On Point Veterinary Services

12/02/2025

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/baker-institute/research-baker-institute/h5n1-avian-influenza-bird-flu

An update from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine on H5N1 Avian influenza In March of 2024, a group of scientists from the Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center, in collaboration wit

07/02/2025

On Point Veterinary Services scheduling update for 2025:

Due to increased cancellations and missed appointments, I'll be charging for last-minute cancellations and missed appointments. Given enough notice (5-7 days), I can often fill appointment slots when clients have to cancel.

Any cancellations within 5 days of the previously scheduled appointment will be charged the full price of a chiropractic appointment ($120) and the travel fee, depending on the appointment location. If I can fill the spot, no fee will be charged. My phone number is (585)420-8386, and the best way to reach me is via text.

If you're canceling due to an emergency, please let me know.

I truly appreciate all of my clients, particularly those who stay on a regular schedule. Thank you all for entrusting me with your horses' health. I look forward to a year full of horses feeling in tip-top shape!

08/01/2025

Regular bodywork, stretching and core-strengthing exercises are very important in maintaining a healthy horse. 💕

Preventing Kissing Spines: A Key Aspect of Equine Welfare & Performance

Kissing spines, or overriding dorsal spinous processes, is a painful and often debilitating condition that affects the well-being and performance of horses.

While some cases may have a genetic predisposition, many occur due to preventable factors rooted in management, training, and care practices.

Understanding how to reduce the risk of kissing spines through these aspects is essential for any horse owner, trainer, or caretaker dedicated to equine welfare.

Prevention begins with recognizing the interconnectedness of a horse’s posture, muscle development, hoof balance and saddle fit.

Poorly conditioned back muscles, improper riding techniques, ill-fitting tack poor hoof care can contribute to abnormal spinal mechanics, increasing the likelihood of this condition.

Additionally, overworking young horses before they are physically mature can predispose them to long-term structural issues, including kissing spines.

Equally important is identifying and addressing early warning signs, such as behavioral changes under saddle, resistance to movement, or sensitivity when grooming the back.

Timely intervention with tailored management and training strategies can significantly improve a horse’s quality of life and performance after a confirmed diagnosis.

This topic, and other important horse welfare protocols, are part of Equitopia's library of resources, all underpinned with evidence and research.

We aim to empower you by gaining a deeper understanding of these critical prevention and management strategies.

Our membership includes access to a two-part webinar presented by Dr. Martin Neidhart, a leading expert in equine spinal health, who dives into this topic in detail.

This comprehensive resource provides a roadmap for welfare-centric care, training protocols, and management practices to prevent and manage kissing spines as part of a clinically relevant diagnosis.

Join today and ensure your horse’s back health for a lifetime of partnership.

See the benefits and learn more at www.equitopiacenter.com

13/12/2024

I’d be interested to see if this study could be improved to remove bias, improve objectivity, increase the number of horses studied, and involve more than one animal chiropractic practitioner or VSMT.

How do hay nets on round bales impact the axial skeleton of the horse?

You all asked, and we delivered with more research! And I promise it has been worth the wait!

Last week, the second portion of our study evaluating hay nets was accepted into the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, and this time we teamed up with an equine chiropractor (thanks Dr. Taylor Rieck) to evaluate changes in the axial skeleton!

Introduction: Many horse owners use hay nets. As our last study demonstrated, they have many benefits including a reduction in hay waste and management of bodyweight and body condition scores. Additionally, we were able to explore the impacts on dental health and did not have any concerns regarding soft tissue damage, tooth wear, or dental abnormalities. But that has led us to our next question, can the act of eating hay from a hay net result in changes to the axial skeleton of the horse, specifically relating to the vertebral column?

Materials and Methods: Because I want this post to be able to stand alone (and some of you may have forgotten what we did since the last research post), I will start from the beginning and I apologize for repeating myself. Thirteen mature geldings were used in this study and assigned to treatments based on weight. The study began in September 2021 and all horses received dental work and were assigned to their treatments, seven started on the no hay net control (CON) and six started on the hay net (NET) treatment and all were fed grass round bales. In September 2022, horses received dental work again and switched treatments in the cross-over design. Throughout the study, these horses lived in identical neighboring pens with shelter, ad libitum water, and free choice grass round bales with the only difference being NET horses had their round bale hay placed in hay nets with 1.75”/4.45 cm openings (graciously provided by Hay Chix) while CON horses did not.

