Weston Davis Equine Surgery

08/02/2024

Did you know horses can form stones in their intestines! Although enteroliths are uncommon, they can pose a serious health risk.

Equine enteroliths, also known as intestinal stones or calculi, are mineral masses that form in a horse's gastrointestinal system. They form around ingested foreign objects that horses eat but aren’t able to digest, such as pebbles, metal, hair, etc. Most are made up of magnesium-ammonium-phosphate (struvite) crystals that build up in thin layers around the object over the course of multiple years.

Enterolith risk factors include certain diets (high in calcium like alfalfa), breed predisposition, management practices and geographic region (Florida and California). They are more common in animals over the age of 10, but can occur in horses as young as a yearling or as old as 25 or more.

Enterolith’s can go unnoticed for years until they become large enough and move to areas of the intestine with smaller diameters, such as the small or transverse colon, and obstruct the passage of feed. Symptoms can range from mild, intermittent colic episodes to more acute, severe episodes of colic.

Abdominal radiographs, abdominal ultrasound and re**al palpation can be helpful in diagnosis, but false negatives are common. Definitive diagnosis and treatment consists of exploratory laparotomy and removal of the objects.

We hope this little pearl of information was interesting 😉

07/24/2024

**Important Notice: Temporary Phone Service Disruption**

We are currently experiencing issues with our inbound phone service. Our team is working diligently to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, please reach out to us via text and we will give you a call back as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding!

04/05/2024

We are hiring!

Position: Administrative Assistant
Hours: Part Time, Thursday- Saturday

We're in search of a reliable and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant to join our team.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
-Scheduling appointments
-Handling incoming calls, texts and emails.
-Assisting with document preparation and data entry.
-Organizing and maintaining accurate patient files and records.
-Providing support to team members as needed.

Requirements:
-Previous administrative experience
-5+ years equine experience, equine vet tech experience preferred
-Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
-Strong organizational abilities.

If you're organized, proactive, and ready to support our team, we'd love to hear from you! Please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected] with the subject line "Administrative Assistant Application."

03/31/2024

At PBEC, we will go to great lenths for an Easter egg hunt;). Strangulating lipoma, prayers for speedy recovery. Happy Easter!!!!

03/18/2024

Dr. Davis and Dr. McCreary will be back in Okeechobee on March 28th working out of Arrow 5 Equine with Dr. Paul Bryant! Please call or text Kate at 561-223-4848 to get an appointment scheduled😊

03/04/2024

“Swamp cancer” aka Pythiosis. This condition can often look similar to and confused with “summer sores” (Habronemiasis) but must be treated differently. The severity of lesions and large coral shaped kunkers can be helpful clinically differentiating from summer sores - but histopath is the good standard. Unfortunately, this disease process can be invasive and rapidly progressive if proper intervention is not initiated. Pythium causes ulcerated, granular masses that often form on the legs or abdomen of a horse. It occurs after exposure to standing water where the organism Pythium Insidiosum lives. Even though it is often thought to be fungal, this organism is actually an oomycete. However, it is treated similar to fungal pathologies.The following treatments were included in this patient’s treatment regimen to get him looking as good as he is today!

▪️Aggressive surgical debridements
▪️Intravenous regional limb perfusions with Amphotericin B
▪️Intravenous sodium iodide
▪️Systemic antibiotics, low dose steroids, immunomodulators, and antihistamines.
▪️Pythium vaccine
▪️Daily ice water soaks
▪️Ozone, laser, and liquid nitrogen therapies
▪️Topical Phyco-fix and amnion application

It’s been a long road to recovery, but this patient is looking wonderful after battling an aggressive lesion! Keep in mind Pythium can be life threatening if not dealt with quickly, so be sure to call your veterinarian to assess any summer sore like lesions. If you have any questions about these therapies please drop them below!

02/14/2024

Dr. Davis and Dr. McCreary will be in Okeechobee on February 22nd working out of Arrow 5 Equine with Dr. Paul Bryant. Please call or text Kate at 561-223-4848 to get an appointment scheduled. We are excited to see our clientele in the area!

