or "Cushings Disease"!

For our patients who have been diagnosed with or have suspected EMS or PPID, it is important to pull survey bloodwork at least yearly to monitor important values like Insulin and ACTH levels.

While these conditions can certainly be frustrating, careful management and prevention are key! Suspect your horse may be dealing with an endocrine or metabolic condition? Give us a call or send us an email to set up an appointment with our vet team!

Equine endocrine disorders such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) feature some striking clinical similarities, most notably a predisposition to the development of chronic laminitis. However, the underlying disease biology is quite different in each case.

The graphic below describes some key differences to be aware of between the two diseases.

If you have questions or concerns about your horse in regard to EMS or PPID, contact your veterinarian so that they may further evaluate them.

Thank you to the Horse Owner Education Committee for providing this information.

14/10/2024

In honor of Vet Tech Appreciation Week, we are pleased to formally introduce our two fabulous veterinary assistants! If you see their smiling faces out there in the wild, don't hesitate to say hello!

Ella joined the GBE team back in April and was a welcomed asset on the road during the height of the busy spring vaccine season! Her favorite patients are spicy minis and ponies! Ella has enjoyed the opportunity for continued learning and skill development here at GBE and appreciates working as part of a close-knit team. When she's not hard at work supporting patients and clients in the field, Ella enjoys riding, traveling, cooking and reading. Ella is a true go-getter and always willing to try new things!

Carolyn is the newest addition to our team and we are psyched to welcome her to the fun and busy atmosphere of ambulatory veterinary medicine! Carolyn's favorite patients are foals and Morgans! She is enjoying participating in field surgeries as well as some of our more unusual cases and looking forward to gaining even more experience in both routine and emergent medicine. When she's not on the road assisting our patients and clients, Carolyn enjoys riding and driving, swimming, hiking and skiing!

During this week of appreciation, we'd like to send out a huge THANK YOU to Ella and Carolyn who do so much to support our patients. We couldn't do this work with you!

26/09/2024

Doctors Roemer and Prusak enjoyed a great day over the weekend as the volunteer on-call veterinarians for the cross country portion of UNH's Fall Horse Trials!
Everyone enjoyed a safe and successful show. Thank you to UNH for organizing a super, local show!

13/09/2024

Autumn is slowly creeping in here in New England which means the fall vaccine season is officially upon us! Our books are filling fast- reach out to our office to schedule fall boosters and other routine wellness services to keep your horse looking and feeling great!

In the meantime- please enjoy these photos of some of our lovely and very helpful furry "assistants" who are sure to keep us organized at our vaccine clinics!

29/08/2024

As always, Great Bay Equine clients have access to 24/7 emergency coverage. In the event of an emergency, please call 603-319-1479 and press 1 to be connected to the doctor on call!

Enjoy a safe and happy long weekend!

20/08/2024

Exciting news from GBE!

Please join us in welcoming associate veterinarian Dr. Sam Prusak to the practice! Dr. Prusak is joining the GBE team after a rigorous tenure at Fairfield Equine Associates in Connecticut where she honed her skills in emergency medicine, sports medicine and general practice!
We are thrilled to have Dr. Prusak here in NH! We look forward to incorporating her knowledge and experience, compassionate bedside manner and enthusiasm into the practice. If you happen to catch her on the road this week getting acquainted with our lovely clients and patients- don't be afraid to say hi!

To learn more about Dr. Prusak or to schedule an appointment with GBE, visit our website at greatbayequine.com!

19/08/2024

Important note for GBE clients!

As many of you may have heard, there was a case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) on the Seacoast recently. This is a virus that causes neurologic disease in horses and is transmitted by mosquitoes. While it is not contagious horse to horse, it can be transmitted by mosquitoes in our area. Luckily, the vaccine (included in the “EWT” vaccine) is very effective at preventing this disease. Our current recommendations are as follows:

For horses vaccinated against EEE in April 2024 or earlier: We recommend a booster to improve your horses protection against the disease. Please call the office to schedule an appointment.

