Services
Horses and other equine patients require veterinarians who specialize in treating them so we are pleased to offer this service in Langley, BC and the surrounding communities.
Mobile Veterinarian Serving BC’s Lower Mainland
Routine Veterinary Care
Such as physical exams, vaccinations, coggins/health certificates, insurance exams, nutritional consultation, dentistry, fecal egg counts, and bloodwork.
Emergency Care
24 Hr on-farm emergency service is available for client’s horses.
Dentistry
Horses teeth are changing (wearing/erupting) throughout their lives and they require dental care to ensure the teeth last the life of the horse. A thorough dental exam should be done yearly and most horses will require floating (filing) at that time to remove sharp enamel point that cause cheek ulcerations and abrasions. Beyond floating it is also necessary to identify and treat periodontal disease, damaged teeth or abnormal wear on the grinding surface in order to maintain the overall health of the mouth and comfort to the horse.
Lameness Evaluation
A lameness exam includes some or all of the following: a physical and chiropractic (structural) examination, evaluation of movement (in hand, on a lunge and/or under saddle), limb flexions, nerve and/or joint blocks to localize the lameness, and diagnostic imaging to further define the problem. This practice is equipped with digital radiography and ultrasonography equipment, and an Equinosis Q^ (Lameness Locator TM) system.
Note: The Equinosis Lameness Locator system is a wireless sensor system fitted on the horse that helps to detect and measure level of lameness objectively. After trotting the horse, the program generates a report that indicates whether a horse is lame, the degree of lameness, which limb(s) is/are lame, and which part of the stride cycle peak lameness is occurring. It is most helpful for assessing horses with subtle lameness, and those with multiple limb lameness. It also helps to quantify the amount of improvement following nerve and joint blocks.
Prepurchase Exams
The goal of this exam is to identify abnormalities present in the horse that may affect its health or performance. There is no “pass” or “fail” – instead, the buyer is provided with as much information as possible on the current health and soundness of the horse in order to make an educated decision whether or not to purchase the horse. A pre purchase exam is tailored to meet the client’s needs and can range from a physical exam alone to a full soundness evaluation including use of the Equinosis Q^ (Lameness Locator TM) system, x-rays, ultrasound and endoscopy.
Chiropractic
Dr. Andres graduated from Options for Animals chiropractic school in Kansas and was certified by the International College of Animal Chiropractors in 2005.
Animal chiropractic is a sub specialization for vets or human chiropractors – only those with a DVM or DC can enter an accredited chiropractic school.
The goal of chiropractic treatment is to restore function and mobility to compromised vertebrae to help re-establish neuro-muscular function. In other words, the goal is to loosen up stuck joints thru chiropractic adjustments, which will in turn loosen up stiff muscles and release nerve “impingements” so the animal can move and feel better.
Symptoms of spinal fixations (stuck joints) in horses are many but may include lameness or stiffness, muscle spasm, sensitivity to touch , bucking, resistance to flexion/collection, and difficulty taking a canter lead.
Equine chiropractic treatment can be very successful in treating many nonspecific lameness and reduced performance issues.
Reproduction
Services include mare/foal care, artificial insemination (cooled and frozen), pre-breeding and pregnancy sonograms, uterine culture/cytology, uterine treatment for infections, Caslick’s surgery, and foal IgG testing.
Internal Medicine
Services include diagnostic and medical treatment of “internal” issues such as gastrointestinal problems (eg. weight loss, diarrhea, colic, stomach ulcers), metabolic and endocrine issues (eg. Cushing’s disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome), respiratory problems (eg. coughing, allergic asthma/’heaves’), neurologic issues (eg. incoordination, head tilting, EPM), and muscular disorders (eg. “tying up” , HYPP, Shivers, PSSM).
Surgery
Services include geld/castration, laceration repair and wound treatment, and mass/tumor removal.
If your horse requires additional treatment beyond the scope of this practice (eg. MRI, major surgery) a referral can be arranged.