01/24/2024

The dreaded laceration. The difference between a simple cut and a life threatening infected synovial structure can be just millimeters.

The equine distal limb is the most common place for them to injure themselves, and unfortunately where most synovial structures (joints or tendon sheaths) live. The anatomy of the equine limb can be quite complex. If a wound is communicating with a synovial structure, it is an emergency that requires immediate treatment.

How do we determine this?
1.) Lameness: Usually horses with an infected joint or sheath are quite lame, however not always. Horses can be sound if the joint/sheath is actively draining and not pressurized.
2.) Bloodwork: White blood cell count and inflammatory markers are helpful information in combination with imaging!
3.) Radiographs/ultrasound: This allows us to assess the integrity of soft tissue and bony structures to assess what traumatic injuries may have been sustained. We can also further determine the likelihood of communication using these diagnostic tools.
4.)Arthrocentesis/arthrogram: Obtaining a joint fluid sample to run laboratory values on provides extremely helpful information in determining if a synovial structure is infected. After obtaining a fluid sample, contrast can be sterilely injected into the joint. Repeat radiographs are then taken to see if the contrast stays within the joint capsule, or communicates with the wound. Pictured below is Dr. Chanutin performing an arthrogram on a pastern joint!

If a synovial structure is determined to be infected, it requires emergency surgery. Make sure to call your vet for a thorough evaluation!

01/08/2024

This patient presented for a history of recurrent abscesses. Radiographs revealed a lucency within P3. Top differentials for a case like this would be a Keratoma vs. sequestrum/pedal osteitis.

A keratoma is an aberrant mass of keratin produced by epidermal cells of the coronary band. They are unlikely to cause discomfort until they grow to the sole surface and allow separation of the bond between hoof wall and sole. Once this happens, it allows introduction for bacteria and recurrent abscesses.

Keratoma location was confirmed by pre-operative Computer Tomography. A window of dorsal hoof wall was excised to expose the sensitive laminae and allow excision of the abnormal keratin mass. A supportive shoe was placed to allow stabilization of the foot and hoof wall. This patient is doing well and on the road to recovery!

Just remember if you're battling a foot abscess that seems to be never ending to make sure to get good foot radiographs!

12/29/2023

Cat got your tongue??

Below are pictures of a patient that sustained a full thickness laceration to his tongue from an unknown trauma while grazing. Complete severance of the tongue leaves it unable to be reattached, but Dr. Davis was able to suture the remainder of the tongue closed to allow for appropriate healing.

The recovery process is actually quicker than one would expect. Post-operatively this horse was maintained on antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and his grain/pellets were fed in mash form. This patient was back to eating his normal diet regimen and grazing within a few weeks!

Moral of the story: it’s not always good to bite your tongue😜

12/22/2023

Talk about a headache! This poor little guy sustained a skull fracture and laceration that communicated with the nuchal bursa after slipping on concrete.

Red arrows in the radiograph image reveal the non-displaced fracture of the occipital bone, and the blue arrow references the avulsion fragment of the nuchal crest. The site was clipped, cleaned and thoroughly lavaged. Multiple bone fragments were removed, and the laceration was closed with a drain in place.

Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, daily lavaging, ozone, and laser treatment were the mainstay therapies used to get this little guy back to 100%. He is doing well at home and fully recovered! May we add he looked mighty adorable in his head gear😍

Skull fractures can be a common traumatic injury in young horses, and often result from rearing and falling over backwards. Rupture of the re**us capitis muscles are a common sequelae of these episodes due to the hyperextension they undergo when pressure is applied to the occipital protuberance. If fracture of attachment sites are involved (basisphenoid/basioccipital bone), neurological signs may be present in addition to epistaxis(bleeding from the nostrils). Luckily that was not the case for this patient! CT imaging is a very useful diagnostic in these traumatic injuries due to the complex anatomy of the equine skull.

