You could say that being a veterinarian runs in Dr. Brady Bergin’s blood. Growing up, he watched his father practice large animal medicine, and it inspired him to pursue a veterinary career of his own in equine care.

“Horses are great. Horses will always teach you patience,” Bergin says. “They're the ultimate humbling experience because as soon as you think you're good at what you do, as soon as you think you've got things figured out, there will be a horse that will humble you and keep you in check.”  

As a veterinarian and associate medical director at West Metro Equine Practice and an associate professor for the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Bergin brings an honest, driven, collaborative, and compassionate approach to the care he provides to patients and models to students. 

It’s something Betsy Thomson will always be grateful for when it came to her 20-year-old Tennessee walking horse who had a fancy registered name, but she affectionately called Dandy. For nearly 10 years, Bergin had served as the primary veterinarian for Dandy. It was the final year in that role that put his expertise to the test and left a profound impact on Thomson’s life. 

In the summer of 2022, Thomson noticed Dandy experiencing soreness in her front feet. After an exam, her fears were confirmed: Dandy had laminitis. Inside her horse’s hooves, the laminae—connective tissue that joins and stabilizes structures within the foot—had become inflamed, causing the pedal bone to eventually detach and rotate into a painful position.  

It’s a disease very familiar to equine veterinarians and owners and has made headlines through the years as famous racehorses such as Secretariat have been euthanized following their diagnosis. 

The news was devastating, but Thomson was determined to give Dandy every reasonable chance to fend off the disease and go on to live a quality life. Even with the uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis, she knew one thing for certain: Bergin was the right veterinarian to handle Dandy’s care. Placing her trust in him, the pair forged ahead as a team. 

"In this case, we had the perfect combination of a horse with remarkable resilience and an owner with unwavering dedication," Bergin says. "Throughout this process, Dandy overcame setback after setback but remained bright and determined, so she continued to give us hope. She never seemed ready to give up so neither did we. I can't think of another horse that endured what she did with such grace and perseverance."

For months, Bergin managed Dandy’s pain while employing a number of treatment approaches, including casts, frequent corrective trimming, surgical procedures, and therapeutic boots outfitted over her feet to stabilize them and promote healing. Sometimes, she seemed to be improving but, as can be the nature of laminitis, then her condition would take a turn for the worse. 

Determined to explore every option to help this client and patient, Bergin consulted with orthopedic experts such as Dr. Troy Trumble at the UMN Leatherdale Equine Center and podiatry specialists from around the country for advice and innovative treatment approaches. He even chose to attend a continuing education conference in Kentucky that focused on equine podiatry where he shared Dandy’s case with other equine veterinarians and podiatrists. 

Each conversation produced new ideas and methods to try—not only on Dandy but also on future laminitis patients. Through the glimmers of hope and heart-wrenching setbacks that sometimes followed, Thomson says she appreciated that Bergin was always open and honest about Dandy’s status and prognosis. She also praised his dedication and sacrifice.

Months of frequent appointments and emergency visits were taking their toll on all involved. Bergin says the support of his family and the West Metro team was integral in sustaining him through the herculean effort to help Dandy. 

But the reality is sometimes no matter how much a veterinarian fights for a patient, it’s not enough to overcome their illness. In late 2023, with all options exhausted and Dandy’s condition failing to improve, Bergin knew it was time to say goodbye. 

“As veterinarians, we have to be the voice for our patients because we know what is ethical, what's possible, and what's not,” he says. 

For many animal caretakers, the decision to euthanize is emotionally devastating. Thomson grappled with the feeling that despite all that had been done, she had failed her horse. Bergin helped Thomson understand that she was not failing Dandy. 

“You’ve gone above and beyond to give her every opportunity to overcome this disease. You’re alleviating a very painful and worsening situation. You're preventing suffering,” Bergin says he told her. “You're making the hardest decision out of love, out of care, out of respect, out of humility.”

During her last day on earth, Dandy spent time with Thomson at the boarding barn before Bergin and certified veterinary technician Lorianne Nadaskay arrived. At Bergin’s suggestion, Dandy’s feet were numbed to allow her to walk pain-free, and she was turned out for a final roll in the arena—one of her favorite activities—and some grazing on a hill overlooking a nearby pasture.

“What he was doing was not only letting Dandy show herself that she was still a horse and her spirit was there but also showing me that she was leaving this earth with her spirit intact,” Thomson says. “I didn't appreciate how important that was until after.”

Then it was time. The emotions and efforts of an intense and exhausting year culminated in peace on the quiet hillside as Bergin first administered anesthesia to allow Dandy to lie down calmly before giving a euthanasia injection. Dandy took her last breath held by the people who had given their all to help and support her. 

In the months since that day, Thomson takes comfort in the realization that she, Bergin, and the West Metro team did give her wonderful horse every reasonable chance to prevail. And she finds solace in knowing that the respect Bergin and his team have for the individual horses in their care ensured that Dandy’s quality of life remained top of mind in every phase of her treatment. Thomson says she also is grateful beyond words for the extra year and the many genuinely happy moments she had with Dandy because of what Bergin and his team were able to accomplish in the midst of the challenges they faced.

“He should feel really good about what he did,” Thomson says of Bergin. “He couldn't have done better.”