Equine
You’re hoping that your trusty horse will be with you for many more years. It’s important to remember that horses require ongoing health care just like dogs, cats, or human members of your family. Creek and Meadow can provide both in-house and mobile care for your horse.
From Preventative Care to Surgery: High-Quality Treatment for Horses like Yours
At Creek and Meadow Veterinary Hospital, we are committed to providing high-quality and compassionate care for your horses. Whether you need routine wellness exams, emergency services, or anything in between, we are here to help. Our experienced and friendly staff are equipped with the latest technology and knowledge to meet your equine needs.
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Preventative wellness care – we can provide your horse with deworming, vaccinations, periodic wellness exams, performance evaluations, and other preventative measures to keep him healthy and happy.
Dental care – From check-ups, extractions, and tooth floating (removal of overgrown tooth enamel), you can trust our team to look after your horse’s oral wellness.
Minor orthopedics – Joint problems can prove vexing or even disastrous for horses, but some of these problems can respond nicely to minor orthopedic treatment methods. We’ll be happy to help your horse overcome chronic pain or acute injuries.
Lameness exams – Why is your horse showing signs of lameness? We can evaluate his hooves, musculoskeletal systems, stance, gait, and other factors to find, and then treat, the underlying cause. We also offer farrier services if your horse’s hooves need care.
Reproductive care – You can rely on us to monitor your horse’s reproductive health for life. We provide such important services as gelding, C-sections, and fetotomy surgery to aid in delivery of foals.
In-House Blood Panels
Blood tests are useful for diagnosing various conditions in your horse, such as infections, anemia, liver or kidney problems, metabolic disorders, and more.
Emergency Services
We understand that emergencies can happen at any time and that your horse’s health is your priority. That is why we offer emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Surgery – We offer a variety of surgical techniques, from tumor removal and wound closure to emergency surgery.
Ambulatory and In House – We’re available to provide routine and urgent care.
USDA Accredited - We are accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to perform health certificates and other official documents for interstate or international travel of horses. We can also perform testing and vaccination for diseases such as equine piroplasmosis (EP), glanders (GL), dourine (DO), contagious equine metritis (CEM), and more. We can help you with the requirements and regulations for exporting or importing horses to different countries.
Farm Calls and Haul-In Services
We offer both farm calls and haul-in services for your convenience. If you prefer to have us come to your farm, we can perform most of the services on-site, such as vaccinations, dental work, blood tests, and ultrasound. If you need more advanced diagnostics or treatments, you can bring your horse to our hospital, where we have stalls and paddocks available for your horse’s comfort and safety.
Examinations
We recommend regular examinations for your horse to ensure their health and well-being. We offer wellness exams for healthy horses, geriatric exams for senior horses, and sick exams for horses with health issues. During an exam, we will check your horse’s vital signs, body condition, eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, skin, coat, hooves, joints, and internal organs. We will also discuss any concerns or questions you may have about your horse’s health.
Immunizations
Immunizations are essential for protecting your horse from infectious diseases. We follow the guidelines of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) for core and risk-based vaccinations1. Core vaccinations are recommended for all horses regardless of their location or lifestyle. They include tetanus, rabies, Eastern/Western equine encephalomyelitis, and West Nile virus. Risk-based vaccinations are recommended based on your horse’s exposure to certain diseases. They include anthrax, botulism, equine herpesvirus, equine influenza, Potomac horse fever, rotavirus, strangles, and equine viral arteritis.
Fecal Examinations and Deworming Protocols
Parasites can cause serious problems for your horse’s health, such as weight loss, diarrhea, colic, anemia, and damage to the intestinal tract. To prevent these issues, we recommend regular fecal examinations and deworming protocols for your horse. Fecal examinations allow us to identify the type and number of parasites in your horse’s feces. Based on the results, we will prescribe the appropriate deworming medication and schedule for your horse.
Coggins Testing
Coggins testing is a blood test that detects antibodies to equine infectious anemia (EIA), a viral disease that affects horses. EIA is also known as swamp fever or horse malaria. It causes fever, weakness, weight loss, anemia, edema, and death in some cases. There is no vaccine or treatment for EIA. It is transmitted by biting insects or contaminated needles or instruments. EIA is a reportable disease in the United States and Canada3. Horses that test positive for EIA must be quarantined or euthanized.
