Solway Equine Vets, Brampton (2025)

04/09/2025

🐴🍂We are rapidly heading towards autumn and people may be considering planning for winter worming of their horses. At Solway Equine Vets we are happy to assist our clients in making targeted decisions when using wormers. There are a number of tests now available which help us to advise you on the most suitable wormer to use for your horse at the correct time of year.

Worm Egg Count 👀

We carry out worm egg counts in house and would recommend 3x regular interval worm egg counts being carried out during the grazing period (March-October). If your horse has a low worm egg count then worming may not be required. Testing helps us to reduce the amount of wormer being given to our equine population. Which in turn reduces the risk of resistance to wormer developing in your horse.

With a worm egg count we are looking for Strongyle and Ascarid eggs. Once the test has been carried out an egg count is determined and a veterinary surgeon can recommend what treatment if any is needed.

Equisal saliva tests 💧

This is a kit that we can provide to test for tapeworm antibodies as worm egg counting does not allow us to accurately evaluate tapeworm exposure. The best time of year to carry this out is from September to December. If done during this period then the result can be used to assist with the selection of a suitable winter wormer.

Redworm blood testing 💉

This is a blood sample taken by the vet and sent away to a lab to check for redworm burden of the horse. Again this would ideally be carried out between September and December to allow the information to be used to determine correct winter worming. This allows for targeted treatment of encysted redworm to be carried out if required.

In some cases if a Tapeworm Saliva test and Redworm blood come back low then worming may not be required at all during the winter period.

📞If you have any questions about worming your horse please do not hesitate to contact us on 016973 25010.

07/08/2025

📋 🐎

We have had a number of requests for pre-purchase examinations to be carried out recently.

To make processing of information prior to a vetting easier we have designed an online form to collect the relevant details required.

If you wish to have a horse examined prior to purchase please visit our website via the link below:

https://solwayequinevets.co.uk/vetting/

Following completion of this form we will contact you via telephone to finalise booking of the examination onto the diary and obtain any further details required.

05/08/2025

👀👁🐴 Any condition involving the eye is serious and should be dealt with promptly. If left untreated eye issues often rapidly deteriorate and can even result in horses having to have the affected eye removed in severe cases.

Megan recently presented with two weeping eyes, but was holding one eye shut. Stuart attended the same day to examine her. She was very painful and was reluctant to allow us to examine the eye properly. She was given some sedation to keep her relaxed and allow us to have a better look. Fluorescein stain was applied to the eye and we found that she had a small ulcer. This can be seen on the images below as an area of bright green stain uptake. It was also noted that her pupil was constricted, a sign that she was suffering from a condition called uveitis. This is often seen secondary to corneal ulcers.

A plan was made to apply two different types of drops to the affected eye. Atropine to open the pupil and make her eye feel more comfortable, as well as antibiotic ointment to prevent bacterial infection and allow the ulcer to heal. Oral pain relief was also given in the initial stages to improve her comfort levels. The atropine was required for a few days until the pupil remained open. During this time Megan was kept in a dark stable with a UV mask. After this she was kept in through the day but out through the night as full time stabling was proving tricky for her. Application of the antibiotic ointment was continued.

Stuart returned a week later to re-check her eye and found she was much more comfortable, and her eye was healing well. The eye wasn’t fully recovered so another week of treatment was opted for, but she was now allowed out during the day with her UV eye mask on.

We went back out to her last week, and the eye has fully recovered, and Megan is much happier. Especially now she can return to her normal routine without the pesky eye drops.

It is very easy to miss a corneal ulcer without staining the eye and some medications are contraindicated if an ulcer is present. This makes it very important that the eye is examined before any medication is applied.

📞 If you are concerned about your horses eyes or have any other queries please give us a call on 016973 25010

24/07/2025

🐎 Investigation, diagnosis and treatment of lameness makes up an increasing proportion of our current caseload. 🐎

Using a combination of thorough clinical examination, nerve blocks and diagnostic imaging we are able to locate and image the area of your horse's discomfort.

This is followed up with a realistic discussion of the treatment options available and formulation of a plan tailored to yourself, your horse and aspirations for future performance.

Most of the time this service is performed at the client's yard. However, should you not have the facilities for a lameness investigation to be carried out at home please still get in touch and we will be happy to try our best to facilitate provision of a suitable location.

📞Should your horse be experiencing any current lameness or perfomance-related problems please do get in touch on 016973 25010.

18/07/2025

🧰🐴🩹 There is nothing worse than going to check your horse and finding they've cut themselves or are under the weather.

We are always on the end of the phone to assist should you have an issue requiring veterinary attention but it is often useful if some initial first aid can be carried out while we are on our way to you.

We have compiled a bundle of items which we think would help you to deal with an emergency while waiting for your vet to attend. Helpfully this bundle would also make up the ideal travel kit for your equine adventures.

📞 Please give us a call or email via the details below if you would like to order a kit for your horse!

05/07/2025

We are currently taking on a number of new clients. It is great to see more and more people choosing to trust us with their horses and ponies!

We would ask that people who wish to join our practice please complete the online registration form via the link below. While we are happy to take new client registrations over the phone this makes the collection of relevant information a lot more efficient.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Link to our online new client registration form:
https://solwayequinevets.co.uk/register/

04/07/2025

At Solway we are happy to assist with keeping your horse up to date with routine vaccinations.

