Chiropractic

Dr. Tricia Arnold is an International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) certified Animal Chiropractor.

Animal Chiropractic care is a manual therapy focusing on biomechanical dysfunction of the spine and its effect on the entire nervous system of the body.  As an Animal Chiropractor, Dr. Arnold assesses your horse for Vertebral Subluxation Complexes (VSC).  VSCs are functional misalignments of vertebrae.  If subluxation exists, the horse loses normal flexibility of the spine, affecting performance and resulting in stiffness and muscular tension.  Horses can exhibit pain or stiffness in a variety of ways, including an asymmetrical gait, tail swishing, and personality or work ethic changes. 

Chiropractic care can often assist or eliminate the source of acute or chronic pain syndromes.  The amount of chiropractic care required by a certain horse will vary.  Dr. Arnold would be happy to address any questions you may have concerning Animal Chiropractic care.

For more information, check out our Equine Chiropractic Care handout.
 

Services:

Preventative Care

Professional Services

Diagnostic Tools

Emergency Services

Therapeutic Services

Elective Surgery

Additional Services

• Thorough Hands-on Exam
• Gait Analysis at multiple gaits
• Hoof Testing
• Joint Flexion Tests
• Longing
• Diagnostic Nerve and Joint Blocks
• Digital Radiography
• Digital Ultrasound

• Adequan & Legend
• Joint Injections with a variety of medications including hyaluronic acid, corticosteroids, and IRAP^tm
• Shockwave Therapy
• Ionophoresis
• Chiropractic Treatment
• Acupuncture Techniques
• Musculo-Skeletal Surgeries such a tendon splitting, stem cell implants, tenectomys, and arthroscopic techniques

Pre-Purchase Exams

Whether you are looking for a horse to use for trail, pleasure, competition or breeding, it is important to have a prospect thoroughly examined to determine if they will best fit your needs.  A pre-purchase exam will provide you with the information needed to determine whether the horse is right for you.   

All exams include a full physical exam from head to tail, a conformation study, and an exhaustive lameness evaluation.  Since each exam will be custom-tailored to the prospective use of the horse, they may also include x-rays, ultrasound, endoscopic evaluation, drug testing, and/or a reproductive exam.

Once the pre-purchase exam is complete, the doctor will be able to present you with information regarding existing conditions and the horse’s current state of health.  They will not pass or fail the horse but provide you with information so that you can be more educated in your decision.  Although the veterinary exam is only part of the decision to buy or not to buy a horse, investing in a pre-purchase exam can help you find a healthy horse that will be able to meet your needs.
 

Reproduction

Whether you are a seasoned breeder or are breeding your mare for the first time, we can help.  To start the process, we offer a breeding soundness exam which consists of a full physical exam with special attention to the external reproductive organs, palpation and ultrasound of the reproductive tract, and uterine culture and cytology.  This is best done at the beginning of the breeding season while your mare is showing signs of heat. 

If you are interested in having your mare bred by Artificial Insemination, we offer a breeding package in which the mare can stay at our clinic or we can come out to your farm.  The breeding package includes daily palpation and ultrasound of the reproductive tract, insemination with shipped semen at the appropriate time, and the first pregnancy exam.  If you prefer to do live cover, we will perform palpation and ultrasound of the reproductive tract to aid in timing the breeding and to check for pregnancy.  We recommend three pregnancy exams: the first at 14-18 days after breeding to give time to re-breed if she is not in foal, the second at 28-30 days after breeding to check for a fetal heartbeat, and the third at 60 days after breeding to ensure proper development of the fetus. 

Once your mare is in foal, we will help you care for her throughout her pregnancy with a schedule for healthcare.  The most important veterinary healthcare aspect during pregnancy is vaccinating against EHV-1 with the Pneaumabort vaccine at 3, 5, 7, and 9 months and boostering all vaccines at 10 months.

When it comes time to foal, we are able to provide assistance should you need it.  We also recommend a Mare and Foal Exam at approximately 8 to 12 hours post-foaling.  During the exam, we will perform physical exams on both the mare and foal in addition to checking the placenta and running a Foal IgG to make sure the baby received enough antibodies from the mare’s colostrum.

For more information regarding Breeding and Foaling, please check out our newsletters.    
 

If you are interested in any of the above listed services,
please feel free to call for more information or to schedule an appointment!