Equine

At our main surgery in Ripon our equine facilities include radiography (x-ray), flexible endoscopy and ultrasound scanners with the benefit of stabling and examination stocks on site.

You are welcome to bring your horse by appointment to our surgery for vaccinations, lameness investigations, x-rays, ultrasound scanning and endoscopy. Our stables allow the provision of inpatient care and are manned at all times. We have ample parking for horseboxes and trailers.

Radiography

Our portable x-ray machine is an essential tool for modern equine practice. We have the option of taking radiographs at the stables/yard or in our designated x-ray room at the practice.

Endoscopy

Our flexible endoscope allows visualisation and examination of the nasal passages, throat, guttural pouches and respiratory tract. The scope can also be adapted to examine the internal surface of the penis or bladder.

Ultrasound

The ultrasound scanner provide a very useful tool in examining soft tissue problems eg tendon, ligament injuries and is essential in modern equine stud medicine. The reproductive tract (uterus and ovaries) can be imaged using our ultrasound scanner allowing pregnancy diagnosis, assessment of oestrus cycle and diagnosing infertility problems. The scanner can also be used for abdominal and thoracic ultrasound to investigate the liver, kidneys, intestines, heart and lungs.

Dentistry

Routine dentistry and a whole lot more can be carried out at Bishopton Veterinary Group. We have a full range of dental instruments and tools and pride ourselves on the quality of our equine dentistry, to improve the welfare and performance of your horse.

Equine Reproduction

We have a keen interest in equine reproduction at Bishopton Veterinary Group. We can offer a full reproductive service to our clients ranging from pre-covering checks and samples, reproductive ultrasound scanning, pregnancy diagnosis to semen collection and artificial insemination. Artificial Insemination (AI) is now a common way of breeding horses throughout the world. It can be used to improve the quality of your mare’s foals. Chilled or frozen semen can be used. Chilled semen has the greatest chance of success and requires fewer inseminations compared to frozen. With frozen semen the sperm are more fragile and so the mare requires inseminating more regularly. This requires many internal examinations, including scans throughout the night in some cases.

Pre-purchase examination (vetting)

The purchase of a horse involves an element of risk. No horse is risk free and via pre-purchase examinations we aim to identify, assess and attempt to quantify that risk for you so that you can come to an informed decision as to whether to proceed with the purchase. The vet will list any clinical abnormalities found during the procedure and then conclude whether or not the horse is suitable for the proposed use. Bishopton Vets perform two types of vetting: 2 stage or full 5 stage vetting. A 2 stage simply involves a thorough clinical examination and gait/soundness assessment at walk and trot. A 5 stage vetting includes the full clinical examination, gait assessment at walk and trot but also observation of the animal at exercise, a rest phase and an extra soundness examination. A full 5 stage vetting is obviously more thorough and provides more detailed information on which to base your decision. A full report will be completed for 5 stage vetting. Sometimes it may be necessary to use other diagnostic tools. X-rays, endoscopy, ultrasound and other tests can be incorporated into the examination but these are not part of the standard examination.

Routine Health Care

Bishopton Veterinary Group provides comprehensive routine equine health care including vaccination, worming advice and worm egg count sampling, blood sampling with in-house laboratory facilities. We recognise the importance of being involved in all aspects of the horses’ health and well being. We aim to take a proactive approach to disease prevention to improve the health our client’s animals.

Identichips

These can provide reassurance to owners that their horses are permanently identifiable and traceable in the event that their horses are stolen. A simple injection implants a microchip into your horse’s neck. Each microchip carries a unique number, which can be read by scanner. The unique number is registered on a national database together with the owners contact details. If your horse is found following theft or loss, you will have an indisputable way of proving that you are the rightful owner.