Montana Equine is a private veterinary referral hospital and practice that is dedicated to the highest quality diagnostic and therapeutic care of horses throughout Montana and beyond.
It is our primary goal to provide humane and respectful care to the horses entrusted to us, along with professional guidance, communication and compassion to the client/owner.
Doctors / Staff
Internal Medicine
Surgery
Lameness
Facility Tour
Dr. Peter Heidmann grew up with working draft horses and learned to ride and drive from old time Yankee farmers. During veterinary school, he trained under specialist doctors in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. He completed an internship at Arizona Equine in Gilbert, Ariz. and a fellowship in medicine and surgery at Oregon State University. Following a three-year residency in equine internal medicine at UC Davis, Dr. Heidmann obtained board-certification in Internal Medicine, with special emphasis on neonatology, immunology and respiratory disease. In addition to his core internal medicine interests, Dr. Heidmann's practice also includes specialist lameness and performance evaluations, and advanced dentistry. Dr. Heidmann accepts referrals from veterinarians statewide, as well as from surrounding states, and also offers consultations to veterinarians throughout our region. Dr. Heidmann is the owner and hospital director of Montana Equine. During his days off, he enjoys his time outdoors. (E-mail - pheidmann@montanaequine.com)
Dr. Keith M. Latson, DVM, is a 2001 graduate of Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine. After a one-year post-graduate internship at the highly regarded Littleton Large Animal Clinic in Colorado, Dr. Latson completed a three-year Equine Surgery Residency at the University of California, Davis. Having worked as a veterinary assistant at Thoroughbred racetracks in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Kentucky for 10 years prior to entering veterinary school, Dr. Latson joined a Thoroughbred-specific practice based at Santa Anita Racecourse and Hollywood Park in southern California following residency training; there, his surgical focus included orthopaedics, including fracture fixation and arthroscopy, and upper airway surgery for breathing problems. Dr. Latson is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS), having passed the rigorous surgical specialty examination in 2006. (E-mail - klatson@montanaequine.com)
Dr. Al Flint is a Montana native who was born and raised in northwest Montana. He graduated from Colorado State University in 2007 and has a Masters in Reproductive Physiology and a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology. Dr. Flint is formally certified in Veterinary Acupuncture; his other professional interests include equine podiatry, advanced reproductive care, lameness and preventative medicine. When not at work, Dr. Flint enjoys Montana's backcountry and woodworking. (E-mail - aflint@montanaequine.com)
Internal Medicine is a distinct branch of specialty veterinary care encompassing infectious disease and disease prevention, neurology, neonatal and geriatric medicine, as well as respiratory, ophthalmic and cardiac disease. In other words, Internal Medicine encompasses not just the internal organs, but also many "odd and obscure" conditions. Although most equine veterinarians practice some internal medicine each day, specialization in this discipline can allow a better in-depth assessment of many diseases or processes. Montana Equine is proud to provide true internal medicine specialty services, quite exceptional in our region. For example, we are well-equipped to routinely perform the following procedures, among others:
High-detail Video Endoscopy
- Upper/Lower Respiratory Exams
- Gastric Endoscopy (stomach)
High-detail Digital Ultrasound
- Full Abdominal Exams
- Cardiac Ultrasound (Echocardiology)
- Liver and Kidney Exams (Incl. ultrasound-guided biopsies)
- Tendon, Ligament and Joint Exams
Neonatal Intensive Care
- High-detail Ultrasound
- Continuous rate Infusions
- Immune Therapies
Neurologic Exams
- Spinal Fluid Sampling
- Myelograms
Ophthalmology (eyes), Dermatology (skin), Endocrinology
Respiratory Exams
- Thoracic Ultrasound
- Trans-tracheal wash
- Broncho-Alveolar Lavage
Oncology (Cancer Care)
- Skin Tumors
- Internal Cancer Detection
- Advanced diagnostics
- Chemotherapy and Immune-Modulation Treatments
Dental Exams
- Routine Dental Care
- Point, Hook, Step and Wave reductions
- Gentle Geriatric Dentistry
- Periodontal Therapy
- Dental Radiography
- Standing Extractions
We work hard to provide a broad range of modalities to minimize disease and maximize health. We're proud to provide advanced, progressive equine medicine to you and your horse. In addition to offering in-depth, thorough internal medicine examinations, our team stands ready 24/7 to help in the full range of emergency medical situations. Please call 406-388-8323 to reach us during emergencies, any time of day or night. During regular business hours, we are also available for questions and consultations at 406-285-0123.
