Lake Loudon large animal veterinary service

02/23/2026

So February is considered dental month but honestly I dont love doing dental work in the cold.
However we need to keep our horses dental health in mind. Don't forget to schedule your happy horses dental work with your spring vaccines coming up.
Call office to schedule your spring appointment now. 😉
865-986-5086

01/28/2026

Lake Loudon Large Animal Veterinary Service
Mobile Equine and Small Ruminant mobile practice servicing a 30 mile radius from Lenoir City TN. Covering areas such as Loudon, Philadelphia, Sweetwater, Kingston, Paint Rock, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, West Knox, Lenoir City, Maryville, and Greenback.

Providing routine health care vaccinations and annual visits , dental service, surgical service, radiology, and ultrasound for Horses, Sheep, Goats, and Llamas. We are available for our established current Clients for 24 hr Emergency service when available.

Dr Melissa Hamilton established Lake Loudon Vet Service in 2001 and I am thankful to all of our Clients over the years and We are happy to welcome new clients.

Please contact the office at (865)986-5086 to inquire about services , prices or make an appointment.

01/28/2026

Hope everyone is staying warm and all thier animals are healthy during this cold snap. Just going thru some photos of my business over the last few years. I appreciate all my clients and thier support of my practice. I do my best to be there to help owners and all thier animals. Ready for the new year 2026 but this cold weather can go back up north where it belongs. 😂

12/25/2025

12/12/2025

Saint jude's children's hospital telethon now.
1-800-201-8883
For $19 a month.

You will receive two dollywood tickets for 2026 season. A shirt in UT orange with saint jude's and a zip up black hoodie. And you will help save children's lives.

Hey I challenge all my friends and customers in east tennessee to go on and become a partner with Saint Jude's children's hospital today. 107.7 seven radio station has a telethon going on Yesterday and today trying to reach a goal of a half a million dollars to saint jude's children hospital. Saint dudes does research for cancer in children and shares it with all other hospitals.When they come up with a treatment plan.

11/24/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DsUCXZh6U/

The cases are located in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, and Arizona.

11/20/2025

HORSE OWNERS: We have had several clients asking about the recent Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) outbreak linked to the WPRA World Finals and Elite Barrel Race held in Waco, Texas from Novemeber 5-9th, 2025. As of November 20th, 2025, there are confirmed cases in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.There are NO confirmed cases in Tennessee at this time, however we are trying to do our part in keeping horse owners aware. Please limit travel with horses at this time. Equine Herpes Virus is a highly contagious viral disease. It spreads easily through nasal discharge, shared equipment, trailers, stalls and human contact. Horses can carry the virus before showing symptoms, so strict quarantine is essential.
Watch for signs: RESPIRATORY: cough, clear nasal discharge, fever.
NEUROLOGIC: head tilt, hind limb weakness, incoordination, urine dribbling, tail weakness, sudden inability to stand.
REPRODUCTIVE: late-term abortion in mares.
Check for fever 101.5 or higher

https://equinediseasecc.org/equine-herpesvirus?fbclid=IwdGRjcAOMXo5jbGNrA4xeYWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhpVcynjpwBdAN7EEJmS8w06pSK52uBPwoSxFwmyg_bl9VYfTYYsR9nNhFRY_aem_uoMdiiPkdtUJZHGPz3rRaQ

Equine herpesvirus (EHV) is a family of equine viruses named by numbers including EHV-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with EHV-1,3,4 posing the most risk for domestic horses. EHV is a common DNA virus that occurs in horse populations worldwide. The two most common species are EHV-1 and EHV-4.

10/21/2025

05/03/2025

Good visual of abnormal hoof angles.

This is a great visual to understand what is meant by bony column alignment the term I use as this is how I was educated.

In the picture it’s called hoof pastern alignment.

I assume it’s the same thing…

So the historic and current thinking is that those 3 bones at the bottom of the horses leg, are the most biomechanically efficient and all the tendons are in balance if those bones are aligned.

It’s all related to levers and moments. The way I understand it is if you think about carrying shopping bags, if they are close to your body they are easier to manage. If you stretch out your arm a bit then the weight of that bag will be harder to manage plus the muscles are worked more. Stretching out your arm is acting like a lever.

The 3 photos show nicely the different ways those 3 bones can present.
Farriers and trimmers will be striving to maintain or get to bony column alignment. By removing hoof or adding to it, adding by shoes, wedges, casts, acrylics, etc.

Note that to look at the bony column line, the cannon bone must be vertical.

I can’t give credit to this person that owns this photo but I am grateful to them and if anyone knows the owner, please let me know so i
can give credit.

Added to give credit to the canadian horse magazine

Image used for fair use- educational and critique

Lindsey

http://www.patreon.com/hoofstudies

04/23/2025

April showers bring…

…the increased risk of your horse developing a skin condition like rain rot, a contagious bacterial skin disease (often mistaken for a fungal condition) called dermatophilosis which is caused by the bacterium "Dermatophilus congolensis.”

How does rain rot happen?
The organism responsible for rain rot lives in the outer layer of the skin; if the skin is compromised by too much moisture or cracks, or if the horse has a weaker immune system, it’s easier for the pathogen to activate and establish an infection that causes from pinpoint to large, crusty scabs (pro tip: Your horse will NOT thank you for picking at them!).

Why should you not mistake rain rot for a fungal disease?
Antifungal medications and topicals have no effect on the bacteria responsible for rain rot, therefore diagnosing the condition correctly is critical! If left untreated, the condition can even progress to a point where it opens the door for more serious, secondary skin infections. It’s also important to note that this organism is contagious and may be passed to other horses by tack, equipment or insects, therefore disinfection of equipment is vital to prevent spread.

If you suspect your horse has rain rot, be sure to consult your veterinarian on the best treatment plan. While there are a million over-the-counter products available, your horse doctor may have cause to prescribe a specific course of action based on the severity of your horse's case.