Watermark Equine

31/10/2024

Happy Howl-ween from Kira 🧙🏻‍♀️, Liza 🦔, Quill 🍌, and Spike 💀 Whose costume is your favorite?

13/09/2024

We are proud to support Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship! These special therapy partners are some of our favorite patients 🦄

08/08/2024

From the Paris Olympics to the Pony Olympics, we are committed to providing the best care for all of our patients large and small! 🦄

22/05/2024

📍 Dr. Faulkner and her (in)famous sidekick Liza are excited to be at Devon today through Saturday morning. We wish good luck to all of our patients! 🩵

07/02/2024

Confused about the difference between nerve blocks vs joint blocks? Regional nerve blocks are an important part of a lameness workup as they allow for the localization of pain to a part of the limb. Local anesthetic is injected fairly superficially, but close to specific nerves, numbing the limb from there down. Because everything distal (below) the nerve block site is affected, the vet will start low and then work their way up the limb. When the lameness is significantly improved or resolved, the most recently numbed area is considered to contain the source of the pain. This region is often then more closely examined with imaging as the issue has been narrowed down to a certain area, though not necessarily a specific structure or injury. Joint blocks, alternatively, involve injecting anesthetic solution directly into a specific joint. This procedure requires a complete sterile preparation of the site since the needle is placed just as it would be for a joint injection. A positive response to a joint block implicates that joint and/or its supporting structures. Joint blocks are more specific, but also more invasive, so are often utilized after regional blocks have been used to implicate an area (but performed on a different day/after the effects of the regional block have worn off).

19/01/2024

FLASH ultrasound (fast localized abdominal sonography of horses) is an abbreviated exam that allows us to evaluate intra-abdominal abnormalities in horses with colic such as displacements of the colon or abnormal intestinal loops.

➡️ Swipe to see a distended loop of small intestine. There is sedimentation of the contents of the intestine (ingesta and fluid) because the bowel is not moving normally.

Busoni, et al. Evaluation of a protocol for fast localised abdominal sonography of horses (FLASH) admitted for colic. Evaluation of a protocol for fast localised abdominal sonography of horses (FLASH) admitted for colic. Vet J. 2011 Apr;188(1):77-82.

22/12/2023

It makes us so happy to see our hard working grooms recognized for their tireless dedication to the horses under their care!

In his almost four decades in the horse business, Antonio Bustamante has worked for people in all parts of the hunter/jumper world, from horse enthusiasts at their home farms to Olympians and, for the past 13 years, for Val Renihan’s Findlay’s Ridge LLC. Everywhere he works, he leads by example ...

01/12/2023

Emily, Erica and Laura feel so lucky to have our friend and mentor, Ryland Edwards, as a valuable resource for difficult cases, and we are so happy that the AAEP is recognizing his contribution to teaching young equine vets!!!

Dr. Ryland Edwards is honored as the 2023 AAEP Distinguished Educator Mentor Award at the AAEP Annual Convention in San Diego, California.

This award honors an individual, who by their actions and commitment, has demonstrated a significant impact on the development and training of equine practitioners through mentoring in private practice.

We couldn’t agree more! 💙

04/11/2023

Quill Chronicles: Shockwave Therapy

Today I finally learned what the loud machine does… let me tell you about Shockwave therapy!

According to my Mom(s?) Shockwave starts as an electrohydrolic force which transmits acoustic energy through the skin. The unit does not create an electric impulse like the name might suggest, but rather a mechanical shockwave.

Shockwave therapy has two main modes of action. First, it works on nerve endings which will often give an immediate reduction in pain. Second, the shockwaves simulate controlled micro-trauma to the tissues, signaling the body to initiate or ramp-up the molecular healing process. The shockwaves can also assist in the breakdown of disorganised tissue and calcifications.

I think I’m pretty close to earning my DVM 💁

01/11/2023

Quill Chronicles Day 2: helping with friends

31/10/2023

The Quill Chronicles: National Horse Show Edition
Day 1-“helping” with the drive

14/04/2023

Thank you for recognizing our very own Olivia Capuano as a featured technician this month!

14/03/2023

With heavy hearts the equine veterinary community is grieving the loss of two irreplaceable, highly esteemed veterinarians. Our thoughts are with the families, friends, colleagues, clients, students, and patients of doctors Alan Nixon and Meg Mullin. These outstanding veterinarians have left an indelible mark on the sport horse industry, and they will be thought of often and fondly.

12/02/2023

Gastric ulcers can negatively impact your horse’s performance, demeanor, and general condition.
Ulcers are sores or erosions on the stomach lining caused by increased gastric pH.
You may suspect ulcers in your horse if you notice weight loss, change in demeanor, diminished performance, dull coat, decreased appetite or colic symptoms.
To diagnose gastric ulcers, your veterinarian will perform a gastroscopy- a procedure in which a camera is passed through the nostril, down the esophagus, and into the stomach. Once the camera reaches the stomach, both glandular and non glandular tissue is examined.
Disease is most commonly found along the margo plicatus (non glandular) and at the pylorus (glandular). Treatment will depend on the location and severity of the disease. Non glandular (or squamous) ulcers are typically treated with omeprazole, while disease of the glandular tissue can be treated with a combination of misoprostol and sucralfate. Your veterinarian may recommend a recheck to ensure that your horse is responding to treatment, and to determine whether a longer course of treatment is necessary.
📷:
1: healthy pylorus
2-3: pyloric gastritis with mild hemorrhage
4: healthy lesser curvature
5: grade II/ IV squamous ulcers
6: grade IV/IV squamous ulcers
7: stomach anatomy (todaysveterinarynurse.com)

18/12/2022

Important information regarding the recent botulism cases, including date codes and proper disposal. The contaminated alfalfa cubes were produced by Top Of The Rockies, and may be found across the U.S. Contact your veterinarian if you think you may have fed a contaminated bag, or if your horse exhibits any unusual behavior.

FDA, in cooperation with state departments of agriculture in CO, LA, NM, and TX, is investigating cases of illness and death in horses.

21/10/2022

Wrapping up a busy vet tech appreciation week we’d like to give a special shout out to our group of superhuman technicians. These amazing women keep their patients and clients happy, and they keep their doctors safe and sane. Simply put, we could not provide the care that we do without them by our sides. Thank you for your hard work and constant companionship!

13/07/2022

Mesotherapy is a technique which utilizes a row of very small needles to pe*****te the mesoderm (middle layer of skin) and is most often performed on a horse’s neck or back. These injections work to interrupt the pain cycle by temporarily blocking nerve transmission, which is often hyperactive in horses with moderate to severe muscular soreness. Generally a reduction in pain will encourage muscles to relax and allow strengthening and healing to take place. Rows of small bumps will form around the injection sites, but will disappear within a few days. Mesotherapy can also be used in conjunction with joint injections and/or shockwave therapy.