Since 1966, our practice has been serving horses and farm animals as well as small animals. Our veterinarians have extensive experience in equine medicine and herd health for cattle, sheep/goats and alpacas/llamas. Browse this section or Contact us at: Animal Medical Services Mount Airy, NC (336) 786-9444 or Galax Veterinary Clinic Galax, Virginia (276) 236-4212
In an effort to provide our patients with cutting-edge veterinary medical care, we are excited to offer this alternative therapy. We had to see it to believe it too, but now we are convinced. Laser therapy really works. See our Laser Therapy Page for additional information.
Contact us about our herd health services.
Pain management affects large animals as well. Pain increases stress, which can delay healing and result in poor weight gains.
Cases that benefit from pain management:
We would be pleased to discuss the options available to you and your pet under any of the above circumstances.
On a regular basis we see the benefit of routine vaccination: deadly cases of Parvovirus that could have been prevented, pets who are in quarantine due to expired Rabies vaccine, even cases of Tetanus in large animals. Your pet faces enough threats to his or her health. Preventing the disease through vaccination makes humane and monetary sense. We will assess the risk your pet faces for each disease and will only recommend the vaccines we believe are appropriate.
Purchasing your vaccines from feed stores and catalogs is risky. Vaccine handling is essential to it’s effectiveness. With a store or catalog bought vaccine you have no certainty of proper storage prior to your purchase. Our vaccines come directly from the manufacturer to us, shipped on ice. We apply strict quality control. Our manufacturers stand behind their vaccines. With store bought vaccines, if your pet contracts the disease they were vaccinated for you have little recourse. Furthermore, vaccines are not benign. They can be at least ineffective if not given properly or can even be harmful to your animal. The small cost savings you may receive from purchasing and administering your own vaccines will not be realized if you have one case of disease breakthrough or complication like a vaccine reaction or abscess.
Please contact us if you have questions about your pet’s vaccines.
When choosing us for your pet’s medications, you will receive a quality product and same-day convenience. If you have any problems you can be assured that we address the situation, something not always true when purchasing from a local or online pharmacy or from a feed store. Our large array of medications are competitively priced as well.
In our hospital pharmacy we carry:
Coming soon: Our own online pharmacy with home delivery – exactly the right medication with the same high quality of our in house pharmacy but with the added convenience of home delivery
If you choose to purchase from a different pharmacy, be sure to do your research. Be aware that not all local pharmacies are familiar with animal medications and quality control has been a problem at some online pharmacies/feed stores. See these links for a more detailed discussion:
https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/online-pharmacies.aspx
http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/animalhealthliteracy/ucm203000.htm
An annual diagnostic and wellness checkup can help reassure you that your horse is healthy or help us detect hidden diseases or conditions early. Early detection can improve the prognosis of many diseases, keep medical costs down, and help your pet live longer. Horses often hide the signs that something is wrong, so subtle changes in their health or behavior might be easy to overlook. And, depending on the disease, some pets don’t show any symptoms.
During your horse’s wellness exam, we will perform a physical assessment, checking them from nose to tail. We will also make sure your pet receives appropriate vaccinations and preventives. We will perform a diagnostic workup, which may include blood, fecal, and urine tests to check for parasites and underlying diseases. We may also recommend that your equine companion receive dental care. As horses age, the risks of arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hormone disorders, and kidney and liver problems all increase. When your pet is nearing his or her senior years, we will recommend a baseline exam and diagnostic workup so we’ll know what’s normal for your pet. This will enable us to keep track of any changes.
Because you spend the most time with your equine companion, you are your horse’s expert, as well as his or her greatest advocate. Please let us know if you’ve noticed any physical or behavioral changes in your pet, as well as any other concerns you might have.
Call us today to schedule your pet’s exam! If you have any questions, we would be happy to discuss our adult wellness program in more detail.
Our in-hospital blood testing equipment can give us results in 8 minutes and allows us to determine organ function, blood sugar, protein and electrolyte levels. The IDEXX Catalyst we use is considered “state of the art” for in hospital veterianry lab equipment. By having the blood test information so rapidly, we can proceed with diagnosis and treatment of your pet’s condition and get them well on their way to healing.
Utilization of these blood machines also makes preventative screening more efficient, as we can have the results of routine testing ready to discuss while you are still in the exam room or the same day for farm calls.
Affiliate Referring Practice to:
Our experienced team of veterinarians and veterinary technicians provides many services at our clinic, ranging from routine to advanced procedures. Although we handle the majority of your pet’s medical and surgical needs in-house, we occasionally refer patients to veterinary specialists or specialty clinics when advanced training or equipment will be beneficial.
Board-certified specialists, such as oncologists, ophthalmologists, and neurologists, have extensive experience and training in a particular area of veterinary medicine or surgery. Specialty clinics and university-affiliated referral centers have specialized equipment to perform procedures that are not routinely performed by general veterinary practitioners. For our large animal patients, we sometimes recommend referral for sugical procedures we do not feel can be safely performed “in the field”.
We make referral decisions because we want to ensure that our patients receive the highest standard of care and best possible outcome. Be assured that when we refer a patient to another hospital, we continue to stay involved with his or her care, consulting with the treating specialist and often providing any needed follow-up care and rehabilitation.
Our veterinarians are alumni at the closest veterinary colleges. Thanks to our Mount Airy location, we work frequently with Carolina Veterinary Specialists as well. With all our “connections”, if we find referral necessary, we will help you pick the best specialist for your needs.
Has your pet been diagnosed with a condition that you are unfamiliar with? Are you interested in learning more about how a particular drug works? Would you like more information or advice on behavior, nutrition, or administering medications? We are always here to discuss these topics and more, but sometimes you may want to investigate or explore on your own, which is why we provide an extensive collection of pet health information.
Considering the wide availability of information on the Internet, it can be difficult to differentiate between what’s trustworthy and what’s not. The Pet Health section of our website contains accurate, current, and reliable information on a wide variety of topics. Feel free to search through our articles, educational programs, tips, and videos, and contact us with any questions you might have.
