Our Services

Triangle Equine Veterinary Services looks forward to serving you and your horses. We strive to provide compassionate, personalized equine veterinary care to help ensure your horse’s general wellness as well as to treat short-term and chronic conditions.

Wellness Care and Preventative Medicine

We are happy to spend time talking with you about your horse's needs and will tailor a plan for his or her specific needs. Wellness exams can also include fecal tests for parasites, which will help us to determine which dewormer your horse needs, and how often they need it. Protecting your horse against infectious diseases is an important responsibility. By administering Zoetis (formerly Pfizer) vaccines, we provide peace of mind through their Equine Immunization Support Guarantee for core vaccines. We also offer processing of Coggins tests at a discount when you get your vaccines done at the same time. We are happy to tailor your horse's wellness plan to fit your budget.

Complete Dental Care

The equine tooth is much different than the human tooth in that it continues to erupt throughout the life of the horse. Tooth problems (hooks, wave mouth, broken teeth) can make chewing difficult and cause weight loss. As the teeth wear, sharp points form and can cause uncomfortable ulcers in the mouth, which can adversely affect athletic performance. Because of this, annual dental examinations are needed to locate and correct problems before they start. We correct most dental problems by "floating," or filing down the sharp points of the tooth. Maintenance floats may be performed every 1-2 years as needed. If you notice your horse chewing abnormally, losing weight, dropping food, head shaking, or resisting the bit, these may be signs that your horse needs a corrective float. If dental problems are severe, your horse may require more frequent corrective floating. Performance floats enable the athletic to horse to better flex, bend, and respond to more subtle cues. Because we do a comprehensive oral exam, we can be sure that only those horses that really need floating get done.

Lameness Diagnostics and Treatments

A good lameness examination is essential to diagnosing soundness issues. Because veterinarians cannot ask their patients where it hurts, they are dependent upon visual cues from the horse as it moves. A lameness evaluation includes a physical exam, palpation of the limbs and joints, hoof testers, evaluating range of motion, watching the horse travel in a straight line and on a lunge line, and response to flexion of the joints. Further diagnostics include nerve blocks, joint blocks, digital radiographs, and ultrasound examination.

Advanced On-The-Farm Imaging

Triangle Equine has a new state-of-the-art direct capture radiograph machine (also known as "digital radiography", or "DR"). This fabulous technology also allows us to radiograph your horse at your farm. The image is captured on a computerized panel and can be seen within seconds on a computer screen, right in the barn. This eliminates the delay in diagnosis, which is especially critical in the case of a fracture, as well as "re-takes." If we are not happy with the quality or position of a view, we can re-take the radiograph immediately. Ultrasound is an excellent non-invasive diagnostic tool. We have a portable ultrasound machine that allows us to visualize the tendons and ligaments in diagnosing lameness. This allows us to "see" the soft tissue of the legs in a way that radiographs do not. Ultrasound can also be useful in reproduction exams, colic and other soft-tissue maladies. Gastroscopy

Gastroscopy Services

The past decade has witnessed a large increase in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric ulcers in horses. It is known that around 60% of hunter, jumper and dressage horses , 40% of Quarter Horses and 90% of race horses suffer from gastric ulcers. The equine stomach is divided into an upper squamous portion and a lower glandular portion that includes the pylorus. The line dividing the two portions is called the margo plicatus. Disease of the two portions of the stomach represents two separate syndromes that have different causes and distinctly different treatments. 

Disease in the squamous portion of the stomach is largely due to splashing of acid rich fluid held in the glandular portion. The acid splashing can cause thickening of the squamous epithelia and progress to mild to severe ulceration. The cause of glandular/pyloric disease is less well understood.

There are many clinical signs a horse might exhibit that may be associated with gastric disease including grooming resentment, discomfort when the girth/cinch is tightened or poor performance including kicking out when asked to go forward.

Gastroscopy is the only way to definitively diagnose squamous and glandular ulcers. This procedure gives you the best idea of the extent of your horse’s problem. In addition, the treatments for squamous or glandular disease are distinctly different. We can perform gastroscopy at your barn, the procedure usually takes around 45 min, and takes light to moderate sedation of your horse. We are happy to talk with you and discuss your concerns about your horse’s performance issues. We can help form a plan for diagnosing and treating problems that may include gastric ulceration.

Dr. Vivrette is board certified in veterinary internal medicine and stays up to date on the diagnosis and treatment of gastric ulcers in horses. Attached is our instruction sheet to help you prepare your horse for gastroscopy.

How to Prepare Your Horse for Gastroscopy

Prepurchase Examinations

Our pre-purchase exam begins with a moving exam under saddle, which can show some subtle lamenesses that may not been seen otherwise, followed by a thorough moving exam (longed on both soft and hard surfaces). Flexion tests, hoof tester evaluation and palpation of the entire horse will then be performed. If the buyer elects to stop the exam at this point due to lameness or any other problem, the cost of the exam will be adjusted accordingly. The remainder of the exam includes: auscultation of the heart to detect any murmurs or arrhythmias that might interfere with athletic performance; a neurological exam to identify problems with the nervous system; an oral exam to identify any problems with the teeth and tongue and to decide if the horse needs floating (dentistry); an ophthalmic exam which includes evaluation of the surface of the eyes as well as internal structures, including evidence of cataracts. Each and every detail of the horse will be carefully looked over to allow the buyer to make an informed decision about the purchase of the horse or pony.

Podiatry Evaluation and Consultation with Your Farrier

Podiatry evaluation helps to optimize a trimming or shoeing plan. Radiographs of the foot objectively evaluate hoof balance and help give the farrier an inside look at the foot. Impediments to optimal performance and soundness such as thin soles or improper angles can be identified and a plan made with your farrier.

Consultations

We recognize the importance of your veterinarian and farrier being on the same team: your horse's! We are happy to set up consultation appointments with your farrier to discuss your horse's needs. We are also available for second opinions on complex lameness and health issues for your horse


Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Emergencies

By Appt

Sunday:

Emergencies

By Appt

  • "Thanks for the good care Dr. Vivrette has given our horse. She has gone above and beyond. Please let her know how much we appreciate her efforts."
    Donna M.
  • "The Best! I am always grateful for the help, the information, and the devotion to the best care for the equines and the rest of the animal family!"
    Jacquie M.
  • "It was such a pleasure to meet Sally--by the end of the afternoon I felt as though we had been friends forever. She is my kind of girl, super smart, funny, and passionate about her life's work. It was truly my pleasure."
    Kate I.