- Dental CareThe last stage of the horse is the geriatric period; over the age of 20 years. At this point in the horse’s life, the finite amount of tooth they have is no longer undergoing significant eruption, that is the tooth the horse has had for its entire life has worn down to the point there is no more reserve tooth to drop down into wear with the opposing tooth. The importance of early and continuous dental care becomes very evident during this stage of the horse’s life, as abnormalities not addressed early often result in problems that may no longer be correctable. In either case, the goal in the care of the geriatric horse is to maintain comfort to help prevent problems such as weight loss, choke, and colic. Frequently during this stage, teeth wear out and are lost, diminishing a horse’s ability to digest forage. These horses may require a mash diet to allow them to meet their metabolic demands. Such mash diets reduce the natural rhythmic chewing cycle of the mouth and can result in exaggerated sharp enamel points and ulcerations to the cheeks. These horses may require oral exams and dental floats every 6 months to keep them comfortable.
- VaccinationRoutine preventative care is essential to the performance of your horse. We tailor a worming and vaccination program to meet your horse’s needs, and make sure the horse stays on schedule. We keep you informed when your pregnant mares and foals are due for vaccinations.
- Veterinary Ophthalmology
- Nutritional CounselingA gastric ulcer occurs when a portion of the mucosa is damaged. This exposes the much more sensitive internal tissue to the acidic gastric fluid resulting in discomfort or pain. The more layers of mucosa that are lost, the deeper and more significant the ulcer. Adult horses with gastric ulcers can have a wide variety of clinical signs. The signs include mild colic signs, especially after eating, decreased appetite, and poor performance. Younger horses may have more significant colic signs. Because the clinical signs can be so varied and non-specific, gastric ulcers can only be definitively diagnosed with a gastroscopy, where a small camera is passed down the esophagus and enables direct visualization of the inner lining of the stomach. This procedure is performed in the standing horse with light sedation.
- Comprehensive ExaminationWe have a 48,000 square foot riding arena with Nike footing where horses are evaluated for pre-purchase exams and lameness issues.
- Parasites Treatment and Control3. Tapeworms attach at the junction of the ileum and cecum and a large infestation can interfere with proper empting of the ileum into the cecum and can result in the development of an ileal impaction. Many ileal impactions can be resolved with hospitalization, medications to relax the small intestine and control pain, and IV fluid therapy. Some horses require surgery to have the impaction manually broken down and milked into the cecum. Tapeworm infestations can be difficult to identify with fecal tests, so all horses should be dewormed once a year with praziquantal, the only deworming medication that kills tapeworms.
- Pain ManagementTreatment is done on an outpatient basis at the clinic. The horse requires only mild sedation so it remains standing during the procedure. Treatments usually take 30-45 minutes. We use a [girl with horse] direction head shockwave system from High Medical Technologies (HMT, a leader in the field) that generates pressure waves. The non-invasive shockwaves stimulate immune-competent cells and trigger the body’s natural repair mechanisms, promoting healing and pain relief without side effects.
- Skin Condition and Allergy Treatment
- Upper Respiratory Illness TreatmentAnesthesia is achieved with inhaled gases and controlled positive ventilation with heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and oxygen levels monitored to ensure patient safety. The surgery suite includes a separate padded induction and recovery room. Fractures, colic, breeding/foaling problems and respiratory issues frequently require surgical intervention and are routinely addressed by our doctors and staff.
- Injury TreatmentCarbon dioxide and diode lasers are used for a variety of therapeutic purposes, including to speed the healing of tendon, ligament, fracture and muscle injuries, and to relieve painful conditions and inflammation. The laser also effectively addresses skin tumors and assorted wounds, and tissue granulation.
- Arthritis TreatmentIf you are interested in Alpha2EQ as a therapy option for the care of lameness, osteoarthritis or joint pain in your horse, please call the office to speak to a veterinarian for additional information.
- Hip Dysplasia Treatment
- Diabetes Treatment
- Cancer TreatmentSarcoids can also be treated by injection with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. This treatment can also be combined with surgical removal or surgical laser removal. Reported reoccurrence rates vary between 13-66%
- Wound and Fracture CareRainland Farm Equine Clinic has facilities for hospitalization and 24 hour care of your horse. We have four hospital stalls and the ability to run intravenous fluids and provide around the clock monitoring of our sick patients. We have a full service in-house laboratory to assist in diagnosis and to enable careful monitoring of critical patients. Reasons your horse may require hospitalization include colic, advanced wound care, treatment of severe corneal ulcers, post-operative care of critical patients, and for advanced reproductive services. Our experienced doctors and veterinary support staff are very attentive to the individual needs of your horse and strive to provide the best quality care for your horse.
- Dental SurgeryRainland Farm Equine Clinic is a fully equipped surgical facility with a dedicated surgery room, gas anesthesia, and padded stall for recovery from anesthesia. Surgical services include arthroscopy, general orthopedics, soft tissue surgery, dental surgery and a full range of routine and emergency procedures. The doctors and staff all have extensive surgical experience and training.
- Veterinary Surgery
- Laser Surgery
- Laboratory ServicesOur in-house laboratory rivals a human hospital in its capabilities. Blood counts looking for infections, chemistries examining internal organ functions, electrolyte values, cultures of body fluids, semen evaluations (counts, morphology, viability, culture) are some of what can be done quickly and correctly.
- X-RayRainland Farm Equine Clinic is located on five acres in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. The modern full service clinic houses a medical exam room, surgical suite with padded induction and recovery room, large laboratory and complete pharmacy. Diagnostic tools include digital radiography, nuclear scintigraphy (bone scan), video endoscopy with several fiber optic scopes, and ultrasound.
- Equine VetLuthersson, N, Nielsen, KH, Parkin, TD. Risk factors associated with equine gastric ulceration syndrome (EGUS) in 201 horses in Denmark. Equine Vet J 2009 Sep;41(7):625-30.