Bristol Veterinary Services

Acupuncture

Bristol Veterinary Service offers the option of traditional Chinese Medicine with Dr. Leslie Szalla. Dr. Szalla has been with Bristol Veterinary Service since 2000, and was certified as a veterinary acupuncturist by the Chi Institute in Reddick, Florida in January of 2007.

Annual Health Exam

We recommend that all of your horses be examined annually. The key to future wellness is to catch problems early before they become serious. This is especially critical in horses of senior age (over 18 years) or those with existing medical issues. An annual health exam involves three participants: you the owner, your horse and your veterinarian. Health exam thoroughness may vary depending on the age and history of the horse. Most general exams on a healthy adult horse would include body conditioning score (weight and fitness); listening to heart, lungs and abdomen; eye exam, and a general assessment of other areas of the body. Impression of your horse’s well being, including diet and recent health changes, may also be discussed. General health exams are not included in the cost of spring or fall vaccinations. However, a health exam can be given at the same time upon request. Lameness issues or consultation on specific management or health issues may require more time or additional visits and should be brought to the receptionist attention when making an appointment. Please call with any questions you may have or to schedule your annual health exam.

AVID Microchipping

Permanent identification for horses has taken a huge step forward with development of a modern network for tracking and recovery of missing and stolen animals. Microchips provide permanent, positive identification for all ownership issues:

· Positive I.D. by law enforcement in theft recovery cases.

· Emergency response teams scan all recovered animals following disasters.

· Microchipped horses that have been registered in ™ can be quickly reunited with owners.

· Verification that a horse to be transported is in fact the correct animal.

· Provides quick identification of look-alike foals and yearlings

· Microchips have been recommended as one method of permanent ID by the Equine Species Working Group for the USDA's National Equine ID Program.

· Included in the cost of the chip is lifetime enrollment in the AVID recovery network (nominal fee for change of registered information or ownership of horse).

Coggin’s Test

A Coggins Test for Equine Infectious Anemiais required for any horse crossing state lines, any horse that is sold, and all horses participating in an organized event like a show or group trail ride. The test is valid for the calendar year only in Wisconsin. Illinois honors a 12 month coggins no matter what month it is taken. States vary greatly in their requirements, so if traveling widely, always call our office and inquire as to your state of destination requirements. Regulations can and do frequently change, so please check before traveling. Remember a health certificate is required when crossing any state line with the exception of emergency travel to a veterinarian’s office. Results from coggins tests may take up to 10 business days. Emergency coggins testing can be completed within 24 hours, but at additional cost. Remember to test early!

Dentistry

Proper dental care is essential for all equines. We provide dental examinations and floating. Floating can include performance floats, incisor corrections, wave mouth repair, hook removal/ramp corrections, along with molar and wolf tooth extraction. Dental health care has advanced tremendously over the last 10 years. Once ignored, regular dental care has added many years to the average horse’s life. Annual examinations will keep up on changes as they occur in your horse’s mouth. Remember your horse ages at a quicker rate then you or I and therefore a year older in a senior horse is more like 3 to 4 years of time change.

Deworming/Parasite Control Program

Parasitism is the most common disease of horses today. The BVS deworming program is designed to effectively remove parasites from your horse and to reduce the transmission of parasite eggs. Annual fecal exams are necessary to monitor the effectiveness of your deworming program. Dewormers are rotated to limit the chance that the parasites will become resistant to the drugs. Various deworming programs exist. An individually tailored program should be designed specificly to your needs.

Diet/ Nutrition Consultation

Living in the upper Midwest also presents questions as to seasonal feeding of horses and especially older or thin horses. Feeding our equine companion has become confusing with the myriad of supplements and manufacturer marketing. Proper nutrition and feeding practices can have a huge impact on the health and well-being of a horse. Building a feeding program based on the digestive physiology of the horse, along with meeting the horse’s nutrient requirements will bring out the best in a horse and improve a horse’s quality of life. There is no more important part to the management of our horses; it is something we do each and every day. Nutritional consultation is available upon your request.

Diagnostic Services

Digital and Film Radiology

We provide portable field radiology (x-ray) both digital and film. X-rays are primarily used for diagnosis in bones and joints. Additionally, digital x-rays provide a more efficient way to identify small bone detail and soft tissue. Digital images are stored electronically and available to e-mail to consultation specialists and referring veterinarians as needed.

Digital Ultrasound

Ultrasound evaluates soft tissue injuries of limbs and other soft tissue structures in the body. It allows for visualization of tendons and ligaments, and to identify, confirm, and monitor soft tissue injury. Evaluation of tissue size, shape, echogenicity (whiteness or brightness of a structure), fiber pattern, and surrounding inflammatory reactions is possible with this machine. By storing digital pictures we are able to review and compare with new images obtained during a recovery period to determine rate of healing and prognosis.

Endoscopy

We use the flexible endoscope to diagnose and evaluate numerous nose, throat, and respiratory problems. The flexible endoscope has a camera chip at the end of a long, narrow tube, which allows for the visualization of certain conditions without invasive exploratory surgery. It is also useful for taking samples from the trachea, lungs, or gutteral pouches for diagnostic purposes.

