Little Rock Equine Vets

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Little Rock Equine Vets

“We are the little rock upon which you lean, to get you back in the saddle”
Targeted, personalis Little Rock Equine Vets was set up by Shelley Cook in 2020.
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Shelley means “little rock” amongst other things in old English and Hebrew. Shelley is the “Little Rock” upon whom everyone can depend on in their time of need and this ethos is at the heart of everything we do:

• Targeted and personalised veterinary care for you and your horse.

• Care, extensive knowledge, understanding and a personal service.

• Each visit is a personalised journey for you a

nd your equine partner.

• We build long-term relationships built on mutual trust. The hallmark of great veterinary care is understanding what really matters and never losing sight of why we are here. At Little Rock Equine Vets, we pride ourselves on doing “the next right thing”. Shelley has spent years working alongside clients developing her skills to be able to give the best treatment options. This is the principle the company stands by on a case by case basis; Great medicine, personalised, all-encompassing care and understanding

Little Rock Equine Vets treats you and your horse as we would want to be treated. We have all been owned by horses from our childhood and into adulthood. This knowledge and understanding of what it is really like to be owned by “your horse of a lifetime” brings a special veterinary experience to you. Little Rock Equine Vets, are a small but very capable team, bringing a very personable and professional service to your door. Everything we do, can be done “stable side”. We also have early and late calls designed specifically with you in mind. This gives you the ability to look after your horse’s routine care without needing to take time out of your day for an appointment. We want to help you get the best from your partnership with your horse or pony. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

05/11/2024

Atypical Myopathy is a condition that can be seen at this time of year. It is a serious illness with a high fatality rate in horses.

Take a look at tonights blog as to why this is the case:

https://littlerockequinevets.co.uk/tackling-atypical-myopathy-protecting-horses-from-hidden-danger/

26/10/2024

Don't forget that the clocks go back tonight. This means an extra hour of sleep (if) your four legged friends allow you that pleasure. It means we can all look forward to autumn and the joys that it brings.

We have a fair run of abscesses lately, this has not been helped by the inconsistency of the weather this year, leading to horses being more prone to bruises and abscesses. You help to minimise a softer foot in these conditions, if you can allow them 12 hours on hard standing out of the mud, alongside toughening their soles by using Iodine spray this will help reduce the risks of a foot abscess.

In foot abscesses black pus is good pus, all other colours can indicate a more serious problem. If you are concerned that your abscess isn't behaving normally, it is best to talk with your vet to get to the bottom of it. As always we are available to talk to you at anytime on 01782 898102.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

15/10/2024

High temperatures in horses can be a serious issue. We have seen an upsurge in cases of extremely high temperatures over the last few weeks, with no real reason. All of these horses have been off colour, some more so than others and have had temperatures of at least 39 degree's.

We are fortunate here at Little Rock Equine Vets, because all of our vans have an SAA machine in them. This allows us to help decide whether the patient in front of us needs antibiotics in these cases. This machine works from a blood sample and the results come back within 10 mins.

This allows our vets to use antibiotics responsibly and help get your best buddy back on the road to health more quickly.

At this time of year we have also been taking encysted red worm blood samples from these patients and many of them have come back with increibly high antibody levels. Encysted red worm can make horses very ill, so it is important to know what their encysted red worm burden is and treat accordingly. This ensures that we aren't using wormers unnecessarily and targeting what we need to target in the correct way.

If you have any questions on this please do not hesitate to give us a shout on 01782 898102

13/10/2024

It's been lovely to see how you guys have got on at HOYS this week. Even some of our Little Rockers made it down this weekend.

It's great to see how your hard work has paid off and it's lovely see so many of you do so well.

Massive congratulations to all of you who have taken part this week. Hope the shopping has been good too :)

25/09/2024

With the change in weather over the last few days and with more wintery weather it is important to keep an eye on your horses especially if you have changed their routine. We have seen a number of impaction colics over the last week. Impaction colic is a type of abdominal pain caused by a decrease in water/fluid intake. It can also be caused when a horse isn't moving as much as normal (longer time spent in their stable for example).

Signs of impaction colic:
- reduction of feaces - this is usually seen over a matter of days.
- feaces becoming harder in consistency
- less water being drunk
- eating less forage such as hay or haylage

As the impaction gets bigger they can then develop more obvious signs of colic:

- lying down
- kicking at their tummy
- tail swishing
- not eating at all

The first picture is dry droppings, the second picture have a more normal consistency.

If you notice any of these signs, it is better to call your vet sooner rather than later as impaction colic (depending on the underlying cause of it) can be serious if left for a prolonged length of time.

If you wish to discuss this topic further please phone the office on 01782 898102 and talk to one of our vets.

24/09/2024

Case of the Week:

This is a case of urticaria (allergic reaction). This horse has recently moved yards and is coming into contact with something in it's environment that it is allergic to. Urticaric reactions can be widespread and diffuse like this or they can appear as larger lumps. Some horses seem to be unaffected by them and others (like this horse) become very itchy.

The itching usually makes these lumps (which are caused by a release of histamine) worse and some horses can create damage to their skin because of how itchy they are.

