Equine Services
Our Equine services are provided by Dr. Mark Aiken and Dr. Alison Kaufman. Additionally, Dr. Tina Aiken provides acupuncture, chiropractic care and health advice from a complementary medicine perspective. We provide a complete range of services. Dr. Mark Aiken has a particular interest in lameness work, sports injuries and Prepurchase examinations. Dr. Alison Kaufman is particularly interested in preventative healthcare, internal medical cases and dentistry. The majority of our services are provided at your farm on an ambulatory basis. You can also trailer your horse to our clinic, if this is more convenient. In some cases we do require hospitalization to better treat your horse. SERVICES OFFERED:
ROUTINE HEALTHCARE AND INTERNAL MEDICINE. Our equine Doctors are longtime members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. This is the country's largest and most influential body of equine veterinarians. We are pleased to provide a link to the Horse Owner section of their website (see " Links"). There you will find comprehensive general health information for your horse. Our routine services include:
Since early 2009, Health Certificates and Coggins papers are now generated electronically utilizing the online capabilities provided by Global Vetlink. These new Health and Coggins certificates identify your horse by digital photography instead of the traditional manual drawings and provide a unique and more accurate representation of your horse. You as the horse owner can also retrieve the completed Certificates online directly from Global Vetlink (see "Links").
LAMENESS EVALUATION Lameness and soundness issues are of critical importance to the large population of performance horses of various disciplines located in our practice area. As a practice we have made it a priority to provide a full range of ambulatory diagnostic and treatment services to this population of horses. Comprehensive Lameness Evaluations. Lameness evaluations range from basic to very comprehensive examinations involving observing the lame horse in motion, not infrequently including under saddle. These examinations are unpredictable and sometimes need to be completed over more than one farm visit. Besides the physical examination, usually one or more of the following diagnostic techniques need to be employed to localize and diagnose the nature of the lameness:
Diagnostic nerve and joint blocks. This is a routine technique involving the injection of a local anesthetic agent directly into the suspect joint, or a series of injections placed sequentially up the limb in question. If pain sensation is removed from the site of lameness, the horse will become sound and enable us to narrow the field of investigation. Digital Radiography If radiographs need to be taken, we can do so immediately at your farm. Digital radiographic technology dramatically surpasses traditional film/chemical radiography in convenience, accuracy and quality. It enables us to obtain instant radiographs facilitating immediate interpretation and treatment. It also enables us to image some additional areas that previously would have required referral to large institutions, for example stifles, shoulders, head, neck and certain parts of the spine. Digital Ultrasonography Ultrasonography is invaluable in the assessment of soft tissue injuries - primarily tendons and ligaments of the lower limb. As with digital radiography, the advent of newer generation of digital ultrasound machines has made it possible to image more areas of the musculoskeletal system on the farm with compact portable high-definition equipment. Thermal Imaging This is a very useful technique, particularly in helping to evaluate subtle lameness and back/neck pain. The definition of thermal imaging or thermography is "the pictorial representation of the surface temperature of an object". It was originally devised by the military and has since found uses in other fields including medicine. It involves the use of a handheld imaging camera that detects temperature differences. In simple terms it identifies the "hot spots" of acute injury/pain and the "cold spots" of chronic scarring/poor vascularization. When the camera is used, the horse is typically examined at rest initially and then again after exercise, and a comparison of the temperatures is then made. LAMENESS TREATMENT Once a diagnosis of the cause of lameness has been made, then we offer a range of treatment options. Treatment may be as simple as a short period of rest and some topical and systemic anti-inflammatory medications, or it may involve one or more of the following techniques:
Shockwaves are high-energy sound waves, electrically generated and applied to the affected part of the body. It has been used for over 25 years in human medicine to treat a number of urologic conditions (bladder/kidney stones) and a range of orthopedic conditions, avoiding more invasive techniques. In equine medicine we use it particularly for soft tissue injuries (muscle, tendons and ligaments), but also for joint pain/degeneration. Shockwaves are mildly analgesic, help to break down calcified tissue and stimulate blood supply to compromised, injured tissues. This is of particular importance in tendon and ligament injuries. These structures have a very poor natural blood supply and typically heal slowly and with significant calcified scar tissue. This scar tissue remains as a weak spot in the injured structure and predisposes to re-injury. Applying shockwaves to these injuries speeds the healing process and minimizes the scar tissue giving a better quality result. It is usually administered on the farm with the horse under light sedation. It is given as a series of treatments 5 days to 3 weeks apart. The number of treatments and the time interval between each treatment varies dependent on the exact nature of the musculoskeletal problem. Non-articular medications A wide range of either intravenous or intramuscular agents are available today to treat and aid in the prevention of degenerative joint disease. The agents in this category that we routinely offer are one of 3 distinct types - Polysulphated Glycosaminoglycans (PSGAGs), Hyaluronic Acid (HA) or Pentosan. These agents have one or more of the following characteristics – anti-inflammatory, joint lubricating, precursors or ingredients in the natural turnover of cartilage, or fibrinolytic (i.e. interfering with the production of fibrous tissue that precedes the development of calcified, arthritic tissue).
