Loch Leven Equine Practice

News:

Trailer wanted for training

Following the road traffic incident on the M90 at the beginning of December, which resulted in two horse being trapped in an over turned trailer, we have had several meetings with Tayside Fire and Rescue regarding how to make future rescue operations more efficient and safer for all concerned.

"Tayside Fire & Rescue Service are keen to work together and undergo further training alongside veterinary surgeons to improve on efficiency and safety when dealing with these scenerios. Whilst it is important to always try and help the horse this must be done safely for all involved. The training will hopefully provide the skills and knowledge for this to happen" said Hugh. "We are liasing with the Fire Service as well asPartick Pollock at Glasgow UNiversity to make this happen."

In addition to this we are also holding a fundraising evening which will generate funds to help towards the cost of training. Watch the website for more information!

To aid training we are appealing to anyone who has an old trailer lying around they would like to donate to Tayside Fire and Rescue Service which would be suitable for assisting with training (un roadworthy welcome!).

New practical first aid session dates announced

After the success of our inaugural practical first aid talk, held in September 2011, Loch Leven Equine Practice are launching a series of useful hands-on sessions throughout 2012.

The first two sessions are set to take place on Friday 2nd March from 12.30pm-2.30pm and Saturday 3rd March from 10am-12noon and each session is open to both clients and non-clients.

The first aid courses are hosted by our qualified equine vet nurse, Lynsey McKay who says “It’s a very friendly interactive hands-on course which covers all basic first aid from taking pulses to bandaging correctly. We will also look at the structures of the lower leg, where and what to look for when assessing lameness and how to deal with different emergency situations.”   

The first two courses will take place at the Practice, near Kinross. Refreshments will be provided and tickets are priced at just £10 per person. Places are limited to 12 per session so book early to avoid disappointment. For more information and to get your ticket call the office on 01577 840022.

Permission given for new equine clinic to be built!

We are delighted to announce that we have been granted planning permission to build a new equine veterinary clinic which will include operating and knock down facilities, an indoor trot up, two examination rooms, stables and office space.

The new clinic, which will be built nr Cleish, Kinross, will be situated just half a mile from Junction 5 of the M90, ensuring excellent access by horsebox.  
Hugh Somerville BVSc Cert AVP (ES-O) MRCVS, a Partner from Loch Leven Equine Practice says, “We have wanted to build a new Equine Clinic for several years, and having obtained Planning Permission we are now looking forward to making this happen. The new clinic will have full surgical facilities, which will include a specialist padded knock-down box and separate operating theatre, which will allow us to provide a surgical service in addition to better surfaces for lameness investigations.”

Check back for regular updates on the exciting progress of the clinic!

Jenny gets selected!

We are thrilled that Jenny Croft has been selected to be part of the Paralympic volunteer team as an official vet for the 2012 Games in London. Jenny said "I am delighted to have been selected to work as an official vet at the Paralympic Games at the end of August/start of September. I think it will be very exciting being involved in such a prestigious event in our own country and be dealing with such elite athletes and horses."  
Well done Jenny!

Pete nominated for Equine Vet of the Year

Congratulations to Pete who has been nominated for the Pet Plan Equine Vet of the Year. Whilst he is not down to the final three we are thrilled that he has been nominated for such a prestigous award. Thank you to everyone who put pen to paper (or email) and took the time to nominate him.

Equest Pramox Wormers on offer

We are delighted to have Equest Pramox wormers on offer for £15.99 (plus £1.99 P&P - unless collected).
Pramox is ideal to use in Spring and Autumn and gives six months protection from tapeworm. Equest Pramox contains Moxidectin and Praziquentel. Equest Pramox is a combination of two drugs in one horse wormer treats roundworm, tapeworm, bots, and encysted redworm larvae stages in horses. Pramox Is licensed for the use in foals from 6 1/2 months of age but should NOT be used on pregnant or lactating mares (or donkeys).

Call us on 01577 840022 to order your wormer today.

New clipping service now available

We have launched a new clipping service for those horses who require sedation in order to make clipping a safe stress-free procedure.

