Muckalee Equine & Agri-Health Services, LLC

05/05/2024

Is it even Sunday Funday if you aren’t putting a horse back together after they impale themselves on a metal post?

A little before & after of Ms. Jackie’s laceration that I was able to piece back together today. The laceration went through the skin & subcutaneous tissue as well as a good portion of the biceps femoris muscle.

With antibiotics & anti-inflammatories on board & TLC from the owner, she should heal up just fine!

02/02/2024

February is which means it’s time to get your horses scheduled for their yearly oral exams & floats with an equine veterinarian if you haven’t already!

Routine dental maintenance is easily one of the most important yet overlooked parts of the overall health of the horse. I’ve always preached *every horse, every year* & I’d love the opportunity to work with you & your horses & share why proper dental maintenance is SO important in horses — whether they’re pasture ornaments or performance pros!

To get on the schedule, call or text Dr. Alli at 229-942-1806 Monday through Friday from 8am - 5pm.

14/12/2023

✨ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ✨ to the newest addition on my own farm! Daisy, my first bottle baby, finally calved with her first calf by my Circle G bull, Dan, who was my broken leg/rumenostomy calf. Daisy never took to A.I. last year, but before separating & moving pastures, Dan got the job done & we now have a brand new, healthy heifer calf to love on! 💕

17/04/2023

It’s hard to believe that this past weekend marked 3 years since I opened Muckalee Equine & Agri-Health Services, LLC. It’s been 3 years that I never could have anticipated, but I truly have the best clients that have supported me from the beginning — both professionally & personally — & I could not be more thankful!

I know I haven’t been as active on social media with sharing interesting cases lately, but I am very much still around & still busy making farm calls. Feel free to call/text to get on the books for herd work, bull breeding soundness evaluations, or to schedule your horses’ spring vaccines, dental work, & Coggins/CVIs for spring & summer horse shows & rodeos coming up.

29/07/2022

A fun update on how this guy’s head laceration finally healed up! You’d never know that I was touching the front of his skull & literally putting his face back together 10 months ago!

05/05/2022

Somehow, as of today, it has been 4 years since I had the great privilege of graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine at THE University of Georgia! 🐾

In those 4 years I worked as an associate at two different veterinary practices, I started my own ambulatory large animal practice, I was given opportunities to be featured in magazines & on news shows & podcasts, I’ve been nominated twice for UGA’s “40 under 40”, I’ve formed countless meaningful relationships with clients through helping their animals, & I’ve grown immeasurably not only as a veterinarian but as an individual.

The two special people pictured with me here — my sweet parents — are the sole reason I was ever able to get to where I am today in the first place! Their unconditional love, encouragement, financial support, prayers, time, & endless dedication to seeing me through is what got me from a little girl with a really big dream to a doctor with her own veterinary practice. They were, & still are, the ones that have kept everything going behind the scenes so that I can be on the road all long running from farm to farm.

This past year has largely been marked by daddy’s tragic passing. It has been a giant hurdle that I fall over daily, but I am so blessed to have SO MANY of his memories & life/business lessons to carry me through! We have struggled to find our new “normals” without him since he was involved in **every single thing** in our lives, but we’re making it & my ABSOLUTE ROCKSTAR of a mom has picked up right where daddy left off & helps me out whenever & however she’s needed!

What a ride these 4 years have been! I look forward to the next 40… because I’m lucky enough to have a career & people standing alongside me that make this “job” one I don’t wake up dreading! How incredibly lucky am I ❤️

02/05/2022

Dr. Pimple Popper doesn’t have anything on a cow vet!!

I was able to drain several gallons of fluid from the seroma on this cow, so hopefully she’ll feel much better & be able to heal properly without all the fluid being in the way. Many seromas (sterile fluid that accumulates from a bruise) are able to heal on their own, but because of how massive this one was the best option was to lance it & put her on prophylactic antibiotics to prevent further abscess formation.

27/04/2022

Today this big guy got to take his maiden voyage on his good-as-new leg!

On March 24 he was found to have pretty nasty fracture of his lower hind leg. His lower leg just above his ankle had no stability & resembed an “L” when he tried to walk on it 😖 It had not broken the skin, though, and after sedating him & examining the fracture I decided he was a good candidate for a cast.

