Equine
Our horse partners give us a lifetime of love and they deserve the highest quality of care in return. Whether you show them, train them, or just love them as pets, our goal is to positively affect the quality of life and deliver superior service to every single horse, rider and owner we meet. We are pleased to offer mobile equine services in La Pine and the surrounding communities.
Preventative Care
Veterinarians like Dr. Bohard have dedicated their lives to keeping your horse happy and healthy for as long as possible. We strive to prevent illness and detect problems early when they are more easily treated. Just like humans, annual exams with the doctor keep your horse performing at their highest level. Some of the things your horse may encounter at their annual preventative medicine visit include a nose to tail physical examination, vaccines, discussion on deworming and nutrition, and bloodwork. Our horses can’t tell us exactly how they’re feeling and it’s difficult to know anything is wrong until the problem is severe enough that we can see symptoms. Especially as our horses age, routine physical exams and diagnostics can detect changes indicating a problem early on, allowing us to intervene on their behalf before major issues arise.
Vaccinations
Vaccines are an important part of preventative medicine. Without them, these viral infections could cause devastating disease or even death, with little to no treatment options available. The core vaccines recommended for all horses in our area are Eastern & Western Encephalomyelitis, Rabies, Tetanus, and West Nile Virus.
Additional vaccines such as Influenza, Herpesvirus and Strangles are based on each horse’s specific lifestyle. Please contact us to discuss your horse’s vaccination recommendations.
Elective Surgery
Wickiup Animal Hospital is available to castrate your colt in the field. Ideally, this procedure is performed when they are less than 2 years old. As colts age, unwanted stud behaviors can become ingrained and therefore aren’t improved with castration. They also have larger blood vessels to their testicles making risk of complication during surgery and in recovery higher. There are other factors including weather and field conditions that can affect your colt’s recovery. Please give us a call to discuss when would be the best time to schedule a castration.
Travel Requirements
A Coggins test is a blood test that is used to help monitor and prevent the spread of Equine Infectious Anemia. EIA is a viral disease that can be deadly. Unfortunately there is no vaccine or cure for it, which is why surveillance is so important. Your horse may be turned away from a competition if you don’t have a current negative Coggins test. It is also required for your horse to travel outside the state.
Dr. Bohard maintains her USDA accreditation so that she can provide Certificate of Veterinary Inspection documentation when needed. A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) is a document ensuring a horse has recently been evaluated by a veterinarian for signs of contagious disease or illness. A CVI is required for interstate/international travel and helps reduce disease spread by stopping transport of sick horses. Each state has specific requirements for importing horses. If you’re planning to travel with your horse, call us for more details.
Dentistry
One of the most important aspects of maintaining a horse’s health is their teeth. Did you know horse teeth constantly erupt while simultaneously being ground down as they eat? They only have about 4 inches of tooth to last their entire life. If the erupt/grind process becomes unbalanced, teeth develop sharp painful points and become misshapen, causing difficulty eating or wearing a bit. Prematurely or inappropriately worn teeth fall out early leaving a horse without the ability to properly eat their food. Routine examination by a licensed veterinarian will help detect and correct dental disease and other health problems early – before they threaten the well-being of your horse.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Eastern Medical technique that’s been used on humans for thousands of years. Dogs, cats and horses also benefit from acupuncture. Special needles are inserted into specific locations of the body to achieve specific nerve stimulation. The nervous system controls every part of the body’s function so influencing nerves with acupuncture needles can help promote healing after an injury or surgery, ease chronic pain, improve behavior/anxiety, reduce allergy flare ups and much more. Veterinarians and human practitioners alike have successfully integrated this technique to use in combination with Western medical practices to achieve a well rounded approach to patient care. Often acupuncture can allow decreasing or even eliminating medications needed, speed recovery, and overall improve your pet’s quality of life.
Hospice Care
Saying goodbye to your horse is never easy, even when we know we’re making the right decision. There are many factors that go into deciding to euthanize a horse, and it is a personal journey that differs with every family. The process can be emotionally and mentally draining, but you are not alone. We are here to help in any way we can. We treat each case with compassionate and understanding care. From keeping your horse comfortable in their final days, to discussing their quality of life and talking through how and when to make the most difficult decision we as horse owners ever have to make, we are here to work alongside you, always keeping your horse’s comfort and happiness as our top priority. We can also make arrangements for handling their remains afterwards. No one wants to have to think about logistical challenges when saying goodbye to their beloved horse, so we can take care of that for you.