Dick Vet Equine

07/02/2025

It’s the last day of Core Rotations for our final year students! They have now spent time in all departments at the vet school and will sit their last undergraduate exams in a fortnight. Luis, Ella, Gillian, Jasmine and Julia have been in the Equine Practice this week and have been superstars. Thank you to all of our wonderful clients who have played their part in training the vets who will graduate this summer! And good luck to all of our students in their exams!

06/02/2025

Wee Erin took a trip to the Hospital today for a very special pedicure and clog fitting with Richard! The range of products now available to farriers is mind blowing and us vets very much rely on our remedial farriers to help us find the best fit for patients, whether mini Shetland, racehorse or Clydesdale!

30/01/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwV_q-dO5X8

As usual, Dr Gemma Pearson gives clear, usable, evidence-based information about why a horse needs to live like a horse, and how to help this happen!

Equine Veterinarian and Behaviorist Gemma Pearson discusses the importance of grazing in never before seen bonus footage from the acclaimed equestrian docume...

23/01/2025

Ahead of the red (severe) weather warning tomorrow we want to remind you that we’re here and on hand for any emergencies you may have. Our practice team will be on the road ready to respond to any emergency calls and the hospital will be seeing emergency referrals as always.

The Reception team will not be in the office but please call the usual OOHs number below for any urgent advice or veterinary assistance:

Practice emergencies: 01223 849 835
Hospital emergencies: 01223 849 763

For any non-urgent enquiries please email the reception team who will be online from home and will respond to you as soon as possible - contact them on [email protected]

We hope that you and your four legged friends stay safe and well.

21/01/2025

Welcome to Bomber and Danny! They have retired from racing and will be part of our teaching herd. Our horses are a vital part of our undergraduate training, especially important for students who haven't had the opportunity to work with horses much before coming to vet school. These two lovely quiet boys are settling in well!

🎉 Exciting 🏡🗞 to kick off 2025! 🎉
We recently bid farewell to BTRC Bombproof and BTRC Vedani, who have found a very special new home at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at The University of Edinburgh.

Thanks to our connection through the National Equine Welfare Council, we partnered with the R(D)SVS to support their teaching programme. Bryony Lancaster, Programme Director of MSc Equine Science and Lecturer in Horse Husbandry, visited our Centre to meet some of our horses.
She was looking for two gentle geldings who would thrive in a teaching environment—enjoying grooming, rugging, bandaging, clipping, and lots of love! She said 📣 “The horses will be with us for life, if they settle and enjoy interacting with our students. They live out in a herd as much as possible and are only brought in for teaching (the horses are not used for invasive procedures) and are given time off between classes and their class time monitored carefully.”

We all agreed Bomber and Danny were the perfect match as both were ready for a quieter pace of life but still love attention, making them ideal for the vet school. 👌💯 (see photos in the comments of the boys loving their new home 🏡)

We’re thrilled to collaborate with The University of Edinburgh, promoting world-class education 🎓 and supporting the next generation of vets 🐴
❤🐎 💛💚 🏡 🌟

Retraining of Racehorses TopSpec

07/01/2025

We recently said goodbye to one of our longest-standing patients, Pepsi. Many of you will know this special horse who was a much-loved family member of Jacky, Carrie and Jess, who all rode and cared for him during the course of his 34 years. He was a truly outstanding boy, turning his hoof to many disciplines and being a gentleman to handle, whilst maintaining his own firm opinions on life! He was even a finalist in the Horse and Hound's Horse of a Lifetime competition in 2022.
Of course, age doesn't come by itself, and he has needed extra care over the past few years. All credit must go to his owners who have put considerable time, emotional energy and finances into keeping him fit and well until the very end. He was still enjoying hacking out until his final few weeks. Few horses have the privilege of a life like Pepsi's, and few families are lucky enough to care for such a horse.
Pepsi was put to sleep peacefully without fear, pain or stress, surrounded by his family. The decision to euthanase an animal is almost always made by the owner or carer, but we are here to help and support you at this time, which can be a difficult one for many. The Blue Cross also has a web page with lots of useful information and a free helpline for anyone who would like to talk through their loss with someone who will understand. https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/horse/health-and-injuries/euthanasia-and-horses

03/01/2025

Here's a January challenge for you: anyone got a more impressive light fitting than this in their stable? 😄

01/01/2025

What weather to start the New Year! Jo and Rumo explore a winter wonderland but some of you may have needed a canoe instead!
Wishing you all a safe and happy 2025 with lots of horsey fun!

30/12/2024

Wishing Rocket a speedy recovery! Unfortunately shows that, despite the best efforts of owners and carers, laminitis can even strike mid-winter. Fast action can help to minimise the damage.

17/12/2024

Wilson has settled back into life at home and seems his old self again! Ready for Christmas 🎄

17/12/2024

Hard to beat this for cuteness! Gav, Lynda, Erin and Spud show off some very fancy headgear!

13/12/2024

Rachel and Angus get in the Christmas spirit while practising their TREC!

12/12/2024

Practice patients Reggie and Boo share a stunning view this chilly morning! They had icicles on their long coats but were toasty warm down at the skin!

11/12/2024

Beautiful evening on campus yesterday!

10/12/2024

We are delighted to share the news from Professor Bruce McGorum that researchers, involving The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies’ Equine Hospital team, have identified the likely source of equine grass sickness.

Grass sickness is a devastating equine condition, the cause of which has been undiscovered for more than 100 years. However, researchers believe they have identified a neurotoxic enzyme, present in pasture, that may be responsible for the disease. This neurotoxic enzyme is also present in some snake venoms, suggesting that treatments in development for the effects of snake venom may be adapted for the recovery of horses affected by grass sickness.

Professor Bruce McGorum said: “Identifying a probable cause of equine grass sickness represents a significant breakthrough. We hope this discovery will lead to novel treatments and improved diagnostics for this devastating condition. We are very grateful for the generous support from horse owners, veterinary surgeons, scientists, charities and funding bodies."

Professor Scott Pirie said: “This work has clearly demonstrated the value of considering disease pathology, even subtle structural changes only visible at extremely high magnification, in the quest to identify the causes of disease, particularly those attributable to the action of toxins."

This exciting discovery is an enormous step forward in our understanding and treatment of this devastating disease.

Articles:
https://www.facebook.com/equinevetjournal
https://edin.ac/4ggMpPm

27/11/2024

Thank you to all our clients who attended last night's client evening, and for the generous donations to the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). It was a great turn out and a lovely opportunity for the team to catch-up and have chat to you all without a sick horse/pony in the mix!

Thanks also to John, Oli and Suzie for giving their time and delivering three excellent lectures. For those that didn't have the opportunity to ask a question, please do email [email protected] with your question/clinician and we can pass it on for you.

Many thanks and we look forward to seeing you all at the next one!

26/11/2024

Thanks to all who have registered for tonight's client evening - we're looking forward to seeing you all! Please arrive promptly (from 6pm onwards) so we can get you registered and seated in time for a 6.30pm start🐴

Please also remember that the event is taking place in the New Vet School building on the other side of the road and NOT the Equine Hospital building. Parking is available at the north end of the campus, accessed off the roundabout by Arcadia Nursery.

The event is now fully booked.

Pizza and cake at the ready!

25/11/2024

A really interesting listen!

Science-backed horse care to promote health and performance of horses.