YEP
YORKSHIRE EQUINE PRACTICE
Routine Health Care
If your horse is already ill, we will administer rapid treatment, causing as little distress as possible.
In many cases, regular check-ups can lead to detection and specific treatment of diseases in their early stages.
Routine health care is tailored to our client’s requirements, this may include:
Outpatient treatment and advice
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General examinations and treatment of your horse or pony
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Check ups for your horse
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Vaccinations
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Microchipping/Passports
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Advice on feeding and diets of overweight horses and ponies and in certain cases of illness (food allergies, laminitis, cushings syndrome, equine metabolic syndrome, liver and kidney diseases)
Laboratory diagnostics
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Complete blood count, Biochemistry & any additional tests required
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Full range of tests available
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Strangles testing
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Cushings testing
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Viral screening
Dental care and treatments
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Routine floating and wolf teeth removal
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Work closely with excellent equine dental technicians when more help is required
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Referral to recommended hospital or hospital of your choice for teeth removal or surgery when required.
Ultrasound
Digital Radiography
Surgery
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Routine field surgery is carried out such as castrations.
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Referral to specialist surgeons for orthopaedic or soft tissue surgeries
Equine Dentistry
All our vets regularly carry out equine dental procedures and are trained to a very high standard in this field. Like many veterinary practices in the UK we also work closely with Equine Dental Technicians (EDT) who are available to perform selected non-invasive procedures within a horse's mouth.
Yorkshire Equine Practice adheres to the British Equine Veterinary Association Guidelines on what dental procedures can be performed by persons other than Members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and these guidelines are set out below.
BEVA GUIDELINES ON EQUINE DENTAL TREATMENT
In order to provide a greater degree of clarity in advising veterinary surgeons on working with EDTs and to inform and protect the public BEVA would suggest that veterinary surgeons cooperate with suitably trained, qualified EDTs for the following procedures. We feel strongly that it is to the benefit of horse welfare for veterinary surgeons to continue to collaborate with qualified EDTs, and BEVA recommends collaboration with registered members of the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT).
Category 1 Procedures
Those procedures which an individual can perform after recognised training without specific attainment of qualifications.
1) Examination of teeth
2) Removal of sharp enamel points using manual rasps only
3) Removal of small dental overgrowths (maximum 4mm reductions) using manual rasps only
4) Rostral profiling of the first cheek teeth (maximum 4mmr eductions), previously termed ‘bit seat shaping'
5) Removal of loose deciduous caps
6) Removal of supragingival calculus
Category 2 Procedures
Additional procedures suitable for delegation to an EDT who has trained and passed an examination approved by DEFRA
1) Examination, evaluation and recording of dental abnormalities
2) The removal of loose teeth or dental fragments with no periodontal attachments which are digitally extractable without the use of instruments
3) The removal of erupted, non-displaced wolf teeth in the upper or lower jaw under direct and continuous veterinary supervision
4) Palliative rasping of fractured and adjacent teeth
5) The use of motorised dental instruments where these are used to reduce overgrowths and remove sharp enamel points only, in horses sedated appropriately.
All other procedures and any new procedures, which arise as a result of scientific and technical development, would by default be classified as Category 3, which are those procedures restricted to registered veterinary surgeons.
British Association of Equine Dental Technicians
Lameness Investigation
All our veterinary surgeons have a strong interest in lameness investigations and have portable digital radiography (x-ray) equipment and ultrasound scanners which allow lameness evaluations to be carried out in the yard, enabling prompt treatment and rehabilitation decisions to be made.
Each lameness investigation is tailored to the individual case.
Some of the diagnostic techniques that we may use (see below) and the veterinary surgeon who is assessing your horse will discuss with you those that are relevant, together with the plan for your horse:
Nerve blocks
In some cases it may be useful to use a nerve block in order to assist the diagnosis of a lameness investigation. This is done by injecting local anaesthetic around the nerves that supply a particular region of the limb, after around 5-10 minutes the horse is re-examined to determine if the lameness has improved.
Local anaesthetic can also be placed into joints or tendon sheaths to determine if they are the source of pain, causing lameness or poor performance.
If the nerve block of a particular area reduces the lameness, radiography or ultrasonography can then be used in order to determine the exact cause of pain and lameness.
Radiography
All our vets have access to the latest mobile digital radiographic equipment.
