Sophie Christilles, DVM

10/05/2022

Every horse owner’s worst fear…the dreaded nail/screw in the hoof! This guy was pretty lucky and this screw managed to miss a lot of the important structures in the foot like the coffin joint, coffin bone, tendon sheath, and navicular bursa. In this case, it actually went into what we call the digital cushion which gives him a better prognosis of returning to soundness. We were able to remove the screw, curette the area, soak the foot and perform a regional limb perfusion. A regional limb perfusion is a procedure that delivers a high concentration of antibiotics to a certain area in order to treat the infection while minimizing any systemic side effects. This guy was then sent home on oral medications the same day!

If this happens to your horse DO NOT IMMEDIATELY PULL THE NAIL/SCREW OUT! First thing you do is call us. This is an emergency situation and we will walk you through the next steps. If you can keep the nail/screw in without causing it to travel further in the foot, that is ideal. That way we can see exactly what structures the nail/screw penetrated by taking a couple x rays. In some cases you have to remove it to prevent it from causing further damage. In these cases, you should take multiple picture of it before you remove it so that we can see where it was in the foot and in what direction it was traveling. That way we can do more accurate diagnostics to determine what structures might have been injured/infected so that we can treat it accordingly.

These cases can be nerve-racking to say the least but try not to panic and give us a call so we can work through it together!

02/17/2022

First breeding of the season was a success ✔️ This mare is officially in foal. Off to a good start this year!

01/27/2022

* 𝗩𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 - It's important that you know your horse's vital signs, as they are early indications of a problem. If the horse is excited or it's a hot/humid day, heart and respiration rates can be slightly elevated:

𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: An adult horse at rest should have a body temperature of 99 - 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above that level can indicate an active infection. The normal temperature range for a foal is 99.5 - 102.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲: 28-44 beats per minute depending on the horse's size.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 10-24 breaths per minute.

𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀: The horse's gums should be moist and a healthy pink.

𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲: If you press your finger firmly against the horse's gums, the point of pressure should return to a pink color within one to two seconds.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀: Gurgling, gas-like growls, tinkling sounds and occasional roars are normal. No intestinal sounds or decreased intestinal sounds can be a sign of colic.

--From AAEP

01/19/2022

A sequestrum is a piece of dead bone that a horse's body treats like a foreign object, like a splinter. The region around the sequestrum becomes infected as the body tries to rid itself of the dead tissue.

They are typically caused by trauma to the lower limbs that have little to no protective covering, like this horse's cannon bone. The trauma damages the blood supply to the area causing that portion of bone to die.

Occasionally, they can be treated by localized antibiotics, but often minor surgery is needed to remove the dead tissue, which allows the body to complete its own healing process.

01/17/2022

🚨Breeding season is around the corner!🚨Are you hoping to breed your mare this year? Now is the time to make sure she is ready!

Breeding soundness exams are a great way to determine if your mare is the right candidate for breeding or if she needs any treatments before ordering that first dose of semen.
A breeding soundness exam includes a physical exam, palpation and ultrasound of the internal reproductive organs per re**um, a culture swab, and in some cases a uterine biopsy.

Uterine infections are very common and are a major reason why some mares do not conceive. Thats why it’s best to get a uterine culture performed before the breeding season begins so that there is plenty of time for treatment. In some cases, we recommend getting a uterine biopsy. This is when we take a sample of the uterine tissue for evaluation. This information gives us a better idea of the mare’s ability to carry a foal to term.

Feel free to call and make an appointment today!

01/10/2022

12/02/2021

Get a kickstart to the 2021 breeding season by putting your open mares under lights. Adding artificial light, starting in the evenings, will help mares start cycling by mid-February. The general rule of thumb is 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark, and you need enough light in the stall to be able to read a newspaper in the darkest corner.

08/19/2021

Proud to be part of the 5.6% 🐴 also very honored that they used the picture of my old girl and I for this 💕

08/03/2021

07/09/2021

God Bless the Farrier! 🙌🏻

05/31/2021

We are closed today as we remember and honor those who have fallen in service to our country.