MU VHC Equine Hospital

MU VHC Equine Hospital MU VHC Equine Hospital The University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center Equine Hospital is a 24 hour/day 7 day a week equine hospital.

We accept emergencies every day, including all holidays. We have appointments Monday-Friday for a wide variety of services. The equine faculty include many board-certified specialists including: internal medicine, surgery, theriogenology (reproductive and breeding), ophthalmology (eye), cardiology, dermatology and much more. We are extremely well equipped with endoscopy, laparoscopy, bone scan, CT

machine, digital radiology, high resolution ultrasound and much more. We offer extensive lameness examinations and performance horse examinations using the Equinosis Lameness Locator (developed at MU). We can perform a wide range of surgeries from emergency colic and fracture repair to elective minimally invasive arthroscopy, laser surgery and laparoscopy. We have fully equipped ambulatory truck seeing patients on farms in the Columbia and Central Missouri area.

Mizzou Vets - Equine SurgeryAt the University of Missouri Equine Hospital we have an amazing group of Equine Surgeons. ...
06/01/2026

Mizzou Vets - Equine Surgery
At the University of Missouri Equine Hospital we have an amazing group of Equine Surgeons. From left to right - Dr. Joanne Kramer, Dr. Kevin Keegan, Dr. Megan McCracken, and Dr. Lyndsay Hayden. All of our surgeons are board certified as Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. This means that after veterinary school they completed a rigorous internship, and then three years of a surgery residency, and then passed the challenging Board Exam.

Our Equine Surgeons perform a wide variety of surgery including abdominal surgery, minimally invasive joint surgery (arthroscopy), upper respiratory surgery, fracture repair, joint fusions (arthrodesis), sinus and maxillofacial surgery, and minimally invasive abdominal surgery (laparoscopy). They are also sports medicine veterinarians working on equine lameness with a focus on diagnosis and treatment. Our surgeons see both regularly scheduled and emergency cases. If you would like to schedule and appointment with one of our Equine Surgeons, please contact us at 573-882-3513.

One of the important considerations for our Equine Ambulatory veterinarians is making certain no feline friends try to j...
05/30/2026

One of the important considerations for our Equine Ambulatory veterinarians is making certain no feline friends try to join them on a drive. Don't worry no cats were successful in hitchhiking in this photo.

Congratulations to Rotating Large Animal Intern, Dr. Jena Zientek, on her recent seminar on Osteochondritis Dissecans wi...
05/29/2026

Congratulations to Rotating Large Animal Intern, Dr. Jena Zientek, on her recent seminar on Osteochondritis Dissecans with a focus on the equine stifle joint.

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a development orthopedic disorder where there is an interruption in the normal formation of the bones surrounding a joint. This results in the development of a fragment or loose piece of bone within the joint. This OCD fragment causes inflammation within the joint and can lead to joint effusion or swelling, lameness, and eventually osteoarthritis.

OCD fragments can occur in multiple joints. In horses the most commonly affected joints are the hock, fetlock, and stifle. The location of OCD lesions affects how likely they are to cause long term performance problems in horses. Lesions at the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia in the hock typically have a good prognosis for long term soundness, while large lesions on the lateral trochlear ridge of the stifle can cause significant problems with soundness. The radiograph is of a large lateral trochlear ridge OCD lesion in the stifle.

Surgical arthroscopic removal of OCD lesions is recommended to help preserve soundness in most cases. A new option for larger OCD lesions in the stifle that are identified early (6-7 months of age) involves pinning of the lesion down to the underlying bone. In many of these young developing horses, the procedure will enable these fragments to reattach and preserve soundness.

Mizzou Vet Fact - Biologic Joint Therapy - ProStrideJoint disease including synovitis and osteoarthritis is one of the m...
05/27/2026

Mizzou Vet Fact - Biologic Joint Therapy - ProStride
Joint disease including synovitis and osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of lameness in the horse. There are multiple therapy options to treat osteoarthritis in the horse. One treatment option for mild to moderate osteoarthritis is Autologous Protein Solution (APS) also called ProStride. This biologic therapy takes your horse's own blood and using a series of centrifugation steps concentrates platelets, growth factors, and anti-inflammatory mediators. This concentrated product is then injected into the affected joint to decrease inflammation. ProStride has been shown to block interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) which are two pro-inflammatory substances in the joint. It is best used in early osteoarthritis. It is also a good option for horses with Equine Metabolic Disease or PPID are at greater risk of laminitis when administered corticosteroids.