During this study, from May through August of both years, changes in the axial skeleton were evaluated. This time frame was chosen as horses were not being worked in undergraduate courses. In May, when the semester ended, an equine chiropractor adjusted all horses to get them to a baseline. Horses were then evaluated for range of motion and pain-pressure thresholds at 4-, 8-, and 12-weeks post-chiropractic adjustment. Cervical range of motion was evaluated using neck stretches for lateral movement as well as chin-to-chest, chin-to-knees, and chin-to-fetlocks. Pain pressure threshold was evaluated at different points on the body using a pressure algometer which documented the amount of pressure applied until the horse moved away to avoid the pressure. Additionally, another chiropractic adjustment took place at 12-weeks and subluxations (misalignment of bones) were documented and rated on a 0 to 3 scale to indicate none, minor, moderate, or severe subluxations. These scores were combined for each location or vertebral region (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral).

Results: There was an average 8% increase in cervical subluxations observed in NET horses (P0.05) and sacral vertebrae were not analyzed as no subluxations were found.

Another finding was that average cervical range of motion was 5 degrees greater in NET horses compared to CON horses for chin-to-chest and chin-to-fetlock measurements (P≤0.05). No differences were observed in pain-pressure thresholds when comparing treatments (P>0.05).

While not the initial objective of the study, we also saw decreased range of motion and pain-pressure thresholds over time regardless of treatment, which suggests the benefits of chiropractic - but I will save this topic for another post when I can dive into into it deeper!

Discussion: Our main findings were a slight increase in subluxations in the neck for NET horses alongside an increase in cervical range of motion. While these findings initially appear to contradict each other, previous research in humans has found that activities which stimulate voluntary neck movements utilizing a wide range of motion and postures can recruit and strengthen cervical muscles. As a result, prehending hay from a hay net may have simulated exercises to strengthen the neck in these horses, however, these movements may have simultaneously resulted in an increase in cervical subluxations.

Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that hay nets do have the ability to influence the axial skeleton of the horse with minor changes. However, the researchers believe that the proven benefits of hay nets, including reduced hay waste, prolonged feeding time, and weight management, outweigh any minor changes in the axial skeleton observed in this study. Additionally, results from this study suggest regular chiropractic work can be beneficial for horses regardless of hay net use!

What Next? While this study gathered some very useful information to create a foundation of knowledge, I would love to investigate hanging net height and hole size to determine how these factors may influence the axial skeleton and time to consumption for horses in the future!

Funding: This study was funded by the University of Wisconsin - River Falls and HayChix.

I hope you find these results as fascinating as we did! There is always so much to learn!

Cheers!
Dr. DeBoer

13/12/2024

Have training plans lined up for the weekend? Try out this training exercise for some inspiration 😊
Poles, transitions and gymnastics movements all in one drill! Have fun trying it out 🐎

www.sonovettherapy.com.au



Source: EWU - Erste Westernreiter Union Deutschland e.V.

24/10/2023

Fall is officially in full swing! Now is the time to crack down on housing, nutrition, and preventative health strategies suitable for the arrival of winter.

The graphic below lists some essential items on the horse owner's fall to-do checklist, but there is much more that needs to be done—like having your horse rugs repaired and waterproofed; securing and storing hay properly; assessing your shelters for safety and soundness; etc.)

Your equine veterinarian is one of your greatest allies this season: be sure to give them a call soon to discuss vaccination and deworming protocols appropriate for your horse’s situation; use this opportunity to chat about recommended changes in nutrition and exercise program as well!

06/10/2023

Justin was overdue for a saddle-fitting.

He’s 5, has done a lot of growing in the last 6 months and is getting much more fit.

Some of his other clues that a fitting was in order:

For the last few months I was noticing him leaning on my left leg. It didn’t change after massage or adjustments, but he did respond if I used another aid so I assumed it was my weak left leg.

While getting back into work over the last few weeks, he’s displayed resistant behaviors like head-twisting, acting spooky when he’s not a spooky horse (Always the same areas of the arena), dragging me into corners, and sucking back when being asked to transition to trot. Basically a pony in a thoroughbred body.

