The Equine Clinic of Saratoga specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of horses with diseases that may require surgery or hospital care.
Orthopedic Surgery | Sports Medicine | Soft Tissue Injury | Emergency Services | Dentistry | Podiatry
Did you know that the only surgeries routinely performed in general equine practice are minor lacerations and castrations? This is because horses are relatively difficult to anesthetize, and have a greater incidence of postoperative complications than other species. Therefore, advanced surgical expertise (with the accompanying expertise of anesthesiologists) are needed.
In addition, ECS has access and expertise in a range of high tech diagnostics such as nuclear scintigraphy, ultrasonography, thermography, and arthroscopy (for lameness), laparoscopy (for workup of chronic colic) endoscopy (for throat problems), and computed tomography (for sinus problems).
We provide treatment, diagnosis, and expertise in a wide array of surgical and lameness issues.
Common examples of why patients visit our service:
Lameness - principally orthopedic disease in performance and companion horses, including arthritis and foot problems
Fractures - including small “chip” fractures that may impede optimal joint function, and long-bone fractures, which are frequently devastating
Colic - a catch-all term for abdominal pain, which may require surgery for diagnosis and treatment
Respiratory disease - primarily involving throat and sinus problems of performance horses
Reproductive problems - such as dystocia (difficult birth), and perineal lacerations acquired during foaling
Lacerations (cuts) - which may involve major orthopedic structures such as joints and tendon sheaths
Neoplasia (cancer) - which in the horse most commonly involves the skin (sarcoids, melanomas, and squamous cell carcinoma being by far the most common tumors) but may include internal organs (such as lymphosarcoma)
Our orthopedic surgeons treat all forms of equine trauma, OCD, and lameness; with expertise in the field of arthroscopy, fracture repair and performance horse injury. We manage postoperative rehabilitation and work with referring veterinarians and licensed veterinary rehabilitation centers to optimize and expedite return to function.
Orthopedic surgical procedures include (but not limited to):
Fracture repair
Arthrodesis
Arthroscopy (any joint with chip fractures, OCD, articular fracture repair, sepsis or cartilage trauma)
Tenoscopy (any tendon sheath or bursa, soft tissue damage, sepsis, adhesion breakdown, annual ligament and check ligament desmotomy)
Stem cell cartilage resurfacing (cartilage damage, subchondral bone cyst)
Transcyst screw placement (buchondral bone cyst)
ECS Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation service provides an interdisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating the underperforming equine athlete. Whether you have a racehorse, hunter, show jumper, or other discipline, our team with expertise in musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, and hematological disorders can determine why your horse may be underperforming.
We have a high-speed treadmill and can tailor an exercise stress test to best challenge your horse and determine a cause of poor performance. Similarly, our over-ground endoscope system can be fitted to the horse during a breeze, work-out or while jumping to determine dynamic airway disorders under saddle.
Upper Respiratory Diagnostics:
High definition video endoscopy of the upper airway (laryngoscopy)
Over-ground dynamic endoscopy
Transcutaneous and transesophageal laryngeal ultrasound
Digital radiography
Accurate diagnosis can then be followed by open surgical or minimally invasive laser repair of many conditions.
High definition video endoscopy of the lower airway (bronchoscopy)
ECD/EKG assessment of the heart rhythm at rest, during treadmill stress test and continuous telemetry after work.
Ultrasound of lungs (transthoracic), heart (echocardiography)
In-house laboratory to assess hematologic values, muscle enzymes, heart muscle markers, blood gas assessment
We routinely face challenging lameness conditions with the goal of diagnosing, treating, and establishing a clear rehabilitation plan to optimize return to function and performance. The entire history is analyzed with any previous pertinent imaging before starting a detailed musculoskeletal examination. Depending on the discipline, dynamic examination is performed utilizing full flexion tests and gait evaluation on a variety of surfaces. For more subtle lameness conditions in sport horses, riding examination is performed in our ring on site. Cutting edge diagnostic imaging is available to help define the exact injury or condition. We use the most current treatment modalities including a variety of regenerative therapies to best treat the injury or area of soreness. Ultrasound or radiographic guidance is routinely used during treatment of a variety of conditions to deliver the most accurate treatment possible.
Diagnostic Imaging available:
Standing MRI
Nuclear Scintigraphy (Bone Scan)
Ultrasound (Transcutaneous and rectal for sacroiliac/pelvic soreness)
Digital Radiography
Flouroscopy
Regenerative Therapies available:
Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells
Platelet-Rich Plasma “PRP” (Prostride or Arthrex)
Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein “IRAP” (Artrex)
Additional Therapies available:
Extracorporeal Shockwave therapy
Game ready
Neurological conditions affecting the spinal cord and peripheral nerves can cause gait abnormalities and affect performance. As part of a complete poor performance evaluation, an assessment of your horse’s gait, muscle symmetry, cranial nerves, reflexes and responses, and proprioception can be completed. When specific abnormalities are evident, additional diagnostics are available to diagnose and best treat your horse.
