Veterinary Care for Horses
We offer equine veterinary care with a focus on preventative health care, lameness, dentistry, wound care, and podiatry. We also provide in-hospital and on-farm diagnostic services to horse owners utilizing technology such as digital radiography.
Importance of Equine Care
While diet and exercise are important for your horse to stay healthy, routine veterinary care is also crucial for your horse's overall health and well-being.
It is essential for your horse to receive routine care such as vaccinations, parasite prevention, dentistry, and chiropractic care.
It is ideal to monitor your horse for any signs or symptoms of illness on a daily basis such as a lack of appetite, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, skin issues, or lameness. If you notice any of these signs in your horse for more than a day or two, please contact your Olds veterinarian.
Mobile Equine Veterinary Services across Mountain View County
At Countryside Veterinary Hospital our veterinary team offers mobile on-the-farm equine veterinary services and treatments you need to help keep your horse injury free, healthy, and happy.
Procedures & Treatments
Our equine trained vets at Countryside Veterinary Hospital provide a comprehensive range of services and treatments for hard-working horses and their proud owners including:
- Equine Wellness Exams & Medical Assessments
During your horse's wellness exam your equine veterinarian will ask you about your horse's past and recent medical history and whether you have any concerns about their overall health.
Equine nutrition will be discussed and a casual evaluation of your horse's weight and diet.
Finally, any vaccinations or deworming required will be given.
Pre-Purchase Exams
An equine pre-purchase exam is not designed to tell you whether to buy a particular horse, it is simply to offer an overview of the health of the animal so that you can make an informed decision.
Our veterinarians can help to identify health concerns such as a heart murmur, signs of arthritis, or any unusual lumps or bumps. We will provide you with information about any concerning issues we detect during the examination.
Insurance Exams
Insurers typically require an insurance examination certificate signed by a qualified veterinarian before a policy will be issued for a horse.
Your vet is obligated to verify claims made about the horse through a comprehensive physical examination that is performed on the day the form is being completed. Your vet cannot complete the requested information based on prior knowledge of the horse.
- Health Papers for Out of Province Travel & International Export
Planning to travel out of the province or country with your horse? Our veterinarians can perform any examinations and tests that your horse needs, and help you complete the forms required for equine travel within Canada and international export.
- Parasite Control & Treatment
Our veterinarians will examine your equine friend and put together an individualized parasite control program specifically to meet your horse's needs. Some of the most common parasites seen in horses include:
- Small strongyles (cyathostomins)
- Ascarids (Parascaris equorum)
- Tapeworm
- Large strongyles, or bloodworms
- Botflies
- Filarids
- Pinworms
- Threadworms
- Lameness Exam
A lameness exam is a systematic approach to diagnosing the severity and location of any painful conditions your horse may be experiencing.
Your horse's lameness exam will include a thorough physical examination by the vet including comprehensive palpation of your horse's body (musculoskeletal exam) looking for signs of swelling, pain, decreased range of motion, and more.
Following the physical assessment, your vet will perform a dynamic examination in this case the vet will observe and evaluate your horse's movement under a variety of conditions such as walking, cantering, and trotting on different surfaces as well as in different configurations.
Once your vet has enough information to form a general idea of where the pain is coming from, the vet may recommend a nerve block (diagnostic analgesia) to help numb a specific part of your horse's body and pinpoint the location of the problem.
After the location of the problem has been pinpointed your vet may recommend diagnostic imaging such as radiography (digital X-rays) to determine the nature or severity of your horse's condition.
Each of the steps above provides your vet with valuable insights that help to inform treatment planning for your horse.
- Wound Care & Minor Surgery
If your horse sustains a wound that requires veterinary care, our vets can help treat your horse's wound, administer stitches if required, and get healing off to a great start.
Beyond cleaning and treating wounds, our veterinarians at Countryside Veterinary Hospital also perform some minor surgery when necessary. If your horse requires more advanced surgery we will be sure to refer you to an equine specialist near you.
Below are some of the most common equine surgeries that our vets perform.
- Soft Tissue Surgery
- Emergency Cholic Treatment
- Surgery to Treat Lacerations
- Equine Internal Medicine
There is a range of conditions that fall under the umbrella of equine internal medicine including GI tract issues, blood and lymphatic system problems, respiratory conditions, infectious diseases, and care of newborn foals.
Internal medicine conditions could also affect the animal's liver, muscles, kidneys, bladder, or neurologic system.
- Equine Dentistry
Horses can suffer from a variety of dental disorders which can affect feed utilization, performance, and general well-being.
Annual equine dental visits from your vet, including a thorough oral health examination and tooth floating (if necessary), help to ensure optimal dental health for your horse.
Our veterinarians are equipped to offer routine oral health care in addition to the following equine dental services:
- Dental X-rays to identify infected and diseased teeth, retained wolf tooth fragments, sinus diseases, and tumours
- Extractions
- Senior and miniature horse dentistry
- Performance dentistry including bit seats
- Corrective floating on abnormal and deformed mouths with problems like parrot mouths, waves, and sheared incisors
- Chiropractic
Chiropractic care for horses is also known as Veterinary Spinal Manipulative Therapy (VSMT). This treatment involves motion palpation to detect hypermobile regions in your horse's body.
Hypomobilities can result from muscle spasms, scarring, or masses, and may lead to pain, decreased performance, and compromised health.
Equine chiropractic care also involves an assessment of the nervous system and its function. Our equine chiropractic-trained vet will use techniques designed to help improve the motion and function of your animal's body.
Your horse's veterinarian may also recommend specific exercises or therapies to further benefit your animal's health and mobility.
Diagnostic Testing
Once a thorough physical examination has been completed, diagnostic procedures may also be required to help your vet isolate the specific location and cause of your horse's lameness.
Lameness is more effectively treated with a specific diagnosis, pinpointing the precise location and severity of your animal's problem.
Diagnostic testing for your horse may include diagnostic nerve or joint blocks, radiographs, arthroscopy or examination of blood, synovial fluid, and tissue samples.
Diagnostic Imaging
Diagnostic imaging may be recommended if your horse is suffering from an injury or lameness issue. These tests help your vet form a clear understanding of the issue in order to provide you with an accurate diagnosis.
At our veterinary clinic in Olds, our veterinarians utilize our in-house diagnostic technology to get the best possible image of your horse's skeletal or soft tissue issues.
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Equine Mobile Services
Countryside Veterinary Hospital offers on-farm care, for your convenience, in Olds and across Mountain View County. Mobile Equine Units Our equine veterinarians can travel to your farm in vehicles that are fully stocked with diagnostic tools and medical supplies. Whether it’s vaccinations, p...Read more »