B.W. Furlong & Associates provides first rate veterinary care on the farm for routine and emergency needs. Preventive medicine and routine patient care, including vaccination, deworming, teeth floating, Coggin’s tests, and health certificates, are performed regularly. Pre-purchase examination, lameness evalution, dermatologic evaluation, and ophthalmic evaluation may also be performed on the farm.
Sports medicine is the heart of B.W. Furlong & Associates with Dr. Furlong serving as the US 3 Day Event Team Veterinarian for three Olympic Games. 
To keep horses at peak performance, in-depth evaluations are performed at the clinic or on the farm. At the clinic, lameness exams are facilitated by the use of a controlled surface jog strip and lunging/riding ring. Diagnosis is also facilitated by the use of digital radiography and digital ultrasound. Complex lameness cases may be further evaluated by the use of standing MRI and nuclear scintigraphy. Cutting edge therapies include shockwave therapy, IRAP, stem cell therapy, Tildren and mesotherapy.
Prior to the important investment of purchasing a new horse, a complete pre-purchase examination is recommended. The format can be tailored to your needs, but usually involves a thorough physical examination from head to tail, including an ocular and cardiac exam. The horse is observed for soundness, and digital radiographs are encouraged to establish a baseline of skeletal changes. Reproductive exams, ultrasound exams, and upper airway endoscopy are also among the ancillary procedures available in the clinic.
Internal medicine services are provided on both an in-patient and out-patient basis by a board certified internal medicine specialist. These services include evaluation of horses with complex respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, neurologic and ophthalmic disorders. Evaluation is enhanced by an in-house laboratory, a video gastroscope for evaluation of gastric ulcers, digital radiography with capabilities for imaging an adult horse’s cervical spine and chest, and the use of a digital ultrasound machine with the capability to allow visualization the abdominal organs, lungs and heart of an adult horse. Intensive care with 24 hour monitoring is provided for adults and neonates, and an isolation stall is available for treatment of horses with potentially contagious diseases. Cases are accepted on an appointment and emergency basis.
Digital Radiography is a significant advance in x-ray technology, and B.W. Furlong and Associates is the only equine practice in the Northeast to offer this state-of-the-art diagnostic tool. The images that develop using digital radiography are far more clear, have sharper edges and overall greatly improved quality than conventional x-rays. This makes x-ray evaluation more precise and more accurate than ever before.
Ultrasonography uses the echo from sound waves to create images of internal structures. Each of our veterinarians carries a portable ultrasound to farm calls, and can use this non-invasive tool to examine and evaluate damaged ligaments or tendons. The full-size ultrasound in the clinic has a much greater depth of penetration, and can be used to evaluate most internal organs including the heart, liver and kidneys.
Since its inception in 2004, Equine MRI of NJ has performed over 700 MR studies, making it among the busiest magnets in the world. 
Each study is performed using sedation, eliminating the need for general anesthesia and the risks associated with it. There is no better modality to evaluate the foot (the source of 80% of lameness), and is also a useful tool to evaluate up through the fetlock and cannon bone regions. MR imaging is the gold standard to evaluate bone injuries, soft tissue edema, navicular structures, and certain small ligaments, such as the collateral ligaments of the coffin joint. The superior detail of soft tissues and bone imaged via MR provides superior cross-sectional views of the affected anatomy in multiple planes. All MR studies are reviewed by world-renowned board certified radiologists and are instantly available to veterinarians on-line.
Nuclear Scintigraphy, commonly referred to as a “bone scan”, is a recent and welcomed advance in diagnostic imaging of the performance horse. 
Under light sedation, the horse is injected with a rapidly-decaying radioactive isotope that circulates through the body and attaches to areas in which bones are actively remodeling. A scintillation camera and computer then measure the radiation that has temporarily bonded to limbs or vertebrae, discovering what we know as “hot spots”. The most common use of a bone scan is in those cases in which nerve blocks fail to localize a lameness, or in which lameness is localized but x-ray findings are negative. A bone scan can often find a hot spot in its earliest stages, before a lesion has developed sufficiently to appear on x-ray—and when treatment can be most effective. If your horse has a vague, unresolved lameness or history of poor performance that may be orthopedic in origin, nuclear scintigraphy may be the next step in finding an answer.
Shock wave therapy is a cutting-edge orthopedic treatment modality that has proven highly successful in treating soft tissue structures that are close to bone, such as suspensory ligaments, tendons, and feet. B.W. Furlong & Associates has been in the forefront of developing shock wave therapy in North America, and continues to obtain remarkable results in performance horses.