Simply bring your horse to the clinic to be sedated and clipped by our expereinced friendly team, at very competitive rates:

Full clip (including head and legs) £65*
Hunter clip (including half head) £55
Blanket clip (half head) £52
Trace/chaser clip £45

Don't take our word for it - here is what one of our clients has to say:
"Having struggled with rugs all year round for the last five years I decided to send Missy to Loch Leven to get clipped after hearing good reports. I was amazed with the service. They were sympathetic and understanding when Missy was nervous and took time to ensure she did not get a fright. When I went back at night I collected a very smart and pretty pony with a trace clip, she even had half her face clipped! I am delighted with the result. Thank you very much."
Rebecca Greenhorn

Prices include clipping, all sedation and sedation fee when horses are bought to the clinic. For more information and to book your place call 01577 840022.

Practical first aid session a hit

Our first ever practical first aid session, which was exclusive to our Healthy Horse Club members, was a huge success.
The talk, which took place at the clinic on Saturday 24th September, saw our vet nurse Lynsey and Veterinary Assistant Jenny talk about basic first aid, when to call the vet, what to look for when trotting a horse up, dealing with an emergency and how to bandage correctly.

Lynsey put her wonderful article talents to use and used model ‘Randi’ to draw the bones and soft tissue structures of the lower front leg in order to demonstrate areas where wounds were a greater cause for concern.
After being treated to some home baking, courtesy of Practice Manager Liz and all-round superstar, Patty, members then got a chance to put their own bandaging to the test under the close supervision of the team.

The talk was free for Healthy Horse Club members and is part of our ongoing initiative to support horse welfare and educating owners in the area. For more information on our Healthy Horse Club click here.

Jenny becomes a Certificate holder!

A huge congratulations to our new vet Jenny Croft who has passed her RCVS Certificate in Equine Practice “I’m over the moon about passing my Certificate” said a delighted Jenny, “It is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work and now I have a recognised qualification for my experience.”
A Certificate is the first level of postgraduate qualification awarded by RCVS, and indicates that the holder is a competent clinician who has proved their experience and expertise by examination in their chosen subject.
Hugh also recently gained his Equine Orthopaedic Surgery and Pete is currently studying for a Certificate in Equine Practice.

Talk a super success

Our recent ‘What to expect in an emergency’ which took place on 1st September was a huge success. Over 70 people turned out to attend an evening with Patrick Pollock BVMS, FHEA, CertES(Soft Tissue), DipECVS, MRCVS, to learn about rescue procedures and what to do in an emergency.

“ The talk was hugely beneficial, interesting and very worth while” said Practice Manager Liz, “Some of the pictures of wounds that were shown weren’t that shocking as we see then in our line of work, but to see a picture of a horse that had gone through a car windscreen was really shocking. It makes you realise how dangerous situations can be for both the people and for the horses.”

“ We now need to make sure that our local fire and rescue service have the equipment and knowledge they need to deal with these situations. We are currently looking at ways in which we can work together with Tayside Fire and Rescue Service in order to help make this happen.”

The next talk will be a free practical session on Saturday 24th September which is exclusive to Healthy Horse Club members. For more information call the office.

Ride of a lifetime

One of our clients, Jane Brindley is set to undergo one of the biggest challenges of her life as she prepares for an amazing challenge ride in India.

The ride which takes place in February 2012 is in aid of The Brooke Animal Hospital, the international animal welfare organisation dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules in some of the world’s poorest communities.

“ This will be a challenge for me on many levels as I aim to raise as much as I can for the charity. I have challenged myself to get considerably fitter before going to India and taking part in what will be quite a tough adventure!” said Jane.

Jane has pledged to raise a minimum of £3,250 so would be delighted if you would like to sponsor her by clicking here.

For more information on the Brooke Animal Hospital click here

Grazing muzzles found to be effective

Accoring to a report on the Equine Science Update website using a grazing muzzle appears to be more effective than restricting access to pasture, for reducing the amount of grass eaten by ponies.

Research, presented at the Equine Science Society Symposium in Nashville, USA May 2011, shows that using a grazing muzzle can reduce the pasture intake of ponies by over 80%.

Horses, and especially ponies, given free access to grass appear to be more susceptible to obesity and related disorders, such as insulin resistance and laminitis, than those with restricted access to grass. However, even reducing time at pasture may not be as effective as previously thought.

Another study, also presented at the meeting, has shown that ponies may adapt their grazing behaviour to eat more in a short time span. The new research shows that the use of a grazing muzzle could be a much more effective and reliable solution if used appropriately. Grazing muzzles significantly reduce bite size and intake. Anecdotally, ponies fitted with grazing muzzles spend a greater proportion of time engaging in foraging and eating directed behaviours than their non-muzzled counterparts, yet either lose weight or retain an established, trim body condition. For the full article click here.

