The Cupola
Summer/Fall2012
Welcome to our Summer 2012 issue! We are excited to share new things that are going on at Tennessee Equine Hospital with everyone. In this issue we will talk about past events, show you the new Coggins technology, and bring you pictures of our 2012 foals. We also have some interesting and educational articles including a note from our surgeon Dr. Liberty Getman, as well as an article about the proper care for your foal from Dr. Jess DeLisle and Dr. Matthew DeLisle. We also have an article by Dr. Nathaniel Wright with information on wellness exams. We would like to welcome new staff members to our team this month. Dr. Rena Chang is our new Associate Veterinarian, Dr. Kara Pietroski and Dr. Toria Waldron are our new interns. Kate Redmon and Kourtney Anthony are new to our office staff.
Click here to meet our new staff members.
Remember to check out our website at www.tnequinehospital.comfor updated specials and news! Wealso havedaily postings and pictures on our Facebook so be sure to check that out at www.facebook.com/tnequinehospital
The 2012 Tennessee Equine Hospital Grand Prixwasawesome.The day was beautiful and the food and guests were remarkable. We had such a fun time. The athleticism and jumping ability of the horses and ridersat Brownland Farm was incredible to watch. They all did a great job. We would like to congratulate Laura Linback and Whittaker MVNZ on their win at the Tennessee Equine Grand Prix!!! We would like to thank everyone who attended for supporting the Horse and encouraging thecompetitors throughout the day at Brownland Farm.
Click here to view more pictures from The Grand Prix
Raise the Roof Benefit for HarrlinsdalePark
Friends of Franklin Parks put on an incredible event to help Harlinsdale Farm. The food vendorsprovided wonderful food and we had live music byDiamond Hitch. The event also had an art show and salewhere local artists and JGP Artist Group displayed and sold their art. The donations all went to help support the park to fix the roof on the old barn as well as the Hayes Home and surrounding structures. We want to thank everyone that attended and made donations to this project. The farm is an amazing park and isa historical farm in the historyof the Tennessee Walking Horse. The Park at Harlinsdale Farm is open to the community and has walking trails, apond for catch and release, and an enclosed dog park. If you are able to go and check out the park it is beautiful and truly a beautiful facility. Thank you again to the sponsors and the donations that were made.
Dr. Monty McInturff presenting commemorative Harlinsdale Park poster to Bill Harlin, Original Owner of Harlinsdale Park.
Gastroscope Day sponsored by Merial
On June 27 we had our Free Gastroscope Day. We had a great turnout and would like to thank Merial for sponsoring the event. We had some horses with Grade 3 ulcers that were sent home with GastroGard to help treat the ulcers. Thank You again to everyone that came out.
Stomach Ulcer. Grade 3.
Stomach Ulcers. Grade 3.
Merck Adult Horse: Performance to Pleasure: Caring For The Adult Horse
We were lucky to have RFD TV film a Live Broadcast here at the clinic, which included three panelists. Dr. Monty McInturff, Dr. JoeManning, and Dr. Katie Young talked about things that can help you care for your adult horse, such asvaccinations, types of feeding programs, lameness exams, and general wellness care. We had two case studies:A Westernperformance horse, Quick,and a pleasure/family horse, Stitch. Some of our studio audience members participated in the live show by asking questions that the panel ofdoctors answered. The show was a success and the TEH team enjoyed being apart of the live broadcast. It was aired on RFD August 6, but you can click on the link to view the show. Hope everyone gets a chance to watch it. Thank you again to RFD TV, Merck Animal Health, and everyone that participated in this fun event.
Clcik here to watch the show.
West Nile Information
There has been one confirmed case of West Nile in the state of Tennessee. Please check your records and ensure that your horse has been vaccinated for West Nile. Call us if you have any questions or if you would like to make a vaccination appointment. 615-591-1232
Click here for information.
Athletic Horse Performance Check Question
Here are some questions that Dr. Monty McInturff would like you to ask yourself about how your horse is performing and competing.
1.  Is my horse competing at the level I feel that he/she is capable of?
2.  Am I doing things to prevent wear and tear on his/her joints?
3.  Are his/her feet holding up to the work load?
4.  Is the weight of my horse adequate for maximum competition?
5.  Is my horse comfortable with his/her mouth during work?
If you answered Yes to all of these questions, great job and we are sure you are competing at a high level and most of all having fun!!
If you answered No to any of these questions, please give us a call so that we can turn your No into a Yes!!
Dr. Jess DeLisle and Dr. Matthew DeLisle have an article about the proper care of foals for the first year of their life. This article is very interesting and has some great information. Hope everyone enjoys!!!Click here to read the article.
A note fromour surgeon: Dr. Liberty Getman
Windpuffs Are a Warning Sign
Windpuffs refer to soft, fluidy out pouchings on a horse's leg located at the back of the ankle behind the cannon bone, below the splint bone, and in front of the suspensory ligament. These out pouchings are actually part of the fetlock joint itself, and the soft swelling you can see & feel is an accumulation of joint fluid. In some horses this can be an incidental finding that is not associated with lameness. However, in many cases it can mean that there is inflammation within the joint. This can be caused by many things, such as arthritis, chip fractures, OCD lesions, or damage to the cartilage or the soft tissue structures inside of the joint.