He’s tricky because after having time off (he had almost 4 weeks off with a sensitive popped splint) it takes a good 1.5 - 2 weeks of consistent work to get his brain back into his head and to convince him he’s a riding horse again. He doesn’t have a naturally strong work ethic.

He felt great after the fitting yesterday and our ride today was awesome. No head twisting, no spooking, he was willing to transition, and he was following my seat and easily moving off of my leg when asked. I could feel an even motion in his back under both seat-bones, whereas previously he felt locked-up under my left seat-bone. Riding him today was weirdly easy. He was my dream horse.

This wouldn’t be the first time his behavior changed after a saddle fitting, which is a huge reminder to me that I probably need him checked every few months while he’s still growing so much.

Granted; it’s hot out and he’s much better behaved in hot weather. I’ll keep you posted if he still feels awesome once it cools off again.

Also, his body shape has changed so much that he’ll need a completely different saddle in short order 🤦‍♀️. At least I knew this would likely happen when buying such a young horse. The Bates Artiste has been a great first saddle for us with all of the adjustability, but we’ve moved into the realm of getting creative with a shimmable half-pad, so a better fitting saddle would be ideal.

I’ll work on getting some before and after video for his next fitting to try and demonstrate differences in his movement.

26/09/2023

All of my Facebook messenger messages were deleted, so if you’ve been trying to contact me through messenger, please text me at (585)420-8386 so there’s the best chance that I’ll see the message.

06/04/2022

Spring greetings from On Point Veterinary Services PLLC!

As we all look ahead to the warmer months, and spending more quality time with our horses, I wanted to send an update regarding additional services I'll be offering and changes in pricing for current services. I know spring and summer often mean everyone is busier than usual, so I wanted to send this update as soon as possible.

I'm a huge believer in preventive care, and as such I'm offering additional services to obtain baseline information which will help me offer the best care possible. Acupuncture and herbal therapies can help maintain optimal health and peak performance based on your horse's baseline blood work values.

Baseline Blood work: $80- Complete blood count and blood chemistry to monitor bodily functions in their current state.

Lyme Disease Testing: $95- The Cornell Multiplex Assay provides information about exposure to the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, spread by ticks. In the future, if your horse has signs of Lyme disease and needs testing, having a baseline can be useful when determining acute vs. chronic infection.

Results can be shared with your regular vet. Prices are subject to change, as they reflect reference lab pricing.

Aquapuncture: $120- A 50:50 mix of Vitamin B12 and 0.9%NaCl solution is injected into acupuncture points. This is great for treating chronic inflammatory or arthritic conditions.

BEMER Blanket add-on: $10- BEMER is an FDA Class II Cleared PEMF device which improves microvascular blood flow. It's used in conjunction with Acupuncture/Chiropractic for an enhanced relaxation and treatment. This is different from the more powerful PEMF devices such as the PULSE System which aids in tissue healing and repair (more info about AV PulseWorks below).

NEW PRICING:

Current prices were set and maintained since the establishment of On Point Veterinary Services LLC, and unfortunately, I had to make this difficult decision because the cost of doing business has increased. New pricing will be effective as of May 1, 2022. I appreciate your understanding and continued business, as this work is my lifelong passion. I hope you feel the quality of service offered by my practice is exceptional, as I'm continually working to refine my skills as well as stay current with the ever-changing field of Veterinary Medicine.

Initial Acupuncture & Chiropractic Exam: $130
Maintenance Acupuncture OR Chiropractic: $120
Combined Acupuncture/IIIb Laser AND Chiropractic: $150
BEMER blanket add-on: $10

Discounted Pricing for more frequent treatments:
1-week Recheck exam and treatment: $80
2-week Recheck exam and treatment: $90
If finances are a concern, please ask about more discounted options.

Travel Fee: If >15 miles from Penfield - $25/15 miles
(Discounts may apply with 5 or more patients in one location)

Most horses in consistent work or with chronic disease processes benefit from treatments at 4, 6, or 8 week intervals depending on their work-load and body's response to treatment. It may take several treatments (5-6) for noticeable results with acupuncture alone. Results are seen sooner when combining chiropractic and acupuncture/laser.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR MONITORING HEALTH:

Hoof balance radiographs
- The hoof is the foundation of the horse. When there's an imbalance in the hoof it creates imbalance in the body. Corrective trimming, shoeing, and using corrective boots are options for managing imbalance.

