From her early days showing horses on California’s Central Coast to running a thriving equine reproduction practice, Dr Melissa Patten has dedicated her career to helping horses live healthier, more successful lives. As owner of River Grove Veterinary Services in Paso Robles, California, Dr Patten’s practice focuses almost entirely on reproduction, breeding hundreds of mares each year. Known for her compassionate care and calm expertise, she’s built a reputation as both a trusted veterinarian and an advocate for advancing equine wellness, including the use of plasma as a vital support tool for newborn foals.
While Dr Patten’s practice is based in the United States, her approach and outcomes are immediately relevant to equine veterinarians in the UK. The challenges of foaling, disease exposure, and passive transfer failure are consistent worldwide, and our Hypermune™ equine plasma meets the same rigorous standards across international markets, including VMD licensing.
Veterinary Immunogenics spoke with Dr Patten to discuss her experience using plasma and the vital role it plays in supporting equine health, both preventatively and in critical care.
What is your veterinary practice like? How many patients do you treat in a given year?
My practice is 90% reproduction, and we breed 200–300 mares per year.
How have you incorporated plasma into your practice? Is it part of a standard of care, or is it used only on a case-by-case basis?
We use plasma as a preventative in foals for farms with endemic disease, as well as high-value foals that owners want to have the best start possible. We also use plasma in horses with systemic diseases that are affecting clotting.
Why should plasma be an item in every vet’s toolkit and why?
Plasma saves lives and protects against disease. We have consistently seen foals thrive that receive plasma.
What particular conditions or cases have you consistently seen strong outcomes from plasma products?
Rhodococcus equi, Rotavirus, Clostridium, and clotting disorders.
What would you say, in your opinion, the value proposition is for using equine plasma products?
Protects against disease and gives foals the chance to grow without fighting disease.
Do you have any anecdotes or specific cases where equine plasma has played a unique or important role?
I had a horse get into squirrel bait (poison), and he got plasma, which helped save his life.
How would you describe the importance of having a registered, commercially available source of plasma in your practice?
I love having a product that I am confident in that won’t give my patients reactions and that I know has what they say is in the bag.
Do you see equine plasma treatments as one of the more impactful treatments in your field?
Yes, it is very impactful in my practice, as its administration directly saves lives.
Closing Thoughts
Dr Melissa Patten’s insights highlight what veterinarians across regions already know: plasma therapy is not bound by geography. Whether Hypermune™ in the UK or Equiplas® abroad, the science and the success stories remain the same.
By providing essential immunoglobulins, licensed equine plasma products like Hypermune™ help safeguard foals from infection, stabilise critically ill patients, and give veterinary teams greater confidence when managing high-risk births.
To learn more about Hypermune™, or to speak with the Veterinary Immunogenics team about availability and administration protocols, visit veterinaryimmunogenics.com.
