Mission:

 To provide excellent Equine Veterinary care and service through the support of the Doctors, the Staff, and the Customers.

We also strive to bring new services for the benefit and
advancement of Equine health,
and continually work to provide a local resource for education of the public and equine professionals in matters of the health and welfare of horses.

Puncture Wounds, Way To Nail It.

There are a few things that can cause a horse to be lame immediately. They include fractures of bones, hoof abscesses, and puncture wounds. If your horse goes lame suddenly the most common thing to do is to pick the foot up and dig it out. Often times there isn't anything obviously wrong, but it is the time that you happen to find a piece of metal, sharp object, or a nail in your horses foot. Although instinctively the first thing that you may want to do is pull it out, DON'T DO IT! It is recommended that anytime you have something puncturing into the foot that is causing the horse to go that lame, that you should consult your veterinarian for a recommendation. They may recommend that your horse be seen and gave x-rays (radiographs) taken of the foot. There are regions in the foot which are more dangerous to have a puncture wound. If you notice a nail or other object in the frog or lateral sulci of the foot the object could have punctured the navicular bursa, where a tendon runs along the navicular bone, or the coffin joint. Both regions may have devastating long term consequences if infection or damage occurs. Although other places in the foot do not pose such a threat we would still recommend taking x-rays before removing the object. Once removing the object it is a good idea to measure it and also note the cleanliness. Any time a puncture wound has occurred tetanus vaccination should be boostered.