For horses vaccinated against EEE in May 2024 or later: At this time your horse should be well protected. If we suspect the mosquito season is going longer than usual, we will recommend a booster later this summer.

For horses not vaccinated this year against EEE: We strongly recommend having your horse vaccinated at this time. Please call the office to schedule an appointment.

18/07/2024

Remember Dr. Larson's volunteer trip to the Dominic Republic for Equitarian Initiative's Project Samana last year? Well, the GBE team is at it again!
This August 5-9th, GBE is sending Practice Manager Carrie Fyfe to South Dakota to volunteer with EI's veterinary initiatives on the Pine Ridge Reservation! The Equitarian Initiative volunteer teams will help provide routine veterinary care, castrations, dentistry and wound management to the horses of the Oglala, Lakota tribe at Pine Ridge.

If you'd like to help support Carrie's volunteerism and the invaluable work of the Equitarian Initiative, please drop us a line to purchase your very own Great Bay Equine tumbler! $20 a tumbler (cash or check) and all proceeds go to supporting the incredible efforts of Equitarian Initiative worldwide! Tumblers can be purchased off our vet trucks or via email/phone to pick up at our office!

To learn more about Equitarian Initiative and donate directly, please visit their website at https://equitarianinitiative.org/

03/07/2024

01/07/2024

Happy/sad news from the GBE team!

Please join us in wishing our very own Dr. Larson the best of luck in her new professional endeavors after 3 years of exceptional patient and client care as a member of the Great Bay Equine team! She will leave GBE to begin her new chapter next week.
We are deeply grateful for Dr. Larson's years of compassion and continued commitment to improving the lives of our patients and clients alike- her good sense of humor, kindness and patience will be greatly missed!
From all of us here at Great Bay Equine, thank you for all the amazing things you have done and will continue to do for our horse community! Cheers to you, Dr. Larson!

27/06/2024

The recent heat and humidity and wild microburst storms across New England can only mean one thing- the return of the summer riding season!
From the trail to the show ring (and everything in between!), the team at Great Bay Equine has been hard at work preparing our patients to enjoy a happy, healthy summer season!
Considering having your horse evaluated for soundness so they can look and feel their very best this season? In addition to our comprehensive lameness evaluation, GBE offers a variety of regenerative and traditional therapies to improve your horse's overall health, wellbeing and performance.

Give us a call today to learn more about services like Pro-Stride regenerative therapy for treatment of lameness and associated pain and inflammation, IRAP, Mesotherapy, PRP, Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy and more!!

30/01/2024

Great tips! Thank you American Association of Equine Practitioners!

Colic is not a disease, but rather a combination of signs that alert us to abdominal pain in the horse. Colic can range from mild to severe but it should never be ignored, as many of the conditions that cause colic can become life threatening in a relatively short period of time. Only by quickly and accurately recognizing colic – and seeking qualified veterinary help – can the chance for recovery be maximized.

Virtually any horse is susceptible to colic, so management practices can play a key role in prevention. And although not every case is avoidable, the guidelines listed in the graphic can help you maximize your horse’s health and reduce the risk of colic.

As always, remember that every animal is different depending on age, breed and other health conditions, so be sure to work with your veterinarian to address any concerns specific to your situation!

25/01/2024

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

24/01/2024

for our Donkey clients: Did you know?? Although donkeys seem like small indestructible equines, they have different characteristics that bring different needs! Thanks to our friends at AAEP for shedding some light on how they may differ from your horses in the winter. As always, contact your veterinarian for help making a plan for your individual animals!

24/01/2024

The GBE team is officially first aid/CPR/AED certified! Now that we’re all feeling more prepared, hopefully we will not need to put our human skills to the test! Thank you American Red Cross 🚑

18/01/2024

Bodies enucleation was a huge success! What a perfect patient he was. Thank you so much Dr.Clode for meeting with us and for showing us all of your helpful tips! Thank you for all the wonderful care you provide to all your animals! No more chronic pain for you big guy, best of luck in your adoption process! 👁️