The evolution of veterinary care

James Herriot wouldn’t recognise the modern first opinion practice of today. Not only have the horse hair sutures and exploding purple tinctures vanished, to be replaced by the best medical technology and effective safe drugs, but the whole modern way of using visiting specialists, either at the surgery or over the magical web, which has allowed us to massively extend our services “in-house”. This means that we have access to their expertise and specialised equipment without having to travel our injured pets miles to visit other centres of excellence.

On the horse side we have close ties with practices both near and far, depending on the specific problem they have, and can refer them to the best surgeons available for rapid top quality care. We have visiting acupuncture, laser therapists and on site visiting dental specialists and master farriers.

For small animals, I’ll take my own dog as an example. The wonderful “Magpie” had began to snore with every breath and needed our attention. A Herriot era test of holding a scrap of tissue to her nostrils confirmed that the left nostril was completely blocked and the tissue didn’t move with each breath. A short reversible, safe sedation followed and the digital dental X-ray revealed a mass in her nose.

Not only one, but four colleagues replied to my emailed photograph within minutes offering their advice and one of our amazing expert surgeons visited the next day with specialist equipment to remove the tooth-germ tumour through a bone flap in her face. This was sent for histology at our lab giving us the great news that it wasn’t malignant.

She could have had in-house specialist imaging by endoscopy or ultrasound from our visiting imaging specialists. laser therapy, acupuncture, feeding advice or even behavioural expert attention while at the practice (which would have been useful,given that she is bonkers!). Or follow up physio or even aquatherapy if it had been needed. Luckily a simple operation was enough in her case, and she is fit and well running amok, barking excessively, as ever.

With unlimited budget available I could have referred her to any specialist in the country, as we are able to do this being an independent practice and we regularly offer this to our clients. However, I wanted her nearby and cared for by people I trust and who know her and our family, just as we care for you and your pets, both great and small, as if they were our own, keeping your wishes and budgets in mind.

This week is tick prevention week.

What are ticks and why are they important to prevent?
Ticks are external parasites that live by biting and then feeding off of the blood of humans and animals. It is important to prevent tick bites in both humans and your pets as some can carry harmful bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) that can cause Lymes disease and other serious illnesses. Not all ticks carry these harmful bacteria but it is good practice to prevent the occurrence of ticks in the first place – just in case.

Bites from foreign ticks if your pet is taken on holiday can be particularly harmful.

What are the symptoms of Lymes disease?
Lymes disease is a serious bacterial infection that occurs in dogs, cats and humans. Although it is less common in cats.

Symptoms can include:
– Depression
– Loss of appetite
– Fever
– Lameness
– Swollen and painful joints
– Swollen lymph nodes
– Lethargy

Lymes disease can be treated with antibiotics so it is important to seek veterinary care immediately.

When are ticks most prevalent?
Tick infestations usually occur from Spring to early Summer (between March and June) and then again from late Summer throughout Autumn (between August and November)

Where are they found?
The preferred environments for ticks are in grassy and wooded areas right across the UK.

They are very common in areas with high numbers of sheep. Ticks carrying the bacteria that causes Lymes disease are more common in some parts of the UK than others.

How to prevent ticks
Consult your vet to ensure you use the right preventative tick-control product for your pet as they will identify the right product and quantity for your pets weight and age. Products come in oral medications, or topical treatments such as spot-on treatments, sprays or anti-tick collars.

At Station House Vets we recommend Bravecto (tablet or spot on) Nexguard Spectra (tablet) or Seresto (a collar) as tick prevention treatments – most of these products also prevent fleas too.

From the horse’s (owners) mouth….

“It was early March and after a frosty and snowy winter of somewhat limited turnout (he had made it out every day but sometimes for limited time) my horse’s interest in his work had started to dwindle. He’d always been happy in his work, but he wasn’t going forward and seemed to be a bit stuffy.  He’d also started being a bit spooky which wasn’t in his nature.  He’d started being a bit grumpy when girthing up – particularly on his right side.

