Steps To Take In An Emergency
If your horse is experiencing an emergency, try to follow the steps below.
- Stay Calm - Your horse will react to your emotions. Staying calm is essential during an equine emergency.
- Stay Safe - Keep yourself safe at all times. You will not be able to help your horse if you become injured.
- Try to Keep Your Horse Calm - For your horse to feel calm and reassured, it is essential for the people around your horse to also remain calm.
- Move Your Horse to a Safe Area - Move your horse to an area where they are unlikely to cause further harm to themselves.
- Get Help from Others at Your Barn - Delegate responsibilities like calling the vet, holding your horse, and bringing the first-aid kit.
- Call Your Veterinarian as Soon as Possible - Provide detailed information about your horse’s condition, including vital signs. Your vet will decide how to proceed based on the information you provide.
- Do Not Administer Drugs - Do not administer any drugs to your horse, including tranquilizers or sedatives, without explicit instructions from your vet.
Equine Emergency FAQs
Equine emergency care involves the treatment of horses in situations that require immediate medical attention or could potentially be life-threatening.
- What is considered an emergency?
Physical injuries are common in horses. While a range of sports injuries can occur during training, curiosity can also lead to serious injuries, such as deep gashes and lacerations. Physical injuries should always be seen by your veterinarian to prevent the injury from becoming infected or more severe. If your horse has had an accident or is experiencing any of these symptoms, bring them to our emergency office straight away.
- Colic
- Excessive Bleeding
- Choking
- Swellings, lacerations, and punctures
- Eye injuries
- Acute lameness
- Illness (including fever, loss of appetite, dullness, and diarrhea)
- Seizures
- Problems with pregnancy or foaling difficulties
- Sport horse injuries
Signs of gastrointestinal pain (often referred to as colic) can be an indication of anything from constipation to extremely serious intestinal twists or displacements. If your horse companion is showing any of the following symptoms call us right away for emergency care:
- When is your veterinary clinic open?
Northwest Veterinary Clinic of Mount Vernon provides 24/7 mobile emergency care for horses in Mount Vernon and the surrounding communities. We also handle equine emergencies at our Mount Vernon veterinary hospital during our regular business hours.
If your horse is experiencing a health emergency, call us straight away. A knowledgeable staff member will take your call during our regular business hours and arrange for one of our equine emergency vets to see your animal either at our state-of-the-art facility or at your horse's location.
For after-hours, holiday, and weekend emergency equine care, call our Mount Vernon veterinary hospital immediately. Your call will be answered by our after-hours service and transferred to our on-call veterinarian.
Regular Office Hours:
- Monday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
- Tuesday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
- Wednesday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
- Thursday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
- Friday:08:00 am - 05:00 pm
- Saturday:Closed
- Sunday:Closed
- What emergency services do you offer?
At our emergency clinic, we offer state-of-the-art emergency care for your horse. We are equipped to provide specialized diagnostics, a complete range of surgical services, and hospitalization as needed. We also offer mobile units so that our vets can come to your location.
- When are your emergency services offered?
We offer 24-hour ambulatory services for our equine patients.
- Do I need to take my horse to your clinic?
While there are some severe cases where we will need to transport your horses to our clinic, our veterinarians will travel to you in our fully stocked truck and can diagnose and treat nearly every medical issue right at your farm.
Equine Ambulatory Services
With our fully equipped mobile equine veterinary units, our vets can come to your location in an emergency. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.