Patty WINS Petplan Vet Support Staff of the Year Arard

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Patty has won the Petplan Veterinary Support Staff of the Year Award at the prestigious Petplan Vet Awards 2011.

The national awards, which are also known as the 'Oscars' of the veterinary world, recognise and celebrate staff and practices throughout the country that have delivered an exceptional level of care to the nation's pets and their owners. The categories cover all aspects of veterinary including small animal, equine and mixed practices.

Patty was nominated for being the ‘hub’ of Loch Leven Equine Practice, with her ability to organise and multitask whilst offering excellent customer service recognised as outstanding. Petplan received 2,800 nominations for the awards, which saw just three finalists from each category invited to attend a lavish ceremony at Birmingham Town Hall on March 31.

After receiving her award Patty said, “I am delighted; I was just doing my job and didn’t expect to win the award. It’s worth going the extra mile when you get recognised for it. The ceremony was spectacular and I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.” In addition to winning a commemorative plaque Patty also won gift vouchers which she says she is going to use to take everyone at the practice white water rafting.

To watch a short video of Patty click here

The most common ailment in horses is lameness

According to research via the Blue Cross, in the country's first National Equine Health Survey, the most common veterinary problem afflicting British horses is lameness.

3,120 horseowners completed a survey via the charity's website last winter as part of the National Equine Welfare Council's 10-year strategy to improve horse welfare in the UK. The results were revealed at the horse industry's annual National Equine Forum, on 8th March.

Lameness was the most common problem, affecting 11% of horses, with weight the next biggest issue, with 9% of horses recorded as overweight and 8% underweight. Though these figures are at odds with other recent research by the University of Nottingham, which suggested that 50% of horses are overweight, the Blue Cross pointed out that the information was supplied by owners themselves and thus subjective.

Skin disease and wounds — at 5% and 4% respectively — are also common issues, as is colic (2%), with a 6:1 ratio between medical and surgical cases. But laminitis (3%) was less prevalent than believed.

Following the success of the survey, the Blue Cross will collect data twice a year and is urging horse owners to sign up for the next survey, from 9-15 May. To register online, visit www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS

Healthy Horse Talk a huge success

Last week (Thursday March 3) saw our first talk of the year, ‘How Healthy is your Horse?’ which was a huge success with over 100 people attending.
The free talk, which took place at Kinross Community Centre saw presentations from our very own Hugh Somerville BVSc CertAVP (ES-O) MRCVS, Lynsey Mckay RVN and guest speaker Ben Gaskell MRCVS from drug company Pfizer, who kindly sponsored the talk.

Hugh began the evening talking about teeth anatomy, the importance of dentals and routine dental examinations, Lynsey followed this up with a controversial interactive discussion on weight and how to fat score your horse, while Ben rounded up the presentations talking about vaccines and the new thinking on worming.

The evening was rounded up by the interactive audience asking a range of excellent questions, followed by refreshments and a chance to speak to the vets further. Lots of information on how to body score your horse was handed out and Pfizer also kindly handed out free weight tapes for the audience to take away.

“ We are really delighted everyone came to support the talk and we had some fabulous interactive questions from the audience. Ben was excellent and we are very grateful to Pfizer for their support with this evening. The topics covered are all very relevant to everyday horse care and everyone seemed to enjoy their evening” said Practice Manager Liz Somerville.

Lynsey passes exams

Well done to our vet nurse Lynsey McKay who has recently passed her AMTRA (Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority) ‘top up’ equine exams which will allow her to remain registered as a SQP (Suitably Qualified Persons). SQP’s are animal health advisors - a category of professionally qualified persons who are entitled to prescribe and/or supply certain veterinary medicines under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations. Lynsey underwent two days of exams including a Viva.

New Strangles Vaccine

Intervet / Schering Plough Animal Health, the European market leader in equine vaccines, has announced the re-introduction of Equilis Strep E, the only strangles vaccine for horses in Europe.

The first re-introduction of the vaccine took place in the Netherlands in May 2010, whereas additional re-introductions are scheduled for Europe and the United Kingdom later in 2010 and beyond. The UK vaccine release date is March 2011.

Please feel free to contact the vets if you would like any more infomation. Call 01577 840022.

Strangles Vaccination website: http://www.equine-strangles.co.uk/

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How porky is your pony?