The yard owner spoke with me one day as she’d noticed he was lying down in the field much more, and we both commented how sometimes when he was being lead in or out he would shoot forward as if something had bothered him.  He’d also started dunking his hay in his water.

He was clipped and his coat was starting to come through – so not the best time of year to review his coat condition, but his coat looked ok.

Putting all this together, we decided to get the vet in and he had gastroscopy. This showed he had grade 2 ulceration and grade 3 near the pylorus (aka gastric ulcers, both non-glandular and glandular).

He started on a course of omeprazole treatment and was rescoped after 6 weeks; there were still some symptoms and the gastroscope showed some signs of ulceration so he had a further few weeks treatment and then scoped again and we were finally given the all clear.

During this time his work had started to improve. Once the ulcers had all cleared he stopped dunking his hay in his water, and he wasn’t lying down in the field anymore. We also noticed that he started pooing bigger poos.  It wasn’t something we’d noticed before, but realised his poo’s had shrunk in size while he had ulcers.  I was back to filling a full wheelbarrow each day from the paddock, instead of ¾ of a wheelbarrow!

With some ongoing management changes he continued to be clear of ulcer symptoms.”

If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you why not sign up for one of our Gastroscopy clinics – we run them monthly! With over 50% saving off the standard price, a Gastroscopy Clinic is well worth the time and investment to rule out, or confirm ulcers in your horse.

Contact us for future clinic dates on 01653 618303 or email admin@stationhousevets.co.uk

Written by Clare Brash, B Vet Med, MRCVS

Names of products change over the years. “Opal Fruits” are now called “Starbursts” and” Jif” cleaner is now called “Cif”.  presumably for a very good, if unfathomable, reason.

“Kennel cough”, a whooping cough like disease in dogs has joined the club and is now known as “Contagious Canine Cough” (C.C.C). For me as a practising vet this is a huge improvement as I can sometimes sound like a cracked record in the consulting room when I say,” would you like me to add kennel cough vaccine to your annual booster?” the answer is frequently “No thanks  “Pepsi Max” would never go into kennels”. I then go on to explain that the cough is not just spread in kennels but it is a highly contagious condition that Pepsi could catch by meeting any dog with it, even out on a walk. The bugs which cause it have even been proven to survive for up to three months in pond water, for example.

Dogs with Contagious Canine Cough can be so badly affected that owners suspect that their pet is “choking on a stick” as they can be gagging and coughing so severely; however, the signs can vary from dog to dog and in some it simply causes a fever with a persistent cough. These less severely affected pets can still spread the condition to many others for about 3 weeks, hence the importance of vaccination.

The old vaccine available when I started work back in the mists of time was admittedly very poor, giving partial protection for just six weeks which is why they were given to pets that were going into kennels. Luckily the boffins have developed a much better one which last full year and is given as an “add on” to the annual booster vaccine. The game changer for us as vets is that they’ve also developed a brand-new type of the vaccine which can be injected normally rather than squirted up the nose. Grappling with a snappy writhing reluctant collie to administer the nasal dose is a thing of the past, an experience which used to leave us exhausted and reaching for a “Marathon” or as it’s now called, a” Snickers”.

The vaccination for Contagious Canine Cough is part of our Wellness Plan – our monthly payment plan for all your preventative health care.  You can find out more on our website – www.stationhousevets.com.

To make an appointment for a Contagious Canine Cough vaccination for your puppy or dog, give the team a call on 01653 618303.

Wellness is defined as the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.

Our NEW! Station House Vets Wellness Plan offers our clients and their pets a holistic approach to health and wellbeing via an affordable, easy to manage monthly payment plan for dogs, cats and rabbits.

The Wellness Plan covers all your preventative treatments including annual vaccinations and boosters, tailored treatment against flea and worms, and regular routine check-ups with our nursing team.

Neutering our pets is a very important part of preventative veterinary healthcare so we also offer 10% off neutering as part of the Wellness Plan.

