Diagnostics & Procedures

In February 2020 we became the first practice in north Cumbria to take delivery of a cutting edge Digital Radiography (DR) system. The advantages of DR compared to Computed Radiography (CR) are improved image quality, speed of image development (2 seconds compared to around 30 seconds) and a much more compact size.

We still recommend equine patients are brought to the surgery for x-rays, but the new system allows us to do full x-ray examinations away from the practice if patients cannot be transported. CR systems are limited to the number individual x-ray plates that can be brought to the patient and are then developed back at the surgery building. DR images are taken and developed next to the patient and as many x-rays as required can be taken during the examination.

The advantage of bringing patients to the surgery is that we have a dedicated examination room providing a clean and quiet environment, in addition to allowing access to other clinic based diagnostic equipment if it is needed.

Ultrasound was originally most commonly used for the investigation of tendon injuries and for reproductive work. Over the last few years there have been huge improvements in the quality of ultrasound scanners and we now routinely use ultrasound to aid us in our diagnosis of conditions involving tendons, ligaments, muscle, some skeletal structures, liver disease, some types of colic, eye conditions, back pain, reproductive organs and cardiac and pulmonary disease. We have a range of portable ultrasound scanners that can be used at your premises and a larger clinic based machine for cases that require either a more detailed image or cases where greater tissue penetration is required (for example scanning abdomens or the pelvis).

Unfortunately horses seem to find a huge number of ways of making themselves lame. Some lamenesses are fairly straightforward to both diagnose and treat but sometimes the cause is more elusive. In these cases nerve blocks (using local anaesthetic injected next to nerves to desensitise certain parts of the limb) and joint anaesthesia help us to localise the site of pain. X-rays or ultrasound are usually then used to identify the site of injury. Occasionally complicated lameness cases need diagnostic tests on consecutive days and in these circumstances patients can be left with us overnight in the stables

Endoscopy is the use of a flexible camera to visualise internal parts of the patient. We use a video endoscope which produces detailed images onto a screen for ease of use. It is most commonly used for respiratory disease and allows us to identify the origin of nasal discharges and take samples from the respiratory tract. The samples can then be analysed at a laboratory to determine, for example, whether a cough is due to allergy or infection. We have different lengths of endoscope that allow us to take samples from all sizes of horses and ponies

We also use endoscopy during sinus surgery and occasionally for the visualisation of the bladder. Oral endoscopy for dental disease is performed with a rigid endoscope designed solely for the mouth.

Over recent years gastric ulcers have been shown to cause a huge range of problems in horses. Our 3 metre gastroscope enables us to inspect the lining of the stomach of even the largest horse to in order to check for the presence of this common disease. Once diagnosed there are now very effective drugs to medicate the condition which, along with appropriate feed management, can eliminate the discomfort and poor performance caused by gastric ulceration.

The ECG (electrocardiogram) records the electrical activity of the heart and is essential in the diagnosis of certain cardiac arrythmias.

Surgical procedures performed include routine castration and castration of colts with retained testicles (“rigs”), removal of chip fractures or fractured splint bones, surgical management of angular limb deformities in foals, tendon/ligament transection for treatment of contracted tendons, tumour removal, pinch skin grafting and general anaesthesia for wound management when required. Dental surgery, sinus procedures and enucleations (removal of an eye) are usually performed under standing sedation and local anaesthetic. We also regularly use surgical laser when indicated. More details can be seen in our Laser page.

The practice is a BEVA (British Equine Veterinary Association) approved AI centre. We carry out AI on mares as part of our routine fertility case load during the equine breeding season. Whenever possible we encourage owners to leave the mare at the surgery or at Ivy House Stud for a few days so we can regularly monitor ovarian activity and the condition of the uterus via ultrasonography. We work closely with Ivy House and have a vet there most days during the breeding season. AI can be performed using frozen, chilled or fresh semen. Each type of semen has pros and cons for its use – please contact the surgery for more details and for prices for AI packages, which include visits, scans and most reproductive drugs.

Pre-purchase examinations are performed on a regular basis. We usually advise a full 5 Stage examination but in some circumstances will carry out a 2 Stage examination. The 5 Stage PPE involves a thorough examination at rest, trot-up and flexion tests, an exercise phase to assess the heart, lungs and gait under stress, a period of rest and a final trot-up. Please ask to speak with one of our vets if you would like more information on the PPE procedure.