Lionheart Equine Veterinary Clinic

10/23/2026

☣️We just received news of another 2 facilities affected by suspected Strangles in the South Cariboo. For the love of all that is holy… if a horse has suspicious clinical signs…. PUHLEASE do not transport it to another facility. 🚩🚩🚩

⏰Initiate voluntary quarantine
📞Contact an equine vet
🔬Get them tested
💁‍♀️Do not exit quarantine until your herd has been tested and is confirmed to be free of subclinical carriers

If you suspect Strangles, please work with your veterinary team for the safety and health of your horse community.

Failure to treat subclinical carriers will allow Strangles outbreaks to continue to recur in our community. We implore anyone with affected horses to please reach out so we can get this disease under control.

Sincerely, a very worn out horse vet. 😮‍💨

Ps. The new cases are not associated with the initial two affected farms - they are following the recommended quarantine and testing protocol.

10/21/2026

🔬Now available to the Cariboo! In clinic PCR testing for 4 common equine respiratory pathogens - from nasal swab to results in 1 HOUR ⏱️ If you take your horse to an event - you are putting them at risk for respiratory disease. Know the risks to the attending horses and their herd mates when they return home - if you know the risk, you can mitigate it with proper preparation and protocols!

We just saw this new diagnostic equipment bring rapid confirmation and peace of mind to both veterinarian and client today. A diagnosis gives us valuable information on how to guide treatment, provide a prognosis, and implement the most appropriate biosecurity program.

After managing the recent Strangles outbreak in the Cariboo it has become clear how essential it is to have rapid diagnostic testing at our disposal - so we have made provisions!

Questions about these diseases?
☣️Strangles
🦠Equine Influenza Virus
🧫Equine Herpesvirus Type I and IV

Contact us or drop a comment below! 🩺

10/01/2026

⭐️Lionheart Equine is proudly offering one horse/rider slot at the upcoming super clinic hosted by Carleigh Jensan Horsemanship in conjunction with Silverado Horses (Sabrina Fedorak) for HALF PRICE! Our loss is your gain - as Dr. Maia won’t be able to attend we’ve decided to offer to pay for half the clinic fee so that another rider may have an opportunity that is otherwise outside their budget. The clinic is 4 days long (Oct 9-12) and includes reining, working cowhorse, flag, bison work, trail work and obstacles. No prior experience in these areas necessary, but we guarantee you will be appropriately challenged no matter your skill level! This is an incredible clinic and one that we look forward to all year. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in this clinic slot! Carleigh Jensan Silverado Horses

09/20/2026

🩺South Cariboo - Equine events may continue as scheduled - we recommend all participants follow strict personal biosecurity and temperature monitoring prior to, during, and after returning from events.

09/12/2026

09/07/2026

We had a stellar week out of the office! ❤️ Family, friends, and oh so many core childhood memories for Peyton! 🥹❤️🌲🏕️🎣 The doc is back in town if you need a hand! 🩺

08/30/2026

Our office is open but Dr. Maia is not available for emergency calls September 1st to 5th. She will be intermittently available by phone but service is very limited and she will not be monitoring her phone. Please be prepared to arrange transport for your horse should an emergency develop as many veterinarians are haul-in only after hours. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact our office at (250)706-3341. Thank you for your understanding! 🐴🩺

08/23/2026

The team is having a blast at the Amanda Self clinic this weekend at Interlakes! Tonks has got her big girl shoes on (thanks to John McCormick ) and we are putting in the time! 🐴🌲❤️‍🔥

08/12/2026

I think everyone was delighted and more than a little surprised that we were able to “walk” this wound closed! A combination of debridement, initial tacking sutures, NSAIDs and a high tension suture pattern got this big guy closed up. We followed with a moderate pressure bandage to support the closure and reduce the tension from localized edema and swelling. Hopefully within a few weeks this horse will be back on the trails! 🩺🏕️