The Equine Vet Clinic

04/06/2024

TOP TIPS FOR HELPING WITH WEIGHT LOSS

1. Soak your horse’s hay for around 12 hours to remove the sugars from the hay. Use fresh water each time to you soak your hay and dispose of the water after each soaking. To ensure that your horse is still receiving their necessary nutrients, please consult your vet.
2. Use either a double hay net or a small holed haynet to decrease forage intake – this can help to slow down your horse when eating
3. Use a grazing muzzle can prevent your horse from gaining weight, and will also prevent them overeating in the field.
4. Increase your horse’s exercise, even it is it additional lunging sessions etc
5. Horses also burn energy to keep their bodies warm, so use less rugs on them during colder weather
Remember that you horse should only lose around 1% of their body mass each week. Please consult your vet if you think your horse is losing more.

24/05/2024

THE DANGERS OF RAGWORT – the effects of ragwort on your horse
The toxins in ragwort are absorbed into the blood stream and are broken down in the liver. This damages the liver and over time will cause liver failure. Sometimes the effects of eating ragwort are only seen a long time after the horse’s exposure to the plant, as the liver damage continues long after eating the plant. Eating a small amount over a long period of time can cause the same damage as one large amount being consumed. Signs of ragwort poisoning include:
Lethargy, photosensitivity, significant weight loss, blindness, difficulty breathing and loss of balance.

23/05/2024

RAGWORT - WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Ragwort during the colder months can be seen as dark green rosettes of leaves growing low on the ground. At this early stage, it is easier to remove them. If you use a herbicide at this stage, then digging them up is easier and you are less likely to have a lot of the weeds growing the following year.
Once ragwort has flowered (seen as bright yellow flowers densely growing together) then you have the risk of seed dispersal where you may have a greater problem the following year.

22/05/2024

THE DANGERS OF RAGWORT

Did you know that ragwort plant are poisonous all year round? But because the plants are bitter tasting, most horses will avoid eating them. However, it is always a good idea to remove plants from areas where your horses will graze.
Also be careful that there are no plants within your hay or haylage as cut or wilted ragwort becomes more palatable to horses.

14/05/2024

Reminder FREE online client evening is tomorrow

Register with QR code to hear all about gastric ulcers from prevention to treatment

10/05/2024

Few spaces still available for our gastroscope clinic on 15th May, only £215 including sedation 🐴

08/05/2024

*Online FREE client evening on gastric ulcers*
All you need to know about gastric ulcers from diagnosis to treatment.
Just click on the QR code to register.

07/05/2024

As part of strangles awareness week we are continuing to offer the Strangles vaccination primary course for only £115.

This price includes the first 3 vaccinations but not including visit fees, however it can be combined with our 4 for free visit.

Call reception for more information or to book.

03/05/2024

Gastroscopy is a routine procedure – our vets are very experienced and happy to answer any questions you may have.
Make an appointment at one of our upcoming gastroscope clinics at a reduced fee of only £215 if you’re worried your horse may have gastric ulcers.

02/05/2024

Its always nice to see AI mares in our paddocks. 🐴
Feels like spring has finally arrived!!

01/05/2024

May 2024 is our Gastric Health month. If you recognise any of these symptoms in your horse give us a call today on 01505 610100 to book into one of our upcoming gastroscopy clinics.

30/04/2024

You’ve probably heard of gastric ulcers, but did you know they were so common? If you’ve noticed any change in appetite, weight, performance or behaviour in your horse, give one of our vets a call today to see whether gastric ulcers could be the cause.

17/04/2024

Lovely comments from Crossreguill stud and I am sure you will agree some very cute foal (and mum!) pictures 🐴

29/03/2024

🐣Happy Easter🐣

Our office is open as normal over the holiday weekend. Hope you get to spend some lovely time in the sun with your horses.

14/03/2024

INTRODUCTORY OFFER- STRANGLES VACCINATION

Primary vaccination course only £115

This price includes the first 3 vaccinations

Visit fees not included, why not get together make use of our 4 for free!

Discount applied on 3rd vaccination or can be paid in full at 1st vaccination.

Call reception 01505 610100 for more info or to book.

01/03/2024

Rein in the impact of strangles

Strangles outbreaks are challenging. Find out how to easily implement an outbreak management strategy on your yard and how vaccination is a useful management tool,
alongside good stable management and biosecurity measures, to improve herd immunity and reduce the number of strangles cases in the equine population. For further information visit

28/02/2024

A new strangles vaccine has been available for the last 12 months in the UK. We have deliberately waited to see how it has performed over this time before recommending it to our clients as the previous strangles vaccine available 10 years ago performed poorly.
Results on this new vaccine show good protection when given a primary course of:

First dose
Second dose at 4 weeks
Third dose at 3 months

Boosters are just like 'flu boosters' given every 6 or 12 months depending on how much exposure your horse gets.