Coggins testing is required for interstate or international travel of horses. It is also required by some shows, events, and boarding facilities. We can perform Coggins testing at our hospital or on your farm. We use the ELISA method, which is faster and more sensitive than the AGID method4. We can provide you with a digital or paper certificate of the test results.
Dental Services
Dental care is important for your horse’s health and performance. Horses’ teeth grow continuously throughout their lives and need regular maintenance to prevent problems such as sharp edges, hooks, waves, or malocclusions. These problems can cause pain, difficulty chewing, weight loss, dropping feed, bitting issues, and behavioral changes in your horse. We offer comprehensive dental services for your horse, including oral exams, floating, extractions, and more. We use sedation and power tools to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for your horse.
Digital Radiographs
Radiographs or x-rays are images of the internal structures of your horse’s body. They are useful for diagnosing and monitoring various conditions such as fractures, arthritis, navicular disease, bone spurs, and more. We use digital radiography which is faster and more accurate than traditional film radiography. Digital radiographs can be viewed on a computer screen and easily stored and shared electronically. We can perform digital radiographs at our hospital or on your farm with our portable x-ray machine.
Reproductive Services
We offer a range of reproductive services for your horse, both on farm and in-clinic. We can assist you with breeding management, artificial insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, foaling assistance, and neonatal care. We use ultrasound to monitor the reproductive tract and pregnancy status of your mare. We can perform artificial insemination with fresh or frozen semen from the stallion of your choice. We can also help you with pregnancy management, including nutrition, vaccination, deworming, and foaling preparation. We are available for foaling assistance and emergency care if needed. We can also provide care for your newborn foal, including physical exam, blood test, navel dip, enema, and more.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses sound waves to create images of the soft tissues of your horse’s body. It is useful for diagnosing and monitoring various conditions such as tendon and ligament injuries, abscesses, cysts, tumors, and more. We use ultrasound for both reproductive and lameness purposes. We can perform ultrasound at our hospital or on your farm with our portable ultrasound machine.
Lameness Examinations
Lameness is a common problem in horses that affects their performance and quality of life. Lameness can be caused by many factors, such as trauma, infection, inflammation, degeneration, or congenital defects. Lameness can affect any part of the musculoskeletal system, such as bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or nerves. We offer lameness examinations to identify the source and severity of your horse’s lameness. We use a combination of history taking, physical exam, gait analysis, flexion tests, hoof testers, nerve blocks, and diagnostic imaging to pinpoint the problem and recommend the best treatment options.
Prepurchase Examinations
Buying a horse is a big decision that requires careful evaluation of the horse’s health and suitability for your intended use. A prepurchase examination is a thorough examination of the horse’s physical condition and soundness before you buy it. It can help you avoid potential problems and disappointments in the future. We offer prepurchase examinations for prospective buyers of horses. We will examine the horse’s eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, skin, coat, hooves, joints, internal organs, and more. We will also perform a lameness exam and any additional tests or imaging that you request or we recommend. We will provide you with a detailed report of our findings and advise you on any issues or concerns that we find.
Routine Surgeries
We offer routine surgeries for your horse at our hospital or on your farm. Some of the surgeries that we perform include castration, hernia repair, laceration repair, mass removal, eye enucleation, and more. We use general anesthesia or sedation and local anesthesia depending on the type and location of the surgery. We monitor your horse’s vital signs throughout the surgery and provide post-operative care and pain management.
Emergency Services
We understand that emergencies can happen at any time and that your horse’s health is your priority. That is why we offer emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If your horse has an emergency situation such as colic, choke, trauma, bleeding, eye injury, dystocia, or any other urgent condition, please call us immediately at (434-888-4040). We will respond as quickly as possible and provide the best care for your horse.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment for any of our equine services, please contact us today. You can call us at (434-888-4040) or email us at (cmvh@creekandmeadowvet.com). We look forward to hearing from you and serving your equine needs.
Need an Equine Veterinarian in Gretna, VA?
If you need an equine veterinarian for in-house or mobile care in Pittsylvania County VA, please Call 434-888-4040!