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01653 618303

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Testimonials

“I am absolutely delighted with the results of Kayleigh from Station House Vets acupuncture treatments.
After a particularly challenging period with him both ridden and in hand, Chloe (Morton Animal Therapy), Vinnies chiropractor suggested working alongside Kayleigh to see if together they can make progress.
I was sceptical at first but I always try and do my very best for my horses and had nothing to lose. I can’t actually believe after only 2 treatments what a world of difference it’s made to him – and Vinnie absolutely loves the treatment.
Vinny and Caroline
The collaboration between Chloe and Kayleigh has been seamless and incredibly effective. My horse’s overall health and well-being have significantly improved, and I can see a remarkable change in his general attitude, mobility and comfort.
I highly recommend both these ladies service for any horse owner looking to enhance their horse’s quality of life. The care and expertise provided have truly been transformative for us.
Vinnie is a totally different horse. Thank you for your outstanding work; Vinnie and I look forward to continuing to work with you both.”
Find out more about the benefits of acupuncture to your horse – click here!
Call the practice on 01653 618303 to discuss acupuncture for your horse with our team.

Meet Junior, our vet Amelia’s horse.

When Amelia purchased Junior she knew he had kissing spine. She x-rayed him as a 4 year old and again at 7 years old. The second x-rays showed some improvement. 

As a 7 year old he was given steroid injections in his back which gave him about a 10% improvement.

Junior had an accident cross country and started to lose confidence.

His main symptoms (‘bad’ behaviour) were predominantly on the lunge. He would buck when going into canter, change behind in canter alongside lots of tail swishing.

Last year Amelia started an acupuncture course of 6 sessions once per week. Junior has since moved onto a maintenance programme which progressed from having acupuncture every fortnight, then every month and he now has acupuncture every 6 weeks on average, or as and when the ‘bad’ behaviour on the lunge returns.

Junior has a varied programme of work from lungeing, schooling, hacking, lessons and he also competes.

His regular schooling work has a strict regime:

  • a good groom to help promote blood circulation
  • lunge/in-hand work before being ridden which will start with 10 minutes in walk followed by 10 minutes in walk & canter with regular breaks
  • 20-30 minute ridden schooling work

This regime is only for Junior’s schooling work which might be once or twice per week.  However, this means that Amelia can keep a close eye on him and when the ‘bad’ behaviour starts again it’s time to book him in for his next acupuncture session.

Junior is doing really well and he’s loving his jumping, thanks to Amelia’s strict routine and his regular acupuncture sessions.

Find out more about the benefits of acupuncture to your horse – click here!
Call the practice on 01653 618303 to discuss acupuncture for your horse with our team.

Alice and Big B tell us their story about how they have managed to overcome big B’s fear of needles, working closely with Catriona and the team at Station House Vets.

My horse Big B has long had a nervous disposition. Visits from the vet, farrier and other equine professionals have been a trigger for her anxiety in the past, in fact any change to her daily routine can often be a cause for her to get upset.

Being nervous, for years Big B required sedation for clipping and dental work, all of which along with her routine vaccinations, involved one of her biggest fears – needles!

I realised I was going to have to do something about this fear when about 6 years ago my previous vet was trying to sedate her for clipping and she knocked him across the stable into the wall with just her head – she is over 18hh and being a shire cross, she is extremely powerful and although not nasty when she is panicking you don’t want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as her spatial awareness goes out the window. The next time the vet returned to see her he was wearing his hard hat and body protector and I knew if I didn’t address it properly it was only going to be a matter of time before me or the vet got hurt.

The first thing I decided to do was to create a routine for B, for anything to do with needles so she knew what to expect and could feel as prepared as possible. I knew she needed to be able to go out as normal on a morning and so I would arrange a time for the vet to come mid morning so she could have some time in her field before hand then come in to her stable in peace. She loves to be scratched and it always calms her down and so basically I would stand and scratch her for about 10 mins before the vet came helping her to relax. Importantly I also needed to remain calm, if I were to get tense then B would immediately know something was wrong and would start to worry, so I found singing or talking to her while waiting helped! I would tell my vet to come to the stable so she didn’t need me to leave her and he would walk in not speaking and just jab her with no faffing or wafting the needle around before hand. This improved the situation, but we would still find she was not totally settled and sometimes she would still jump or shoot up against the wall.