Laboratory Services

The BVS in-house laboratory allows us to run crucial tests immediately to provide a quick diagnosis, and the best care for your horses. The following tests are run at our clinic laboratory: computerized complete blood counts (CBC), computerized serum chemistry panels, blood glucose, foal and cria IGg tests, uterine cultures, and fecal exams. For complete comprehensive testing, BVS currently uses many private, university and government laboratories. Laboratory selection is based on the type of test and location of the leading specialist in each particular field.

Emergency Services

To provide the highest level of care for our patients, we are available for emergencies, for our regular clients, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 262-859-2560 for emergencies.

Foaling Examinations

With spring comes the excitement of new foals. While most births go smoothly, it is important to identify problems early. BVS offers post foaling examinations of the mare and foal to determine if both are healthy. The examinations include checking mare for physical damage, (tears, bruising, bleeding) incurred during foaling, complete placenta expulsion and whether she has come into her milk/colostrum. New foals are checked for physical (inherited/developmental) birth defects, foaling injuries, assessing suckling reflex, and blood test for failure of colostral/antibody transfer or breed specific genetic diseases and a general wellness exam. BVS offers a pre-foaling health care program. Prior to birth, mare care is critical. Foal health care actually starts at conception. Pre-foaling mare care helps to ensure a healthy baby.

Health Certificates

Health Certificates are needed to transport your horse to a different state. Bristol Veterinary Service requires the following information to complete your horse’s health certificate: date of shipment, consignee, and destination address including street address, city, state, and zip code. A current coggins is also needed. A health certificate is generally good for 30 days from the date of issue. See USDA for individual state requirements.

Insurance Exam

Insurance policies are legal contracts between the underwriter (the company) and the insured (horse owner). It is important to note each policy has its own terms, conditions and requirements.

Mortality - paid if the horse dies

Medical - like health insurance, offsets costs of catastrophic veterinary care

Loss of Use - paid if horse is permanently incapacitated for its intended use or purpose

Lameness Exam

The lameness examination uses a combination of history from the owner, visual examination of the horse in motion, musculoskeletal palpation and manipulation, and imaging diagnostics (radiography and ultrasonography,) to determine the source of pain or decreased performance. If a problem is diagnosed, we can provide numerous therapeutic treatments (from medications or joint injections to acupuncture) and will design a lay-up and rehabilitation program specific to your horse's needs. Referral hospitals can provide cutting edge technology and may be recommended.

Passports

For those who have passports for their horses or are thinking of getting a passport for their horse we can start them or update them. For information on acquiring an equine passport go to www.usef.org/. Click here for USEF passport application forms. Please note the State of Michigan now requires a negative by c-ELISA or Compliment Fixation (CF) to piroplasmosis within 30 days prior to importation.

Prepurchase Examination

Examinations prior to purchase are highly recommended before purchasing a horse. A complete physical examination including lameness evaluation is done to provide you, the buyer, with critical information necessary for your decision on whether or not to purchase the horse. Special diagnostics such as radiographs, ultrasound, endoscopy and blood work can be performed if requested.

Reproduction Services

We perform services ranging from uterine cultures to semen evaluations to help ensure successful breeding and a healthy foal. Fresh or frozen semen can be used for artificial insemination. Ultrasounds are used to detect the appropriate time for breeding and pregnancy. New foal health examinations include IgG testing/supplementation and plasma transfusions when necessary.

Sheath Cleaning

Cleaning the sheath of a stallion or gelding is a component of grooming that should not be overlooked. A dirty sheath can predispose to irritation, infection, and difficulty urinating.

Surgery

BVS is equipped with a surgical suite, padded recovery stall and five stables. We perform minor surgeries in the field or in house, such as castrations, laceration repair, and biopsy sampling. If more extensive surgery is required, we will recommend you to one of the local referral hospitals.

Vaccinations

The American Association of Equine Practitioners recommends that all equids receive vaccines to protect them against tetanus, eastern and western equine encephalitis (EEE/WEE), West Nile virus (WNV), influenza and rhinopneumonitis, and in some regions, rabies. These vaccines are considered “core” because they are thought to be safe and effective and because there is a real potential that equids can be exposed to the disease agents, which could lead to fatal illness.

All vaccines are based on a risk to benefit ratio. Stables and farms that have had problems with Streptococcus Equine, more commonly known as strangles, in the past should also vaccinate against this agent. Stables should consult with their veterinarian the risk potential for their facility. An example of a high risk situation is a horse that is under stressful conditions due to traveling, showing or training. We use the intranasal vaccination. Horses that are going to many shows and rodeos stand the risk of being exposed to strangles while in close contact with other horses. Increased risk may also lead to consideration of additional booster shots.

Horses that travel a lot and are exposed to many other horses should receive an influenza and rhinopneumonitis vaccine. Although not required by law, rabies vaccinations for horses are never discouraged. Historically, Wisconsin and Illinois have a low incidence of rabies. This is it not true for all regions of the country. If traveling, check with your veterinarian for recommended vaccines. Potomac horse fever vaccine is considered an accessory vaccine when specific conditions warrant high risk.

Call us to talk about customized vaccination protocols as most stables, farms, and individual horses could have different needs.