Equine Surgeon
What is an equine surgeon?
The surgeon at Vermont Large Animal Clinic is
board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).
In order to become board-certified, a veterinarian must graduate from an
accredited college of veterinary medicine, perform an internship (one
year of general equine experience), and an approved residency (3 years
of specific equine surgical training). Finally, board certification
requires successfully passing an intensive 3-day written, practical, and
oral examination.
Why Might I need an equine surgeon?
The only surgeries routinely performed in general equine practice are
minor lacerations and castrations. This is because horses are relatively
difficult to anesthetize, and have a greater incidence of postoperative
complications than other species. Therefore, advanced surgical expertise
(with the accompanying expertise of veterinary anesthetists) is needed
for the problems previously listed. In addition, the surgeon at Vermont
Large Animal Clinic has access and expertise in a range of high tech
diagnostics such as ultrasonography, digital radiography, arthroscopy
(for lameness), and endoscopy (for throat and stomach problems).
Where should my horse have surgery?
When deciding where your horse should have
surgery please take the following in consideration:
-
Is a Board Certified Equine Surgeon
available to perform the procedure? Your horse deserves the care of a
trained professional.
-
Is there a support staff with
technicians, interns and after hours personnel to provide the best care
and monitoring for your horse?
-
Are the facilities designed to handle
safe inductions and recoveries from anesthesia?
-
Is the latest technology available to
anesthetize your horse? Vermont Large Animal Clinic uses the most
advanced equine anesthesia machine on the market, monitors arterial
blood pressure with a catheter, has a ventilator if the horse stops
breathing, monitors heart parameters with an ECG machine and has a blood
gas analyzer available at all times to measure blood values. The safety
of a surgical procedure is directly related to the quality of the
anesthesia protocols used.
-
Are the facilities clean and
disinfected on a regular basis to prevent hospital infections?
The decision of where your horse should
undergo surgery should not be based solely on the cost estimate of the
procedure. You need to make sure that your horse is receiving the best
possible care when undergoing an operation. Make sure to ask the necessary
questions about the services your horse will receive.
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