A big turning point was when I took B for a week long holiday where we tried our hand at positive reinforcement training. B absolutely loved this. She is very intelligent, and encouraging her to investigate scary things for herself with no pressure and the option to stop if she wanted really improved our relationship and confidence in each other.

Shortly after this I also moved vets to Station House Vets, Catriona became B’s main vet and this is where the improvement really started. I explained B’s nervousness to Catriona and the big difference was that she also took time to create a relationship with B so that B also began to trust her, not just me. When visiting our yard for other horses, sometimes Catriona would pop and see B in her stable while she was passing, not for a veterinary reason but just to say a quick hello and give her a treat so that she wasn’t always seeing her for something unpleasant.

B is also a frequent visitor to Station House so this has helped! Catriona is very patient and never rushes with B or raises her voice, she talks to her quietly and calmly and after any injection always gives her a treat and a fuss. This year we have been able to jab her just stood outside while chatting – she has come a very long way. It also meant that when she needed to go to Rainbow for lameness investigations, nerve blocks could be carried out with less stress than it would have previously involved, Catriona took the time to speak to the vets at Rainbow and let them know about B’s worry with needles so they too could be prepared.

Working on this also gave me the confidence to tackle other things that B found frightening, I no longer need sedation to clip her, she can be hot shod without panicking and I can worm her without a headcollar. It didn’t happen over night; it was years of patience, routine and reward but the improvement from 8 years ago is huge and I am very grateful to Catriona and the other vets at Station House who have since also had to jab B and followed the same routine to create the calmest environment for B and the safest environment for me and for them!

Meet Rosa and Elspeth.

I brought Rosa our welsh section D 15 year old mare into see Amelia for a lameness work up after a period of time off and treatment didn’t seem to be doing the trick for her.  She was still refusing to jump and wasn’t happy in her work.

 
Rosa is primarily used as a hunter and my mum’s hack.
 
Amelia worked Rosa up, assessing her thoroughly using the facilities at station house. It was decided that her earlier diagnosis of osteoarthritis was still causing her lameness.
 
As a next step we opted to use stem cells. Rosa was medicated early July 2021 and after a 8 week rehab programme was sound enough to increase her work load for the first time in over 18 months.
 
Since treatment Rosa has been able to maintain a high level of work and has hunted regularly throughout the season. She has even restored her love for jumping.

Testimonials

The AGRIA 5 weeks pet insurance has been improved – and there’s now even more reasons why you should consider the FREE cover!

How long is the policy for?
It’s a 5 week pet insurance FREE cover policy – giving you peace of mind your pet is covered from the day you sign up in the practice with us

Is there a minimum and maximum age?
Any dog or cat from 8 weeks old can sign up – and one of the improvements to the policy is that there is no upper age limit!

What is the monetary cover for this FREE policy?
Another improvement AGRIA have made to this 5 week free policy is the monetary cover – it is now £5,000!

Is there an excess to pay?
It is a fixed access of £125

What about other treatments – are they included?
Yes – complementary treatments are included up to £750, hydrotherapy up to £250 and behavioural treatment up to £250

Does the policy cover dental treatment?
Yes – cover is included for accident / injury per illness/injury

Is food included?
Yes 50% of the cost up to a total of £250 per illness/injury is included

What about death from illness or injury?
This is an addition to the previous plan as Agria now offer up to £2500

Advertising and reward for lost pets
This remains covered up to £1000 and includes up to £250 for reward

Agria also offer the AGRIA app making it easy for you to manage your 5 week FREE pet insurance.

If you’d like more information contact our team or ask about it in the practice. You must have seen a vet or a nurse on the day you sign up to the policy. Call 01653 618303 or email us at reception@stationhousevets.co.uk

 

Why you should consider the Station House Vets Wellness Plan

The Station House Vets Wellness Plan is a great convenient way to ensure your pets are covered for all their ongoing preventative healthcare.

Annual health checks, vaccinations and boosters, treatment against flea and wormers are all important to keep your pet in good health.

The Wellness Plan enables you to spread the cost of treatment in regular fixed instalments throughout the year, allowing you to budget for your pet’s essential preventative healthcare.

Tailored flea and worming programmes are important for your pets and also help reduce environmental contamination.

So, it’s good for your pet, good for your pocket and it’s good for the environment!

Our Plans have changed a little for 2025.  Our Dog Wellness Plans have been restructured so we now offer a NEW! Puppy plan which your puppy can go on for the first 12 months from sign up. Adult dogs now go on to a weight related plan (Small, Medium, Large and Xtra Large) making it even more tailored to your pet.

