Trusted Care Backed by 60+ Years of Experience
Herd Health Consultation
Our doctors prioritize the health and wellbeing of each animal in your herd. We are able to provide the most technologically advanced practices, by the most qualified livestock-experienced veterinarians, to optimize herd health and productivity. Our staff is happy to provide a herd health consultation which will include herd management advice, pasture assessment, and preventative health requirements.
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy, also referred to as ESWT (extracorporeal shockwave therapy), uses high-intensity sound waves to trigger the body’s healing mechanisms and alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and enable long-term healing. This is a relatively new form of treatment that originated in the 1990s, and is quickly becoming more popular because of its amazing capabilities.
Shockwave therapy is frequently used on horses, but can also be useful for household pets like dogs and cats. It can treat chronic back pain, osteoporosis, injuries to joints and ligaments, chronic soft tissue wounds, and more ailments of the musculoskeletal system.
The process is non-invasive because the tool is only emitting sound waves into the affected area. Sometimes shockwave therapy is used in conjunction with a surgery to promote recovery and, in these cases, it may be applied directly after the procedure while the animal is still anesthetized.
A typical shockwave therapy session is around ten minutes long. The animal typically receives a short-acting sedative to ensure that they are comfortable and avoid distress. For dogs or other furry animals, it may be necessary to shave the fur in the area that is being treated.
Often the benefits of shockwave therapy appear to be immediately effective, but because the shockwaves are triggering the animal’s natural healing response, it takes about 24 hours to have a full effect. For certain conditions, it is suggested that the patient will have a number of sessions over the course of several weeks.
After the session, we recommend that animals are closely monitored and not allowed to engage in strenuous activity. For example, race horses are not allowed to race for several days after receiving a shockwave therapy treatment. This is because the treatment masks pain, but the injury may not be fully healed yet. The animal may feel like they can run or strain the affected area, but this could cause a further injury.
Breed & Reproductive Care
Breeding large animals can requires careful planning and sometimes some extra veterinary help. At Shawnee Animal Hospital, we care proud to offer the following services:
Artificial Insemination Using Cooled-Extended Semen
The method of shipping semen to mares or female cows, rather than bringing the mares to another other farm with a stallion or bull, has made breeding to a desirable mate much easier. The cost and safety concerns for shipping animals over long distances are alleviated. Yet, the management of the semen shipping process must be attended to in an expert and time-critical fashion.
Mares are only viable to the process for a short window of time in their cycle, so monitoring their ovulation is an important part of the process. In addition, not every stallion’s semen is an excellent candidate for shipment, and semen itself must be packaged with the utmost precision so that it remains viable. Our experienced equine and livestock veterinarians will monitor and assist with the process from start to finish to secure the best odds that the artificial insemination process will be successful.
Rectal Exams and Ultrasound to Determine Gestation Period
If attempting to breed a mare or female cow, ultrasound and rectal exams will be an important part of the process for a healthy pregnancy. Ultrasound imaging has the capability to detect both pregnancy and upcoming heat periods. Because the fertility window for mares is short, only about 12 hours, knowing her schedule ahead of time is crucial, especially if artificial insemination is the method of conception.
Whether a mare has been artificially inseminated or bred by a stallion, it can be useful to check for pregnancy via ultrasound every 14-18 days following the potential conception. If the mare is not found to be pregnant, she can be bred again on days 19 and 20.
Pulmonary Arterial Pressure (Pap) Testing
PAP testing is an important component of breeding a healthy herd of cattle. In higher altitude locations, this test is key in preventing the passage of congestive heart failure, also known as brisket disease or high mountain disease, to offspring. In some areas, such as the Rocky Mountain region, brisket disease has been known to wipe out up to 20% of a herd. This decimation is preventable using PAP testing prior to breeding, to ensure that the parent is not predisposed to the heart defect.
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