North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine has announced an extensive plan to expand endeavors at its satellite equine center in Southern Pines, N.C. The college will significantly enhance the tertiary medical services offered to referring veterinarians for their equine patients.

“Southern Pines is an excellent location for us to expand,” says Warwick A. Arden, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “The Mid Atlantic region is home to a thriving sport horse industry as well as a training location for performance horses from all along the eastern seaboard. In addition, the existing facility here in Southern Pines allows us the room to grow. Thanks to the 83 acres we have here, we can expand our medical services, research, and teaching capabilities to better meet the needs of the equine community, both in North Carolina and across the nation,” he explained.

New name, new services, new web site

Formerly known as the “Veterinary Equine Research Center” (VERC), the Southern Pines campus now will be named “North Carolina State Equine Health Center at Southern Pines” (EHC-SP). In 2005, 52 different veterinary practices used the services offered by the center and Dean Arden expects that number to grow. “The services we offer here combined with the leading-edge clinical programs at our large animal hospital in Raleigh ensure that we continue to provide the best equine care possible. The number of veterinary practices we support through the Southern Pines center has grown steadily over the years, and we have every expectation that trend will continue,” says Arden.

In 2006, services offered at the NC State Equine Health Center at Southern Pines will include:

o Podiatry and rehabilitation services, including assessment of difficult lameness and shoeing problems.

o Expanded ophthalmology services, including diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic treatments for eye disorders, as well as examination for genetic-based eye disease and national registry of horses found to be free of these diseases.

o Diagnostic testing that includes over 90 different tests, with 45 that are conducted in-house such as equine infectious anemia (Coggins) and blood chemistry profiles. Emergency Coggins tests can be performed in less than two hours. Other diagnostic services include video endoscopy for the stomach and upper respiratory system.

o Reproductive services such as infertility treatment, embryo transfer, semen collection and transport, artificial insemination, reproductive emergencies, and reproductive surgery.

In support of the expanded mission of the Equine Health Center at Southern Pines, a new web site was created specifically for the center, www.cvm.ncsu.edu/ehc-sp, The site makes it easier for referring veterinarians and horse owners to learn about the services offered and contact the center.

CEM quarantine site

Currently the Equine Health Center at Southern Pines is the only USDA-certified contagious equine metritis (CEM) quarantine site in North Carolina, and one of only a few certified sites on the East Coast. The center's new web site offers downloadable forms to help facilitate the quarantine process.

Services offered at Raleigh campus

The Equine Health Program at NC State is focused on four areas of excellence: colic and digestive diseases, reproduction, ophthalmology, and sports medicine. The College's Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) in Raleigh offers all the services provided at its Southern Pines campus, plus MRI imaging. The NC State VTH has an MRI unit that is the most powerful in the nation for optimal imaging of horses' limbs and heads.

History of Southern Pines equine center

In 1958, the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association (NCVMA) organized the North Carolina Veterinary Research Foundation and obtained approximately 29 acres of land from Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Moss, Masters of Foxhounds of Moore County. Citizens in the area raised $150,000, which was matched by Mr. Raymond Firestone to establish an equine emergency center on the property to serve the needs of hunter and jumper horses that were brought to the area for training purposes. Later, the Mosses donated additional acreage. When North Carolina's College of Veterinary Medicine was established, the center was turned over to the university to be used as a satellite research center.

The North Carolina State University Equine Health Center is located in Southern Pines, N.C., about 60 miles south of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh. It is within easy access to both I-95 and I-40, and is centrally located along the Atlantic Coast. For more information, visit www.cvm.ncsu.edu/ehc-sp or call (910) 692.8773.

About North Carolina State University's Equine Health Program

Established in 1979, North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine is one of the youngest veterinary colleges in the United States, yet is currently ranked third among the nation's public veterinary programs by U.S. News and World Report. The College's Equine Health Program offers nationally-recognized tertiary equine care in ophthalmology, reproduction, sports medicine, and colic and digestive diseases. The program attracts distinguished equine specialists from around the world to its faculty. In addition to training students and offering continuing education for equine practitioners, the program supports equine veterinarians and their clients by offering advanced equine diagnostics and therapeutic options that may not be available in private practice. For more information, or to make a tax-deductible contribution, call (919) 513-7725 or visit www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/ehp.html.