Equine services are available at our hospitals in Kaycee, Wyoming and Sheridan, Wyoming. In addition, we offer mobile veterinary “house calls” and have a vehicle which is fully stocked with supplies for emergencies and any other services performed at your home or ranch. Listed below is a summary of some of the services we offer:
SURGERY AND MEDICINE
A variety of surgical procedures, including castrations, umbilical hernia repairs and neurectomies can be perfomed at our hospitals, which are both equipped with safe, clean, climate-controlled induction stalls and surgery suites. We can treat and medically manage colic cases for which surgery is not needed. Both hospitals have stalls inside the clinic or pens with covered runs outside which are available for horses which have wounds, lacerations, or other medical conditions that require hospitalization.
LAMENESS EVALUATIONS
We can help diagnose and treat lameness issues to get your equine athlete back in the arena or on the trail, including the use of peripheral nerve and/or joint blocks if necessary to help pinpoint the area where the lameness is arising. We prefer to perform lameness exams at a hospital location, as a hard, level surface such as concrete or asphalt is the best surface to use when evaluating lamenesses. Nerve or joint blocks can also be performed more easily and safely in a hospital setting.
EQUINE PRE-PURCHASE EXAMS
Purchasing a new horse can be a huge financial and time-intensive commitment. A pre-purchase exam by an experienced veterinarian can help you determine if a specific horse is right for you, based on a variety of factors, including your experience level and your intended use for the horse. The role of the veterinarian is not to “pass” or “fail” the horse, but to help you make an informed decision by providing information about the horse’s health on the day of the exam. All pre-purchase exams are done at a hospital location.
ENDOSCOPY
Upper airway endoscopy services are available at both hospitals and can also be performed in the field, thanks to our portable endoscopy unit. Our endoscope is 1.50 meters long, and is passed up the nostril of the horse to visualize the upper airways, (pharynx, larynx, soft palate), gutteral pouches, trachea, and upper esophagus. The endoscope can also be used to obtain samples of fluid from the trachea, lungs, or gutteral pouches.
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture has been proven to help reduce pain and inflammation and increase circulation, which makes it a useful modality to treat arthritis and other painful conditions, such as heel pain (navicular syndrome), laminitis, and neck, back and pelvis pain. It has also been shown to be helpful in controlling COPD (Heaves) and treating colic, urine pooling, poor uterine tone, and endometritis. Acupuncture is used in conjunction with Western medicine to treat the whole horse.
SHOCKWAVE
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) uses pressure/sound waves that increase as they travel through tissues. The pressure change leads to the formation and collapse of tiny gas bubbles, which leads to microtrauma of the tissues and increased blood supply to the area. This helps the body in relieving pain, speeding healing, and improving the quality of healing. Shockwave can be used to treat a wide variety of injuries, such as stress fractures, tendon/ligament injuries, osteoarthritis of hock joints, navicular syndrome, back pain, and non-healing wounds.
REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES
Our hospital in Sheridan has joined forces with Rising C Stallion Station, and has full facilities for collecting, evaluating, and shipping stallion semen. We also offer semen freezing and storage services. Artificial insemination and mare management can be provided at our facility in Kaycee with Dr. Vondra based on availability.
IMAGING
Powder River Veterinary Hospital & Supply, PC is equipped with portable digital Eklin radiography units at both hospital locations, which produce digital radiographs that can be viewed immediately after exposure and have exceptional clarity and detail. The hospitals also have several ultrasounds to meet a variety of imaging needs. From bone, joint, and tendon evaluations to pregnancy detection, we can provide imaging to meet your needs.
PARASITE CONTROL
Testing, treating, and prevention of internal and external parasites are very important to the health of horses. Our veterinarians will help you develop parasite treatment and control programs specific to your horse’s needs, as some horses are resistant to internal parasite infestation, while others may require frequent treatment.
COGGINS TESTS AND HEALTH CERTIFICATES
We can help you determine what is required for you and your horse to travel across the country and provide the proper paperwork and laboratory testing. Contact our office for help with your travel needs.
IN-HOUSE (PRP/IRAP) AND REFERRAL LAB SERVICES
Powder River Veterinary Hospital & Supply, PC is equipped with a complete in-house laboratory capable of performing blood chemistries, complete blood counts, urinalyses, parasite screening, and others. We can harvest and process Platelet Rich Plasma and IRAP, which provides rapid and efficient concentration of platelets and/or growth factors and anti-inflammatory cells from the animals’ own blood for use soft tissue or joint injuries or disease. We also utilize numerous referral laboratories to perform those tests we do not have available to us in-house.