The MU equine field service offers students an opportunity to take an extra elective rotation on the trucks, giving them...
05/26/2026

The MU equine field service offers students an opportunity to take an extra elective rotation on the trucks, giving them more time to learn ambulatory medicine. As part of the elective, we ask our students to create an informational equine-oriented social media post.

Thank you to Emma Bryant, a senior veterinary student, for this post on equine dental examination.

Educating the Next Generation of VeterinariansVeterinary students at Mizzou College of Veterinary Medicine receive rigor...
05/26/2026

Educating the Next Generation of Veterinarians
Veterinary students at Mizzou College of Veterinary Medicine receive rigorous training to develop the skills they need to be high level veterinary practitioners. In surgery, our surgeons wear sterile gowns and gloves in order to protect the patient from infection. It is a critical part of aseptic technique, which is a critical part of surgery. Proper gowning and gloving requires precision and attention to detail every time. Our students first learn and practice the principles early in their veterinary education during their Clinical Techniques courses. They must demonstrate capability in a practical exam. They then further develop their technique during their Surgery Course. Once our students enter clinical rotations, they are experienced and competent. While surgeries in the MU Equine Hospital are performed by specialist surgeons, our students have an important and active role in the surgery team.

The MU Equine Hospital is closed for Memorial Day as we honor all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our count...
05/25/2026

The MU Equine Hospital is closed for Memorial Day as we honor all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

As always we are open for emergencies and have veterinarians on call for both hospital and field emergencies. If your horse has a veterinary emergency call 573-882-4589.

Mizzou Patient Story - RebelMeet Rebel, a wonderful and handsome guy. During one of our recent storms, he sustained a l...
05/23/2026

Mizzou Patient Story - Rebel

Meet Rebel, a wonderful and handsome guy. During one of our recent storms, he sustained a laceration to his heel bulb. Rebel's dedicated owner sought immediate veterinary care. The wound was bleeding extensively and was very deep. The wound involved the coronary band, digital artery and entered the tendon sheath. The artery was ligated and Rebel had surgical lavage of his tendon sheath and surgical cleaning and lavage of his wound.

After surgery he had, antibiotic therapy in the sheath, repeated wound lavage and regional limb perfusions of antibiotics. Once the tendon sheath infection was under control, a hoof cast was placed to help his wound heal. He wore the cast at home for two weeks under the watchful eye of his owner.

He just came back to the MU Equine Clinic for cast removal and look how fantastic the wound is healing! In just two weeks the wound has completely filled with granulation tissue there is just a thin area yet to cover with skin.

Heel bulb lacerations can transect arteries, enter joints and tendon sheaths, can affect the coronary band, and can be soundness and even life threatening. Prompt veterinary evaluation is important. Hoof casts can also be an extremely important part of healing. Without casting, wounds like this would take months to heal and the resulting scar would be extensive. Thanks to Rebel's owners prompt and dedicated care, he is on the road to recovery.

Mizzou Vet Fact - Gas Decompression in Colic SurgeryWhen a horse's gastrointestinal tract becomes obstructed, it can fil...
05/22/2026

Mizzou Vet Fact - Gas Decompression in Colic Surgery
When a horse's gastrointestinal tract becomes obstructed, it can fill with gas behind the obstruction. This gas distention can result in significant pain. It can also cause abdominal distention that you can see! How do our surgeons deal with this massive gas build up in surgery? They use surgical suction to remove the gas. This helps treat the problem and also provides more room in the abdomen for our surgeons to maneuver the abdominal organs in order to correct the primary problem.
Look how the cecum decreases in size in this series of images

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900 East Campus Drive
Columbia, MO
65211

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+15738823513

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