Services

Millbrook Elite Equine Care would like to be your partner in veterinary health care. Feel free to ask your questions and share your concerns with us. We will work with you to develop a wellness program for the care and treatment your pet needs.

We welcome you to our practice and look forward to caring for your pet.

Millbrook Elite Equine Care provides a full range of veterinary services including the following:

Bloat and Torsion

Bloat and torsion, also known as gastric dilation and volvulus, or GDV, is a life-threatening condition involving distension and abnormal rotation of the stomach. It occurs most often in large animals like horses and in certain large breeds of dogs, but can also occur in smaller dogs and in cats. Bloat and torsion usually manifests in healthy animals in their prime, frequently when they have engaged in vigorous exercise immediately after eating. ...

Equine Allergies

Horses, like other animals, can have environmental allergies or allergic reactions to feed, insect bites or medications. During allergic reactions, the body's immune system overreacts to otherwise harmless substances as if they were pathogens. These allergens can cause reactions ranging from mild to severe, and may include skin disturbances, respiratory problems, and even life-threatening anaphylaxis. ...

Equine Arthritis

Equine osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD), is a chronic illness in which the cartilage that normally cushions the joint bones wears down, resulting in swelling, pain and, potentially, lameness While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, there are means of managing its symptoms. Equine osteoarthritis is more prevalent in horses involved in dressage or racing than in trail horses. It is a primary cause of horse retirement. There is also another type of equine arthritis known as acute, or septic, arthritis. This disorder is usually bacterial in origin, but may also be fungal. ...

Equine Dental Care

For most of their lives, horses' teeth continue to grow. This is why the age of a horse can be gauged by its teeth. Most horses outlive their teeth, but still require dental care throughout their lives. While horses in the wild typically eat enough fibrous and abrasive food to wear their teeth down properly, domesticated horses usually do not. Domesticated horses, therefore, have trouble with teeth that are unevenly worn down or that come to extremely sharp points. Not only can these teeth result in painful lesions in the horse's mouth, they can cause the horse's jaw to lock as it chews. The solution to these equine dental problems is a process called "floating," during which the pointy teeth are ground down and smoothed. ...

Equine Eye Care

A horse's eyes are an important key to its well-being and should be checked at least annually by a veterinarian. It is usually recommended that geriatric horses be checked twice a year. Horses depend on their keen vision to keep them safe. Their eyes work independently of one another (monocular vision), each enabling the horse to visualize a full 350 degree field. Handlers should check their horse's eyes daily to note any changes or abnormalities that may require veterinary attention since eye problems in horses can worsen rapidly. The eyes of a healthy horse should be bright and clear with the inside of the lid pink and moist. ...

Equine Endocrine Disorders

Endocrine disorders are diseases that affect the endocrine glands, the glands that produce hormones. Hormones are chemicals that, once released into the bloodstream, have profound effects on many bodily processes. Horses are subject to many of the same hormonal imbalances as humans. The most common equine hormone disorders affect the adrenal glands, the thyroid gland, and the pancreas. Although serious and sometimes life-threatening, most endocrine disorders, once diagnosed through blood screening, can be successfully treated with hormone replacements or other therapy. ...

Equine Lameness

Lameness, an abnormality in a horse's gait or stance, is a common and troubling symptom in horses. It can be caused by a great many factors and may present with a variety of symptoms. Although lameness in horses can be serious, its is frequently quite curable. While historically horses faced a grim prognosis for many kinds of lameness, at present the percentage of horses that have to be euthanized as a result of lameness is down to approximately 2.5 percent. ...

Equine Parasites

Wherever there are horses, there are parasites that must be keep at a controllable level. In the past, deworming horses was performed almost exclusively by veterinarians since it involved pumping the medication directly into the horse's stomach through the animal's nose. In recent years, deworming products, known as anthelmintics, have become much easier to administer. They can simply be squirted into the horse's mouth or added to daily feed. While there are many positive aspects to this modernization, it has resulted in owners taking over the deworming process, frequently without veterinary consultation. The serious downside to this is that owners have not kept up with recent changes in the parasites or the methodology to eliminate them. As a result, parasites have become drug-resistant. ...

Equine Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis, commonly known as salmonella, affects a great many animals, including horses. Most varieties of the disease are zoonotic, meaning they can be transferred from animals to humans. This bacterial illness can affect both foals and mature horses and causes severe, sometimes life-threatening, diarrhea. While equine salmonellosis typically confines itself to the gastrointestinal tract in adult horses, in foals it can more easily migrate into the bloodstream resulting in sepsis, a very dangerous systemic infection. ...

Equine Urinary Tract Disorders

Healthy adult horses seem to have a natural resistance to disorders of the urinary tract, but when problems in the renal system do occur, they are serious and must be dealt with promptly. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more likely to affect mares and foals. Mares are susceptible to lower urinary tract infections because their urethras are shorter than those of male horses and so can more easily transport bacteria to the bladder, resulting in cystitis. Foals, especially newborns, are also susceptible to UTIs. ...

