We offer a full range of

Ambulatory Equine Services

Preventative medicine such as regular yearly evaluations and vaccinations should be part of your wellness plan for your horse. When something arises call us for thorough diagnostic evaluation.    

preventative Medicine includes

Parasite Control - Internal parasites are a common danger to the health and well‑being of horses. These parasites are responsible for many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including most types of colic. The treatment and control of internal parasites is not only a continuous, long term task, but a cornerstone to a successful equine health management program. 

Vaccinations - Immunization against infectious diseases is another important part of a preventative medicine program for your horse. An annual Encephalomyelitis ( sleeping sickness), Tetanus and Influenza vaccination is necessary for minimum protection. For those horses that are exposed to infectious diseases contact with other horses, vaccination more frequently for Influenza and Rhinopneumonitis is helpful in preventing respiratory diseases. The frequency of vaccination depends on the amount of exposure and the duration of immunity provided by the vaccine. Foals are pregnant mares require special attention to their vaccination schedule.

Dentistry - The horse’s teeth should be examined once a year and floated if necessary. Some older horses may require floating more often than once a year. 

Diagnostic Medicine

At ECS, we provide expert diagnostic and treatment options for a wide range of medical conditions in horses, young and old, including renal, metabolic/endocrine, cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurologic, ophthalmic conditions, and liver disorders. Internal medicine cases are often challenging and an attention to detail is critical to working out what condition the horse might have.

What you can expect is a detailed approach to understanding what signs/symptoms your horse has, a review of prior medical records, and consultation with your regular veterinarian regarding any testing or treatments already done. You will be provided with all findings and specific recommendations.

We also offer expertise in ultrasound-guided, endoscopic, and laparoscopic procedures. We can also provide consultation with your regular equine veterinarian.

Advanced techniques include:

• Advanced endoscopy - including gastroscopy (stomach) and duodenoscopy (small intestine), cystoscopy (bladder), hysteroscopy (uterus), sinoscopy (approach to the sinsuses of the head), and bronchoscopy (lower respiratory tract).

• Neurologic evaluation - including standing ultrasound-guided CSF collection and analysis, head/neck radiography including myelography.

• Gastrointestinal evaluation - including rectal palpation, ultrasound, abdominocentesis, endoscopy, laparoscopy, biopsy collection and diagnostic exploratory surgery.

• Cancer (neoplasia) evaluation - we offer both medical and surgical approaches to skin tumors and other forms of cancer. For skin masses, we offer electochemotherapy, autologous vaccine development, and other adjunctive therapies.

• Endocrine and metabolic testing - comprehensive analysis for evaluation of cushing’s disease, metabolic syndrome, with dietary analysis.

• Respiratory evaluation - including rebreathing examinations, ultrasound, transtracheal wash, bronchoalveolar lavage, lung biopsy, pleural drainage, and thoracic radiography.

• Hematologic evaluation - including lab work interpretation, coagulation testing, bone marrow aspirate and biopsy collection.

• Urogenital evaluation - including rectal palpation, lab work interpretation, kidney ultrasound and biopsy, urinalysis, cystoscopy, hysteroscopy, and hormal testing.

• Nutritional consultation - including nutrition/metabolic need assessment, diet assessment, feeding (enteral and parenteral) strategies, and special needs diets.

• Hepatobiliary evaluation - including lab work interpretation, ultrasound, and biopsy collection.

• Cardiac evaluation - including auscultation, cardiac enzyme testing, ECG (including treadmill), and echocardiography.

• Ophthalmic evaluation - including ocular and periocular direct ophthalmoscope, corneal debridement (keratectomy), cytology and culture, SPL placement, minor ophthalmic surgical procedures.

when to call the vet!

General Guidelines:
The presence of uncontrollable bleeding, foreign objects protruding from the body (do not remove them!), lacerations, injury to the eye or eyelids, abdominal pain or diarrhea, aggressive or unusual behavior, neurologic signs, severe or chronic lameness, mares which are actively in labor for more than 20 minutes without progress, and difficulty in breathing are only some of the obvious times to call your veterinarian. Perhaps the best rule is, when in doubt, call!

All horse owners should know how to take their horse's temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, capillary refill time, and dehydration status. When these basic health parameters are abnormal for an unknown reason, a call to the veterinarian is warranted. When you have observed your animals over a period of time, you should promptly know when something is out of the ordinary!

Multiple animals getting sick at once should raise a red flag. Clinical signs in several animals could indicate such dangers as infectious diseases or a toxin in the horses' pasture, water, or feed. This warrants an immediate call to the veterinarian.

A good rule of thumb is, if a child were exhibiting the same symptoms as your horse, would you call the pediatrician? If your child had profuse diarrhea, chances are you're not going let him/her go untreated for a week without seeking a medical opinion. Proper treatment and diagnosis of a sick horse requires a veterinarian/patient interaction. 

When in doubt, it is always worth a phone call to get a professional consultation.

equine sports medicine

Equine sports medicine has been one of the primary focuses of veterinary care offered since our clinic was founded.  We offer a full complement of services, many of which have an impact on the performing equine athlete. State of the art imaging modalities available at the Equine Clinic of Saratoga today include digital ultrasound, wireless digital radiology, nuclear imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Arthroscopy performed both under general anesthesia and standing via needle scope to allow examination of joints along with endoscopy utilized to examine nasal passages, trachea and lungs both add to diagnostic capabilities.

Therapies which may be utilized based on diagnosis include shock wave, traditional intra-articular therapies, regenerative therapeutics (including IRAP, PRP, and stem cells), and integrative medicine techniques including chiropractic, acupuncture, and cold laser therapy.