A small amount of fluid accumulation here may be normal for your horse, especially if this is not a new finding or if there is similar swelling in other limbs. However, if this is a recent occurrence or if there is more swelling inone leg than in the others, or if the swelling is very obvious, then a veterinarian should examine your horse to make sure this isn't a sign of a problem within the joint. Typically your vet can get an idea of whether or not this is a problem by doing a thorough physical exam, watching the horse jog to determine if it is lame, and flexing the joint to see if this elicits a painful response. If a problem is suspected then we will usually recommend radiographs and possibly an ultrasound exam to determine what is causing the inflammation in the joint.
If a problem is identified, treatment options may be surgical or medical depending on the underlying cause of the inflammation. Arthroscopic surgery can be performed in order to remove OCD lesions or chip fractures. Medical therapy usually consists of joint injections for arthritis, cartilage damage or soft tissue damage. The joint may be injected with traditional treatments such as steroids and hyaluronic acid; however, some of the newer regenerative medicine therapies such as IRAP or platelet rich plasma (PRP) have been extremely beneficial in treating horses with these problems in recent years and have become routine therapy at our hospital for these types of cases.
Wellness Information and Knowledge: by Dr. NathanielWright
At Tennessee Equine Hospital we like to teach everyone about the types of wellness routines that help keep your horse healthy. Some of the routines include parasite control, dentistry work as well as vaccinations. An annual wellness exam is an excellent way to ensure that each of your horses is kept in peak condition. Below you will find the services we offer and the reasons each service is important to the overall health of your horses. During this evaluation your veterinarian will perform a routine physical exam, check his feet and legs, examine the skin and eyes for any new lumps or bumps, evaluate his body condition (overweight or underweight?), and provide the appropriate vaccinations, parasite control, joint care, and nutritional management that will keep your horses healthy, happy, and productive.
Vaccinations- Each individual horse has unique needs; therefore we offer an individualized preventative healthcare program for every horse. The veterinarians at Tennessee Equine Hospital have selected the following five annual vaccinations as the centerpiece of our immunization program. These diseases are preventable with proper vaccination and are often fatal if an unvaccinated horse contracts them. For these reasons we recommend that all horses be vaccinated to prevent:
-Eastern Encephalitis
-Western Encephalitis
-Tetanus Toxoid
-West Nile Virus
-Rabies
Does your horse show or trail ride? For horses that travel or are boarded and will be near other horses we recommend vaccinations to help prevent three highly contagious respiratory diseases:
-Rhinopneumonitis (Equine Herpes Virus Type 1 & 4) Your vet may offer specific advice for your situation, but the Rhino vaccine should be given every 90 days for maximum protection.
-Flu (Equine Influenza Virus) Typically give every 90-120 days along with Rhino.
-Strangles (Strep. Equi) Annual vaccination
Depending on the unique circumstances surrounding your horses, your veterinarian may also recommend some of the following vaccinations to prevent some less commonly encountered diseases:
-Botulism
-Potomac Horse Fever
-Salmonella
We have also developed very specific immunization protocols for foals near weaning age and for broodmares in foal and would be glad to tailor a program if you have these types of needs. You will be reassured to know we work tirelessly to provide the most modern and effective vaccine products to protect your horses from the dangers lurking in the air and on the ground.
Parasite Control - For years "parasite control" has simply meant giving a horse a tube of the cheapest de-wormer at the feed store every couple of months, but times are changing. With the emergence of resistant strains of parasites in the equine population it has become very important to create customized strategies for parasite management on farms depending on the pasture conditions, the number of horses per acre, and the age and medical history of the horses. Our veterinarians use information from periodic fecal exams, along with our knowledge of equine husbandry to make specific parasite control plans and then provide the highest quality de-wormers delivered to your barn and administered at a great value.
Dental Care- Your horse's mouth and teeth comprise one of the most important portions of his digestive tract and are areas that are often overlooked. A routine exam of the mouth (with a speculum) and all of the teeth during the annual wellness exam is a valuable tool in gathering information that will help you maintain your horse's proper body condition and digestive health. Although it may seem expensive at first glance, proper dental care often makes horses more efficient digesters of forages and grains helping to lower feed bills throughout the year.
Global VetLink - Access your Horse Health Documents Online Anytime!
At Tennessee Equine Hospital we like to stay abreast of the newest technology from diagnostic equipment to Coggins tests. With the digital Coggins, Health Certificates, and Go Passes you can now access your horse's health documents online from your computer, iPad, smartphone, etc.
Global VetLink is a web based company that our digital health documents are processed through. You can create an owner account online at MyVetLink.com that will enable you to access your horse's health documents. No more panic attacks over forgotten Coggins when you arrive at the horse show - just go online and print a new copy or pull it up on your smartphone for the show secretary to see. This is a great benefit to trainers and barn managers as well. Sign up for an Agent Account and you can request access to the documents of the horses you are caring for.
The digital Coggins process is streamlined by the connectivity of our veterinary managment software and the new eyeD Iris Scan Technology. This technology allows us to improve our record keeping and ensure the accuracy of your horse's identity on a local level.
If you are interested in a non invasive, accurate (more accurate than human fingerprinting), easy, secure, affordable method of permanent identification for your horse then consider eyeD Global Enrollment click here for more information. Our staff and veterinarians will be happy to help you enroll your horsetoday.
Click here for more information on MyVetLink Owner Accounts
Click here for more information on MyVetLink Agent Accounts
2012 Foals
A few of our new patients!
Check out our websitefor more pictures of 2012 foals. If you would like your foal to appear on our website, send a picture to