Equine Vaccinations

Horses, like other animals, are routinely vaccinated against illnesses that may make them gravely ill. To a certain extent, specific immunizations are administered according to the judgement of the the particular equine veterinarian, depending on the doctor's assessment of risk factors such as age, geographic location, and possible exposure. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), however, defines certain vaccinations as core vaccinations for all horses in the United States. ...

Equine Wellness Care

Horses, like all animals, require wellness veterinary care. In addition to needing proper feeding, hygiene, hydration, exercise and a comfortable home environment, they need regular medical examinations in order to thrive. Adult horses should be seen by a veterinarian annually. Semi-annual check-ups are recommended for horses over the age of 20 since they are considered geriatric and more prone to injury and disease. During a routine examination, the doctor will be able to assess the horse's general health and to detect any abnormality or disease process at an early stage. Regular check-ups help to ensure that the horse will lead a healthy and long life. ...

Geriatric Care for Horses

Horses over the age of 20 are considered geriatric and may require special attention in order to comfortably survive their senior years. Many of the conditions normally associated with equine aging are quite treatable and, in some cases, even preventable. Whereas young and adult horses should normally see the veterinarian annually, geriatric horses should be given semi-annual check-ups that include dental examinations. ...

Horse Hoof Care

Taking good care of a horse always involves paying attention to the animal's hooves as well as to its coat, eyes, gait and attitude. A healthy horse should have healthy feet and many medical difficulties can be avoided if the horse's feet and hooves are examined and groomed on a regular basis. This way, a sense of what is normal for the particular animal is established and any indication of a problem can be dealt with promptly. ...

Laminitis

Laminitis, also known as founder, is a serious equine disease, a common cause of lameness in horses. The disorder affects the lamina of the horse's foot, the part that connects the protective outer layer of the hoof to the sensitive internal structures. Laminitis causes pain, inflammation, increased temperature in the hoof, and impaired mobility. ...

Lyme Disease in Dogs and Horses

Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which can be transmitted by ticks to both animals and humans. First recognized in 1975, Lyme disease has become an increasingly common problem and is now the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. Lyme disease is most prevalent in the Northeast and Midwest. While it is estimated that a very high percentage of dogs and horses in these regions are exposed to ticks, they do not all develop the illness. Still, Lyme disease is on the rise. Other animals that can become infected include deer, horses, cattle, cats (rarely) and mice. ...

Microchip Implants

Microchips are tiny devices that are implanted under the skin to help identify the pet, should they become lost. The chip, about the size of a large grain of rice, uses passive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to provide permanent identification such as the pet's breed, sex, age and owner's name and address, along with a special code number. Since approximately half of all lost animals are found at shelters without a collar, the microchip implant provides peace of mind for the pet owner. ...

Pet Obesity

Obesity is a common condition in pets that can put them at high risk for disease and other complications. Weight control is sometimes hard to maintain in pets because of different body sizes, amount of exercise and diet.

Certain conditions may contribute to obesity in pets. These conditions include: ...

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

During the past decade, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has emerged as an effective treatment for equine tendon, ligament and even bone injuries. Used in humans prior to its use in horses, PRP delivers concentrated platelets and growth factors to the site of injury, accelerating the healing process and regenerating tissue. Research involving injured racehorses has shown that orthopedic injuries respond very positively to PRP therapy. Not only is there an acceleration of bone and wound healing, but there is evidence of increased formation of blood vessels, connective tissue and skin. ...

Proper Equine Feeding Practices

Horses in a natural setting spend about 60 percent of their time grazing. When domesticated horses are pastured, they will do the same, spending no more than 2 to 3 hours at a stretch in non-eating behaviors. Being herd animals, horses in nature eat with a group of their comrades. While domesticated horses are usually happy doing the same, there are a few drawbacks to group feeding. Since overfeeding is a real danger with horses and since each animal has individual nutritional requirements depending on its age, size, gender, and reproductive state, horses fed in groups are more likely to be overfed than horses fed separately. ...

Equine Rotavirus

Equine rotavirus is the primary cause of viral diarrhea in foals, particularly those under 2 months of age. The younger the animal, the more likely the symptoms are to be severe. Equine rotavirus rarely infects mature horses. The illness results in loss of appetite, depression, and copious, watery, malodorous bowel movements. In most cases, the diarrhea lasts from 4 to 7 days, but occasionally it persists for weeks. Infecting the villi (small hairs) of the small intestine, the virus can result in dehydration and malabsorption if not treated promptly. As many as 50 percent of foals contract rotavirus, but, with appropriate veterinary intervention, mortality is kept below 1 percent. ...

West Nile Virus in Horses

Horses, like humans, can be infected with West Nile virus, an inflammation of the central nervous system resulting in encephalitis. Although a relatively small number of horses in the United States have been diagnosed with the disease in the approximately 15 years since it first appeared in this country, the numbers are on the rise. The death rate of horses infected with West Nile virus continues to be between 30 and 40 percent, so the illness is definitely cause for concern. ...