A Visit from the Doc (or vet in this case)

All animals big and small, domesticated, get visits from the doc. On this particular day, it was a check-up day for several of the horses who were owned by a certain boarder, so I took the opportunity to take some shots! Not only that, but i personally know the vet and was nearly employed by him at one point, but i never got that call back, but oh well! Dr. Randolph is a great guy.

The truck of tricks of the trade. Complete with trailer full of even more stuff that every equine vet could possibly need. and in the front seat? Dr. Randolph's months-old Staffordshire Terrier puppy (aka, Pitbull)

This is Derby, sitting in her daddy's seat and staring at the barn with such sad eyes, as she was told to 'stay', and so she is...for now. For a dog that's less than a full year old, this is exceptional obedience! gotta say

This is 'B Bar'. It's not his full name (which i heard once and thought was way cool, but can't remember it now, darn...), and he's a newer boarder. A real sweetheart, but a little lackadaisical, but fully trained and being about 16-years-old is well experienced. So this is certainly not his first vet visit, although it is the first visit from the vet since being boarded at Creekside.  

Part of any visit is to look over the horse, as Dr. Randolph is doing. Tina (my boss) is of course on stand-by to help as necessary, and to hold onto B.B. if he gets fidgety. 

A good look-over means looking at all the places any doc would look, in this photo Doc is checking B.B.'s eyes to insure they behave naturally. Like anyone likes to have a light flashed into their eye...

Vets also act as dentists, so they are well versed in many different skills when it comes to horse care.  Like any dentist, the vet checks the teeth, the gums, makes sure things look good, etc. 

Dr. Randolph is inspected a suspicious bump on the side of B.B.'s cheek in this photo and discussing it. For the record, it's not a serious bump, but something we'll be keeping an eye on.

important to a check-up, like any human, is a cleaning every few months of the teeth. Only with horses, it's not so much a cleaning as it is a filing down. And to get into a horse's mouth, the horse must be sedated, which is why B.B.'s head is hanging. Once sedated, a special head-piece is put on the works into a horse's mouth to force it open and keeps it from closing. Much like the device orthodontists use when applying braces to a patient's teeth.

here is a better view of the device holding B.B.'s mouth open. (as Tina adjusts the halter beneath)

To file down the teeth. Dr. Randolph, basically, puts a filing tool on the end of a power drill, inserts it into the teeth, and begins to grind down. Horses' teeth are far different than humans', so don't get freaked out thinking this is normal, it is, for horses anyway. 

Despite being sedated, having a strange buzzing device in your mouth is going to be alarming, such is why B.B. has his head lifted and his butt into the wall (because he kept backing up) can't really blame him though.

Dr. Randolph checks the teeth to see if he needs to file down anything and to make sure all is well.

B.B.'s tongue can be seen to the side of his mouth in this shot, as Dr. Randolph checks over the teeth. The head-piece is essential for these types of things, because how else would you be able to stick your hand that long in a horse's mouth?

So, i was cleaning buckets, opened the door on the far end of the barn, and who comes around the corner? Derby! guess she got tired of being left alone and went looking for her daddy, so i let her in. and what does she do? But goes crazy running around, but i suppose i shouldn't expect much less from a puppy!

She is a cutie, and this is perhaps one of the clearest photos i got of Derby, considering she kept moving and running, and biting my legs and boots to get me to play with her. And boy can she jump! she knocked the hat i was wearing off my head!

Winston is an interesting horse, in that he actually likes dogs a lot. Here Tina is trying to get Derby to settle for a moment so Winston can greet her, considering she kept dashing past every time Winston tried to get a good sniff of her. Interaction between two of my favorite animals is always something that makes me smile a lot.

This shot was taken as we were laughing at Derby, as she tried to eat my leg. I have only myself to blame, as i was playing with her and encouraging the play. Unfortunatly, terriers by nature are somewhat 'nipping' kind of dogs.

B.B. is hanging his head sedatedly out of his stall, as Derby explores around. B.B. stayed in his stall until the sedative wore off, and then he was turned back out. It probably took another half an hour or more for it to fully wear off, and then he was messing up the stall i had just cleaned for him! gah!

Winston has been sedated and is getting the head-piece on now. 

a different view of the teeth filing. The drill is soaked in a special solution before being used in the mouth. I'm not entirely sure what the solution was, but i assume it's meant to clean the file before being used on the horse's teeth.

in the end, all is good. Winston is a good boy, and though disturbed by the odd buzzing instrument grinding over his teeth, was a good fella.