EPM testing (Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis caused by Sarcocystic neurona, Neospora caninum or Neospora hughesi)
- Exposure doesn't mean your horse has the associated disease and treatment may not be necessary. Knowing baseline antibody levels helps when comparing antibody levels in the future if your horse displays clinical signs of disease.

Gastroscopy to monitor the presence of gastrointestinal ulcers
- Ulcers may present as lameness or unpredictable behavior. The horse may be biting at their sides, grinding their teeth, losing weight, or they could act and look completely normal.

Please discuss these diagnostics with your regular Veterinarian. If you're currently working with your regular vet to diagnose existing conditions, please continue to work with them. Involving multiple practitioners may make diagnosing the primary problem more difficult, and my goal is to work alongside your regular vet to keep your horse healthy. My prices for lab work may differ from your regular vet. If their testing is more expensive, it reflects the higher overhead cost of their business.

IF THE TREATMENTS AREN'T WORKING:

Horses with chronic underlying problems may benefit from more frequent treatments. If finances are a concern, I may be able to offer discounted pricing to make this possible.

In my experience working with horses, if chiropractic adjustments or acupuncture treatments aren't holding, or if your horse seems worse after treatments, there's likely an underlying primary medical problem, chronic musculoskeletal asymmetry or imbalance within the body making them prone to subluxations and deficiencies. Below is a list of pathologies my patients have had in the past which caused dysfunction. Although I'm happy to provide information about these diseases, please discuss diagnosing the problem with your regular vet:

- Hoof imbalance
- Gastrointestinal Ulcers
- Dental disease
- Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID/Cushing's)
- Metabolic imbalances
- Osteoarthritis or other musculoskeletal dysfunction- Lyme Disease (Borreliosis)
- Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (Sarcocystic neurona/Neospora spp.)
- Respiratory disease such as laryngeal hemiplegia
- Reproductive or Urinary problems (Sometimes their ovaries hurt! Ovariectomy may be an option.)
- Unfortunately, there are many possibilities

AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO YOUR HORSE'S HEALTH:

There are many ways to keep your horse healthy. In addition to Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and Laser Therapy here are some options that integrate well with regular veterinary care:

MASSAGE:
- Massage promotes blood-flow and muscle health as well as breaks down adhesions and prevents restriction of fascia which holds muscles together.
- Equine Bodywork and Sports Therapy: Kerri Gaffney LVT, Certified in Equine Rehabilitation, http://equine-bodyworks-and-sports-therapy.abmp.com/home, (585) 645-9093
- Balanced Strides Equine Bodywork: Kristy Taccone LVT, ESMT, [email protected]
- Forelegs Forward: Michelle White CTMT, http://forelegsforward.com/, (585)721-0206

PEMF (Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Field Therapy)
- PEMF provides non-invasive pain relief associated with muscle soreness or arthritis, increased blood flow, promotes healing, and supports overall wellness and relaxation.
- AV Pulseworks: Allison Vidro, Certified Equine Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy Practitioner (585) 880-1915

HOOF CARE:
- There are many Farriers in the area with varying expertise and training. Your regular vet may have recommendations on who can help with corrective shoeing, trimming, or if boots are in order.

If you have a practitioner you love, please let me know who they are and how they've helped your horse so I can let others know!

If you ever have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. My New Year's Resolution is to be better at responding to messages, but if for some reason you don't hear back from me, don't hesitate to blow-up my phone with messages. Texting is best, but email and phone work too.

Yours Truly,
Dr. Kate Huggler DVM, CVA,
Certified in animal chiropractic through the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association

06/04/2022

31/03/2020

www.onpointveterinary.com
This is the third in a series of videos on how to make observations about your pet. As we practice social distancing, this is increasingly important when deciding whether or not our companion animals need a veterinary visit. This is a video describing how to observe your pets nose in order to detect early signs of a problem. Enjoy!

30/03/2020

Observing your pet: Take a look at their eyes!