‼️Warning - Use of needles ‼️
Equine Acupuncture
We are very proud to be able to offer acupuncture here, performed by one of our Veterinary Surgeons Hazel Clewley. Hazel is trained in equine acupuncture and can treat horses either here in the Hospital or at the client’s yard.
Acupuncture can be helpful for many horses and ponies especially for ailments such as muscle soreness or gut and respiratory problems and from kissing spine surgery rehabilitation to reproductive issues.
We recommend an initial course of five treatments at weekly intervals.
Our vets are happy to discuss this treatment option and costs with you.
Please contact reception on 01884 841100 if you are interested in acupuncture for your horse 🐴
You may never have seen behind the scenes in a veterinary practice. So take a look at the work our vets and nurses do on the front line every day to look after animals in veterinary practices, hospitals, in the field and on call - so that they receive the best possible care.
Thanks to Molly Case for the poem you have written about our profession.
#careforanimals #veterinaryprofession
We have joined up with Equine Bio Genie and here Ben takes us through managing equine flu at your yard as well as why it is important to consider the air, surfaces and water when preventing transmission.
#EFAW2023
Sneak peak of Beth performing a foot MRI 👀
Did you know:
🐴 Over 250000 horses have had a standing MRI scan worldwide!
🐴 When our MRI unit was delivered the lorry had to be specially adapted for it to get over the bridge in Culmstock!
🐴 Shoes have to be removed from horses being scanned as a) the metal interferes with the images and b) the shoes might get stuck to the powerful magnet!
Nic, one of our hospital surgeons and surgical team carrying out a bilateral stifle arthroscopy! 👨🏼⚕️🐴
#veterinaryhospitallife
#veterinarysurgery
Early recognition is key to improving chances of recovery for horses with colic.
Do you know the five REACT signs?
- R estless or agitated
- E ating less or reduced droppings
- A bdominal pain
- C linical changes
- T ired or lethargic
One of our team has kindly allowed us to share this video of their old horse to raise awareness, as you can see they are restless and showing signs of abdominal pain: pawing, rolling and flank watching.
This is a clear case of a painful colic, but in some instances it isn't this obvious. Its important to be aware of the milder signs, such as a sudden drop in fecal output or behaviour change which could indicate a problem.
@thebritishhorsesociety @britishhorse #colicawarenessweek #CAW22
River Isle
For our clients both old and new in the Ilminster area, we are now able to offer a more local collection point for supplements and repeat prescriptions thanks to a longstanding client of ours. 🐴
We ask that you please allow at least 48 hours notice for medication requests, to both be authorised by vets and delivered to the collection point. Out of respect for the property owners we ask items are only collected during the daytime (between 7am and 7pm).
Alternatively medications can be posted, however they must be sent by recorded delivery for a small charge.
Thank you! 🏇
It's a good day to be an ambulatory vet here in the South West! Spring is well underway, and it's lovely watching the hedgerows changing and flowers popping up whilst driving between calls. 🌼🌞
Each vet covers a different zone, to keep as much client/ vet continuity as possible, and reduce travel times and fuel costs/emissions. 🌿
We offer zone visits on set days, to group routine calls in the same zone together. This enables the vet to plan the most efficient route between calls, hence why for discounted 'zone visit' fee a time is given on the day with the given zone area vet.
Please note these visits are already heavily discounted, so we don't offer 'part zone visits', and can only be offered to clients with settled acccouts. ✅ For more information please contact us at the hospital. 🏥
Equine Asthma Management
RAO, IAD, Heaves, COPD, Broken wind...
EQUINE ASTHMA is the umbrella term for some of the various syndromes listed above. ☂️
It covers mild cases in fit young horses with a bit of a cough and exercise intolerance, to the chronically affected ponies with marked heave lines and respiratory distress.
💡 We can diagnose this condition and assess severity by taking washes of the trachea (Tracheal Wash) and the lower airways (Bronchoalveolar Lavage), and looking at the types and proportions of inflammatory cells present. 💡
How we recommend treating the condition will vary, depending on presentation and severity, however there's one thing we always say...
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT is key to a successful outcome! See the inforgraphic below for more ideas on how to manage your horse! 🏇🔑
August was a busy month for our MRI team, led by our nurse Beth, with a record number of scans performed since we invested in the unit in 2017! 👏
💡Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an advanced imaging modality, which uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed 3D images
💡 Using our machine we are able to image the lower limb, typically feet and pasterns
💡 Scans are performed under standing sedation, with horses resting their head on the cushioned table
💡 The procedure can take several hours depending on what areas are being imaged, and so we typically keep horses in overnight afterwards
💡The majority of our MRIs are referred for imaging only, and so communication regarding findings and further treatment is with your referring vet
For more information or to request an MRI information leaflet, please call our reception team! ☎️
Bicton 5* Western Counties Fence
☀️ Our lovely receptionist Megan was a spectator at Bicton Arena on Saturday, and we thought her video of our sponsored fence was too good not to share! ☀️
(We hope she doesn't get any ideas about leaving us for a new career as a videographer though!) 😂
BS July Tour
Western Counties are providing veterinary event cover for the July British Showjumping Tour 8th - 17th July at Bicton Arena .
🏆 Best of luck to all competing 🏆
We have some exciting developments going on at the equine hospital! 👷♂️
Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for the finished product!
While we hope all of our clients horses remain happy and healthy, the big question we are wondering is whose horse will get to christen the new day patient stables! 🤣
Pontispool 5th June 2021
Wishing all our clients competing at Pontispool Equine Sports Centre the best of luck! Western Counties are providing the event veterinary cover today and tomorrow.
🏆
We have a winner!! 🏆🏆
In the last ten years our electric gates have opened...
...170332 times!
👏 Our winner guessed 171,171! 👏
Thanks for all your comments!
💙
Our entrance electric gates were installed here at WCEH ten years ago, back in 2011.
🔧 They were serviced this morning, and the engineers told us how many times they've been opened in this ten year period. 🔧
Any guesses as to what that number might be?!
🚙🚛🚚🚜🚑
There's a prize in it for the closest guess!!
(See our post in the comments)
Edit: You have until 9am 28.04.2021 to comment, guesses after this time won't be counted!