After two cast changes, today he is finally cast free! He’ll walk with a slight limp for a few days until the muscles strengthen in that leg, as they’re weak from being immobilized for 5 weeks. The fracture site has completely stabilized, though, so he is good to go!

18/04/2022

This past weekend marked 2 years that I’ve been in business! To say that the last 7 months have been challenging to navigate with the passing of my dad would be a massive understatement. With the hard times that I’ve endured (and still am, to be honest) I have received the kindest words of support & encouragement from so many of you. I am forever grateful for your continued support of me & my dreams! I am even more grateful for the relationships that I’ve been able to form through this small business of mine.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for an incredible 2 years of being in business! I would not be where I am today without y’all & I look forward to continued growth & continuing to serve all of you to the best of my abilities!

31/03/2022

Dental month may be over, but I’m still preaching **comprehensive oral exams on EVERY HORSE, EVERY YEAR, by a LICENSED VETERINARIAN**

You don’t go the nail salon or anywhere else & ask for a dental cleaning, so stop allowing your farriers/HVAC technicians/convenience store clerks to “float” your horses’ teeth. Unless, of course, your equine veterinarian also pulls shifts at the local nail salon/heating & air business/gas station. Kudos to them 🙌🏻

I will die on a hill preaching the following:

1. Make sure a licensed veterinarian is the one you call for an oral exam & to make adjustments in your horses’ mouths.

2. Make sure the horse is properly sedated, an oral speculum placed, & a bright light utilized. You cannot perform a thorough exam on a horse that doesn’t have it’s mouth secured open & that’s throwing it’s head around or moving from side to side.

3. Preference is given to power tools over hand floats. This isn’t a deal breaker, but modern advances in equine dentistry has made our jobs easier (on us & the horse) & significantly more efficient.

Call Monday through Friday, 8AM - 5PM with questions or to get your horses’ oral exams scheduled!

Dr. Alli
229-942-1806

31/03/2022

Join us in Adel on Saturday for an incredible group of females being offered for sale!

The sale pens are in place and we are ready to see everyone this Saturday in Adel!

24/03/2022

I always hate to see a calf sustain a fracture, but they tend to be pretty satisfying to repair in my experience. This bull calf was found with a closed distal metatarsal fracture, so I was able to set & cast it pretty easily.

And in the spirit of turkey season coming in next weekend, y’all know I had to get this kid fixed up with a fancy camouflage cast!

23/03/2022

It’s only fitting that I spent this helping a first calf heifer with a pretty tough delivery of this big bull calf.

To say that agriculture is imperative to the inner workings of everyday life would be a tremendous understatement. I am so very thankful for the farmers, ranchers, food animal veterinarians, & everyone else in agriculture across the nation who endure the lowest of lows — especially in today’s times — to ensure that the heartbeat of agriculture never dies.

I appreciate you ❤️🇺🇸🚜🌾

17/03/2022

Tomorrow marks 6 months of living life without my best friend & my favorite veterinary assistant — half of a year without my daddy. It seems like a lifetime has passed & also like it just happened yesterday. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to have him back on this side of Heaven, but I know he’s living his best life up there even more so than he was down here ❤️

08/03/2022

On this , I’m thankful for all of the women who worked day in & day out to make a way for all of us in veterinary medicine & in agriculture — two traditionally male-dominated career paths.

If I’ve learned anything about being a female large animal veterinarian, it’s that there isn’t anything that I can’t do that my male counterpart can. We may be smaller framed & not as physically strong; but we work smarter, not harder & we always work just as hard.

So here’s to strong women — may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them 💪🏼

08/03/2022

In light of the continuous spike in fuel prices (let’s go Brandon!!!), I unfortunately will be having to increase my charges for farm calls pretty significantly. I promise you that I don’t like it anymore than you do, as I know the economy is particularly hemorrhaging the pocketbooks of those of us in agriculture.

HOWEVER!!! I will be starting to offer discounted mileage rates if I can group several farms/barns on the same day in a given area. I am hoping this will help some of you out as well as cut down on the miles that I’m traveling each direction each day.

This will require your help, though, through word of mouth — so please LIKE/SHARE/TAG A FRIEND on this post so that we can hopefully combat these astronomical prices that are, unfortunately, only predicted to keep sky rocketing.

