Paton and Martin Veterinary Services

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween🎃👻💀

10/29/2025

We are so happy that Dusti is feeling better and back at home! After all, she has a very important job at the Richmond Therapeutic Riding Association and her people have missed her. Therapeutic horses are truly special❤️

“Doctors help heal the body but horses help heal the soul”

10/28/2025

Cautionary post on the dangers of bale net wrap and preventive measures that can be taken.

Bale net wrap does a great job of preserving feed quality, but if your horse happens to eat remnants of the plastic wrap, it can cause some serious health issues.

Dr. Alannah Friedlund, a veterinarian and large animal surgical resident at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), is seeing a growing number of horses that have ingested net wrap, and as a result, have developed colic.

“This net wrap makes it all the way to the small colon, which is the very last stop before the rectum,” says Friedlund. “This is where it seems to get caught in every single case.”

In the small colon, Friedlund says the net wrap gets twisted around f***l balls, forming a “rosary-style chain” that the horse can’t excrete. These horses present with typical colic symptoms but treating with fluids and pain medication rarely work.

Instead, these cases require costly colic surgery with a 50-50 recovery rate.

Friedlund says awareness is critical for avoiding this serious issue, and she recommends following five safe feeding practices.

1. Remove all net wrap from hay bales before feeding
2. Consider alternative feeding methods to make it easier to identify and remove potential hazards
3. Always remove net wrap before processing bales into chopped hay
4. Regularly check fields and paddocks for net wrap debris
5. Call your veterinarian if your horse shows any signs of colic

For more details, read the full article in the Fall 2025 issue of the Horse Health Lines, newsletter for the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund. https://ow.ly/OkiC50Xc4PM

📷 https://ow.ly/P48h50Xc5QN

10/27/2025

Thanks so much for the kind words!

We appreciate the hard work and time that goes into putting on a show and the value that clubs and organizations bring to our local equine community.

10/25/2025

Dr. Sarah Graham and Dr. Natacha Bonomelli are attending the 2025 ACVS (American College of Veterinary Surgeons) Summit this weekend in Seattle.

The ACVS is dedicated to advancing veterinary surgery through cutting-edge research and education, ultimately enhancing patient care.

Just a few of the topics covered:

Equine Regenerative Medicine Therapies Used in Veterinary Surgery and Sports Medicine

At the Intersection of Surgery and Regenerative Medicine: The Quest for Optimizing Musculoskeletal Sport Horse Injuries Through Biological Approaches

Orthopedic and Spinal Surgery

Equine Emergency Surgery Involving Thoracic and Abdominal Body Walls

The Summit is an incredible opportunity for surgeons to connect with each other, learn new ways of managing difficult cases and explore cutting edge (no pun intended!) technologies and practices.

10/24/2025

Part of the dental examination on horses may include removing excess calculus (tartar buildup) from the canine teeth. Left untreated, this buildup can lead to gingivitis, irritation and bleeding from the gums and in severe cases to tooth decay / loss.

10/21/2025

Tiny Truffles has pretty much won all of our hearts here at Paton and Martin❤️

10/13/2025

October 12 - 18 is recognized as National Vet Tech Week and we want to send a huge shout out to our own incredible staff. In our opinion, they are the best!

Whether in the truck or in the hospital, they make our veterinarians’ jobs easier, better, faster, (and remember the little things that a busy vet may forget).

Each one of you makes a difference every single day and we appreciate you so much!!

10/10/2025

Our office will be closed on Monday October 13 for Thanksgiving. If you have an emergency during this time, please call 604-856-3351 and our on-call veterinarian will be able to assist you. We will be open on Saturday from 9:00 - 3:00.

Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!