The current recommended primary course schedule which enables us to provide Equine Influenza and Tetanus cover is a follows:

First Vaccination
- 21-60 days
Second Vaccination
- 120-180 days
Third Vaccination

We are seeing a lot of these primary course vaccination intervals being missed and would recommend checking your horses passport to ensure that they are not currently due a vaccination.

This would also be a good opportunity for people to ensure that their horse is up to date with 6 monthly and annual vaccinations.

03/07/2025

We are pleased to introduce Hannah Rumney our new Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN).

Hannah qualified in 2021 following an apprenticeship at a mixed practice in the area. Here Hannah gained a wide range of skills caring for animals of all shapes and sizes. However, horses have always been her main area of interest.

Outside of work Hannah enjoys spending time with her two horses Rory and Molly. Hannah spends most of her free time with Molly out competing, attending camps, going to lessons as well as fun rides in the local area. She also spends time in the Lake District walking her three dogs Storm, Shelby and Squeak.

You will see Hannah out on the road, mainly assisting Stuart with calls. She will also be an integral part of the daily running of the practice. Hannah will become a regular voice on the end of the phone when you call the office number and will be happy to assist with booking appointments onto the diary or helping with any of your general queries or questions.

19/06/2025

Sarcoids are a hugely frustrating but very common form of skin tumour seen in the horse. They are often difficult to treat and require a dedicated approach from both the Veterinary Surgeon managing the case and the owner of the horse involved.

In recent years there has been developments in treatment of these lesions and successful treatment is becoming more and more achievable as time moves on.

One such development has been the use of immunotherapy for the treatment of sarcoids. This involves local injection of material which harnesses the horses own immune system to target the sarcoid cells.

We have seen promising results with a new product capable of providing this form of treatment. In addition to laser removal and traditional chemotherapy agents (applied both as creams and via injection) this offers us another tool in our armoury to tackle these cases.

The images below show an area of periocular sarcoid growth before, during and a few months after treatment with an immunotherapy agent.

Please do contact us if you have any questions about sarcoids and we will be happy to discuss options with you.

28/05/2025

Dental Case 🦷

Alfie was presented to Stuart as he had been struggling with his hay net and finishing his hard feeds. When the teeth were examined there was evidence of open pulp cavities in two front teeth. Both central upper incisors (101 and 201) were discoloured compared to the adjacent teeth and when Alfie was asked to bite down on a carrot with these teeth he was unable to bite through it. This was not the case when asked to do the same with the incisor teeth either side of these two abnormal teeth.

X-rays were obtained of the incisors showing an increased radiolucency (Decreased density) in the pulp canals of both the 101 and 201 teeth. There was also evidence of widening of the periodontal space surrounding these teeth suggesting the attachment was weakened.
Based on the clinical presention and the radiographic images it was recommended that both teeth be extracted.

The extraction procedure was carried out at the yard under a standing sedation following placement of nerve blocks and infiltration of local anaesthetic around the teeth to ensure Alfie experienced minimal discomfort during the procedure. He stood perfectly and both teeth were extracted uneventfully.

When examined post-extraction the 101 showed significant food packing into a deep open pulp canal. Interestingly the 201 which had shown evidence of a draining tract on the gum line had a corresponding tract exiting from the root of the tooth. These changes confirmed that we had made the correct decision to take the teeth out.

This case is an example of why it is crucial to have your horse’s teeth examined by either a Veterinary Surgeon or qualified Equine Dental Technician at least once a year or sooner if you have any concerns that your horse may be experiencing discomfort in their mouths.

If you suspect your horse may be suffering from dental pain please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss this or any other dental queries with you.

21/05/2025

This weekend we were called to assist Honey post-foaling as she was having difficulty passing her placenta after giving birth.
Unfortunately administration of oxytocin to try and stimulate the uterus to contract and expel the placenta was unsuccessful, so careful manual removal was opted for and successfully carried out.
The mare was covered with broad spectrum antibiotics and her temperature was monitored over the subsequent days by her owner. Flushing of the uterus with sterile fluids was carried out to remove remaining debris and to assess any fluid build up internally for signs of infection.
It is important to contact your veterinary surgeon if your mare has not passed her placenta within 3 hours of foaling. You should never pull the externally visible placenta as the attachment internally is often much stronger than expected and tearing of the external portion from the internally retained portion is most likely to occur. Retained foetal membranes carry the risk of the mare developing sepsis if left in place and should always be dealt with promptly.

We were very pleased to receive these picture of Honey and her foal enjoying the sunshine.

If you have any questions about your mare or foal please do not hesitate to contact us on 01697325010.

24/04/2025

Stomach ulcers are a common cause of poor performance, weight loss and behavioural changes in the horse. At Solway we are able to offer gastroscopy at your own premises. Our portable gastroscope is fully wireless and allows us to accurately diagnose the location and severity of pathology present in your horse’s stomach. Medication to assist in resolution of this can be dispensed/ administered on the day of the gastroscope, hopefully ensuring a quicker resolution of symptoms.

If you have any questions about gastric ulcers or the gastroscopy process please get in touch on 01697325010 and we will be happy to discuss options with you.

Solway Equine Vets

04/09/2025

07/08/2025

05/08/2025

24/07/2025

18/07/2025

05/07/2025

04/07/2025

03/07/2025

19/06/2025

28/05/2025

21/05/2025

24/04/2025

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