Internal Medicine

Treating Equine Internal Conditions

Internal medicine involves exams and diagnostics for horses and other large animals with complex problems associated with the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, muscles and other internal organs. Our veterinary team is committed to finding the answers needed to treat each horse's ailment and helping keep them healthy and performing at their highest level.

Internal Medicine for Large Animals

• Cardiology—Like people, horses and other large animals can suffer from heart diseases and disorders. With the technology in our vet lab, our vets can examine your horse for signs of heart conditions so that you have results quickly. Murmurs and arrhythmias are two common cardiac problems that impede equine performance. The assessment of cardiac disease in horses is also more difficult because it must take into account two key factors: the likelihood of an abnormality impairing athletic performance and the risk to rider safety.
• Immunology—Your horse's immune system is responsible for detecting foreign invaders or abnormal cells and beginning defensive action to protect the horse's health. That said, the immune system doesn't always work as it should, in which case your horse will be diagnosed with an immune-mediated disorder. Common immune-mediated disorders in horses include IBD, asthma, sweet itch, and equine sarcoids.
• Neurology—Neurology is a branch of veterinary internal medicine covering conditions of the brain and spinal cord as well as neuromuscular dysfunction. Some of the most common neurological disorders in horses include cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (Wobblers), equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), equine motor neuron disease (EMND) and equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy (EHM).
• Oncology—Cancer is a disease that can impact even the fittest horses. When diagnosed in the earliest stages, in many cases, cancers in horses can be treated with a combination of surgeries, therapies, and other methods.
• Respiratory Disorders—Your horse's respiratory system does the essential work of delivering oxygen to the body and eliminating waste gases such as carbon dioxide. Lung and airway disorders are frequently caused by direct infection with viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites, as well as immune-mediated reactions or inhalation of irritants or toxic substances. Trauma (such as crashing into a fence) can cause a lung or airway to collapse. There are several common pulmonary disorders seen in horses, including strangles, equine influenza, and herpes viruses. Other infections, such as equine rhinitis viruses and equine adenoviruses, are also prevalent.