As always, I’m here to help! Feel free to call & leave a voicemail or send a text message to 229-942-1806 Monday through Friday 8AM to 6PM with any questions.

~ Dr. Alli

05/03/2022

It’s a beautiful day to get some heifers bred! We’ll see in 30 days if the stars aligned for me to have some Circle G Honcho babies hitting the ground in December!

08/02/2022

Another day, another extraction! 🦷

We’re one week into Dental Month & so far I’ve done 13 dentals & 6 tooth extractions! There’s still plenty of time left to get your horse’s dental scheduled & take advantage of the discounts all while making your horse more comfortable. Don’t forget that I’m hosting two haul-in dental days for an additional discount — this coming Saturday is the only weekend day that I have time slots available! Call or text today to reserve your spot!

07/02/2022

With the weather being all over the place lately, here’s a few tips for horse owners to prevent impaction colic secondary to decreased water intake & dehydration:

🦄 Install water heaters in your water troughs & make sure their water is clean!

🦄 Soak hay for 15 minutes prior to feeding & add water to their feed to make a mash!

🦄 Add salt or powdered electrolytes to their feed to encourage water intake!

•• In the event that your horse does colic, here’s a few steps you can take initially:

⭐️ Take their vitals! A horse’s heart rate should be less than 44 beats per minute, their respiratory rate less than 24 breaths per minute, & their re**al temperature between 99-101.5*F. Also, their gums should be pink & moist to the touch. Any changes or increases from these parameters could mean that your horse is experiencing some level of pain or discomfort.

⭐️ Listen to their gut sounds using a stethoscope! An absence of gut sounds on either side of their flank is likely an indication that the GI tract isn’t moving things through like it should be.

⭐️ Call your vet & let them know you have an emergency! Colic is broad term to describe a horse that is having abdominal pain. In order to determine the source of the pain, your vet will use certain diagnostic tools & then treat accordingly depending on what they determine the cause & severity to be. It’s always recommended to call your vet sooner rather than later to increase the chances of your horse recovering. Any delay in treatment can cause your horse unnecessary pain, complicate your vet’s treatment plan, & can result in the death of your horse in the most severe cases.

06/02/2022

I interrupt my normal farm animal posts to give you a bottle baby pup video!

In addition to running my ambulatory large animal practice full time, I also work as a small animal relief veterinarian doing surgeries two mornings a week at a local veterinary hospital. Last Monday during a routine spay on a mama dog that had just been rescued, I realized that the pregnancy was much further along than anyone initially realized. In these situations I always do a C-section to give the pups a chance at life. They all came out black & chocolate (with the exception of one tan pup!) so I imagine there is heavy Labrador influence from dad’s side. Mom appeared to be a Shepherd mix.

With that said, there are 9 total pups that we are bottle raising! They will all be looking for loving homes in 5 short weeks so if you or anyone you know is looking to add a new pup to the family, feel free to reach out to me for more information! 💕

Dr. Alli

02/02/2022

The horse tooth fairy is going to be busy this month! Three more molar extractions today & three more happier horses! 🦷

Don’t forget to schedule your horses’ dental exams this month to take advantage of the discounts for !

01/02/2022

No better way to start out Veterinary Dental Month than by doing six dentals & two molar extractions! 🦷 February is Veterinary Dental Month & as a way to promote dental health — particularly in horses — I will be providing equine dentals at a 10% discount for the entire month! I will also be hosting two weekend dental days on the second & last Saturday’s of February (2/12 and 2/26) at my personal facility. There will be an additional 20% discount given to horse owners who would like to haul in on one of these two days. These Saturday slots will be limited, so reserve your time slot ASAP!

Equine dental health is one of the most important, but most overlooked components of a horse’s overall health. Just like vaccinations & EIA (Coggins) testing, EVERY HORSE needs a thorough dental exam EVERY YEAR by a licensed equine veterinarian (equine dentistry can only legally be performed in Georgia by a licensed veterinarian or under the direct supervision & instruction of a licensed veterinarian; equine “dentists” who do not fall under these categories do more harm than good in many circumstances). A few signs to look for that indicate that it’s time for your horse to have a thorough dental exam include quidding (dropping feed), weight loss, sudden behavior changes, or resistance to the bit.