Neutering your pet has many benefits to their health, and so the Wellness Plans also offer you 10% off neutering.

And of course, diet is of great importance. Like us, our pets really are what they eat. For cats and dogs on the Wellness Plan you get 10% off the full biology-based nutritious range of Hill’s food. For rabbits it’s the Veterinary Recommended Burgess Excel range of products we offer 10% off.

Other updates to the 2025 plans include:

Dogs – in addition to surgical neutering we now also offer 10% off chemical neutering (Suprelorin) giving you options to suit you and your pet.

Cats – As cats age monitoring their blood pressure is of great importance. Therefore, we have added free blood pressure monitoring on to the Wellness Plan for cats over the age of 9.

To view the full details of the Station House Vets Wellness Plans for your dogs, cats and rabbits visit https://stationhousevets.com/wellness-plan/ and click on Wellness Plans. You can also sign up online via this link.

Note : we recommend you take out pet insurance alongside our Wellness Plans

 

“I am absolutely delighted with the results of Kayleigh from Station House Vets acupuncture treatments.
After a particularly challenging period with him both ridden and in hand, Chloe (Morton Animal Therapy), Vinnies chiropractor suggested working alongside Kayleigh to see if together they can make progress.
I was sceptical at first but I always try and do my very best for my horses and had nothing to lose. I can’t actually believe after only 2 treatments what a world of difference it’s made to him – and Vinnie absolutely loves the treatment.
Vinny and Caroline
The collaboration between Chloe and Kayleigh has been seamless and incredibly effective. My horse’s overall health and well-being have significantly improved, and I can see a remarkable change in his general attitude, mobility and comfort.
I highly recommend both these ladies service for any horse owner looking to enhance their horse’s quality of life. The care and expertise provided have truly been transformative for us.
Vinnie is a totally different horse. Thank you for your outstanding work; Vinnie and I look forward to continuing to work with you both.”
Find out more about the benefits of acupuncture to your horse – click here!
Call the practice on 01653 618303 to discuss acupuncture for your horse with our team.

Importance of microchips in helping reunite pets with their owners

We often hear stories in the media of missing pets who are reunited weeks, months and years later.  Helena, our nurse, has her own story to tell too.

Nora the black cat from York who was missing for 4 years: https://yorkmix.com/missing-for-4-years-but-now-nora-has-returned-home/;

Shadow from York, reunited after 10 years missing: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64311790

and Toby from Nuneaton missing for 11 years: https://www.cats.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/cat-presumed-dead-found-five-miles-from-home-11-years-later

And countless others, including from our own experience of cats being brought in as strays, sometimes injured where it is even more important to be able to contact owners. Sadly sometimes it is to contact an owner to inform them that their cat has sadly passed away and been brought in by a kind member of the public. Councils too scan for microchips of deceased cats they find.

Nurse Helena’s own cat Meg went missing for over a year and she had assumed the worst. Then a combination of social media and her microchip meant she was reunited. She had been living less than a mile away at Burnby Hall Gardens where she was watched over by various people, most of whom assumed she had a house she went back to daily! Someone eventually posted her on the local facebook page which led to Meg being taken to her to the local vets who scanned her and called Helena with the good news. …

Helena has since (with tears!) rehomed Meg to a home where she will be the only cat as it became apparent she didn’t like living with other cats. Helena gets regular updates with photos and Meg is living a much better life than a stray. Her microchip definitely helped her find that second ‘forever’ home.

There is now less than two months before it becomes law to have your cat microchipped!

From 10th June all adult cats over 20 weeks old need to be microchipped and the details entered onto a database. All kittens must be microchipped by the time they are 20 weeks old. You risk a fine if this is not done from this date. If your cat is already microchipped now is a good time to check the details are up to date with the database holding the details.

A microchip is the size of a grain of rice, and is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. The microchip will not change your cat’s behaviour, nor will your cat be aware of it. It is only used for confirming or contacting an owner.

Details of you (owner) and your cat are held on a secure database that is only accessible to rescue agencies and veterinary practices – so there is no risk of your contact details being made public. In the case of a lost cat, a special scanner which is held by vets, councils and rescue agencies can be used to scan for a microchip (much like a handheld scanner at the supermarket for your groceries), and provides the unique 15 digit number which can be searched on the database to match owner and pet details.

