We understand that your horse is a very important member of your family, and that emergency medical situations that arise for your horse are not only stressful and upsetting, but also costly. In the same way that the health of small pets can be better maintained through preventative veterinary care, so too can the health of your horse be better maintained through preventative veterinary care. Our team of highly educated, trained and compassionate staff will work closely with you to establish the best health program for your horse’s specific needs, and can provide a range of equine preventative and emergency care so that you can rest easy that your horse is receiving the absolute best care possible.
Basic Equine Services
Some of the important equine services provided by La Crosse include:
- Wellness exams. A thorough physical examination should be performed at least once every year in order to ensure that your horse is maintaining optimal health levels. During this examination, health issues can be detected early on so that they are easier to diagnose and resolve and are less likely to exacerbate and cause extensive problems in the future. During the annual wellness exam you will be encouraged to ask any and all questions you may have about your horse’s health, diet, vaccinations, dental care and more.
- Vaccinations. The American Association of Equine Practitioners recommends that all horses minimally receive vaccinations for Rabies, Eastern and Western Encephalitis, Tetanus and West Nile. Initial vaccinations will require vaccination boosters, and depending upon your horse’s specific health condition, needs and other contributing factors, your veterinarian may recommend additional vaccinations like Rhinopneumonitis, Influenza and Strangles. Some vaccinations are designed to address conditions that occur at certain times of the year, so your veterinarian will recommend a vaccination schedule so that these vaccinations are administered at the most ideal times.
- Dental care. Every horse should receive a dental examination at least once a year, especially since a variety of dental issues can lead to weight loss, infections, performance problems and other issues. Your horse will be sedated for the procedure in order to protect their health and safety, and the veterinarian will check both the outside of the face and jaw as well as the inside of their mouth. Where necessary–as in the case of hooks, sharp points or waves on the teeth–your horse’s teeth will be floated to help ensure that they wear evenly and receive the same amount of pressure.
- Deworming. All horses can benefit enormously from deworming, if this deworming is based upon a fecal egg count. Your veterinarian can perform a fecal egg count in the spring to ensure that your horse benefits as much as possible from a individually-designed deworming schedule.
- Reproductive ultrasonography. This service can be enormously useful when breeding horses, whether you are breeding a single mare or running a larger breeding operation. With reproductive ultrasonography, your veterinarian will be able to ascertain whether a mare is pregnant and monitor her throughout the entire pregnancy.
- Radiology. By using equine radiology procedures, your veterinarian can assess navicular disease, osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease, fractures and more. This can help in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, preventing exacerbations and complications in many cases.
- Bloodwork. Bloodwork can be an incredibly useful tool in determining why a horse is not acting like their normal self. For example, a lower than normal RBC count may suggest anemia, while a higher than normal WBC count may suggest infection. The Coggins is an especially important blood test that can be administered in order to determine whether a horse has Equine Infectious Anemia, which is a highly dangerous and contagious disease.
- Surgery. Though everything possible is done in order to prevent surgery from needing to occur, it nonetheless is sometimes necessary–as in the treatment of colic, joint disease, stifle disease and castration.
- Hospitalization. Some horses require intensive medical care in order to recover from an injury or illness. La Crosse can provide the clean stalls, the constant care and the close monitoring your horse needs in order to make a full recovery.
We recognize that your horse is very important to you, and we strive to treat your horse with the same kindness, compassion and superior health care as if they were our own. For more information about equine services we provide, contact us today.
