Great Bay Equine

22/01/2025

Update: we are back up and running! Please call us at 603-319-1479 and press 1 for emergency services as usual!

22/01/2025

Attention GBE clients! We’ve been informed that our current phone system provider is troubleshooting an unforeseen nationwide outage for incoming calls.
**if you are having an equine emergency and need to speak to a doctor on call, please call 603-828-7197**
We expect to have this issue resolved tomorrow for our usual contact number! Thank you for your patience!

22/01/2025

Brrrrr! It is FRIGID out there! 🥶🥶🥶
What better time for a winter equine management check in than now! Read on to learn more about how we make winter management decisions courtesy of GBE Veterinary Assistant, Ella!

Inclement weather management:
- It goes without saying that the most important factor in maintaining excellent horse health during the cold winter months is providing quality nutrition and access to fresh water and minerals.
- Throughout the winter, horses use more energy to keep warm meaning their hay intake may increase. Plan for this! The digestive process generates warmth and even with access to shelter and blanketing, as the temperature dips below freezing horses need more frequent access to hay and forage to maintain body temperature.
- It is crucial to provide unlimited, ice-free water to maintain optimal hydration. Something as simple as soaking your horse's regular feed in warm water can provide extra hydration (and a novel, new snack!). Vitamin and mineral supplementation may be recommended during winter months due to the lack of grass and limited availability to high quality hay.

The age old debate- when to blanket versus when not to blanket!:
The lifestyle of each individual horse ultimately determines what level of blanketing and/or clipping is necessary!
- A healthy horse that has adapted to colder weather, grows a naturally thick winter coat and has access to reliable shelter will typically not require blanketing during colder months (we're looking at you miniatures and shaggy ponies!). The hairs of a horse's winter coat are triggered by the piloerector muscle (new trivia word, anyone?) to lift up and away from the skin to trap warm air between the plush undercoat and the coarse, outer "guard" hairs. Horses with healthy winter coats generally do quite well in freezing temps due to this nifty adaptation!
- Horses that are in regular work throughout the winter may need to be clipped to avoid excessive sweating, in which case, blanketing is a necessity! Blanketing may also be necessary for very young or older horses, horses in poor body condition, or horses unable to grow an adequate winter coat.
-When blanketing, it is crucial to check the blanket’s fit and condition each day, as well as change blankets appropriately for the climate. Over-blanketing can be arguably as concerning (if not more) as under-blanketing, given the risks associated with excessive sweating/overheating in frigid temperatures.
-Bottom Line: Whether a horse is blanketed or not, they should be monitored each day to ensure they are maintaining body condition, eating and drinking well and able to regulate their temperature sufficiently.

Lastly- Exercise!:
-Some of our more, shall we say, delicate (?) equine friends may be perfectly content to remain stabled during exceptionally cold temps or inclement weather, provided they have unlimited access to hay, salt and water. However, for some horses, confinement may be overly stressful. In these cases, caution should be taken to avoid making sudden changes to turnout/stabling routines in the face of steep temperature drops. Consider your horse's body condition, preferences and overall health to make your cold weather management decisions!
- Recommendations for riding and exercising horses in the depths of winter vary considerably from horse to horse and farm to farm! Here are some key things we consider when deciding whether to ride in a deep freeze: frozen, uneven footing, deep snow, frigid and dry air temperatures, shoeing (is your horse barefoot or outfitted with snow pads and studs?), a conscientious warm up routine to avoid injuries due to cold, tight muscles.

When in doubt, the GBE team is happy to help answer any of your cold-weather equine management questions! Stay safe and warm out there!

14/01/2025

It's a blustery, chilly day in New Hampshire- need a pick me up? We got you! One of the perks of providing ambulatory care for our equine patients is getting to be up close and personal with a whole bunch of farm animal sidekicks. Guess what has four paws and looooooves to explore the work truck.....😻🐈

Please enjoy this collection of some of our GBE feline all-stars on this gloomy winter day 😁

07/01/2025

Did you know Great Bay Equine offers on-farm gastroscopy services for horses showing symptoms commonly associated with gastric ulcers?

Looking for a play by play on the how and why of gastroscopy? No worries- we got you covered! Read on to learn more about ulcers in horses and how we perform gastroscopies for our patients!

The Why of Gastroscopy!
EGUS (Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome) can present in a variety of ways but some of the most common symptoms we encounter may include any of the following: decreased performance, changes in attitude or unwillingness to work, sensitivity to girthing or leg pressure and recurrent episodes of low grade colic. Visualizing the stomach via gastric endoscope (a 3 meter long tube with a camera at the end) is the only way to definitively diagnose and assess the severity of gastric ulcers in horses.

The How of Gastroscopy! (brought to you courtesy of Vet Assistant Carolyn!)
A gastroscopy is performed under sedation after the horse has been fasted for a period of 12-14 hours to ensure the stomach is nice and empty to visualize landmarks where ulcers commonly reside. Although your equine companion may STRONGLY object to being fasted, just remember- it's a short term measure that ensures the vet can successfully pass and visualize all areas of the stomach with the gastroscope!
The scope is passed through the nasal passages and down the esophagus. Once it reaches the entrance to the stomach, the vet will pump air into the stomach (or 'insufflate' if you're fancy) to unfold any wrinkles and rinse away food debris to make the lining easily visible. During the procedure, the vet will capture images of as much of the stomach as possible, especially along the margo plicatus (division between glandular and non-glandular stomach) and the opening into the small intestine known as the Pylorus. After a good look around, the stomach is emptied of excess air and the scope is slowly and gently removed.

How Do We Treat For Ulcers?
After diagnosing severity and location of ulcers, with your cooperation as owner and/or caretaker the vet will recommend the most effective and practical treatment options. The most common treatments for ulcers include:
Omeprazole (Gastrogard, we all know it, we all love it!)- suppresses gastric acid production
Misoprostol- stimulates the production of the mucosal barrier of the stomach lining
Sucralfate- acts as a "band-aid" for areas of inflammation
The vet may prescribe a combination of treatments specific to your horse's unique belly along with supplements or changes to feed regimes that may help prevent recurrences of ulcers in the future!

Have additional questions about whether your horse might be a good candidate for gastroscopy? Concerns over changes to your horse's performance, attitude and overall health? Give us a call today to inquire about gastroscopy and other on-farm services to help keep your equine partner feeling their best!

31/12/2024

Wishing our lovely patients and clients a very happy start to the new year! Looking forward to another great year of keeping horses healthy and happy in 2025!

The GBE office will be closed New Year's Day- Wednesday, January 1st. As always, a veterinarian is available for emergencies 24/7. 603-319-1479, press 1 to speak to the doctor on call.

23/12/2024

The office at Great Bay Equine will be closed Tuesday, December 24th and reopening again on Friday, December 27th. As always, a veterinarian will be available for emergencies 24/7.

Wishing our wonderful patients and clients a safe, healthy and *warm* holiday!

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