Large Animal Veterinary Services

The experienced vets at our Santa Clarita animal hospital offer on-location equine vet services and treatments from lameness diagnosis and internal medicine to parasite treatments and foot care.

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Procedures & Treatments

Our equine trained vets at Sweetwater Veterinary Clinic provide a comprehensive range of services and treatments for hard working horses and their proud owners including:

• Equine Wellness, Pre-Purchase & Insurance Exams

  Equine Wellness Exams

  During your horse's wellness exam your Santa Clarita equine vet will ask you about the animal's past and recent medical history and whether you have any concerns about your horse's overall health.

  Equine nutrition will be discussed and a casual evaluation of your horse's weight and diet. Finally, any vaccinations or deworming required will be given.

  Download Our Equine Vaccine Protocols

  Pre-Purchase Exams

  An equine pre-purchase exam is not designed to tell our clients whether or not to buy a particular horse, rather it is to offer an overview of the health of the animal so that you can make an informed decision.

  A pre-purchase equine exam from our Santa Clarita vets can help to identify any health concerns. Does the horse have a heart murmur, show signs of arthritis, or have any unusual lumps or bumps? Our vets will work to provide you with information about any concerning issues.

  Insurance Exams

  Equine insurers typically require an insurance examination certificate signed by a qualified veterinarian before a policy will be issued for a horse.

  Your equine vet is obligated to verify claims made about the horse through a thorough and comprehensive physical examination on the day the form is being completed. Your veterinarian cannot simply complete the requested information based on prior knowledge of the horse. 

  You will be responsible to cover the cost of your horse's examination and any associated tests. The exact requirements of the examination typically depend upon the type of coverage being applied for and the insurance company. 

• Health Papers for Interstate & International Export

  Planning to travel out of state or out of the country with your equine friend? Our team of experienced veterinary professionals can perform the examinations and tests that your horse needs and help you complete the forms required for interstate and international export. 

• Foot & Leg Care Including Lameness Evaluations

  Taking care of your horse's legs and feet is a vital component of caring for your animal's overall health. Our veterinary mobile units are equipped with the technology, tools and medications we need to provide your horse with the veterinary equine care they need and deserve

  From injuries and infection to corns, cankers and fractures our vets will provide you with a customized treatment plan to help get your horse's legs and feet healthy again.

• Equine Parasite Control & Treatment

  Our Santa Clarita vets will examine your horse and put together an individualized parasite control program specifically to meet your horse's needs. Some of the most common parasites seen in horses include:

  • Small strongyles (cyathostomins)
  • Ascarids (Parascaris equorum)
  • Tapeworm
  • Large strongyles, or bloodworms
  • Botflies
  • Filarids
  • Pinworms
  • Threadworms
• Surgery

  Below are some of the most common equine surgeries that our vets at Sweetwater Veterinary Clinic perform.

  • Soft Tissue Surgery
  • Emergency Cholic Treatment
  • Surgery to Treat Lacerations
  • Hernia Repair
• Equine Internal Medicine

  There is a range of conditions that fall under the umbrella of equine internal medicine including GI tract issues, blood and lymphatic system problems, respiratory conditions, infectious diseases, digestive disorders (including colic), cardiac and pulmonary conditions and care of newborn foals.

  Internal medicine conditions could also affect the animal's liver, muscles, kidneys, bladder, or neurologic system.

  Our skilled team of vets utilizes a range of diagnostic technologies on-site thanks to our fully equipped mobile veterinary units. These units are equipped to provide our vets with the tools they need to offer a fast and accurate diagnose of your equine friend's internal health.

  Some of the technology we bring onsite include ultrasound technology and fiber optiscope.

• Equine Dentistry

  Our equine friends can suffer from many dental disorders which can affect feed utilization, performance, and general well-being.

  Annual equine dental visits from your vet, including a thorough oral health examination and tooth floating (if necessary), help to ensure optimal dental health for your horse.

  Our Santa Clarita vets are equipped to offer routine oral health care in addition to the following equine dental services:

  • Dental X-rays to identify infected and diseased teeth, retained wolf tooth fragments, sinus diseases, and tumors
  • Extractions
  • Geriatric and miniature horse dentistry
  • Performance dentistry including bit seats
  • Corrective floating on abnormal and deformed mouths with problems like sharp edges, parrot mouth, waves and sheared incisors.
• Equine Eye Care

  Our Santa Clarita vets provide diagnosis and treatment for common eye injuries and disorders seen in horses such as:

  • Equine Recurrent Uveitis
  • Cataracts
  • Glaucoma
  • Entropion in foals
  • Corneal stromal abscess
  • Fungal keratopathy
  • Corneal ulceration
  • Traumatic injuries to the eyelids and cornea
• IRAP Therapy for Horses

  Veterinary IRAP for horses is most commonly used to treat arthritic joints and tendon/ligament injuries.

  In the case of joint disease, IRAP is a good choice for horses with lameness problems that have not responded well to other treatments.

  Our focus with ligament injuries is to reduce pain and inflammation without slowing the healing process.

  IRAP treatment involves a series of three injections, one every two weeks, with a follow-up injection several months later.

• Ultrasound Guided Injections

  Advanced therapies for lameness can involve the diagnosis of problems in areas that are located deep within the horse's body. These structures are almost impossible to accurately inject without some kind of imaging technology.

  Our vets at Sweetwater Veterinary Clinic use ultrasound technology to monitor the placement of the needle, ensuring the medications are delivered to the exact area where the medication is required.

  Using our imaging equipment, our vets are able to treat a range of painful conditions that could not be easily treated using traditional blind injection techniques.

Diagnostic Testing

Following a thorough physical examination, diagnostic testing may also be necessary to help your vet pinpoint the specific location and cause of your horse's lameness.

Lameness is most effectively treated once the precise location and cause of your animal's problem has been established.

If your equine vet has cause for concern based on initial examination, they may recommend further tests such as diagnostic nerve or joint blocks, radiographs, ultrasound, arthroscopy or examination of blood, synovial fluid and tissue samples.

Diagnostic Imaging

If your horse is suffering from an injury or lameness issue your vet may recommend an ultrasound and/or digital radiograph to help them get a clear view of the issue in order to form an accurate diagnosis.

Thanks to our Santa Clarita mobile equine units our horse vets can use advanced diagnostic imaging equipment to obtain the best possible image of your horse's skeletal or soft tissue issues, on-site at your location.