Examinations

Horses just like any other animal, can develop health issues. We are lucky to be able to prevent a lot of these issues with regular wellness examinations and proper home care.

At Marshall Animal Clinic we are able to provide the necessary preventative and comprehensive care that any horse owner may encounter, because of this we can give our horse owners piece of mind.

Just like small animals horses require a regular evaluation of their teeth, hooves, sheath cleaning, wellness exam and vaccinations. Unlike small animals though horses require a procedure called "floating' to smooth down teeth to an even height and surface. Hooves also are important to maintain and have trimmed properly as neglect to do so can lead to laminitis or other aliments including infections, arthritis, and traumatic injury. It is important that your gelding's sheath is cleaned to prevent the "bean" (as shown by Dr. Ruppert in the photo below) from interfering with your gelding's urination, some geldings will let you clean the sheath and others will not. We usually clean the sheath of a gelding when they are in for their power float, as they are sedated. Many of our horse clients travel with their horses' either to a Competition Events or Trail Riding, some events require a EIA Test to be completed and or a Health Certificate. We are able to exam your horse and send off blood work for the appropriate testing and requirements. We use Global Vet Link for all of our EIA, Prescription and Health Certificate Requests. During an annual wellness exam we are able to preform periodic lab testing that will allow us to search for any sign of ill health and prescribe the appropriate treatment if needed.

Horses are exposed to different elements and can develop infections or skin problems. Parasites (external and internal), fungi, bacteria and allergic reactions or other conditions can all lead to skin lesions and/or hair loss. Allergic reactions can develop from external stimuli, including bedding, food sensitivity or airborne pollutants. Lice and mites are also culprit to skin lesions and or hair loss. Some of these can be prevented with regular examinations and preventative measures. We are able to examine your horse under these conditions and develop a treatment plan to best fit you and your horse.

Like most we LOVE to see baby foals, and it is even better when we got to help them in their development! We offer different reproductive services and Dr. Kuecker, Dr. Westegaard and Dr. Ruppert would be happy to have a consult on your plan with your Mare.

In a more comprehensive scenario we are able to treat health problems such as colic, lameness, lethargy and internal organ dysfunction. If necessary we work closely with different laboratories and specialists to be able to refer you appropriately.

Please contact us at (507) 537-1537 for an appointment with one of our Equine Veterinarians for an initial consultation.