The “shock wave” is a high positive air pressure wave, in the same way that ultrasound is a sound wave. The shock wave is transmitted through the skin to deeper structures being treated. Both radial and focused shock wave therapy are available; the type of machine used, the energy level and the number of shocks applied depends on the injury. The only preparation required is the application of a topical gel that aids in transmission through the skin, and light sedation of the horse. Our veterinarian chooses the particular application device, or “probe”, to adjust the penetration depth of the shock wave. This wave stimulates new cell growth and improves circulation, which promotes healing. Generally, horses are treated 2-3 times at bi-weekly intervals, and the horses are sedated so lightly that they leave the clinic in a matter of hours. The treatment also results in a temporary analgesic effect (pain relief), which can leave a horsefeeling so good that some confinement may be necessary.
B.W. Furlong and Associates offers a full range of reproductive services including embryo transfer, artificial insemination and stallion collecting/handling. The practice has the facilities and highly experienced staff to train stallions of all sizes and temperaments to the phantom. Semen can be collected for fresh –cooled transport or frozen and stored for future use. Stallions may be left at the stallion station while they are trained, evaluated and collected or can be transported to the clinic on a daily basis.
Our veterinary staff uses both fresh and frozen semen for artificial insemination and performs both embryo flushing for transfer and embryo transplant. A satellite farm is also available for broodmares who are foaling out or waiting for artificial insemination.
The history of equine acupuncture dates back to 2000-3000 BC in China, and has been practiced in the Far East for centuries. Therapeutic effects are produced when specific points, which are areas of increased electrical sensitivity, are stimulated. This results in increased circulation, relief of muscle spasms, improved body defense system, and numerous other benefits. The stimulation is traditionally performed with sterile is traditionally performed with sterilized, thin stainless steel needles. Our staff veterinarian Dr. Wendy Leich is certified in acupuncture therapy and Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation, a form of animal chiropractic care, and has served as the USET’s 3-Day Equine Physiotherapist.
Any horse in regular work or exposed to periods of high stress or long distance transport, with limited access to pasture, or on a high concentrate/low roughage diet is a candidate for ulcers. In addition to racehorses and performance horses, ulcers are observed in reining horses, halter horses, steeplechase horses, and driving horses. The prolonged use of banamine or phenylbutazone can contribute to ulcer development. The most common complaints leading to the examination of these performance horses include declining performance, recurrent colic, loss of condition or weight, behavior changes, changes in jumping style and back soreness. Dressage horses with ulcers are often described as difficult to train or reluctant to work. The most consistent signs in hunters and jumpers are loss of jumping style and recurrent back pain that cannot be attributed to a bony lesion or hind limb lameness. The only way to confirm the presence of ulcers is by examining the stomach using a 3-meter gastroscope. Each of our veterinarians is qualified to complete a gastroscopic exam on your horse using our state-of-the-art Xion gastroscope, and can retrieve both still and moving images for future comparison. If your horse is exhibiting any of the symptoms described, consider scheduling a gastroscopic examination on an outpatient basis.
The veterinarians at B.W. Furlong & Associates are dedicated to providing the highest quality veterinary care regardless of the time of day. Colic evaluation, neonatal evaluation, foaling assistance and treatment of injuries is provided either on the farm or in the hospital.
The laboratory at B.W. Furlong and Associates offers full service in-house laboratory diagnostics. Testing includes complete blood counts, chemistries, blood gases, electrolytes, pre-purchase drug screens, packed cell volume and total protein. Reference laboratories like Cornell University and Antech Diagnostics are also used for more extensive diagnostics. The in-house laboratory also features microscopic diagnostics, available for veterinarians to evaluate cytology on samples like blood, cornea scrapings, uterine biopsies, cultures and semen morphology.
B. W. Furlong and Associates values the importance of the veterinary-client-patient relationship, in assessing the pharmacological needs of our clients and their beloved equines. All prescription requests require veterinary approval, which are reviewed in connection with the patient’s medical record for appropriateness. The prescription then becomes part of the patient’s permanent record.
Established, long standing relationships with leading, reputable pharmaceutical vendors and sales representatives allows our veterinarians to keep abreast of the latest trends in pharmaceutical products, and provides assurance of quality and safety to you, our clients. These relationships are vital; as the manufacturers stand behind their products, when purchased from licensed veterinarians, where there is an established veterinary-client-patient relationship, which may not exist with Internet veterinary pharmacies.
We appreciate your business and our veterinarians will continue to provide you with the care and confidence you have come to expect at B.W. Furlong and Associates.
We provide ambulatory veterinary support at national and international events, including the Wellington Equestrian Festival in Florida. In addition, our services are available by request around the globe to address all your pre-purchase and performance needs.
B.W. Furlong & Associates
101 Homestead Rd PO Box 16
Oldwick, NJ 08858
908-439-2821