We can microchip a kitten when they are with us for neutering but it can be done in a vet or nurse consultation. The benefit of doing it at neutering is that the cat is under anaesthetic and not aware (it is a slightly bigger needle than that used for vaccination).

Here at Station House Vets we are offering a special price of £10 until 10th June to microchip your cat. We will also register the chip for you with Identibase. You will receive confirmation by email and an invitation to create an account so you can check and update details in the future, should you or your cat move home!

It is heart-breaking to have a poorly, injured or deceased cat rushed in to us by a concerned passer-by and have no way of contacting the owner.

So, law aside, please get your cats micro chipped for peace of mind and to be contactable if an emergency occurs or they go missing. Many cats each year are reunited with their owners thanks to their microchip – some many miles away from home!

(The law does not apply to feral cats or any others considered ‘free living with little or no human interaction’ (gov.uk) so please don’t worry if you feed or otherwise care for ferals.)

Call us now on 01653 618303 to book in for your cat or kitten microchipping before 10th June and take advantage of our £10 special offer price promotion.

Veterinary practices structures and pricing

Following recent media interest in to the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) report regarding corporate structures of Veterinary practices, we want to provide some clarity on Station House Vets practice and fee structure – as an independent practice.

We are proudly privately and independently owned by three vets – Clare, Lucy and Vicky and our whole team are focused on ensuring we continue to maintain the traditional ‘family GP’ approach and provide continuity of care.  Being independent means that we can offer our clients freedom of choice and offer all relevant options appropriate to each client and their pet from a drug, clinical and surgical perspective.

We continue to invest in equipment, services and our Team to ensure we are able to offer you and your pets everything you need – and whenever possible we partner with independent local businesses who share our ethos.

We do not have targets for our team. We are driven by being passionate about your pets and understand that your pet is a very important member of the family; we feel privileged to be an extended part of that. Our role is to help you to choose what is best for you and your pets through honest and open communication, so transparency of our fees is important.  We always offer detailed and personalised estimates and pricing options to suit you and your pet.  Our prices are also available on our website.

We believe preventative healthcare should be easily accessible to all. The Station House Vets Wellness Plan offers just this and includes vaccinations, flea and worming treatments, discount off neutering, food and other consultations.  We also offer free monthly nurse consults to all clients as we believe that catching and investigating health issues early is crucial.

We are proud to be independent and look forward to continue to partner with you to ensure your pet is in optimum health and has a happy, healthy life.

To view our up to date pricing listed on here visit our Pricing page.

Strangles is one of the most common diseases diagnosed in horses worldwide, with over 600 outbreaks estimated to occur throughout the UK every year. Strangles can affect any age, sex or breed of horse and is feared among the equine community due to its because of its debilitating effects and its potential economic impact on equestrian businesses.

Strangles is a disease caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus equi that can be easily spread directly via horse to horse contact and indirectly through contaminated equipment, handler clothing and boots etc.

Whilst strangles is not spread through the air (airborne), the bacteria can spread when a horse with strangles coughs or snorts.

Watch a video on how strangles is contracted and how a horse can be come a carrier 

Clinical signs
  • High temperature, above 38.5°C
  • Lethargy/dull and depressed
  • Reluctance to eat/drink, difficulty swallowing and/or a lowered head and neck
  • A cough (although not always present or as common)
  • Thick and discoloured nasal discharge
  • Swelling of the glands under the jaw (lymph nodes), in the space between the head and neck, or on the head or neck which may lead to the formation of abscesses

The abscesses which cause the lymph nodes to swell can burst, discharging highly infectious, thick, creamy-yellow pus. In some cases the glands swell so much they restrict the airway, hence the name strangles.

Some horses may only show mild signs such as a mild fever, other forms of nasal discharge, a slight loss of appetite or even no signs at all. This is called ‘atypical strangles’. Horses with atypical strangles may go unnoticed but they can still shed the infection to others. If you do notice your horse is showing mild signs it is always sensible to isolate them as a precaution and contact us for advice.

It normally takes 3-14 days after the horse has been in contact with the strangles bacteria for signs to develop (incubation period). However, there have been times where it has taken up to 28 days.

