That's right - we finally have an office!  We are currently in the process of renovating the space and hope to be moved in by mid to late January.  Our new location will be at the Griswold Plaza; 1130 Voluntown Road, Griswold, CT.  All other contact information will remain the same.  We believe that by having an office space (outside of our home!) we will be better able to serve our clients.  Sample drop offs and medication pickup will become much easier.  The office will not be open during all business hours as we will be on the road most days, however in the future we do hope to have it staffed. 

Recently, we were able to acquire a new Bowie box (the insert that goes in the back of our trucks).  So we then needed to find a new truck to put it in!  Luckily we were able to track down this great silver Tacoma which the box fit into nicely.  Watch for our new rig to be coming up your driveway early this spring!

New Technology
 

When we opened in 2011, we needed to cut a few corners in order to do so.  One item we have done without was digital imaging.  For the past 16 months we have dealt with film radiographs (x-rays).  This means we would take the film on the farm, then return to the office and develop them.  No more!  At this years AAEP convention, we invested in a new computed radiography (CR) system.  This technology will allow us to take films and review them right on the farm.  This is not exactly the same as digital radiography (DR), but the end result is the same.  Let me explain:

Film radiographs are just what they sound like - a negative which needs to be chemically activated in order to show an image.  This requires a large processor, a darkroom, and playing with lots of chemicals (not fun!). 

Digital radiography is much simpler.  DR involves a receiving plate which is connected to a computer.  When the x-rays hit the plate, an image is automatically generated on the computer screen.  This generally takes about 15 seconds and the result is a digital image. 

Computed radiography (what we now have) is kind of a cross between the two modalities.  With CR, we take an image in the normal way (hold plate by horse, shoot at it with xrays), and then we still need to "process" the film.  This unit has a specialized plate with "film" that can be exposed to light.  We remove the film, run it through the electronic scanner in our truck (the yellow and black object above) and voila!  A digital image appears on the computer just like with DR.  While it still sounds like more work, it really only add a step or two.  It's pretty great technology, and we're excited to be adding it to our practice.

Have we got plans for 2013!  First off, this spring we will be  introducing microchipping.  A microchip is a great way to permanently identify your horse.  Once placed, your horse's name and chip ID are entered in a national database which can help locate them in case of theft, loss or separation due to a natural disaster.  If you are interested in this service, feel free to contact us for more information.  (As a side note, you can check out our blog on horse ID's which covers several methods of proving ownership of your horse.)

In addition, we made a few purchases at our AAEP convention to help expand our dentistry capabilities and continue to offer more advanced techniques in the field.  Most notably are the diastema burrs which attach to our equipment, thereby allowing us the ability to open spaces between abnormal teeth and decrease feed packing. 

Lastly, and probably biggest of all, is that Dr. Leighton has enrolled in the animal chiropractice course through

All lectures to be held at the AmericInn, 375 Voluntown Road, Griswold, CT 06351 in the upstairs meeting room.  The hotel is located just off exit 85 on I-395. 

 Saturday, Jan. 19th, 2013. 

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm  

Equine Emergencies - Common equine emergencies, including signs, what to do until your vet arrives and how to prevent them.  

Saturday, Feb. 2nd, 2013; 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Equine Metabolic Disorders - A discussion of Cushings Disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome & Insulin Resistance - how to spot them, and how we diagnose and treat these disorders.

Saturday, Feb. 16th, 2013; 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Caring for the Equine Foot - A review of farrier care and hoof balance, as well as a discussion on caring for maladies of the hoof.  

Check out our Events Page for other events from TPE!