To find out more & to schedule your horse’s dental, text or leave a voice message at 229-942-1806.

Providing high-quality routine & emergency veterinary care to the horses, livestock, & small ruminan

27/01/2022

Dan is 2 days post-op & doing great! I ran him through the chute today to check the surgery site & clean him up a bit, & he got another shot of antibiotics also. The rumenostomy is doing exactly what I hoped it would & allowing him to increase his feed intake without bloating, so I’m pretty happy with where we are at this point! Fingers crossed that things remain uneventful over the weekend & he continues to heal properly! 🤞🏼

25/01/2022

Today I turned my bull calf, Dan, into a land whale with a blow hole!! 🐳

For the last few weeks Dan has had 1-2 instances each week of becoming bloated to the point of needing the gas relieved by an orogastric tube (first video). This type of bloat, known as free gas bloat, is usually due to dietary reasons. It can also be seen in cattle that have infection or inflammation around their vagal nerve, which is the nerve responsible for normal eructation (belching). Bloat is a potentially life threatening occurrence in cattle & if not taken care of promptly, they can die from asphyxiation where the rumen compresses their lungs to the point where they suffocate to death. It’s also painful & you’ll often see affected cattle kicking at their sides or laying down in a stretched out position.

Dan hasn’t responded to dietary changes or to antibiotics/anti-inflammatory medications, so today I made the decision to turn him into a pasture whale & give him a blow hole. This stoma, which is basically a hole leading directly into the rumen (one of the four chambers of a ruminant’s stomach), will allow any gas that builds up in the rumen to freely flow out so that he doesn’t become bloated again. The hole will eventually close on its own as the body heals it, but that will take weeks/months, which will hopefully give Dan’s rumen enough time to adjust to his diet & resolve his bloating issue naturally.

This surgery was done standing in a squeeze chute with sedation (some of the same drugs used to sedate humans for wisdom teeth surgery!) & a local lidocaine block. He’ll be given pain medication & antibiotics for the next week & hopefully no complications will arise from the surgery!

19/01/2022

I’m a little late on my “Happy New Year” post, but I do hope y’all had a great Christmas & a great start to 2022! The past four months have been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced with the tragic passing of my daddy, William Reid. My family & I have just been trying to keep our heads above water while navigating all aspects of our lives without daddy. In addition to being the best father, he was my right-hand business man & my go-to assistant for every single question that I had regarding my business, so to say my world has been shaken is a massive understatement. I apologize for being inconsistent or flat out absent in my communication with many of you, it has merely just taken all that I have to maintain my established clientele base while also trying to take over many of daddy’s responsibilities at our family farm where my mom & I live.

I say all of that to say that with this new year I am still accepting new clients. I offer routine wellness & herd health programs for horses, cattle & small ruminants (vaccinations, parasite control, dental work, pregnancy checks) as well as regulatory services (Coggins, CVI’s for interstate travel, Brucellosis vaccination, blood testing for livestock exhibition, & TB testing). Sick/emergent cases are also taken care of Monday through Friday 8AM - 5:30PM as I am available & after business hours on weekdays & on the weekends for my current established clients only. Please be aware that I am the sole owner/veterinarian & may not be able to tend to all urgent cases promptly depending on my schedule, so please have a backup plan ready in an emergency situation. To inquire about becoming an established client or to schedule an appointment please leave a voice message or text at 229-942-1806 Monday through Friday 8AM - 5:30PM & I will get back with you as soon as I’m able to.

Beginning this year I am also offering portable chute services for an additional fee for farmers & producers who do not have proper working facilities for their herds. My chute is an ACME Rancher & has a fully adjustable alleyway & squeeze chute to accommodate all weight classes of cattle safely & effectively.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported me since April of 2020, but especially to those of you who have reached out to me & my family since daddy’s passing on September 18. I’ve had clients offer their condolences personally & even offer their time to help me since daddy was always my “vet tech” when needed. You know who you are & I simply cannot say “thank you” enough! I am so incredibly blessed to have the clientele base that I do within our community here in Americus & surrounding areas. Here’s to a new year, new normals, & new goals!

~ Dr. Alli