Equine

A vaccination programme will ensure that your horse has maximum protection against common, yet serious infectious diseases. The two most important vaccinations that every horse should receive are influenza and tetanus.

There is also a vaccination against Equine Herpes Virus (EHV1 and EHV4). Please see our fact sheet for further information.

We consider that dental care is an essential part of your horse's preventative health care plan. We recommend all horses have their teeth checked at least once a year, more regularly for those with dental abnormalities. Our dental service includes everything from routine rasping to advanced dental techniques such as cheek tooth extractions. Dental correction can be carried out using the latest electric power tools, which make procedures more comfortable for your horse. Sedation can be administered when necessary.

Dental procedures can be carried out at your premises or at our Equine Unit at Parc Teifi, where we have stocks that offer extra safety for horse and handler.

We routinely castrate colts under standing sedation or recumbent (lying down) under anaesthesia. Castrations are carried out when both testicles are descended.

We can perform full respiratory examinations including bronchiol-alveolar lavage and tracheal wash to diagnose COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). We can also examine the urinary bladder.

Our health assessments include general body condition, weight, heart and lung function, eyes, teeth and blood tests (when required). We are happy to advise on exercise, nutrition, worming and vaccination protocols.

Lameness in horses is a very common problem, and it is one of the most likely reasons a horse will need veterinary attention. Our vets can carry out a thorough examination to assess your horse for lameness, determine the cause of lameness - whether it be a sports injury, suspected fracture, tendon injury or swollen joint, and recommend appropriate treatment.

Vets are also able to advise on hoof care and diagnose and treat hoof ailments.

Following the introduction of compulsory passports for all horses in 2005, new European Union (EU) regulations, which came into effect on 1st July 2009, mean that all foals born must now be microchipped by a qualified veterinary surgeon before turning 6 months of age or by 31st December in the year it was born. Additionally, due to changes in the law effective from 1st January 2016 passports can only be issued where the markings have also been completed by the qualified veterinary surgeon.

Please note that some breed societies issue their own microchip and you will need to organise this, together with the appropriate passport application form, before booking the visit.

We can carry out a number of surgical procedures including skin lacerations, removal of foreign bodies, irrigation of lesions etc. Treatment can be carried out at your own premises or at our equine facility in Parc Teifi.

To reduce the risk of buying a horse that may have health problems or become unsound in the future, we strongly recommend a pre-purchase veterinary examination. If you choose to insure the horse, your insurance company may also request the examination prior to insurance.

Priory Vets offers a wide range of equine reproductive services for your mare. These include pre-seasonal swabbing and blood sampling (for mare and stallion), artificial insemination and pregnancy scanning. We also carry out post-foaling checks and treat mares for retained placentas in emergency situations.

Our vets are qualified to fully examine and inspect stallions for issuing licences.

Worm egg counts are an essential part of any worming programme for horses, as it is important to find out if any worms are actually present before beginning treatment. Current research has shown that some types of worms are now showing resistance to particular wormers, and that the overuse or incorrect timings of worming treatments can in fact make this problem worse.

At Priory Vets our trained team can carry out in-house faecal worm egg counts, in order to help work out an effective and efficient worming routine for your horse. This test not only identifies the number of worm eggs but also the type of worms.