We have a range of facilities available.
Contact branches separately for an overview of the facilities at each branch.
- Medical facilities
- Surgical facilities
- In-patient facilities
- In-house laboratory
We have a number of endoscopes including a 3-metre-long gastroscope, allowing us assess the stomach and small intestine for gastric ulceration. Combined with our laproscopic and arthroscopic equipment we are fully equipped to get real time images most areas of your horse that it’s possible to do so.
We have an array of high quality, portable ultrasound scanners enabling us to examine soft tissues such as tendon, ligaments, and muscles, as well as joints and the surfaces of many bones. We can also use these machines to examine the heart which can be very useful. We have a scanner that has a Doppler capability, this shows up blood flow as a colour, allowing for interpretation of both the volume, speed and direction of the blood flow. This is important when looking at leaking valves that are causing murmurs. We also have access to an exercisie ECG. This allows us to see how the heart is behaving both at exercise and for prolonged periods when problems are of a more intermittent nature.
All our Radiography at the clinic is in the digital format and has been for several years, we have recently upgraded our machines to top of the range systems. Digital radiography gives much better image definition but also allows images to be emailed between vets and means storage and retrieval is much easier.
Our surgical caseload has expanded year on year over the last few years with over 200 procedures performed last year.
The facilities include a separate padded knockdown or induction box, where the horses are induced prior to being positioned on the specifically designed hydraulic table in the operating theatre. The horses are then connected to the anaesthetic monitoring equipment. This includes an electrocardiogram, to measures the heart rate, a pulse oximeter to measure the oxygen concentration in the blood, and an arterial blood pressure monitor.
At the Minster Equine Veterinary Clinic, we perform a lot of operations on a weekly basis. These include ‘Keyhole Surgery’ on joints, known as Arthroscopy, where chips may be removed and any damage within the joint rectified. We also operate on horse for wind defects such as ‘Hobday’ and ‘Tieback’ operations for those with paralysed larynx’s and various procedures for treating soft palate displacement including the relatively recent ‘Tie Forward’ operation. Other frequently performed operations include tooth removal, treatment of hernias and removal of retained testicles.
After the surgeon has finished the operation the horse is reconnected to the hoist where it is transported onwards to the padded recovery room. They are given oxygen via a nasal tube in recovery and monitored on close circuit TV until they are standing. When the horse is quite steady on its feet it is moved to an intensive care stable or normal stable depending on its health status
With 14 large and airy stables and several grass paddocks, we are able to cater for horses staying in for the day, overnight. The stables include larger boxes for mares and foals and boxes set up for intravenous fluid administration.
We have a range of bedding and dietary options to hand to ensure your horse feels relaxed and at home.
Visiting by prior arrangement, times as follows:
9am – 10am 4pm – 5pm
Having an on-site laboratory means that we can get results for our cases rapidly, allowing for fast diagnoses and quick changes in treatment protcols, helping optimise the care of the horse.
The Equine Unit Laboratory is CEMO registered which means it is one of only 28 labs in the UK that is accredited to deal with Clittoral and stallions swabs as part of the CEMO (Contagious Equine Metritis Organism) prevention scheme. This allows Mare and Stallion Owners to ensure their animals are free from the three potentially venereal bacterial infections that affect the horse; Taylorella equigenitalis (CEMO), Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The Equine Lab handles all the equine haematology, biochemistry, bacteriology and fungal cultures.
Faecal Worm egg counts can be processed by members of our team at all of our branches.