A pilot study, carried out at the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, found that at least one in five leisure horses was overweight or obese and that owners were likely to underestimate body condition score.

Veterinary student Helen Stephenson assessed the prevalence of obesity among horses whose owners were registered with an equine veterinary practice. Questionnaires were sent to five hundred horse owners, of which 160 were returned.

One in five owners indicated that their horses were either overweight or obese. The owners were asked about their perceptions of their horses’ body condition, and asked to score this from zero to five, with a score of more than three indicating overweight.*

The researchers then assessed the body condition of 15 randomly selected horses to see if the owners had under or overestimated the horse’s weight. They assigned an average score that was significantly higher for these horses; eight of the owners had scored their horse at least one grade lower than the researcher had, indicating that the owners had underestimated their horses’ weight.

Based on the researchers’ findings, the authors estimate that the true prevalence of overweight/obesity was likely to be 54% rather than the 20% indicated by the questionnaire responses. Call the practice today if you would like Vet Nurse Lynsey McKay to come to your yard for a free condition score, or visit

*http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/fat-scoring.pdf

Does your horse crib bite or windsuck?

Then the vets at Liverpool University want to hear form YOU! Liverpool are conducting a survey on the health and management of horses that display crib biting and wind sucking behaviour and are looking for volunteers who would not mind completing a short (10-15 minute) postal questionnaire. Their ultimate aim is to be able to provide horse owners with more information about how this form of behaviour may be prevented or its effects lessened. The results of this survey are completely confidential and they would be very grateful for any help you may be able to provide.
To get the questionnaire email cribbing@liverpool.ac.uk

Equine Grass Sickness breakthrough

Researchers from the Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy (CPP), at The School of Pharmacy, University of London, have recently completed a study on equine grass sickness (EGS), a distressing and usually fatal disease of grazing horses, ponies and donkeys that affects their autonomic nervous system, resulting in lowered motility and paralysis of the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract.

The disease is endemic to parts of Great Britain and Northern Europe, and has been recognised for a century, yet the cause(s) of it have remained speculative, although there is evidence for an association with pathogenic bacteria, notably Clostridium botulinum type C.

CPP researchers for the first time have also found an association between levels of iron and the heavy metals lead and chromium, which are elevated in herbage from sites where EGS has occurred. Pharmacological evidence indicates that high levels of iron and heavy metals in the diet cause oxidative stress and inhibit GI motility, one of the main symptoms of EGS. Toxic plant species were found at every EGS site visited, but only buttercups were found in abundance at each of these sites, and these were also shown to have elevated levels of a toxic compound (that is released on mastication) compared with controls. CPP researchers hypothesise that it is ingestion of high levels of these metals combined with a GI irritant (such as the toxic compound found in buttercups) that makes equids more vulnerable to infection by opportunistic bacteria.

Details of the study can be found in the article ‘Edaphic and Phytochemical Factors as predictors of Equine Grass Sickness Cases in the UK’, by Sarah E Edwards, Kathrin E Martz, Anja Rogge, and Michael Heinrich, published in Frontiers in Predictive Toxicity. It is available to download free on-line by clicking Here

Phew - Hugh passes his certificate!

A huge congratulations go to Hugh, (now Hugh Somerville BVSc Cert AVP ES Orth MRCVS), who last week passed his post graduate Certificate in Equine Orthopaedic Surgery, with flying colours.
As one of only a handful of vets in Scotland to hold this qualification Hugh said, “I am delighted to have passed” said Hugh, “It is a culmination of 13 years of experience in purely equine practice, and a lot of hard work over the past year. As a practice it shows our continued commitment to our clients and their horses and the service we provide.”

Equine infectious anemia outbreak confirmed

Equine industry warned to be on red alert as equine infectious anemia (EIA) is found in Devon. This comes just days after a case in Northumberland was confirmed. The two cases are said not to be linked. Unlike the previous cases of EIA in Wiltshire in January and Northumberland last week, this horse has been in the country for two years. It only became ill recently, and has been humanely destroyed.
Defra has launched an investigation into how the horse came to contract swamp fever (EIA), and the premises on which the horse was kept is under restrictions. Another two horses on the premises are being tested for evidence of EIA.
For more information click here

BEVA launch campaign to improve equine oral health
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has launched the ‘Equine Happy Mouth’ campaign to increase awareness of equine oral health. The campaign is set to outline the risks of disease and dental problems in horses and donkeys and the importance of regular thorough dental examinations. The equine happy mouth campaign is the first of a series of annual equine health projects to be championed by BEVA. Future topics include laminitis, obesity, metabolic disease and mare and foal management.

