Equine Services

Whether your horses are backyard pasture pets or athletes heading to the ring, we are excited to be a part of the team that helps them to thrive! Our doctors believe in a practical approach to medicine, and are here to help you set and achieve realistic goals for your horses. Depending on the service, we offer both on-farm and haul-in appointments.

Routine Wellness

  • We recommend that all horses receive their core vaccinations, including: Rabies, Tetanus, West Nile Virus (WNV), and Eastern & Western Encephalomyelitis (EEE & WEE). Depending on your farm's environment, herd type and size, travel history, etc. we may also recommend some of the following vaccinations: Botulism, Flu/Rhino, Potomac Horse Fever (PHF), Rotaviral Diarrhea, or Strep. equi equi (Strangles).

  • We recommend performing Fecal Egg Counts (FEC) once to twice a year to identify which horses in your herd are low, medium and high shedders. This will help us to determine the best dewormers for you to use and intervals for treatment to reduce parasitic pasture contamination.

  • We recommend an annual sedated dental examination to assess your horse's oral health, at which time we will perform a dental float if indicated. It is important that we catch dental pathologies early to help prevent issues like weight loss, choke, or impaction. If needed, we may refer you to a board certified veterinary dentist for advanced treatments and procedures.

  • Health Certificates require a physical exam by an accredited veterinarian asserting that an individual horse is healthy at the time of examination. The certificate is valid for 30 days following the exam, and is required for all inter-state horse travel, as well as some intra-state (such as with the Iowa State Fair). We recommend you schedule your health certificate appointment at least one week prior to any planned travel.

Lameness

  • Whether you are dealing with an overt lameness or a subtle performance issue with your equine athlete, we are here to help you get to the root of the problem

  • We offer both digital x-ray and ultrasound for evaluation of bone and soft tissue pathologies.

  • We are happy to work with your farrier to help establish the best shoeing plan unique to your horse's needs.

  • We offer both traditional joint treatments such as corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid as well as new regenerative therapies. Consult with us regarding the best option for your individual horse.

  • Pulsevet uses focused sound waves to stimulate the body’s natural healing response. It can improve circulation, reduce pain signals, and encourage tissue repair. We use it for back pain, osteoarthritis, and soft tissue injuries.

Surgery

  • Our most common surgery we do is routine castration. While we can offer this service in the field, we prefer drop off appointments at our facility where the environment and horse's recovery can be better controlled.

  • Cryptorchid castrations are not offered in the field. These are performed exclusively in our facility where we have the means to convert to general anesthesia if necessary.

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  • Depending on the extent of the laceration, we may recommend on farm or in clinic repair.

  • Inquire about limited general and specialized surgeries we offer such as enucleation, skin grafting, mass removal, Caslick's, etc.

Reproduction

  • A complete breeding soundness examination involves examination of the external confirmation of the genitalia and mammary gland, vaginoscopy (manual and visual vaginal examination), per rectum palpation and ultrasound of the reproductive tract, as well as testing of uterine samples.

  • We offer in clinic transrectal ultrasound for evaluation of the mare's reproductive health, cycle, and to optimize timed breeding

  • We offer artificial insemination with fresh or frozen semen. We will work directly with your chosen stallion's team to time shipment and will evaluate semen quality on site prior to insemination.

  • We recommend ultrasound evaluation for pregnancy on Days 16-18 after ovulation to confirm pregnancy and evaluate for twins. The fetal heartbeat can be seen on ultrasound as early as 25-30 days. Fetal sexing can be performed between days 60-90.

  • We are here to help if the unexpected happens during your mare's pregnancy.

Emergency Services

  • We offer on-farm emergency services for active clients within a limited radius from our practice.

  • If you are outside of our farm call emergency radius, we offer haul-in emergency services.