The causes of this is usually unknown but will be either fungal (especially at this time of year) or something they are in contact with such as bedding, rugs, new environment. Most of these settle over the course of a few days with help from drugs that supress the immune system. Other cases sometimes need further investigation.

This horse did recover with therapeutic treatment and is doing very well. If you have any questions on allergic horse reactions, you can contact us on 01782 898102

19/09/2024

We happily support our local events. Thank you Plant A Fence Events; Weston Park, Chillington Hall & Stafford Horse Trials for having us.

14/09/2024

Having a lovely morning down a Chillington Hall. Even had this little bunny watching the cross country with me 🙂

12/09/2024

Very much looking forward to the SAVILLS CHILLINGTON HALL REGIONAL & 80/90 YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS this weekend. We are proudly supporting this event for the second year and Shelley will be on course on both the Saturday and Sunday as one of the course vets.

We hope everyone has a fabulous and safe weekend competing. Come and say hello if you see her.

11/09/2024

We shared a post last night about a new case of flu in the Staffordshire Moorlands area and it got us thinking. We talk endlessly to clients about the importance of vaccination for both Flu and Tetanus. Flu is a very infectious virus which if caught in an unvaccinated horse or pony can be very serious.

Most infections are spread through the environment by unvaccinated horses, usually those who are undergoing a large amount of stress, for example those who are moving from one yard to another, or coming from a different part of the country.

Vaccinated horses can get a milder form of flu. Those most at risk are the very young and the very old, whose immune systems aren't as strong as those in their prime.

The last flu outbreak was in late 2018 and into 2019. I remember vaccinating a lot of horses to try and ensure they wouldn't come down with the disease. Competition venues went from requiring horses to be vaccinated yearly to every 6 months and this went on until 2021/22.

The problem with the flu virus is it is good at being caught by horses and can also spread on the wind (up to 5 Km). The best defence against it is to insure your horse is up to date with vaccinations. In yards where there is an outbreak, horses who have not been vaccinated within the last 6 months should be vaccinated again to ensure they have immunity.

If you have aquired a new horse or pony then they should be isolated away from other horses on the yard and in the fields for at least 3 weeks. This coupled with taking their temperatures twice a day to check whether they have a temperature ensures that you are protecting the rest of the horses on the yard from any infectious diseases such as Flu, Herpes, and strangles.

Biosecurity is important with any new arrivals and by isolating them from the rest of the yard means that you are protecting all the horses on the yard. If you have any questions about this please do not hesitate to contact us either below in the comments or on the office number 01782 898102.

10/09/2024

Flu can travel for up to 5km in the right conditions. If you remember the last outbreak in 2019, there was a big need for horses to be vaccinated. If you have any concerns about this please contact our office 01782898102 and ask to speak to one of our vets

01/09/2024

We see so many posts on social media about eyes. Eyes are vital to horses and any changes with them should be thought of as seriously as a colic. Eye sight can be lost very quickly. If your horse or pony has an eye that is swollen or is half closed or is tear stained then you should seek help as soon as it is spotted.

Most of the time at this time of year, it will be a fly issue, conjunctivitis but occasionally horses will bang their heads and this can lead to something called a Hyphema (bleeding into the eye) or if the eyeball has been punctured can lead to a stromal abscess.

Luckily we do not see these often but when we do they are of major concern. If you have any questions about eye issues, please feel free to phone us on 01782 898102

30/08/2024

Morning our Little Rockers - we have loved your comments about your farriers. They have made us laugh and smile a lot over the last few days. It is obvious that they are a strong part of your horses story and it's lovely to see the support you have for them and they for you.

Its been hard making a choice but Danielle Lovatt, your comment about your farrier -

"My Farrier is the best because even when I ring him to say we've lost a shoe, he says it's ok and he will be there that day or the next.........he puts up with horsewomen every day and thats good going"

You have won the four passes to Chatsworth - we will drop them off today - enjoy your weekend.

28/08/2024

Hi Little Rockers - we are proudly supporting the farrier tent at Chatsworth Country Fair again this year. We love the farriers we work alongside, Their knowledge and expertise is vital in keeping our beloved equines on the road.

We would like to celebrate our farriers by giving away four tickets to the Chatsworth Country Show being held from the 30th to the 1st of September 2024. So What makes your farrier the best farrier in Staffordshire? Best answer (judged by our office) wins these tickets. Show us your farriers doing their best job in the comments below. Close of competition Thursday 29th August at 2pm.

28/08/2024

Best of luck to our clients who are competing at futurity classes tomorrow. We wish you all the best and look forward to hearing how you got on

26/08/2024

It's been a great bank holiday weekend for some of our clients. Congratulations to Claire Howie who won racing at newmarket on Saturday, this was a professional race and she and Mac won by 20 lengths having come from well down the pack. Some members of the North Staffordshire pony club have had an amazing weekend competing at the pony club national champs in dressage, showjumping and eventing. Well done Pip Mayer, Reeva Mason Sophie May Schonau and Saffy Vincent.

Sarah Birchall has been doing well with Simba and Willow this week on the showing circuit. We know how hard you all work to get to the results you get.

