Hartwell Equine Veterinary Services

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from Hartwell Equine! Dr Phillips and her family are celebrating in Charlotte with family! We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday.

11/23/2025

🎶 Tis the season to be colicky falalalalalalalala

Keep those ponies drinking as best you can as it's been colic mayhem this past week and weekend.

How can you encourage water consumption? Try feeding very soupy mashes or adding some electrolytes to your horse's feed.

And remember, catching colic early and having your vet out is better than waiting and seeing if your horse may get better on his/her own. 🐴

Experience top tier care -- right here at Hartwell Equine.

11/22/2025

November food drive update:

You guys have been keeping me busy with emergencies which means...

This week we went to 19 different farm calls which equals $95 towards the food shelter! That means a total of $240 to go shopping!

Just a few more days left to get those farm calls in! We can't wait to go shopping to help out our community.

Experience top tier care -- right here at Hartwell Equine.

11/19/2025

What I've received from the state vet's office:

The Georgia State Veterinarian’s Office is aware of an outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus-1 (EHV-1)/ Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in horses that were at or associated with barrel racing and rodeo-type events in Texas and Oklahoma within the last 3 weeks.

We do not have any confirmed cases of EHV/EHM in Georgia at this time and will follow up on any traces or reports to mitigate further spread of the disease.

Horse Owners: If your horses traveled to Texas, Oklahoma, or other equine events where EHV/EHM exposure may have occurred:

Isolate for 21 days after last known exposure.

Appropriate isolation includes restricted access to other horses, avoiding the sharing of equipment or personnel, and utilization of protective barrier precautions.

Monitor horses twice daily for elevated temperature (above 101.5*), respiratory signs (nasal discharge, coughing), and for clinical signs consistent with EHM (neurologic symptoms including inability to stand, difficulty walking, lethargy, and urine dribbling).

If ANY signs are noted, contact your veterinarian immediately.

11/19/2025

I've had quite a few phone calls today about the recent herpes outbreak out west. As of now there are no confirmed cases in GA or SC but it's always a good idea to maintain biosecurity.

If you've been off property (show, trail ride, lesson, etc) I would check your horses temperature twice a day. Anything over 101.5*F warrants a phone call to your vet. If you notice any signs of herpes (nasal discharge, fever, unsteady/falling over) immediately quarantine that animal and call your vet.

Remember, good biosecurity protocols help slow down outbreaks!

What is Equine Herpesvirus (EHV)?

You've probably heard it called Rhinopneumonitis, a respiratory tract disease that results in "snotty noses," but EHV is more than that. Depending on the strain, this virus can also cause abortion in broodmares, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) — the often-deadly neurologic form of the disease.

Because EHV is endemic in many equine populations, most mature horses have developed some immunity through repeated natural infection. However, they remain a source of infection for other susceptible horses, like weaned foals and yearlings, who usually display symptoms of the respiratory form of the disease in autumn and winter. Performance and show horses are also more vulnerable to the disease, as they commingle with unfamiliar equines in close quarters while under stress from travel and competition.

Proper biosecurity protocols can help reduce EHV outbreaks and other disease transmission. A variety of vaccines are also available for protection against both the respiratory and abortive form of the disease, but there is no equine licensed vaccine at this time that has a label claim for protection against the neurologic form (EHM).

Consult your primary equine veterinarian to learn more about this disease and work with them to determine the optimal vaccine protocol for your horses.

You can learn more about all three forms on the Equine Disease Communication Center's website here: https://equinediseasecc.org/infectious-diseases

11/17/2025

🌟 Student Spotlight: Mackenzie! 🌟

We’re excited to highlight Mackenzie, a University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine veterinary student who spent the last two weeks with Hartwell Equine Veterinary Services.

Mackenzie jumped into everything with enthusiasm — and we really put her through her paces.

During her time here she:
🦷 Pulled wolf teeth
✨ Performed dentals
💧 Flushed a guttural pouch
🐴 Helped work up a couple of colics
😄 And much more

She was an absolute trooper through a very mixed bag of cases (including one of the worst smelling nasal discharges I've encountered in my career), and we’re so grateful to have been part of her veterinary journey.

Thank you, Mackenzie, for spending part of your veterinary training with us — we’re grateful for your hard work and can’t wait to see where your career takes you!

11/15/2025

November food drive update:

This week we went to 14 different farms which means we've banked $70 for the Hart Co Food Bank. We're up to $145!

Keep scheduling those farm calls! We're halfway through November so only 2 more weeks to get those farm calls scheduled!

Experience top tier care -- right here at Hartwell Equine.

11/10/2025

Hartwell Equine is now open for parties on the weekend!

JUST KIDDING!

But the clinic did double as the perfect birthday party venue for Everett's 4th birthday party this past weekend. And it got me thinking how all of my clients have graciously accepted Everett coming along for the ride for the past 4 years. It's not easy being a mom, vet, and business owner but you guys have made it easier by keeping him entertained on farm calls, showering him with gifts/toys, and genuinely enjoying him coming along. Thank you to my wonderful clients for all that you do for my family.

Experience top tier care -- right here at Hartwell Equine.

11/07/2025

November food drive update:

This week we went to 15 different farms which means we've banked $75 for the Hart Co Food Bank.

Keep scheduling those farm calls! How much do you think we can raise by the end of November?

Experience top tier care -- right here at Hartwell Equine.

11/02/2025

Your November Vet Visit Feeds Hart County Families!

We're donating $5 from EVERY single farm call this November to the Hart Co Food Pantry.

Need dentistry? Vaccinations? Don't wait—schedule your appointment with Hartwell Equine Veterinary Services this month, and let your routine care do double duty supporting our local community!

We'll keep you guys updated every week with how much we've raised!

Call us at 706.436.4228 to book your visit! Let’s make a difference, one farm at a time!

10/26/2025

We may not see dinosaurs in our practice but we will hire them for help!

Experience top tier care -- right here at Hartwell Equine.

10/25/2025

You guys had some great answers to my question! It came down to PRP and RLP and the winner is...

REGIONAL LIMB PERFUSION (RLP)!

RLPs are used to get concentrated antibiotics to a specific part of the body by placing a tourniquet and instilling antibiotics in a vein below the tourniquet. Then the tourniquet is left on for 20 min so the antibiotics can "marinate" the area of the body you're targeting. We usually do this procedure for 3-5 days to help aid in healing.

Great guesses guys (looking at you Jessica Armstrong-Wilder)!

Experience top tier care -- right here at Hartwell Equine.