Diagnostics available:
Neurologic Examination including gait, cranial nerves, reflexes and responses
Cerebrospinal fluid aspiration and testing. At ECS, we preferentially collect CSF via ultrasound guidance from the C1-2 space in a standing sedated horse
Neurologic Imaging - neck radiography including oblique views and myelography - access to brain MRI when needed
Electromyography (EMG) assessment for myotonia, denervation/peripheral nerve injury
Infectious disease testing - EPM and Lyme disease can affect the nervous system - we routinely perform and interpret specific testing for these conditions
Biopsy - muscle and/or nerve to diagnose specific conditions
Gastric ulcer disease is extremely common in performance horses of many disciplines and can cause poor performance, colic, and other secondary conditions such as palatal disease. We routinely perform gastroscopy with high definition video endoscopy of the entire upper gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the specific lesions observed (location, severity grade), we will tailor a medication, diet, and exercise plan to optimize healing and prevent recurrence.
Our board-certified equine surgeons perform a wide variety of elective and emergency procedures. We examine each patient in detail to accurately determine if surgery is necessary and if so, the best procedure based on the horse’s condition. After surgery, a thorough rehabilitation plan is developed to optimize healing and return to function. Emergency surgical patients such as those suffering colic or requiring caesarian section recover in our Intensive Care Unit where they receive around-the-clock monitoring, therapy, and pain management.
Soft Tissue Surgical Procedures include (not limited to):
Respiratory tract surgery (standing tie back, tie forward, arytenoidectomy, laryngeal reinnervation, nasal septum removal, alar fold resection, sinus flap or tephination)
Laser surgery (ventriculocordectomy, epiglottic entrapment, ayepiglottic fold resection, staphylectomy, ethmoid hematoma ablation)
Laparoscopy (cryptorchidectomy, ovariectomy, nephrosplenic space ablation, epiploic foramen ablation)
Simple and complex wound repair
Reconstructive surgery (wound grafting)
Mass removal, biopsy
Suspensory fasciotomy (+- neurectomy)
Gastrointestinal surgery
Urinary tract surgery (nephrectomy, standing cystolith removal, urethral extension)
Our Emergency and Critical Care service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. At our state-of-the-art hospital, we are equipped to handle urgent and critical cases.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a doctor or licensed veterinary technician who will quickly assess the patient’s vital signs and triage the case. We understand these are often stressful times for an owner and horse and commit to providing information as quickly and accurately as possible.
Our Emergency and Critical Care service has a dedicated ICU facility and can handle a variety of emergency problems, including those related to:
Colic - medical and surgical
Wounds and lacerations
Orthopedic emergencies such as fractures, cellulitis, tying up and septic joints
Respiratory emergencies such as pneumonia or airway obstruction
Ophthalmic emergencies such as ulcers and globe trauma
Cardiac emergencies such as dysrhythmia or congestive heart failure
Traumatic injuries such as head and neck trauma
Bleeding disorders such as guttural pouch mycosis
Transfusion therapy
Shock and endotoxemia
Pain and pain management
Our patients are hospitalized in a well-equipped intensive care unit, and their care is optimized by our access to a variety of clinicians representing nearly all veterinary specialties. We can obtain lab work quickly to best direct patient treatment. This combination of excellent facilities, service-specific expertise, and access to leading minds in all specialties allows us to provide a level of critical care necessary for animals in crisis.
Horses presenting for routine oral health checks and advanced dental conditions have complete oral examinations performed utilizing dental diagnostic tools and a rigid endoscope. Identified pathology is thoroughly discussed with the owner, and an appropriate treatment plan is devised. Power and hand instrumentation is used to reduce sharp enamel points and contour abnormal dental surfaces. Detailed dental radiographic imaging and computed tomography is available for horses with more advanced oral, dental, and sinus pathology.
When necessary, both intraoral and extraoral extraction techniques are available to remove diseased teeth. The majority of dental procedures are performed with horses under standing sedation with regional and local nerve blocks; only a very small number of procedures require general anesthesia.
Diagnostics and solutions for complex dental-oral-sinus related illnesses, oral masses, severe dental fractures and malformations, and oronasal fistulas are constructed and treatments performed as a team with the equine soft-tissue service, and jaw fractures are handled in coordination with the equine orthopedic service.
We also frequently partner and consult with other services in the hospital including anesthesiology, internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, and ophthalmology, to provide the most comprehensive care for your horse.
Services offered:
Complete oral examination with rigid endoscope
Sinoscopy and rhinoscopy
Occlusal adjustment (“float”)
Regional nerve blocks
Intraoral extraction
Extraoral or surgical extraction via buccotomoy
Incisor and canine tooth extraction for tooth resorption and hypercementosis
Sinusotomy for dental extraction and treatment of sinus disease secondary to dental pathology
Oronasal fistula repair
Conventional and surgical root canal treatment where appropriate
Crown reduction with vital pulp therapy
Crown restoration
Periodontal therapy and surgery
Management of traumatic occlusion
Interceptive orthodontics
Surgical biopsy and oral tumor staging
Oral tumor/cyst removal
Maxillofacial and mandibular repair post-trauma