12/14/2023

Let’s talk equine intussusception! Intussusception is when the small intestine telescopes on itself, causing an obstruction and restricting blood flow. This lesion is uncommon but requires surgical correction when diagnosed.

Intussusception is a common cause of surgical colic in horses 3-12 months of age. Although it becomes increasingly rare after 3 years of age, it has been reported. When long segments of bowel are involved it presents as severe colic due to the full obstruction it causes. When small segments of bowel are involved, it can present as a more mild, intermittent form of chronic colic. Symptoms of short intussusception include reduced appetite and manure passage, elevated temperatures, and an unthrifty appearance with mild colic episodes usually following a meal.

The ultrasound image below shows a “target lesion” which is a classic image used to diagnose intussusception along with other laboratory and clinical findings. The highlighted regions differentiate the two segments of bowel. The blue line extends through the wall of the outer segment of small intestine. The yellow highlight outlines the inner segment of small intestine that has been telescoped into the lumen of the segment highlighted in blue. In this particular case, a significant segment of bowel was involved causing a complete obstruction and severe signs of colic.

Note the sequestered fluid within the intussusception on ultrasound. Abdominocentesis was normal in this horse due to the abnormal peritoneal fluid being trapped within the intussusception rather than being sampled during the abdominocentesis.

In the video you can see Dr. Davis and Dr. McGuire reducing the intussusception. Thankfully they were able to manually correct it without need for resection of the small intestine!

11/07/2023

We are cooking tonight for a great charity in our local equine community! If you have a minute today, please leave a tip/donation for your favorite chef!!! **I’m asking that everyone donate before I start cooking (incase of fire or foodborn illness from my table)🤣🤣. Proceeds all going to a great local cause!!

Here is the link for donations. Thank you guys in advance.!!

https://www.tailwindtrails.com/calendar/?fbclid=IwAR1kLN5Oe4UoUp-462vhnoblzmznw7xGD8QaMPLG_DyTn1o2TxXtVZrdBKU_aem_ASZkqyqSq0imidgNrXp3MYi97xyHNg3yOSmTg7Bd1zpNGdPECTCnrS4_7Kc_-K4mTHE #!event/register/2023/11/7/celebrity-chef-event

Weston Davis is a board certified equine surgeon based out of Palm Beach Equine Clinic. This page highlights interesting surgical procedures/outcomes.

10/21/2023

Closing out Vet Tech Appreciation week, we’re introducing Kate!

🌴 Kate was born and raised in New Jersey and moved to Florida four years ago, where she turned her love of horses into a career.

🦄 Kate rescued her heart horse from a grim situation nearly 13 years ago and her love of riding quickly turned into a love of caring for her horse to the very best of her ability— even if that meant not getting to spend much time in the saddle.

🐾 In addition to tending to her own horse, Kate was quite familiar with fostering dogs and any other animals that was in need. This was how her interest in veterinary medicine began.

✨ Kate’s empathy, adaptability and positive attitude truly shows in the work that she does.

♥️ Her favorite part of working at WDES is having the ability to be a part of the journeys that our patients and clients must navigate. She loves celebrating their successes alongside them while also being there for them in their times of need.

💕 When not at work, Kate can be found with her beautiful 8 month old daughter and enjoying time with her family, horse, dog and cat.

💯 At WDES, we lovingly refer to Kate as the “Chaos Coordinator” as she organizes/manages this busy office and motley crew of doctors and technicians. This is a feat and we don’t know what we would do without her!

10/20/2023

Continuing Vet Tech Appreciation Week with the introduction of Elizabeth!

💯 Elizabeth has superb horsemanship and horse-handling skills which truly makes her an asset to our team!

🏆 Elizabeth was born and raised in New Mexico and moved to Florida 7 years ago to ride and compete in showjumping.

🩺 Choosing the path of being an equine vet tech was appealing to her as she would be able to expand her knowledge of veterinary medicine in the equine industry.

🐴 Elizabeth’s strong work ethic is evident in our daily tasks and she helps keep the days running smoothly.