It was the Caverswall & District 50th anniversary show and by the sounds of things was a tremendous day for a lot of you.

It is fabulous to see you all out and about enjoying yourselves. Hope everyone has had a great Bank holiday weekend......for us it's back to normal tomorrow and the office will be open from 845 as usual.

21/08/2024

Hope you are looking forward to a long weekend. This coming Monday (26th August) our office will be closed, it will reopen on the 27th August at 845am. If you have any issues over the weekend, then please phone the office number on 01782 898102 and Shelley will be happy to help you out.

Here's hoping you all have a lovely weekend and you get some much needed time off.

20/08/2024

Our case of the week this week is Wallace.

We were called to see Wallace on a sunday morning because he waas struggling to eat. When we arrived, we found Wallace to be struggling to eat food when it was offered. We sedated him and had a thorough examination of his mouth and found some baler twine wrapped round the base of his tongue which we removed.

This improved things but didn't resolve the issue, so an appointment was booked for the following day to take xrays. As you can see from the xray, he had a tooth root infection of his 109 molar. This is one of the oldest teeth in the horse and is usually the first to be worn down. We organised to remove this tooth and Wallace is now back to his happy big self. He was signed off on his 25th birthday.

Teeth issues are common in the more mature and young horses. Issues such as broken teeth, tooth root infections are commonly seen. Regular dentals and dental examination are paramount in horses and can catch issues early and prevent big problems from arising.

If you have any questions on this topic, please give the office a call on 01782 898102.

Happy mouths, make for happy horses and happy riders.

Address

Lane Ends House
Leek
ST99DD

Website

http://littlerockequinevets.co.uk/

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Videos

We've had a busy but fun week at LREV. Hope you all have a great weekend #littlerockequinevets #whoseinyourteam #thebestweek #HaveTheBestWeekend #horsevetsnorthstaffordshire

Case of the week - Patchie is a horse Shelley met for the first time on a routine vaccination. Patch's owner mentioned that Patch was struggling with performance issues in front and was mildly lame. When his foot balance was examined it was found to be suboptimal and Shelley thought this might have an impact on his performance. Patch had xrays taken that showed medio-lateral imbalance, long toe and an under run heels in both front feet. Shelley and a local remedial farrier soon set to work to correct the issues highlighted in the xrays. We are so pleased that Patch is back sound and back to work. He is throughly enjoying getting back to dancing and so is his mum Louise. Whilst a lot of balance correction can be done by a good farrier just by looking at the foot and how it is placed in relation to the horse's body. It is vital in cases of performance horses to ensure that the balance of the feet is correct. The old saying no foot, no horse is so very very true even in this modern age. If you have a horse you are struggling with, then please phone the office on 01782 898102 and one of our vets will be happy to discuss options with you #littlerockequinevets #equinevetsnorthstaffordshire #horsevetsnorthstaffordshire #whoseinyourteam #vetfarrierteam #oneteam

This is Harry Brown or HB for short - when we met him on a yard (whilst looking at another pony), his owner wasn't sure what to do with him. He is a chronic laminitic who was on medication but he was dead behind the eyes and lacked the ability to go out and graze for more than 30 mins at a time. He had fat pads in all the usual areas (behind the shoulder, over his bum and above his eyes. His owner was concerned that because of the inability to be able to ride him coupled with his limited grazing, that they would have to think about his quality of life longer term. We examined HB and took blood tests that showed he had a very high insulin count. He was already on medication to treat this (metformin) but it obviously wasn't working anymore. He also has Cushings disease which was being well controlled by using prascend. We swapped HB from metformin onto a drug called Ertugliflozin. This drug alongside his prascend has helped HB to get back to riding and they even had a little jump a few days ago. He has gone from a pony just existing to one who now tries to escape from his paddock and is according to his owner back to his cheeky wee self. We are so pleased that HB is back on form, and living his life to the full. Routine examinations of horses and ponies is so very important, thats why we do these routinely at Vaccination time. It helps us to keep your team working together. If you have any questions on this case or on treatment for laminitis, please do nto hesitate to phone us 01782898102 #littlerockequinevets #horsevetsnorthstaffordshire #whoseinyourteam #oldponiescandomore #laminitics #caseoftheweek

A day in the life

We love what we do #littlerockequinevets #whoseinyourteam #equinevetsnorthstaffordshire #adayimthelife

Happy Friday folks, we have a satisfying case to show you. This weeks topic is wounds. We hope you have a great weekend! #littlerockequinevets #whoseinyourteam #happyfriday #horsevetsnorthstaffordshire #salthousestables

Happy Humpday guys. It's been dry and everyone has had a fab day at the office, hope you have too :)

It’s time guys!!! 🎄🌲🎄🌲🤶🏻🎅🧑‍🎄

Shelley is down at Chillington Hall BE Area Festival today. If you see her give her a wave. #equinevetsnorthstaffordshire #littlerockequinevets #whoseinyourteam #chillingtonhall

Was a lovely day at Leek show. Hope you all had a great and successful day

We hope you all have a lovely day at Leek show tomorrow. We are proud to sponsor the showjumping and the driving rings this year. We wish everyone the very best of luck