Regular free monthly consults with our nurses not only helps with socialisation within the practice, but also enables our team to get to know you and your pets and help spot and prevent health issues before they become a problem.

In addition, pets who are on the Wellness Plan get 10% discount off Hill’s petfood.  Nutrition plays a big part in our approach to holistic health, ensuring your pets have a healthy balanced diet. Alongside the Hill’s Loyalty Scheme (£4 to £10 off every purchase), this additional 10% off can amount to a big additional saving!

And there’s one more saving to mention.  We also offer multi-pet household discount; an additional £1 discount off per month for every additional pet registered on the Wellness Plan.

Amy has Barney her 14 year old border collie, and Ellie and Oscar (who are 11 year old brother and sister domestic short hair outdoor cats) on the Wellness Plan. Amy’s holistic approach to her pets including feeding Hill’s petfood means the Wellness Plan is ideal for her. “Being on the Wellness Plan gives me peace of mind that I’m covering all the basics of preventative healthcare for my pets whilst also saving me money; I still receive reminders for vaccinations and being a multi pet household being on the Wellness Plan saves me an additional £24 per year from the multi-pet discount.”

Average savings, depending on the tailored parasite treatment and vaccination protocol used are around £135 per year for dogs and £65 for cats. Rabbit owners can also save around £30 per year on our tailored Rabbit Wellness Plan.  Add on the Hill’s petfood savings, the free nurse consults and other benefits, plus the Hill’s Loyalty Scheme savings and it’s well worth checking out what you could save!

Visit www.stationhousevets.com/wellness-plan  to find out more and to join.

Its time to pre-order sweet itch vaccines for your afflicted ponies & horses as we have to import them from abroad for you.

So it’s important for us to know who needs them well in advance.

If you have an affected horse or pony, you know that the signs usually develop when the culicoides midge become active with the warmer weather, ie March onwards.

The vaccine is not 100% effective with 1/3 of animals not responding, another 1/3 are much improved and the final 1/3 are perfect.  We can’t tell you which will be successful.

For sweet itch we do two injections two weeks apart, ether at the practice or we can arrange a visit to you. The cost of the vaccine is £80.50 each injection (which includes the import cost and associated admin), plus the cost of the visit if needed. Your horse would need to be seen by one of our vets for us to be able to administer the sweet itch vaccine.

Find out more about sweet itch treatment and management here.

To pre-order please contact us now at:
Email – prescriptions@stationhousevets.co.uk
Tel – 01653 618303

Next equine gastroscopy clinic

Our next equine gastroscopy clinic at the practice is on Thursday 19th January 2023.

With up to 100% of performance horses, 59% of leisure horses and more than 50% of foals suffering from gastric lesions, we offer regular gastroscopy clinics so you can get your horse checked out if you have any concerns.

It is preferable for your horse to come in the afternoon before and be stabled with us ready for the clinic the next day. At these clinics we offer a discounted price which includes sedation and overnight stabling.

Special price for Gastroscopy clinics which includes stabling the night before and sedation is £150.

Call the practice on 01653 618303 to book your horse on to the clinic. You will need to bring your horse to the practice the afternoon/evening before.

Christmas and New Year opening hours

Below are our opening ours over the festive period.

DECEMBER 2022
Friday 23rd December : 8.00am to 6.00pm
Saturday 24th December : 8.30am to midday
Sunday 25th December : Closed
Monday 26th December : Closed
Tuesday 27th December : 8.30am to midday
Wednesday 28th December : 8.00am to 7.00pm
Thursday 29th December : 8.00am to 6.00pm
Friday 30th December : 8.00am to 6.00pm
Saturday 31st December : 8.30am to midday

JANUARY 2023
Sunday 1st January : Closed
Monday 2nd January : Closed
Tuesday 3rd January : 8.00am to 6.00pm
Return to normal hours.

Call 01653 618303 in normal working hours and 01209 823717 in case of an emergency outside of the hours listed above.