✨ Her favorite part of working with WDES is being able to provide top tier care for our patients.

🐾 In her free time, Elizabeth can be found at the beach with her dogs, horse showing or spending time with friends.

📚While Elizabeth is attending college, we only get to steal her part-time but we always wish she’d join us more!

10/20/2023

In our greatest appreciation of vet techs everyday and not just Vet Tech Week, our next WDES tech introduction is Becca!

🩺 Becca came to us with great technical experience. She is skilled in her work and her demeanor is always calm (at least outwardly). She is polite and sweet which makes her a pleasure to work with.

🗽Born in California and raised in New York, Becca grew up as a horse-loving kid. She always knew she wanted to surround herself with horses daily and what better way to fulfill that dream than by getting to work with them everyday!?

📈 Becca is proud of her ability to overcome challenges and really enjoys the endless learning opportunities that are presented while working with the WDES team. She thrives on growth and immerses herself into doing everything to grow professionally as an equine vet tech.

🐴🐾 In Becca’s personal time, she is usually found spending time with her own horse or her dogs.

💯 Becca has a diverse skill set and was even kind enough to step in and help out in the office when Kate was off for her maternity leave. We are very thankful to have her!

10/19/2023

Interesting case and a reminder to be careful with those tail wraps!

This was an adult jumper imported to the United States. He was transported with a tail wrap for protection because he would sometimes rub/scuff his tail when shipping. When the wrap was removed, his tail was noted to be red, swollen, and painful with moderate hair loss. He was referred to us for evaluation and treatment.

In this case, a staged surgical approach was elected. There was a line of demarcation with damaged skin high on the tail, but we wanted to preserve as much tissue as possible!
An epidural was performed and the obviously necrotic/cold tip of the tail was surgically removed until some bleeding tissue was encountered (see pics, video in comments showing bleeding tissue).

Aggressive medical therapy was initiated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and medications to improve blood flow (aspirin, pentoxyifylline, LMW heparin, etc) . Medical maggots were employed to help clean up additional necrotic tissues and the tail was bandaged.

Unfortunately, this lower section of tail could not survive and a high amputation was performed about a week later to remove the remaining necrotic segment. The pictures document the process.

Amnion grafting and cold laser therapy was performed on the stump of tail to speed up the healing process.

Our patient is all healed, happy and healthy. Minus the absent fly swatter, we expect him to have no other impediments.

The equine tail is sensitive to wrapping accidents. If tail wraps are necessary, they should be applied lightly, for short durations, and monitored frequently.

10/19/2023

Our next tech introduction is Sarah, who is the newest member of the team. She is bright, ambitious and always smiling. She is a natural with the patients and we look forward to her growing with our team.

🐾 Sarah grew up on a farm in Connecticut where she was surrounded by animals and the veterinary field. Her Mom is a farmer and vet tech, and her Dad is Veterinarian. It’s quite clear that her love for animals and veterinary medicine is in her blood.

🐴 Having been an equestrian since she could walk, Sarah was involved in 4-H, Pony Club and trained and worked with many upper level riders and trainers.

🏆 Sarah is very proud of her own horse who was born on her farm. She was present for every milestone of his life from birth, all the way up to competing (and placing!) at the American Eventing Championships in Kentucky.

🧘🏻‍♀️When not at work she enjoys spending time at the beach, fishing, free diving and doing yoga. She has two leash-trained cats who she takes out and about, exploring. Sarah is also a country music fan and has taken up line dancing! She also of course enjoys spending time with her horse, and going for a nice trail ride is her favorite way to relax and unwind.

Horses are her passion and her happy place and we are thrilled to have Sarah join the WDES team!

10/19/2023

It’s National Vet Tech Week and we’re introducing all of our techs this week!

✨One thing we ALL share in common is the innate ability within us to deliver the highest quality of care to any horse who passes through our hands. WDES is privileged to have some of the most dedicated equine vet techs on our team.

First up, Ale!

