San Luis Rey Equine Hospital internal medicine service provides round the clock treatment and monitoring of critical care patients and neonates.
Our internal medicine department possesses expertise in neonatal medicine, respiratory disease, neurology, metabolic issues, abdominal disease, neoplasia and the difficult to diagnose patient. Dr. Robert Franklin, DACVIM, is a consultant for SLREH and his bio can be found here.
An isolation facility at SLREH is equipped to house and support critically ill patients with contagious or infectious diseases in a separate unit. Here patients receive 24 hour per day intensive care while being isolated from other hospitalized horses.
The hospital is also equipped to manage the recumbent horses or those requiring sling assistance, as well as patients necessitating oxygen administration. The staff at SLREH is experienced treating miniature horses for both medical and surgical issues.
NEONATAL CRITICAL CARE
San Luis Rey Equine Hospital is renowned for its success in neonatal care, whether the issue is surgical or medical. Our 24-hour facility offers a unique opportunity by providing constant veterinary monitoring to ensure a continuum of intensive care to your foal. The hospital is equipped with oxygen administration capabilities, heating devices, and the bedding necessary to maintain a recumbent neonate. SLREH possesses the ability to foal out problematic mares or those at high risk of foaling complications.
NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION
Equine patients may present for a neurological evaluation or it may become an extended aspect of a lameness or poor performance examination.
San Luis Rey Equine Hospital is renowned for its clinician’s abilities in neurological examinations. Patients with neurological issues often require further diagnostic testing such as spinal taps, muscle biopsies or diagnostic imaging ranging from radiographs and nuclear scintigraphy to myelograms.
GASTROSCOPY
Gastroscopy involves passing a long endoscope down the esophagus and into the stomach. This procedure is commonly used to diagnose esophageal disease and gastric ulcers in horses. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome is prevalent and recognized as a major condition affecting both adult horses and foals. Clinical signs may be absent or can vary from severe colic symptoms to mild changes in attitude, performance or body condition.
Gastroscopy requires that the patient has been fasted for at least 12 hours and they are commonly admitted the night prior to the procedure. The procedure is minimally invasive and is performed under standing sedation.
ELECTROCHEMOTHERAPY
ABDOMINAL IMAGING
San Luis Rey Equine Hospital is equipped with a x-ray generator that can penetrate the large horse abdomen assisting in the diagnosis of enteroliths (stones) or sand colic. Our ultrasonography machines are also used for detailed imaging of the equine abdomen.
Click here for further information about the services available at SLREH.
LABORATORY ONSITE
A dedicated laboratory at SLREH supports our veterinarians to ensure rapid and accurate assessment on a variety of patient parameters.
Hematological and biochemical tests on blood samples are completed by our brand new state-of-the-art benchtop analyzers within a matter of minutes. Samples are capable of being submitted 24 hours a day and can also be brought in for rapid answers by other practices.
SLREH also offer additional laboratory testing such as cytology on tracheal washes, skin scrapings, aspirate, and parasite egg counts on fecal samples. We can also analyze joint fluid and abdominal fluid.
ISOLATION
SLREH operates under a biosecurity and infectious disease protocol established by our internal medicine specialist. An isolation facility at SLREH is equipped to house and support critically ill patients with contagious or infectious diseases in a separate unit. Patients receive 24 hour per day intensive care while being isolated from other hospitalized horses. The hospital is also equipped to manage the recumbent horses or those requiring sling assistance, as well as patients necessitating oxygen administration.
