We're pleased to offer the following services at Colts Neck Equine Associates:

Wellness Care

At Colts Neck Equine Associates we believe prevention is the best medicine. We work with you to create a customized vaccination program to fit your horse's needs. We provide Wellness Examinations, which involve checking your horse's vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration) as well as Body Condition Score and weight taping, to help you maintain your horse in his optimal body condition, so that he can look and feel his best for optimal performance.

Dentistry

Every horse needs floating, or removal of sharp points, at least once a year. Equally as important is the accompanying full oral exam. The mouth is checked for abnormalities of bite, broken, damaged or diseased teeth, conformational or wear problems, tartar buildup, or gum disease.

Endoscopy

Endoscopy is used to diagnose diseases of the head and respiratory tract. An endoscopic exam is indicated for horses exhibiting nasal discharge, epistaxis (bleeding from the nose), coughing, head shaking, respiratory noise when exercising, and exercise intolerance. Biopsies may also be collected via endoscopy

Prepurchase Evaluations

Pre-purchase exams are routinely performed by the veterinarians at CNEA. A thorough soundness and physical exam is complimented by advanced diagnostic equipment. Radiography, ultrasonography,  endoscopy, and complete laboratory services are available upon request. A large number of pre-purchase exams are performed annually for a wide variety of equine disciplines.

Digital Radiology

Colts Neck Equine Associates is equipped with four Digital Radiology units. Digital radiology is used to view images of bone, joints and occasionally soft tissue. The ability to see current and previous bone and joint injuries makes it an invaluable tool in both lameness evaluations and pre-purchase exams. Digital radiographs provide a much higher degree of detail and clarity than traditional x-rays. The images are processed instantaneously and can be viewed and manipulated by our doctors stall-side. This allows our doctors to reach an immediate diagnosis, so we can get your equine friend on the road to recovery.

Diagnostic Digital Ultrasound

We believe speed and accuracy in equine diagnostics is key. Digital ultrasound allows us to diagnose and monitor soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments. This allows you to get started on a rehabilitation schedule sooner and on your way to returning to your horse’s intended use. It uses high frequency sound waves to noninvasively image soft tissue, and is more sensitive to soft tissue abnormalities than X-rays. In addition to imaging tendons and ligaments, we can also image joints, bone surfaces, cartilage, sacro-iliac ligaments, cervical facets for arthritis injuries, and as a guide for therapeutic injections.  Ultrasound can also be used to image a mares reproductive organs and can show an embryo at just 12 to 14 days. In contrast, rectal palpation usually cannot detect pregnancy until 20-30 days. By day 25, ultrasound can reveal a heartbeat to verify the presence of a viable fetus. It is also valuable in diagnosing twin pregnancies at an early stage.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of a needle through the skin at predetermined sites (acupuncture points) for the treatment or prevention of disease, including pain. Acupuncture is only one of the therapies that come under the heading of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Chiropractic

Equine Chiropractic is a form of manual therapy that uses short lever, high velocity, low amplitude, controlled thrusts. Forces are applied to specific articulations or anatomic regions (“adjustments”) to induce a therapeutic response via induced changes in joint structures, muscle function, and neurological reflexes

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy

ESWT is a non-invasive, high-intensity, pressure wave regenerative medicine treatment, commonly used in human and veterinary medicine. It is the only type of shock wave treatment that is covered by insurance. ESWT has been proven effective for a variety of conditions including:

• Tendon and Ligament Injuries
• Wound and Bone Healing
• Osteoarthritis/Degenerative Joint Disease

24 Hour Emergency Care

All too often, horses require emergency care.  The most frequent emergency our ambulatory clinicians are called to is colic, or abdominal pain.  We also manage many traumatic injuries including lacerations and wounds, dystocias (difficult foaling), acute laminitis, and other sudden illnesses in adults and foals. In the event that additional care is needed, we can arrange referral.

Cryosurgery

Cryotherapy is the application of very cold liquid nitrogen to a site. Our cryotherapy unit delivers the liquid nitrogen to the affected area using a probe. Cryotherapy exerts an analgesic effect and can be used for a variety of cases involving lameness such as splints, curbs, and suspensory injuries. It also can be used alone or as an adjunct therapy when treating certain skin tumours such as squamous cell carcinoma, or sarcoids because it destroys the undesirable tissues without harming the surrounding healthy ones.

Minor Surgical Procedures

We also perform minor surgeries such as castrations, lacerations,  enucleations, and other crucial procedures in the field. We focus our expertise to provide your horse with the highest level of care.