Equine Grass Sickness (EGS) Grass sickness is a devastating, widespread and usually fatal condition of horses, ponies and donkeys which has been recognised in this country since the beginning of the…
Introducing a simple way to manage your horses annual worming requirements, following best practice by reducing the risk of drug resistance in our equine population. Only worm when necessary and…
Sinusitis, more than just a snotty nose.... Sinusitis refers to inflammation or infection of the sinuses. The sinuses are a complex system of air filled chambers within the head, which inte…
We would like to introduce Phil Cramp BSc BVM&S MS DipACVS DipECVS MRCVS American and European Specialist in Equine Surgery RCVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Surgery Phil Cramp is…
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPREAD THE COST OF YOUR HORSE’S ROUTINE PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE? With the cost of living crisis affecting us all, we thought now would be a useful time to introduce our new ‘Hors…
Lice: Small (1-2mm) flightless insects which live in the hair. They primarily move from host to host by direct contact, but can stay alive in clumps of groomed hair and dandruff, which might come…
Diastema Disease If you ever see a horse ‘quidding’ lumps of chewed-up hay or haylage then one of the most common reasons for this is diastema disease – or gaps between the teeth. Horses h…
“But there isn’t any grass on the field…” We hear these words a lot at this time of year, from the exasperated owners of fat horses fighting what sometimes seems like a losing battle with their horses…
On the 7th May one of our vets, Jane King, took part in the C2B sponsored walk, completing the 21 miles in just over 6 hours. As some of you may know, Jane finished a 6 week course of chemo/rad…
As vets, it’s often assumed that the worst part of our job is putting animals to sleep, but in reality it is often the consequences of delayed euthanasia that many of us find difficult and upsetti…
Grass sickness is a devastating, widespread and usually fatal condition of horses, ponies and donkeys which has been recognised in this country since the beginning of the 1900’s. Recent work at Edi…
Foaling time is upon us… Foals are born free of parasites but they are extremely vulnerable as their immune system still needs to develop. Foals are often exposed to parasites within the first few…
In recent years, we have changed the way we worm (technically ‘de-worm’) our horses. Instead of dosing at regular intervals throughout the year, we now realise a targeted approach to individual horses…
Are you thinking of buying a new horse this year? we explain the vetting process from a vets perspective. A pre-purchase examination, or “vetting”, is an examination carried out by a vet on behalf of…
Allergens normally considered harmless, can interact differently with the immune system of certain horses resulting in an allergic response. These allergens enter the body in several different ways an…
14 year old Sports horse mare, Cassie had a run-in with a gate post on the morning of July 2nd. The post is part of a gateway she had been through several times a day for the past 10 years, and the…
When temperatures soar, knowing how to keep dehydration at bay when your horse is on the move is more important than ever. When travelling horses, keeping them hydrated is one of the most important…
With the recent hot weather, we’ve been seeing more and more minor ailments caused by heat, flies and pollen. Here we run through the most common complaints and how you can tackle them effectively. …
It is with great pleasure that we would like to announce that Richard Knight has agreed to join the Senior Management Team here at Northwest Equine Vets as an Associate Director. Richard joined u…
During the summer months flies increase in numbers and can become a problem, annoying horses and riders alike. The problems caused by flies can range from a mild annoyance to a severe worry making…
Is your horse getting dehydrated in this hot weather? How do you check?... Here are two simple checks that you can do to see if your horse is properly hydrated: 1) The skin-pinch test: …
*** An important message for all our friends and clients during lockdown *** At this time, we all have an obligation to minimise the spread of Covid-19 and as vets we also have an obligation to…
At this time of year, as the ground starts to get wet and muddy, we frequently see foot abscesses as a cause of lameness. An abscess develops when bacteria enter the foot through a hoof crack, up the…
USE WINTER WISELY! Consider the wild horses of the world. They do not tend to suffer with obesity and all the conditions associated with it (eg. laminitis, hyperinsulinaemia). This is because…
After a very difficult time we are delighted that we are now able to offer more routine veterinary procedures for all of our clients. This will lead to an inevitable increase in visits, it remains in…
Earlier this month, I attended a course on equine behaviour run by the well renowned Gemma Pearson.Behaviour is an often overlooked but very important area; both for making our horses’ lives as stress…
It is time for a monumental effort in the war against obesity. I have seen 4 new cases of weight-related laminitis in the last fortnight, and I only work 3 days a week, AND it’s January! Here at Nort…
Our vet Catherine Speakman first met Elvis when his owner called us about a suspected sarcoid on Elvis’s right eye. Elvis had mixed nodular/verrucous sarcoids around the region, and also a scaly area…
When disaster strikes the importance of teamwork and the strength of the community and friendships really shine through. Jane King recently attended a freak accident where poor Summer, a lovely bay m…
Martha, a beautiful yearling sustained a severe wound to her left foreleg. Her owner was travelling her in a brand new trailer, when a freak incident on the roads caused them to break suddenly. Marth…
A recent case just highlights the dangers of ragwort poisoning, and we so often see horses grazing in fields that contain ragwort. If you have ragwort growing in your field:• Plants are best dug out,…
The horse’s respiratory tract is divided into two portions, the upper (URT) and lower (LRT). The URT comprises the nostrils, nasal passages and cavities, pharynx and larynx. The trachea (windpipe) and…
We all know how hard it can be to get some horses to lose weight, so we’ve put together some ideas to help you; whether your horse is just starting their weight loss journey or you’re looking for some…
Everyone loves Jerry!! We would like to share Jerrys story with you… Jerry is a 26 year old Shetland pony who was presented by his owner with a large mass on his right stifle.Jerry had recently been…
Laminitis is something we usually find ourselves talking about in Spring but this year we are seeing a large number of winter cases. 90% horses and ponies with laminitis suffer from Equine Metabol…
2019 Worming Plan Please call the clinic on 0808 168 5580 or 01254 888600 if you would like any further advice
These small teeth usually erupt between birth and 18 months of age, but have no known function in the horse! They usually sit just in front of the upper cheek teeth, though very occasionally we do see…
Allergens normally considered harmless, can interact differently with the immune system of certain horses resulting in an allergic response. These allergens enter the body in several different ways an…
From 25 May 2018 the law is changing and all companies must review how they manage all personal data under The General Data Protection Act. This is intended to give you (our client) more control over…