Regular vaccination, de-worming and dental care is important to the health of every horse. EVH offers all aspects of preventive care to the horse owner. We offer pneumatic dental equipment in order to provide the best possible dental float for your horse and we have on hand a wide variety of vaccine and de-worming products to fit the varying needs of individual horses.

Appointments are available from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday and 9am to 11:30am on Saturday.

Emergency services are offered 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We are able to accommodate almost any emergency at our hospital, from mild colics and laceration repairs to colic surgery and fracture repair.

If you have an emergency please call the clinic at 512-285-3395. For after hours emergencies please follow the directions on the message to speak to the doctor on call.

A variety of surgical procedures are available at EVH. Our doctors are skilled in all types of orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. We perform roughly 1000 major general anesthesia surgeries a year. Some commonly performed procedures are joint arthroscopy, fracture repair, joint arthrodesis, neurectomy, laparoscopy, cryptorchid castrations, colic surgery, upper airway surgery, reproductive surgery, and tooth repulsion as well as various other routine and emergency surgeries.

We have two surgery suites; one is dedicated to orthopedics, while the other is used for soft tissue surgery. We utilize specially padded recovery stalls in order to increase the safety of recovery from anesthesia. Our veterinarians have many years of surgical experience and can handle almost any surgery from a fracture repair to a neurectomy.

Several different laboratory tests are available to our veterinarians on-site in order to accurately and expediently treat your horse. Complete blood counts are performed regularly and help us to assess our patient's general health. Serum chemistry, blood gas and electrolyte machines also assist us with decisions regarding treatment and help us to get a more accurate diagnosis.

These tests are especially important in emergency situations when the speedy return of blood tests matters most.

Lameness evaluations, as well as pre-purchase exams, are conducted routinely and include trotting in hand on asphalt and lunging on soft ground. Diagnostic nerve and joint anesthesia are routinely utilized for lameness diagnosis. Digital ultrasound and radiography are available to assist with diagnosis of lameness. Treatment modalities available include traditional intra-articular injections, IRAP (interleukin-1 receptor protein antagonist), stem cell, bone marrow and platelet rich plasma injections and extracorporeal shock-wave treatment.

IRAP-Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a chemical secreted by many types of cells in the body. It acts to call in certain immune system cells and chemicals to attack infections and damaged or dying cells. IL-1 is an important part of the inflammatory response but in the case of your horse's joints sometimes can be detrimental. IL-1 increases inflammation and accelerates the deterioration of tissues like joint cartilage. Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein (IRAP) blocks IL-1 from binding to tissues and inhibits the damaging consequences of IL-1.

The IRAP procedure begins with drawing blood from the horse to be treated into a syringe. The syringe is specially prepared with glass beads that stimulate production of the antagonist protein. The blood is then incubated for 24 hours and centrifuged to separate the plasma (abundant with IRAP) from the blood. The plasma is then collected in a sterile manner and injected into the horse's joint. Typically, IRAP treatments are once a week for three weeks and usually, after that time, the horse can return to normal work.

Stem Cell Injections
Tendon injuries are common among performance horses and can be very challenging to treat. Stem cell injections are useful to stimulate new growth of damaged tendons and suspensory ligaments. This procedure begins with harvesting blood from the horse to be treated and placing it in special tubes containing an anti-coagulant. These tubes are then shipped to a lab where the cells are incubated and grown up till there are enough cells present to treat the lesion. The cells are then sent back to us and injected into the damaged tissue. Often this can be done with the horse standing eliminating the need for general anesthesia.

Platelet Rich Plasma
In humans autologous platelet concentrates have been successfully used to stimulate wound healing of different tissues including cartilage, bone, tendon, ligament and skin. This new and promising technology has recently spread into veterinary medicine and is being utilized to treat problems from lacerations to tendon and ligament tears. Platelet rich plasma is obtained by pulling blood from the horse to be treated into special syringes containing an anti-coagulant. These syringes are then centrifuged and the thin platelet rich layer of plasma is drawn off. This plasma is then injected into the damaged area in order to assist with healing of the lesion.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Treatment
Extracorporeal shockwaves are high-pressure, low frequency sound waves, applied to affected tissue in a site-specific manner. This type of therapy has been used to treat a range of orthopaedic conditions in both human beings and animals. When the shockwaves meet tissue interfaces of different densities, the energy contained in the shockwaves is released and interacts with the tissue. The shockwaves appear to relieve pain and may accelerate healing within the injured tissue.

Corrective farrier services are provided by Mike Foreman. He is a graduate of Texas A & M University and of Oklahoma Farriers College. He works in the hospital approximately two days a week and is available for emergencies as necessary. Mike works closely with the doctors to assess foot problems and develop a treatment plan for the individual needs of each horse. He is a trusted and invaluable member of our team with 33 years experience as a farrier

We are equipped with two overhead x-ray units as well as a portable unit. One overhead unit is located in the surgery suite and used for radiographic procedures requiring general anesthesia. The second unit is located in the radiology room. We use the Eklin digital radiography system, which allows for instant image visualization. We are equipped with two ultrasound machines to assist in the diagnosis of various conditions such as tendon and ligament injuries, pneumonia, umbilical infections, and abdominal pain as well as routine application for monitoring reproductive cycles and pregnancy in the broodmare.

Ultrasound is a valuable imaging tool for evaluating, diagnosing and monitoring healing of many different conditions.

The use of endoscopy allows the veterinarian to visualize areas inside the horse from the nasal cavities down to the stomach. Our videoendoscope is equipped with a monitor that allows the client to watch the exam while it is occurring.

This is a helpful tool for client education as well as helping the owner gain a better understanding about the health of their horse.

EVH offers the facility, tools and staff to provide in depth medical and hospitalization services. We are able to provide comprehensive work-ups and treatment for all types of colic, respiratory disease, ill neonates, and many other problems. Critical patients get around the clock care. Our in-house laboratory assists us with monitoring and allows for speedy changes in patient treatment plans if necessary. Advanced diagnostic tools such as video endoscopy and ultrasound assist with diagnosis of complex medical cases. Specialists are consulted in some cases particularly with advanced cardiac disease or serious eye problems.

EVH offers a variety of reproductive services including artificial insemination using fresh cooled and frozen semen, embryo-transfer and management of mares with uterine culture, uterine biopsy, and uterine infusions and lavages. Reproductive surgeries are also available. Recto-vaginal laceration repair, ovariectomy and urethroplasty are a few of the commonly performed surgeries.

We also offer mare foal out services with the aid of the foalert monitoring system. This system allows our veterinarians to be called immediately when the mare begins to foal. Early intervention is often the difference between life and death for foals when difficulties arise.

Acupuncture has been a helpful alternative treatment modality for some cases at EVH. Some of the things that can be treated with acupuncture include back pain, sore muscles, pain from osteoarthritis and nerve damage just to mention a few. Acupuncture has become a very useful tool in conjunction with traditional medicine or in some cases by itself. We have also had some success treating some post colic surgery horses experiencing trouble with GI motility.