⚡️Alejandro is our most “hands-on” employee. With a strong background as a rider and trainer, he’s the guy we look for to handle the rowdy patients. He helps out with everything from IT services to processing orthobioligics (your PRP, Prostride, A*M, etc), to pre-purchase radiographs and scrubbing into surgeries. He’s very talented at all the work he does and is equally as hardworking.

🐎 Born in Guatemala, Ale moved to the states 9 years ago to pursue his riding and compete in show jumping. He was eager to find a career that would allow him to help what he is most passionate about— horses.

🩺 He states that “I chose to be a veterinary assistant due to my love for equine athletes and helping them perform to the best of their ability”. Alejandro’s favorite part about working with WDES is the collaborative team approach.

🎣 When not at work, you can find Ale enjoying fishing, spending time with friends and riding.

We are blessed to have his kind of skill and dedication on the team!

10/02/2023

🎉We are excited to welcome and introduce you all to our new associate at WDES, Dr. Courtney McCreary!

🐎Dr. McCreary was born and raised in Okeechobee, Florida. She grew up rodeoing with her events being barrel racing, breakaway roping and pole pending. Her favorite memory was competing at the National High School Finals Rodeo her senior year.

👩🏻‍🎓Dr. McCreary received her degree in veterinary medicine from University of Florida (Go Gators!) She did a clinical rotation with WDES during veterinary school and continued to spend time with us when able.

🩺 Dr. McCreary completed her internship at The Equine Medical Center of Ocala, and is excited to now be a part of WDES! Her special area of interests include sports medicine, imaging, and surgery.

🌿When not working with her patients, you can find Dr. McCreary on a run or on the water.

✨Dr. McCreary states “I have always admired the outstanding level of care and expertise that WDES provides to their patients and clients. I’m thrilled to join the team!”

08/22/2023

Employment Opportunity!

Equine Veterinary Technician

If you enjoy warm weather, beaches and horses, then you’ll enjoy working in the winter horse capital of the world in Wellington, Florida. We provide outstanding service and care from the retired horse all the way up to the Olympic level equine athlete specializing in equine surgery and sports medicine, WDES offers an endless amount of opportunities for the qualified candidate.
Expectations:
-Excellent horse handling and people skills as a must
-Strong work ethic, self motivated and detail oriented to excel in the field
-Previous vet tech experience is a plus but not required
-Approximately 50 hours per week
Job type: full-time

To apply please send resumes to [email protected]

08/14/2023

General anesthesia carries a high complication rate in large draft breeds. Therefore, we adapt our surgical style for their safety. 😊

💉With light sedation and local nerve blocks, this gorgeous Clyde had a standing palmar digital neurectomy to ameliorate chronic foot pain associated with sidebone.

Surgery was a success and he walked back to his stall just in time for brunch. 🥂

04/12/2023

👀 Take a look at this melanoma removal that was located in the throatlatch, adjacent to the salivary duct.

🩺 Although most are slowly expansile benign tumors, it was elected to remove this one while smaller in size, before it enlarged and began to pose a problem.

04/04/2023

We have a high success rate correcting displacement colics medically. However, sometimes they just don’t cooperate.

🩺 When the large colon is displaced severely enough that venous outflow is obstructed, they may accumulate a large amount of edema in the colon wall. This heavy/edematous colon becomes much less likely to replace spontaneously and surgery is often indicated.

📸 These pictures are from a case last week with a severe displacement and resulting edema of the colon wall and mesocolon. Surgical replacement was performed. Our patient is recovering very well and will be back to athletic work in 60 days!

03/14/2023

🚨 Mandibular Condylectomy: An Uncommon Surgery

👉🏻 In this case of severe TMJ arthritis, the patient was uncomfortable to the point where he was having difficulty eating hay and could not be ridden.

👍🏻 A “mandibular condylectomy” was elected. In this procedure, the disk and mandibular condyle are removed, allowing for a non-painful pseudoarthrosis (false joint).

✅ Prognosis is considered good and the patient should return to riding activities.