Work has begun on a new vaccine

Although African Horse Sickness (AHS) has not reached the UK the arrival of Bluetongue in 2007 put the equine industry on red alert as the diseases are carried by the same vectors (insects carrying the disease).

A vaccine has been developed in Africa, but it contains a live strain of the disease and therefore is deemed too risky to use on previously unexposed horses.

Defra has announced that it is funding a three year project, £190,000 per year, to develop a safe and effective vaccine. The Institute for Animal Health in Pirbright, Surrey, is poised to start work on the vaccine, led by Professor Peter Mertens, head of the vector-borne diseases programme.
Nine different vaccines will be made for the nine AHS variants, which will then be produced for the mass market at an affordable price. Long term it may be possible to produce one vaccine for all nine strains.
AHS is the most devastating equine disease in the world and kills around 90% of the horses it infects, leaving crippling impacts on communities, especially where working equids are an integral part of surviving. For more information on AHS go to www.defra.gov.uk

Out of Hours Calls

If you have an emergency then please do not text the out of hours phone. This phone is usually kept in the office on divert so we can not guarantee that your text message will be picked up straight away. If you need any of our vets outside of office hours then please call our usual number – 07789 684245 so we can be sure that we receive your call.

LLEP Stud Services launched

We are delighted to announce that, under the umbrella name of LLEP Stud Services, we have expanded the reproduction aspect of the practice and now offer an even broader range of services or your mare and foal.

All of our vets are highly experienced in reproduction work and are ably assisted by our qualified Veterinary Nurse, who is a qualified AI technician. For more information click here

In-house Worm Egg Counts now available

Faecal worm egg counts are now available in-practice for just £8.50 including VAT.
Having faecal worm egg counts done can avoid unnessacary worming, saving you money on wormers and helping to prevent resistance. Simply gather your sample (no more than a golf ball size) in a sealable sandwhich bag, or similar, and either post it to the practice or give it to the vets at the time of visit. Remember to take samples from different areas of the dropping.

As always we aim to provide an excellent service and you will get the results within 24 hours of the practice recieving the sample (on working days). As with all faecal worm egg counts it can’t identify tapeworms - this still needs to be done in separate blood test.

Controlling the worm burden in your horse is an essential part of your yearly management programme and a faecal sample is an excellent non intrusive way of assessing the levels of common worms in your horse.

Worm egg counts of 50-100 per gram need not necessarily be treated, as some level of worm infestation is thought to enhance natural immunity. A worm burden can lead to lack of performance, weight loss, colic, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, anaemia, dullness and respiratory problems.

With the growing threat of resistance to wormers owners are being asked to routinely use faecal egg counts to ensure that only those horses that need worming are treated. It is also important to treat your horse with the corect wormer at the correct does as underdosing is another factor for building resistance.

Over weight horses - a welfare issue

Those of you who attended our Too Fat - Too Thin talk will already know the implications of overweight horses and no doubt will have taken home your information pack and free DVD provided. The British Equine Veterinary Association have recently reported that "At present, the country is facing an epidemic of overweight animals, and this includes horses and ponies. Despite the economic downturn, some people are still significantly overfeeding their horses and ponies, and ironically, leading to welfare issues."

A recent survey conducted by World Horse Welfare suggests that nearly half of the horses andponies in the UK are overweight or obese. The effects of too much weight are emormous and include laminitis, arthritis, heart and lung disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome and insulin resistance.

Is your horse the right weight? For an excellent guide click here

Respiratory talk a great success

Loch Leven Equine Practice were delighted to welcome renowned equine vet Bob Ordidge BVSc, Cert ES(Orth), MRCVS (centre), to present an interesting talk on respiratory problems in the horse on Friday 13th November at the Dewars Centre, Perth.

The informative talk covered conditions in both the upper and lower respiratory tract, and spectators were treated to some video footage taken by an Optomed Dynamic Respiratory Endoscope. Bob founded his own equine practice, Rainbow Equine Clinic, in Malton North Yorkshire, and is highly regarded for his work in respiratory surgery and orthopaedics.

