Lameness & Poor Performance
Our clinic has a range of surfaces for gait assessment during lameness and poor performance investigations. These facilities enable us to carry out a thorough investigation to help get your horse back to full fitness as soon as possible.
Our vets can carry out lameness investigations and treatments both on the road and at the clinic. We have a full range of portable diagnostic equipment which means we can carry out X-Rays and ultrasounds at your yard for a timely diagnosis. Once a lameness has been diagnosed, there are several possible treatment options available such as shockwave therapy, stem-cell therapy, platelet rich plasma, IRAP and joint medications.
The diagnostic procedure has advanced significantly over recent decades but at long last newer, more strategic treatments are becoming available to bring the therapeutic options on a par with the sophisticated level of diagnostic information that can be achieved. The investigation process involves clinical examination, observation of gait and regional anaesthesia (nerve and joint blocks) to localise the lameness.
Our team of experienced clinicians use these nerve blocks strategically to desensitise regions of the limb and then re-assess the gait; desensitising the region affected will result in an improvement in the lameness. Once the affected area has been determined, a combination of radiography, ultrasonography, scintigraphy and sometimes arthroscopy can be used to achieve a diagnosis.
Armed with a diagnosis, treatment can be tailored to give the most appropriate therapy that gives to best chance for a successful outcome.