The Atlanta Equine Clinic

October 11, 9:06 PMAtlanta Pet Services ExaminerBeate Spear

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Healthy Foal

There are many equine veterinarians around the Metro Atlanta area, but none that compare, in quality of specialized care and information, to that of The Atlanta Equine Clinic in Alpharetta Georgia.

Founded by Dr Bob Grisel, the clinic is a great resource for horse health information and products.
The Atlanta Equine Clinic is a specialized veterinary service; their practice is limited to the following cases:

• Prepurchase Evaluations
• Lameness
• Medicine
• Surgery
• Emergencies in the Hospital

Their website offers a wealth of information on these issues in horses. They provide answers to common questions on their website. AEC also provides a great online patient education library. And if you can not find the answers in their online resources, they offer online consultations through their website.

Perhaps my favorite feature of the Atlanta Equine Clinic is the newsletter they send out quarterly.

The newsletters offer invaluable information and insight into equine health; as well as highlighting upcoming equine events and hosting classifieds for other local equine lovers.

The Atlanta Equine Clinic also has wonderful product offerings.

This quarter in response to increased reporting of infectious dermatitis they have come up with a treatment kit! Here is a synopsis from their newsletter:

Therapeutic options for infectious dermatitis in the horse include:
 

1) Topical treatment. Shampoo, ointment, spray. In our opinion, the VET's COMPLETE topical products are superior and are prescription only.
 

2) Systemic treatment in the form of antifungal and/or antibiotic therapy. Griseofulvicin is typically recommended as the antifungal medication of choice. In our experience, Doxycycline (a tetracycline derivative) or Trimethoprim Sulfadiazine is the most effective antimicrobial medications for bacterial dermatitis.
 

3) Immunostimulant therapy. Medications designed to boost the immune system can help horses to "fight off" skin agents. We use a product called EqStim, which is a medication administered intravenously in two doses 2 weeks apart. Alternatively or in conjunction with EqStim, we sometimes recommend a product called Equine Immune Plus (Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals), which is administered orally on a daily basis. You can learn more about this product by visiting http://www.omega-alpha-pharmaceuticals.com.
 

4) Adding high fat in the form of oil (corn or soybean) to the feed. Fat usually improves the coat appearance and increases the quantity of oils on the skin surface. The oil may act as a barrier to persistent fungal infection.

5) Change the environment. The drier the environment the better. Fungal dermatitis is much more common in south Florida than in Arizona, for example. Try to find the driest location possible to keep your horse.
 

The AEC DERMATITIS TREATMENT KIT includes the following:
 

I TOPICAL TREATMENT:
- 1 bottle of Antifungal Shampoo (16 ounces)
- 1 jar of Antifungal Ointment (4 ounces)*

II SYSTEMIC TREATMENT:
- 1 bottle of Doxycycline tablets (#500 count)

III IMMUNOMODULATING THERAPY:
- 1 bottle of Immune Plus (32 ounces)

The Treatment Kit is packaged in an easy-to-maintain plastic container. Treatment instructions are included under the lid for quick access. You can save 20% if you order a complete AEC Dermatitis Treatment Kit rather than each product individually.

You can order the kit through AEC's pharmacy by calling 678-867-2577 or via email at officemanager@atlantaequine.com. To sign up for the AEC Newsletter just send an email to officemanager@atlantaequine.com.