Reaching Milestones With Your Equine Athletes

ABOUT US

Ryan Melby & Fonda Lewis Melby, DVM

“We founded Milestone Veterinary Care in Backus, MN in 2018. We started out vetting and shoeing horses in the original dairy barn that Keith & Patty, Ryan’s parents, built on this land in 1972. The need for more space led to building the current clinic opening in March 2020. We are both huge horse enthusiasts with a love for raising, training and competing in barrel racing and team roping. It’s pretty exciting seeing the embryos under the microscope, watching them foal out and all the steps it takes to get them to their first event and beyond.”

Fonda’s primary veterinary interests include sports medicine and reproduction. Ryan has an eye and art to shoeing a horse based on their radiographs to improve their soundness and performance.

WE ARE HIRING!

Position: Associate Veterinarian

For appointments, please contact Fonda directly via call or text.

(text is preferred)

Contact Info

Phone: 701-210-0979

Location

Backus, MN 56435

850 72nd Ave SW

Haul-In Availability

Dentals available

NOVEMBER

13-14

Dentals available
Farriers available

25-27

DECEMBER

17-19

Dentals available

Dentals available
Farriers available

JANUARY

14-16

Dentals available
Farriers available

FEBRUARY

25-27

Regular business hours will resume on March 17, 2025.
Call or text Dr. Fonda at 701-210-0979 to schedule.

 

2024 SERVICES FROM MARCH 18 & BEYOND

  • Mare Foaling & Neonatal Services

  • Mare & Stallion Breeding Services

  • Spring Performance Exams

  • Preventative Care & Traveling Documents

  • Teeth Floating by Sophia Nordby

  • Farrier Steve Kuntz on site rotating schedule

EQUINE SPORTS MEDICINE SERVICES

  • Lameness Evaluation

  • Ultrasonography

  • Shockwave

  • Digital Radiography

  • Endoscopy

  • Joint Therapies

Mare

  • Breeding Soundness Exam

  • Artificial Insemination

  • Onsite Mare Care

  • Ultrasound

  • Foaling Services

  • Embryo Transfer

BREEDING SERVICES

2024 Breeding Season: March 18 - June 20

Foal

  • Foaling Services

  • Newborn Exams

  • Bloodwork and IgG Test

  • Plasma Administration

  • Emergency Care

Stallion

  • Collection and Shipping

  • Breeding Soundness Exam

  • Storage of Frozen Semen

*If you are thinking about having your mare foal out here, please contact us as soon as possible to make a reservation.

*All owners considering embryo transfer at our facility must provide their own recipient mares. We no longer have onsite recip herd.

NOW OFFERING GENETECH ICSI REPRODUCTION SERVICES!

GeneTech Animal Reproduction provides services in equine assisted reproduction, concentrating mainly on the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) techniques.
Employing world renowned embryologists to provide the most successful equine embryo production!

Please check our Facebook page for dates, and contact Fonda for booking at 701-210-0979.

MORE DETAILS ON ICSI

As ICSI is a sophisticated reproductive technology, sperm preparation also requires meticulous steps to select the best cells for injection and increase the fertilization rates. Fresh, cooled, and frozen semen are successfully used in this biotechnology, offering versatility and practicality for breeders.

With frozen semen, we can optimize the number of straws by cutting it up to 35 pieces and thawing only the necessary amount for ICSI. The thawing process is carefully managed to ensure the viability of the sperm, preventing damage to the sperm’s integrity.

Once thawed, the sperm undergoes a selection process to identify the most viable candidates for ICSI. The selected sperm cell is prepared for injection by immobilizing and loading it into a fine glass needle. The injection process is performed under a microscope, where the needle is carefully inserted into the oocyte, and the sperm is placed into the cytoplasm, initiating fertilization. GeneTech works to ensure the precision of this method, increasing the chances of successful fertilization and embryo development.

MEET THE TEAM