07/02/2024

🪱 Reminder 🪱

February is the last month to sign up to our all inclusive worming programme, your worming needs covered for a full year for only £122.50

01/02/2024

**Pre-order your Sweet Itch Vaccination Now**

If you are interested in having the sweet itch vaccination for your horse/pony then please get in touch with the clinic now as these have to be ordered well in advance.

The sweet itch vaccination is a relatively new development in the management of sweet itch. It involves two injections two weeks apart before the onset of any clinical signs. As such, we recommend injecting between February and March, and this can be done on your Zone Visit day if preferred.

Previous feedback from clients has suggested that approximately 60% of vaccinated horses showed improvement in their clinical signs. However, please note that this figure is anecdotal, no clinical trials have been conducted at this time. As the vaccine is not licensed in the UK, a special consent form will have to be signed. We would also recommend continuing to use all other methods for controlling sweet itch, the vaccine is not intended to be a replacement for these.

30/01/2024

Along with many of our colleagues we have been trying to walk, run, cycle, ski, swim as many miles as we can to help raise money for Doddie Aid . Since 1st January we have managed to clock up 1472 Miles so far putting us currently in 5th place on the leader board, we are now in the final week who knows what could happen!

24/01/2024

We are pleased to be able to support our local Gareloch RDA group with our community grant fund. I am sure you will agree it is well deserved as they do a fantastic job, look at all those happy faces.

'The Gareloch RDA has been operating in the Helensburgh area since 1976. Over the years the operations had grown very successfully until of course Covid. With no income we had to sell a number of our ponies and horses and sessions were put on hold for quite some time. We are delighted that we are now back up and running and we are definitely on the up again. We have started to rebuild our herd, with currently five riding ponies and horses, ranging from 13 hh to 16.2 hh and one working driving pony. With over 50 participants, supported by over 80 volunteers, we offer a wide range of activities to cover all ages and needs. Apart from Riding and Driving, we offer courses of stable management, Tea with a Pony sessions for groups from local care homes and equine facilitated learning for some of those that find it difficult to manage some of life’s challenges. Last year we took the decision to move our Riding Section to a new yard in Helensburgh, whilst the Driving Section remained at Colgrain. The move has enabled us to increase the number and range of activities that we can offer. Our riders are always thrilled to get an opportunity to ride out into the glorious countryside and through the woods, meeting other folk and spotting wildlife. For those with the more competitive nature we regularly take teams to compete at Regional, Scottish and National RDA Dressage events and some of our drivers have also competed at all three levels. We aim to try and find something for everybody.’

20/01/2024

11/01/2024

**New worming programme 2024**

31/12/2023

As we come to the end of 2023, we would like to say a huge thank you to all of you, our amazing clients, and of course, your equine companions! We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR 🐴

25/12/2023

Merry Christmas from everyone at The Equine Vet Clinic, to all of you and your equine friends! 🐴

22/12/2023

🎉We have a winner! 🎉- Congratulations Ann Mccue
Thank you for all the lovely photos

06/12/2023

🎅🏼 ***Christmas competition time*** 🎅🏼

To be in with the chance of winning this fantastic first aid kit all you have to do is like and share this post and put a Christmas or winter picture of your favourite horse, pony or donkey in the comments.
Winner will be selected on Friday 22nd December, good luck everyone.

01/12/2023

Are you a horse owner seeking high-quality health care for your equine companion? 🐎

At Thistle Equine Referrals, we offer a specialised referral service. Your primary care vet can refer your horse to us for complex cases, such as:
👉 Lameness investigations and sports medicine
👉 Orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery

We believe that by collaborating with your primary care vet, we can achieve the best results for your horse. If you believe your horse could benefit from our services, don’t hesitate to discuss it with your primary care vet!

15/11/2023

Just to let every one know further to our introduction of this service in April, John has been a fantastic addition to our team bringing additional surgical skills and lameness diagnostics to our clinics over the last 6 months.

If you are an equine vet surgeon in Scotland and northern England looking to refer clinical cases on:
👉 Lameness
👉 Orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery

Look no further! We provide an excellent referral service guided by cooperation and transparency, headed by Dr John Marshall, BVMS, PhD, DipACVS, DipECVS, and MRCVS, an American and European Specialist in Equine Surgery with vast experience in equine medicine and surgery.

Our referral process is seamless! Simply head over to our website and fill out this form 🔗 https://www.thistle-equinereferrals.com/refer-a-case-referral-form

If you are an owner who would like to refer your horse to us, please get in touch with your veterinary surgeon. Together, we can ensure top-quality care for your equine companions!