The veterinarian’s goal with equine sports medicine is to be a part of the team along with the owner, trainer and farrier to help the horse achieve the owner’s objectives with the well-being of the horse as the common denominator for all therapies, from Grand Prix jumper to trail-riding horse.

Ambulatory Medicine: We will come to you.

Save yourself the time and effort and allow us to come to you to check on your horse.

Does your horse need care but you’re having difficulty finding the time to bring them in? The Equine Clinic of Saratoga can help with our wide range of equine ambulatory services.

Together as a team, we care for your horses directly at your farms, stables, and training facilities. Our field veterinary team has fully equipped ambulatory vehicles, with the latest in portable diagnostic and therapeutic tools such as portable cordless digital radiography (x-ray), ultrasound, both standing as well as dynamic exercise endoscopy, and shock wave, among others.

We also perform minor surgeries such as castrations, lacerations and other crucial procedures in the field. We’re here for you when you need us. Check out the list of services we can offer at your location.

DIAGNOSTICS

• Lameness and Performance Evaluations Radiographic Examinations (X-ray)

• Ultrasonographic Examinations

• Standing Upper Airway Endoscopy

• Dynamic (Exercise) Upper Airway Endoscopy

• Lower Airway Disease Evaluation (Broncho Alveolar Lavage & Tracheal Wash)

• Pre-Purchase Examinations

• Wellness Examinations

• Ophthalmic exams

TREATMENTS

• Routine and Orthopedic Preventative Health Care and Management

• Stem cell and other regenerative therapies

• Regional Perfusions (lower limb) with antibiotics or stem cells

• Mesotherapy

• Shock Wave

• Field castrations

• Lacerations

• Other Minor Surgical Procedures

• Dental Care

OTHER SERVICES

• Coggins (EIA) Test

• Deworming

• Health Certificates

• Vaccinations

• Euthanasia

Professional equine dental care provided by a trained practitioner helps to keep your horse healthy and happy. Routine dental care can improve your horse's ability to eat their food and prevent abnormal tooth wear. In addition, horses that have bits placed in their mouths frequently benefit from dental care as well.

As a horse ages, it's teeth wear down. This is a normal process in the horse and is different than what we see in the teeth of small animals or people. Regular attention to your horse's teeth by a well trained and skilled dentist will help to preserve the function and health of your horse's teeth for the years to come.

Types of dental problems:

• Fractures

• Infections

• Uneven wear

• Tooth loss

• Abnormal development

• Special types of cancer

Dental services include:

• Oral examinations, diagnosis and consultations

• Advanced imaging including radiology, ultrasound, etc

• Annual dental care for healthy horses

• Odontoplasty (tooth shaping) to address abnormal tooth wear.

• Periodontal disease diagnosis and treatment

• Surgical and oral dental procedures

• Performance oral exams including bit evaluations

• Special geriatric dental care and management consultations

Just like us, as our horses get older, their healthcare needs change. They may have less energy, they might drop food when they eat, or their vision might seem to be going. Just like in people, arthritis and joint pain can affect their quality of life and they may even develop cancer. Our senior horses have unique medical needs. At ECS, we’re here to ensure your horse has a full and healthy life by providing thorough and compassionate care.

We offer a comprehensive, tailored health program designed to meet the needs of your older horse now and in the future. We work together to deliver advanced diagnostics, treatment, and preventative care to senior horses. Whether your horse needs advanced dental care, vision or general wellness, we are well equipped to diagnose both simple and complex medical problems common to your aging companion. Our goal is to develop a management plan to optimize your horse’s health so they can enjoy life to the fullest.

specialty services for seniors:

• Complete wellness examination including basic assessment, all vital signs, and evaluation of any obvious lumps and bumps (cancer screen).

• Evaluation of your horse’s heart including conditions causing skipped beats or murmurs.

• Arthritis checks - older horses are often stiff or appear sore - we can offer several solutions for improving comfort.

• Weight and body condition checks and hormone testing. Seasoned horses commonly have hormonal conditions that can affect their well-being. Through advanced laboratory testing, we provide an accurate assessment of your horse’s hormone balance and offer a comprehensive treatment plan.

• Dental disease is common in older horses as their teeth wear and age. We offer advanced dentistry to sustain your horse’s ability to eat comfortably and maintain good body condition.

• Nutritional analysis specific to older horses - the ability to effectively digest hays and grains changes over time. We develop a comprehensive nutrition plan that is balanced and takes into account any conditions they may have.

• We offer advanced cancer care including surgical and non-surgical options for various tumors in the skin, around the eyes and even internally.

• We offer advanced pain management. As your horse ages, they can develop conditions associated with chronic pain such as arthritis, founder and cancer. We believe in compassionate care, and can offer pain management solutions to keep your companion comfortable for as long possible.

At ECS, we harness a wealth of expertise to provide you and your senior horse with timely and tailored care to achieve optimum health for a long life.

 Benefits include:

• Save 30% on your horse’s routine annual care

• Worry free - we schedule your wellness plan appointments

SPRING (two visits)

• Full Physical exam

• CBC/Lyme Multiplex

• Coggins (My VetLink)

• Rabies Vaccine

• EWT/WNV Vaccine

• Flu/Rhino Vaccine

• Potomac Horse Fever Vaccine

• Fecal Egg Count with Dewormer

FALL 

• Oral Exam including Dentistry

• Fecal Egg Count with Dewormer

• Flu/Rhino Vaccine

• Sheath Cleaning

• Potomac Horse Fever Vaccine

Contact us today, space is limited!

The Equine Wellness Plan is non-refundable, nontransferable, and included items cannot be omitted for discounts or substitutions. Accounts may be credited for remaining services in cases of horse loss or change of ownership. This package is available to existing clients only.