Surgical Services for Horses
Our surgeon offers a range of equine surgery in Sturgis. This includes cesarean, dental, ocular, orthopedic, soft tissue, and reproductive surgery.
Most large animal surgeries are easier to perform on standing, awake patients and are typically to repair lacerations and injuries sustained through trauma.
Equine surgery is often best while the patient is standing to limit the risk of anesthesia complications.
Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon Specializing in Equine Surgery
Our equine surgeon, Dr. Jason Mez, and our team are specially trained to handle the complicated needs of equine surgery. You can trust that we will do everything we can to make the process safe and comfortable for your horse.
Equine Surgical Procedures in Sturgis
Our horse surgeon provides medical and emergency surgeries to help treat diseases or to repair injuries sustained through trauma. These include elective and non-elective surgeries, which are recommended based on what our vets believe to be in the patient's best interest.
Our Sturgis vets routinely perform the following elective and non-elective surgeries:
- Soft Tissue Surgery
Soft tissue surgery includes surgery of the abdomen, urogenital tract, respiratory tract, mouth, and skin.
Colic and respiratory operations are the most common soft tissue surgeries that we perform. Our vets can assess your horse's condition and offer surgical solutions if it is in the best interest of your horse.
Our equine vet is available during our clinic hours to carry out corrective colic surgery and intensive post-operative care which is vital for survival.
- Reproductive Surgery
Mares: Caesarean section and other reproductive surgical emergencies are available along with the removal of endometrial cysts. Urogenital surgery, including Caslick's operation and other perineal surgery, ovariectomy, removal of granulosa cell tumors, ovarian hematoma, abscess or cysts, repair of uterine torsion, correction of foaling injuries, and removal of bladder stones.
Colts/Stallions: We perform castration and correction of inguinal hernias. We also offer urogenital surgery, including cryptorchid surgery (removal of retained testicle), removal of penile or testicle tumors, amputation of penis, and removal of bladder stones.
- Dental Surgery
A range of dental procedures for horses, most commonly "floating," which is the manual filing down of horse's teeth to prevent overgrowth.
- Ocular Surgery
Eye surgery may be recommended for your horse when necessary, such as with some cases involving corneal ulcer or laceration.
- Orthopedic Surgery
Surgeries used to treat lameness in horses, including injury or disease of the joints, hooves, or tendons.
- Wound Repair
Wounds occur when living tissue has been cut, broken, burnt, torn, or otherwise damaged.
These wounds must be cleaned, disinfected, and appropriately cared for by a qualified veterinarian as soon as possible.
The Surgery Process
We understand that the prospect of equine surgery can be frightening. We always keep you fully informed about why we are recommending a surgical procedure, the length of recovery, and any post-operative care your horse will need at home.
Standing vs. Traditional Surgery
Most large animal surgeries are performed on standing, awake patients, typically to repair traumatic injuries, such as lacerations. Other common procedures are castration, reproductive surgery, endoscopic surgery of the upper respiratory tract, and minor leg procedures.
Recovery from general anesthesia is the single largest risk for horses post-op, and standing surgery avoids most of those risks. It is in the patient’s best interest to use a standing procedure whenever possible.
There are certain cases where standing surgery simply cannot be performed, such as colic surgery. Our veterinary team has extensive experience with equine surgery and will do everything they can to reduce risks.