Loch Leven Equine Practice Manager, Liz Somerville said, “An excellent night was had by all. We are very grateful to Bob for giving up his spare time to talk to us, to Intervet-Schering Plough and Norbrook for their backing and to all of our clients for their continued support and loyalty to the practice. Our talks are part of our ongoing client education programme which is so vital in keeping our horses and ponies, fit, healthy and happy!”

Loch Leven Equine Practice First Aid kits

Everything you need in an emergency!

Whilst we all hope that we don’t ever need a first aid kit, it is better to be prepared for that emergency situation rather than wishing you had bothered after its too late.

LLEP first aid kits include: Steri-Protect Poultice, Cotton wool, Vetrap x2, Hibiscrub 500ml, Citrugel, Melonin x2, Soffban, thermometer and useful wipe clean storage bag. Also includes a First Aid information sheet full of easy to follow points and advice in case of an emergency situation.

For only £30 can you afford not to have one? Call the office to order yours today.

Join our NEW Healthy Horse Club

Join our new Healthy Horse Club and provide your horse with comprehensive veterinary care throughout the year, whilst budgeting your finances and saving money as well!!

What is the Healthy Horse Club?
Here at Loch Leven Equine Practice we believe that a healthy horse goes a long way to being a happy horse and we know that you do too. Our Healthy Horse Club is specifically designed to provide your horse with all of the essential routine veterinary care that they need throughout the whole year, to give you peace of mind when it comes to your horse’s wellbeing.

By joining the Healthy Horse Club you can ensure that your horse receives his annual vaccinations, dental rasp and ‘general MOT’ in the safe hands of the Loch Leven vets, whilst spreading the cost out over the year and saving you money.

We have put together an all inclusive plan which covers annual vaccinations, routine dental work, a detailed health check, a blood sample and a faecal worm egg count complete with a personalised worming programme.The health check will include a trot up and flexion tests, examination of the skin, eyes, heart, teeth and discussion about weight, feeding and foot balance.

The visit will also give you the opportunity to discuss any health worries and provide you with reassurance that your horse or pony is still in great shape for his job. At the visit the vets will also take a blood sample, which will be sent off for analysis, and ask for a faecal sample to check for worms.

Just as importantly we wanted to put together a plan which allowed you to budget effectively for your horse’s care – we all know there can be unexpected veterinary bills but by offering quarterly payments we hope this will let you plan for all of your routine treatment throughout the year.

How much is it?
The total price per year is just: £180, making you an initial saving of £37 per year.

Price per Quarter £45
This works out at just 49p per day.

How do I join?
Simply call Liz or Patty in the office and they will send out your joing form and payment plan. After your first payment has been recieved we will then arrange for your first aid kit to be delivered, and you can make an appointment for your horse any time after that.

Join now and save even more money!
Join the club now and receive a Loch Leven First Aid kit absolutely FREE.
That’s a total saving of £67!!!

Club Rules!
The boring bit! There is no initial joining fee. Payments for the plan are quarterly (£45), all treatments will only be given after the first quarterly payment has been taken. Clients must agree to sign a 12 month payment plan. The first aid kits will be delivered after the first payment has been received. Joining is at our discretion. The plan includes one visit fee per year. Appointments for the vaccination, dental rasp and health check to be made in advance and taken in normal working hours. The club does not affect other work undertaken by Loch Leven Equine Practice.

Call the office and join the club today. A healthy horse is a happy horse.

Dental Clinics

We are now operating dental clinics at the practice every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. Clients will also receive a further 10% off dental work, plus no visit fee - making it a cheaper alternative! Appoinments need to be booked in advance through Patty or Liz.

Practice Standards Scheme

Horse owners always want to ensure their animals recieve the best possible care from their vets, but how can they be sure? The RCVS ensures that all vets are properly qualified and fit to practise but by registering with the voluntary Practice Standards Scheme, practices have to adhere to and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. We decided that to keep improving our service to our clients and give them piece of mind we should register to join the scheme.

We are delighted to say that we have passed our inspection and are now a Tier 1 Accredited Practice. The inspector was extremely complimentary and in his report wrote, “The chairman noted the comments that the Practice was extremely well run and the standards of knowledge and care of equines was second to none. The Inspector wished to thank Mrs Somerville for the time and effort she had spent preparing for the inspection and was particularly grateful for the faultless presentation of the paperwork.”

FREE Condition score
Our qualified vet nurse, Lynsey McKay is available to come to your yard to condition score your horse and help to advise on feeding through out the winter months. This is a free service for all clients. Please contact the office to book your appointment today.