Steps to follow if you suspect strangles
  • Isolate the horse that is showing signs of strangles and any other horses that have had direct contact with that horse. Also isolate those which have/may have had indirect contact with the horse
  • Call us for advice and to examine the horse showing signs. Your vet is likely to take samples that will be sent off to the lab to diagnose whether the horse has strangles or not
  • Contact owners of the affected horse and owners of all other horses on the yard to explain the situation and what procedures must be followed to help prevent the spread
  • The yard should be on ‘lock down’- no horses moving on or off the yard to help prevent the spread of disease
  • Keep a very close eye on all other horses on the yard for any sign of strangles. It is vital to check their temperatures at least twice a day as any rise in temperature could be an early sign of strangles. Keep us informed of any suspected new cases.
  • Spread the word, not the disease. It’s important to let people know, such as your farrier and neighbouring equine property, that you have a suspected or confirmed case of strangles. Strangles can have an unjustified and unhelpful stigma associated with it which may cause people to keep an outbreak to themselves. This can increase the risk of spread.
Vaccination

Vaccination options are available – the new Strangvac is the one we use.

The purpose of vaccination is to aim to reduce clinical signs and prevent the spread of disease. It can offer individual horse immunity and also possibly  herd immunity.

Vaccination can form part of a biosecurity toolkit (watch the video below on more biosecurity measures) – alongside good hygiene, testing protocols and temperature checking.

Let’s break down the stigma surrounding strangles, help prevent the spread and do the responsible thing by speaking out!

Watch a video on biosecurity measures that should be implemented during an outbreak

Further reading : 

Click on the images to open the documents for further reading

strangles

March is laminitis month

What is laminitis?

Laminitis is an extremely painful condition that can affect any horse, pony, donkey or their hybrids (this booklet will concentrate on horses and ponies). It is very serious and
you should contact your vet immediately if you suspect your animal may have it.

Laminitis occurs when the finger-like projections of the lamellar layer, which support the pedal bone of the foot within the hoof capsule, become weakened by losing their
normal shape. This results in instability of the pedal bone within the foot, potential inflammation and signs of pain and lameness.

In severe cases, the weakened lamellae may no longer be able to keep the pedal bone in its normal position, causing it to separate from the hoof wall and rotate or drop
towards the sole of the foot, thus crushing the sensitive layers underneath.

Find out more

World Horse Welfare and BOVA have put together a very informative document which details what laminitis is, how it develops, when to call the vet, reducing the risk of laminitis – and much more.

You can read the full document here: Equine laminitis BOVA and WHW

If you’re concerned and would like one of our equine vets to visit you – either for prevention or management, give the team a call.

Tel: 01653 618303

Focus on rabbits – vaccinations, feeding and novel composting ideas!

By Lucy Nowell, BA Vet. MB MRCVS

I received my annual booster vaccination reminder for one of my bunnies this week – so I’ll pop up to the practice with both bunnies on a free day. We are fortunate to have a combined vaccine for both Myxomatosis, RHD and RHD2. Many of us are familiar with the site of wild rabbits stricken with myxomatosis, a usually fatal condition caused by a virus sadly introduced by humans. Rabbit haemorrhagic diseases are less visible to us as this tends to have a rapid course and the rabbits frequently die in their burrows.

The combined vaccine is protective against each of these viruses which can be transmitted from wild animals and also insect vectors meaning indoor rabbits should also be vaccinated. Rabbits need a single annual booster and it’s a good opportunity for a health check. I will weigh Jessica and Alfie, trim their nails and check their teeth in addition to a physical examination.

We offer a Wellness Plan specifically tailored to rabbits at £7.00 per month, with a £1 reduction for each additional pet. It includes annual vaccination, free nurse consults and some great discounts. Our nurses can advise on diet and general care, check their general body condition and trim nails. We have to be careful with my lop-eared rabbit’s diet because of a bladder issue, though slim he frequently gets mucky wet trousers, so during the summer I apply ‘rearguard’ every 10 weeks to stop any fly eggs developing. The wellness plan offers a 20 % discount on this product as well as 10% off Burgess excel hay and food.

Rabbits are super pets and the whole family enjoy their company. Mine can’t wait to get back on to the grass but whilst our garden remains a bog we get creative in their run, currently on the patio. As well as a thick layer of straw, a bucket of hay and a pile of twigs the bunnies have a variety of tunnels made from cardboard boxes. Aside from hay and a small measure of nuggets we forage for herbs, weeds and offer vegetable trimmings from the kitchen, tree prunings (apple tree is their favourite) and leaves and bits and bobs from around the garden. Spent hay and droppings combined with kitchen compost makes fab compost for our garden. A truly eco pet!