Our expanded surgery services include a new surgical suite and observation room and two padded anesthesia induction/recovery stalls. Each case is handled by the surgical team, including the chief surgeon, surgical assistant and technical support staff.
We offer a broad range of surgical services and utilize the most current surgical and postoperative care techniques to best protect your horses' health. In addition to offering the full range of elective soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries, our team stands ready 24/7 to help in emergency situations. Please call 406-285-0123 to reach us during emergencies, any time of day or night. During regular business hours, we are also available for questions and consultations at 406-285-0123.
All surgeries at Montana Equine are performed under advanced anesthetic care. In addition to supporting ventilation and blood pressure, surgery patients are carefully monitored to minimize risk. Analysis of patient blood-gasses is routinely performed during anesthesia, helping our doctors better monitor your horses' metabolism, and therefore improving patient outcomes. Digital radiographs can be viewed in the surgical suite to guide treatment during orthopedic surgery. Minimally-invasive surgeries, such as standing laparoscopic ovariectomy, are also performed by our team. Following surgery, each horse is assisted by at least two people during the recovery process. And beyond the standard supported-recovery from general anesthesia, a sling apparatus is also available to assist recovery during orthopedic and other severe cases.
A general list of our surgical capabilities follows, but please call us to discuss your specific needs.
Outpatient Services
- Lameness diagnosis and treatment
- Poor performance evaluations
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Ultrasonography
- Digital Radiography
- Gastroscopy
- Videoendoscopy
- Pre-purchase examinations
- Stem Cell Therapy
- IRAP Therapy
Surgical Services
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Internal Fixation of Fractures
- Arthroscopy
- Orthopedic Infections
- Angular Limb Deformities in foals
- Pastern Arthrodesis (joint fusion)
- Hock Arthrodesis
- Upper Airway Surgery
- Endoscopic Laser Surgery
- Laryngoplasty (Tie-back surgery)
- General Surgery
- Colic Surgery
- Mass/Tumor Removal
- Neurectomy
At Montana Equine, we focus much of our time on lameness diagnosis and treatment. All of our doctors are well-versed in the details of advanced lameness diagnosis and treatment. Lameness can result from any number of sources, including not just joint disease, but also conformational abnormalities, inflammation in tendons (tendonitis) and ligaments (desmitis), bone injuries, muscle pain and developmental bone abnormalities (OCD). We always recommend a detailed, methodical approach to effectively localize the exact source of your horse's lameness. Brief exams may also be indicated under certain circumstances and are always offered upon request.
As part of the complete lameness exam, the veterinarians at Montana Equine will take a detailed medical and athletic history of your horse and will perform a thorough visual appraisal of the horse at rest. We will examine your horse for conformational abnormalities, palpate all pertinent musculoskeletal structures for pain, heat or swelling, and evaluate the gait under varying conditions and after joint flexion tests. This evaluation process directs the diagnostic tests we choose to perform, which may include nerve blocks (to regionalize the source of lameness) or ultrasound and radiographs, which help identify the specific causes of lameness.
Lameness cannot be effectively treated without a specific diagnosis. While some sources of lameness, such as foot abscesses and hock arthritis (spavin), are common and more easily diagnosed, lameness resulting from soft tissue injuries can be subtle and manifest as poor performance or reluctance to perform specific movements.
Our specialist veterinarians' all have advanced training in diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and disease. Their thorough approach informed by the most recent research and utilizing the most current techniques to help formulate a plan for returning your horse to its intended use and performance level.
