Veterinary students and clinicians provided no-cost castration services to horse owners who might not otherwise be able to afford it through the Third Annual Equine Gelding Clinic on April 5.

About 25 third-year equine track students, as well as 40 other DVM student volunteers, took time out of their Saturday morning to take the vital signs and medical history of 20 stallions at the recent clinic. With the help of a dozen faculty members and four area veterinarians, the equine students performed anesthesia and castrated the stallions. Veterinary practices in the region referred all of the horse owners to the clinic.

According to Dr. Julie Settlage, clinical assistant professor of large animal surgery and event organizer, the clinic has several goals: to provide a high quality teaching and learning event for future equine veterinarians, to strengthen the relationship between academic veterinarians and referring veterinarians, and to help alleviate the unwanted horse population in the region. While spay and neuter programs for cats and dogs are common throughout the United States, similar programs for horses are rare.

The college partnered with the Unwanted Horse Coalition, a project of the American Horse Council, to offer the clinic. Animal health company Zoetis provided most of the pharmaceuticals needed for the procedures as well.

Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
205 Duck Pond Drive, Virginia Tech (0442), Blacksburg, VA 24061
www.vetmed.vt.edu
540-231-7666
VaMdVetMed@gmail.com