Intraarticular injections are often the first line of defense in the treatment or prevention of Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD/arthritis). Typically hyaluronic acid and a small dose of chondroprotective steroid are injected directly into the affected joint/joints. This can be followed up with similar drugs given intravenously or intramuscularly in a regime designed to prolong the effectiveness of the initial intraarticular injections. The frequency of repeat injections (if needed) varies considerably with the individual horse, the actual condition being treated and the performance level of the horse. Tildren Therapy Tildren (tilduronic acid) is a biphosphanate compound. It acts to keep bone cell production and destruction in balance. Bone is in a constant state of change, just like other tissues in the body. Two distinct cell types are involved in the process - osteoblasts that generate new bone cells and osteoclasts that break down old bone cells. In pathological conditions, these two cell types no longer work in harmony. So for example, it is thought that in arthritis the "proliferative" cells, the osteoblasts, are overactive; conversely in, for example, navicular disease it is thought that part of the pathological process centers on overactivity of the osteoclasts leading to loss of density of the navicular bone, not unlike osteoporosis in people. The drug has been used for several years in Europe and Australasia . More recently it has gained new attention in the United States , especially in high-level horses. We offer it as a preventative option, or for treatment of horses that have problems in multiple joints that would otherwise require multiple intraarticular injections and for horses that are no longer responsive to prior therapies. Several protocols exist for its administration. We administer it intravenously once per day for 5 consecutive days, either on an ambulatory basis or at our clinic. Adult Stem Cell Therapy This therapy is one of the so-called "regenerative medicine" techniques. In other words, rather than just treating to ameliorate the symptoms of established disease, it attempts to generate new normal cells to replace the diseased cells. There are several techniques available and much debate regarding the best one to employ. We have elected to use the well-established adult fat cell derived stem cell technique. Originally available only through the largest veterinary institutions, it is readily available on an ambulatory basis to veterinary practitioners. The technique involves harvesting fat cells from the horse to be treated. Usually they are taken from the fat tissue around the base of the tail in a procedure in your barn not unlike a biopsy collection. The tissue harvested is then submitted to a laboratory for culture and enhancement, returned to us and injected directly in to the problem area. These stem cells have the ability to differentiate into different cell types dependent on the environment into which they are injected. They dramatically assist in the healing and regenerative process.
These services are provided to our equine clients by Dr. Tina Aiken. ( See Dr. Tina's Small Animal Services page). Rehabilitation Services Frequently, recovery from injury/lameness requires long periods of layup. We can provide this under veterinary supervision at our premises. (See Equine Rehabilitation and Boarding page). New LamenessTherapies. Lameness therapeutics is a rapidly changing field of veterinary medicine. As other therapies become more refined and available we will add them to our range of services. PREPURCHASE AND INSURANCE EXAMINATIONS. Prepurchase examinations are a critical component of the decision-making process for the prospective buyer of a new horse. It is good policy to familiarize yourself with the horse you are considering purchasing as best you can, including riding on several occasions under a range of conditions, canvassing the advice of your trainer and finding out as much as is possible about the horse's prior history and record. The full Prepurchase Examination itself is a lengthy procedure involving the following:
In some instances more restricted examinations are performed. If you need to have a Prepurchase Examination performed, please
Prospective Buyers See attached instructions and forms for your information and completion. (PDF) Sellers See attached instructions and forms for your information and completion. (PDF) Insurance examinations are frequently required for taking out new policies or renewing existing policies on your horse. The scope of these examinations is dictated by the insurer. At the time of scheduling an insurance examination, please inform our office if the insurance company has requested anything in addition to a physical examination. Please also have available the paperwork from the insurance company on the day of the examination.
Regular and consistent dental care for your horse
Our comprehensive dental examinations are conducted under sedation, and include a thorough oral evaluation and correction of any perceived abnormalities by floating with a Powerfloat, extractions etc. We also provide dental floating using traditional manual equipment when appropriate. MINOR SURGERY. Either on an ambulatory basis, or in the clinic, we routinely provide surgical services such as:
Referral for major surgery is easily arranged to a regional or national referral center. We can provide all of our ambulatory services at our clinic, if it is more convenient for you. In addition, we will hospitalize cases that require more intense supervision or intervention than is possible at your barn, for example:
EMERGENCY SERVICES. We are available to existing clients 24 hours every day to respond to any emergency. If you need emergency assistance, telephone 518-329-5213 and speak with our receptionist, or if directed to voicemail, choose option 2 for Equine Emergencies. Please ALWAYS leave a callback number and stay by the phone until you receive confirmation from us that a veterinarian is en route to you. Please do not call the Doctors' cell phones directly. During normal hours our staff will immediately alert the veterinarian closest to your location. If placing a call to us out of hours our phone system will automatically direct your call to the appropriate on-duty veterinarian. NEW CLIENT REGISTRATION. We primarily service Dutchess and Columbia Counties, New York. We do also selectively provide service in the surrounding counties (Putnam, Ulster, Orange and Greene).Travel to more distant locations for Prepurchase examinations and for care of ongoing cases for existing clients is provided whenever possible. If you would like to register as a new client for Equine Service then please call our office at 518-329-5213 or complete and return the Registration Form (PDF) to us by fax or e-mail. |
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Kilshannagh Veterinary Clinic offers the full range of routine preventative/wellness services for your horses. 
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy 
Intraarticular Injections 
Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care 
DENTISTRY. 
HOSPITALIZATION SERVICES.