Larch Veterinary Services

10/27/2026

🦷 Equine Dental Health: More Than Just Floating! 🐴

Did you know that dental care involves much more than just floating your horse’s teeth?

Veterinarians recommend an annual sedated oral examination for every horse. While some horses need extensive floating to reduce sharp enamel points or manage malocclusions, others may need very little floating. However, every horse benefits from a thorough examination of their entire mouth.

One important condition we look for is periodontal disease.

🦷 What is periodontal disease?

Horses can develop spaces between their cheek teeth where feed and hay become trapped. Genetics, diet, dental conformation, aging, and a lack of routine dental care can all contribute to this problem.

When feed becomes packed between the teeth, it can irritate the surrounding gums and trap bacteria. Over time, this can lead to:
🔸 Inflamed and receding gums
🔸 Damage to the periodontal ligament that supports the teeth
🔸 Loss of the surrounding bone
🔸 Painful tooth infections and tooth loss

Periodontal disease is painful for horses and is an important welfare concern. Unfortunately, once significant disease has occurred, treatment can become complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Some affected teeth may ultimately require extraction.

🔎 Why are annual dental examinations so important?

A thorough examination under sedation allows your veterinarian to assess the entire mouth, identify areas where feed is becoming trapped, evaluate tooth alignment, and detect other abnormalities that may not be obvious during a routine visual check.

Finding these problems early gives us the opportunity to intervene before they progress into more serious disease.

Remember: Floating is only one part of equine dentistry! A comprehensive dental examination is about assessing the health of the teeth, gums, and supporting structures—not simply smoothing sharp points.

🐴 Your horse may be eating normally and showing no obvious signs of discomfort, but that doesn't always mean their mouth is healthy. Routine veterinary dental care helps keep your horse comfortable and can prevent bigger problems down the road.

10/23/2026

We will be a little short staffed today, as Dr. Janine is headed to Vancouver to learn the latest research on Equine Gastric Ulcer Disease. We hope to be putting together a winter talk for all our clients who might be interested in this topic too! We know it’s a very common condition in all types of horses, and treating it can be challenging.
We will be back to normal business hours tomorrow.

10/14/2026

An interesting seminar being hosted by AAEP. Horses are incredibly stoic animals and learning how to assess them for pain is important for horse owners and veterinarians alike.

Is your horse in pain? 🐴 It’s not always obvious!

Join us for our Horse Owner Education Webinar with Drs. Kim Allshouse and Michael St. Blanc to learn how to spot the subtle signs of pain, tell the difference between pain and behavior problems, and catch issues early before they become bigger concerns. 🩺

The webinar will be recorded and registrants will receive a link to the recording, so be sure to sign up even if you can’t attend the live event. ✅

Drop the word LISTEN in the comments and we’ll send the registration link straight to your DMs. 📩

📅 Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026
⏰ 8:00 to 9:30 PM EDT

10/13/2026

What is Serum Amyloid A and how is it used in equine veterinary medicine? 🐴🩸

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a protein produced by the liver when the body is experiencing inflammation. SAA can be measured stall-side with the StableLab analyzer which gives results in less than 10 minutes.

SAA increases with inflammation of any cause but the largest increases are seen with bacterial infection. This stall-side tool helps mobile equine vets make decisions about viral infections vs bacterial infections vs sterile inflammation and can guide treatment decisions. It is also an excellent tool for tracking resolution of infection/response to antibiotic treatment.

10/09/2026

Our office will be closed for the Thanksgiving long-weekend, October 10th-12th. 🍂🍁

If you have an equine emergency, please call us at 778-562-5455 and leave a voice message. Your call will be responded to shortly after.

10/02/2026

Equine Nebulizers: Targeted Respiratory Therapy for Horses 🐴

This is an equine nebulizer — a piece of equipment that delivers liquid medications directly into the lungs.

One of the biggest advantages of nebulization is that it allows for more targeted therapy to the respiratory system, reducing the amount of medication that needs to circulate throughout the rest of the body and decreasing the risk of systemic side effects.

Nebulizers can be a valuable management tool for horses with equine asthma and, in certain cases, may also be used as part of treatment for pneumonia or other respiratory conditions.

Depending on the medication and the individual case, nebulizers can deliver:
💊 Antibiotics
💊 Anti-inflammatory medications
💊 Bronchodilators

Although purchasing a nebulizer is often a larger upfront investment, the medications used with nebulizers are generally more affordable than many commercially available inhalers, making them a practical option for some horses requiring ongoing respiratory therapy.

09/28/2026

Our office will be closed for regular appointments on Wednesday September 30th in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

If you have an equine emergency please call us at 778-562-5455 and leave a voice message. Your call will be responded to shortly after.

If you are searching for ways to reconcile, we encourage you to check out Increased ACCESS - an Indigenous-led organization advancing equal access to animal-related public-health infrastructure.

From their website:
“We work with communities to combine public-health principles, veterinary access, dog and cat population management, and Indigenous-led education in ways that reduce risk and strengthen safety for both people and animals. These approaches honour local teachings, recognize community history, and build capacity for long-term, self-determined solutions.”

A new policy Reader exploring how community animal management systems can move from local challenges to national public responsibility.

09/25/2026

Larch Veterinary Services is now offering in-house Cushing’s testing for horses! 🐴💉

Cushing’s disease or Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is a common endocrine disorder of older horses. Typically, blood samples are sent to an external lab and can take up to 2 weeks to get results. We now have the Truforma diagnostic system in-house which means faster results and treatment.

09/18/2026

Why choose Larch Veterinary Services for your equine vet needs? 🐴

We’re a locally owned and operated practice, and we’re here for more than just 9–5.

When you choose Larch for your horse’s routine wellness and performance care, you’re also establishing a veterinary relationship for when the unexpected happens.

Because when an equine emergency occurs after hours, it matters that we already know your horse, their history, and their baseline health.

We live, work, and ride in this community — and we’re committed to being there for your horses when you need us most.

Larch Veterinary Services
Compassionate. Evidence-based. Skillful.

09/11/2026

Legend vs. Adequan 🐴

When deciding between Legend® and Adequan®, there are several important considerations. Both medications are injectable therapies commonly used to help manage arthritis and joint inflammation in horses. They are not pain medications, but supportive treatments that form part of a comprehensive arthritis management plan.

Legend® contains hyaluronic acid and works primarily by supporting the joint lining and improving the quality of joint fluid. It helps reduce inflammation within the joint environment and is commonly administered once weekly for four weeks as an initial series, after which it may be repeated or continued monthly as needed. Legend® must be administered intravenously. Your veterinarian may also use Legend during joint injections.

Adequan® contains polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) and works by supporting cartilage health and joint fluid production. It is administered as a series of seven intramuscular injections given every four days, and this series is typically repeated every six to twelve months depending on the horse’s workload and response.

For older or lightly worked horses, common approaches include using an Adequan® series as a foundation therapy to support cartilage over time, using a four-week Legend® series repeated as needed, or combining Adequan® with intermittent Legend® during periods of increased workload. Adequan® supports deeper joint structures, while Legend® helps optimize joint fluid quality when inflammation is present.

For performance horses, Adequan® is often used as part of long-term joint care, typically at the start of the season and repeated every six months. Legend® is commonly added as a four-week series when training intensity increases or prior to competition blocks to support the joint environment during higher athletic demand.

It is important to note that these medications do not act as immediate pain relievers, do not regenerate severely damaged cartilage, and do not replace appropriate farriery or exercise management. They are best used as part of a multi-modal arthritis plan, which may also include NSAIDs or joint injections when indicated, oral joint supplements, regular balanced farrier care, and controlled exercise programs.