Compassionate Care
Discover Heart Horse Mobile Veterinary Services
We are dedicated to exceptional veterinary care and fostering strong partnerships
Heart Horse Mobile Veterinary Services strives to provide exceptional and compassionate care to all of its patients. Our mission is to engage and educate clients in their animal’s health so that we can form the strongest partnership that best serves our patients.
Our Veterinary Services
At Heart Horse, we offer a wide range of services to our equine, small ruminant (sheep, goats), camelid (alpacas, llamas) and porcine friends.
Preventive Care
Our goal in providing high quality preventative medicine is to reduce the risk of unexpected health problems down the road. And, in the event you do have an emergency, we will have a better understanding of your individual animal’s history, current medications, and underlying medical problems that may alter our treatment plan.
Physical exam
A thorough physical exam is performed both when we’re performing routine vaccinations and when we’re evaluating for a specific illness. An annual or bi-annual evaluation allows us to catch changes early.
Vaccinations
Our patients have a unique lifestyle that leaves them susceptible to various diseases. These include:
- Horses- Rabies, tetanus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis, Strangles, and Botulism
- Sheep, goats, and camelids- rabies, tetanus, and clostridial diseases
- Pigs- rabies, tetanus, Pasteurella, Bordetella, and Erysipelas
Parasite management
Across our species, there is an increasing concern for parasite resistance to the dewormers that we have available. For this reason, we strongly recommend that fecal egg counts be performed at least once yearly. We can even run them on the farm! We can then work together to develop a parasite management plan tailored to your animals.
Other
- Microchips
- Health certificates
- Routine laboratory testing
- Coggins testing through Global Vet Link (horses)
- Sheath cleaning (horses)
- Hoof trims (goats, sheep, camelids, and pigs)
- Tusk trims (pigs)
Dentistry
- Routine oral exam and dental float
- Wolf teeth extraction
- Incisor extraction in cases of EOTRH
- Digital radiography
Performance
As riders ourselves, we understand how frustrating a lameness can be! Our comprehensive evaluation includes both traditional and alternative therapies to ensure that your horse is back to feeling its best:
- Thorough lameness exam, including flexions and nerve blocks as necessary
- Digital radiography
- Ultrasonography
- Regenerative therapy (PRP)
- Joint injections
- Pre-purchase examination
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic adjustment
Reproduction
Breeding, pregnancy, and delivery can be very stressful and our goal is to work together to deliver a healthy baby into the world! Our reproductive services include:
- Artificial insemination with shipped semen (horses)
- Breeding soundness exams, including transrectal ultrasound, uterine culture and biopsy (mares only)
- Ultrasonography for pregnancy evaluation
- Assistance with delivery (dystocia management)
Minor Surgery
We understand that surgery can be a scary topic! At Heart Horse, we try to minimize concerns by practicing at the highest level of medicine available to us in the field. We want our clients to feel prepared for the surgery itself as well as the post-operative care that will be required. Current surgeries available to patients include:
- Castration
- Laceration repair
- Enucleation (removal of the eye)
- Mass removal
Meet Our Team
Dr. Cathy Mittenson
Cathy Mittenson is a graduate of NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, where she cultivated a passion for large animal medicine. She grew up riding horses, but discovered the joys and challenges of small ruminants and pigs while in vet school. She most enjoys developing relationships with clients to provide the best team for the patient.
Cathy is also a certified veterinary acupuncturist and chiropractor, allowing her to blend traditional medicine with alternative therapies to provide the most complete care for her patients.
In her spare time, she enjoys riding her horses, Turbo and Dale, trying new recipes, and hiking with the pups. She and her husband, David, also share their home with a growing number of well loved critters including three cats (Earl, Noodle, and Bert), two dogs (Rigatoni and Meatball), one donkey (Louie), two goats (Cheyenne and Ethel) and a flock of chickens!
Dr. Bonnie Swift
Dr. Bonnie Swift has been passionate about horses for her entire life. She grew up actively involved in the United States Pony Clubs and went on to earn her veterinary degree from North Carolina State University. Since then, she has been dedicated to practicing equine and large animal medicine in the Raleigh area.
Dr. Swift has a special interest in equine sports medicine, preventative care, dentistry, internal medicine, ophthalmology, and reproduction. Outside of work, her two favorite activities are running and horseback riding. She and her husband, Ray, recently welcomed a baby girl named Molly into their family. Molly joins their beloved furry family of two horses, a dog, and two cats.You will likely run into Dr. Bonnie with one (or both) of her OTTB geldings at horse trials in Southern Pines.
Meatball
Canine Vehicular Specialist
Jess
Canine Vehicular Specialist
24/7 Emergency care for active clients
Please call our main line and follow the prompts to reach the on-call veterinarian