Mobile digital imaging may be used in many situations and conveniently conducted at the yard.
Ultrasonography
Ultrasonography is useful for diagnosing and evaluating a numerous conditions including joint, tendon, muscle, ligament and pelvis injuries.
ESWT Shockwave Therapy
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has become an emerging new technology for treating musculoskeletal problems, soft-tissue injuries and bone injuries in horses. ESWT is non-invasive, used to stimulate healing to return horses to a level of fully sound, useful activity without recurrence of disease.
It speeds up the healing of injuries as well as having a pain-relieving effect.
ESWT is now well accepted as a useful non-invasive treatment for angular limb deformity in young growing foals.
Typically a horse will need a course of three treatments at 10-14 day intervals.
Endoscopy/Overground Endoscopy
Upper airway conditions are a common cause of poor performance and abnormal respiratory noise during exercise. We are equipped to perform both resting and overground (dynamic) endoscopic exams in order to accurately diagnose such conditions.
Yorkshire Equine Practice is one of the few veterinary practices in the UK that has the state of the art Optomed Dynamic Respiratory Endoscopy System.
Many airway abnormalities cannot be predicted from an endoscopic examination at rest therefore using an overground endoscope during exercise, ensures precise determination if a horse has a dynamic upper airway abnormality and, more importantly, the likely significance of that abnormality in competition.
Dynamic endoscopy system allows a horse to exercise in its own discipline whilst endoscopy is being performed. For example, a racehorse can be exercised at full speed on the gallops, whilst a show horse can be exercised in an arena wearing its full tack and in its normal head carriage position. these examinations can be performed at the horse owners’ premises.
IRAP Joint Therapy
IRAP (Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein), or Autologous Conditioned Serum as it is also known, is a method of harvesting anti-inflammatory protein from the horse's own blood to then inject into a joint to encourage healing.
IRAP is an extremely useful treatment for joint lameness (inflammation/ degeneration of joints) and is a great alternative to corticosteroid and hyaluronate injections. It is drug-free and leaves no residues - therefore, since no prohibited substance is administered, there is no withdrawal period for competition.
The Technique:
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A 50ml sample of blood is taken from the horse in a special syringe using a sterile technique.
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The blood sample is then incubated for 24 hours in the IRAP syringe, where by the protein-rich serum is created.
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The serum is injected into the joint using a sterile technique again.
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One blood sample typically yields 3-4 doses of IRAP, which may be frozen for future injections, specifically for use in your horse.
Laboratory Testing
We work with a variety of laboratories all over the country, allowing us to perform a host of laboratory tests, from routine blood profiles to hormone testing (including Cushing's), bacterial and viral testing and DNA testing.
Referral
In the event that your horse needs referring to a specialist facility for surgery or intensive medical care, we will arrange this with the Equine Hospital that we have long recommended, or to another Equine Hospital of your choice if you have other preferences.
Referral Services
We have an excellent working relationship with Rossdale & Partners in Newmarket. At their equine hospital and diagnostic centre a large team of experienced clinicians are always available at the end of a telephone, 24/7, to provide expert back-up when required.
Rossdales provides a comprehensive range of specialist veterinary services, ranging from advanced diagnostic imaging (MRI scans, CT scans and Scintigraphy (bone scans)) through to medical investigations and all types of surgery. Their expert consultancy services are available at Newmarket or, if requested by your vet, a visit can be arranged to your premises.
If your horse needs to be referred for specialist diagnostic services, elective or emergency surgery or medical attention, Rossdales is our preferred referral practice. Please visit their website www.rossdales.com for more information.
Alternatively, your horse can be referred to another equine hospital of your choice.
Richard J.Payne BSc, BVSc, CertES(Orth), DipECVS, MRCVS
Prescription Policy
Yorkshire Equine Practice are happy to provide our clients with prescriptions in order for them to purchase specific medications for animals under our care.
Our policy is as follows:
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The owner and animal must be registered with Yorkshire Equine Practice.
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The animal must have been examined by one of our vets for the condition for which medication is requested, within the last 3 months.
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Prescriptions will be provided for a maximum of 3 months supply of a medication (or less at the discretion of the treating veterinary surgeon).
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A charge of £15 is payable to Yorkshire Equine Practice for each prescription provided.
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Please contact the Office on 01904 737763 for any further information.