EQUINE NURSE CONSULTS
We are able to offer consults with our Registered Equine Nurses (RVNs) either at our clinic or your yard.
Registered Equine Nurses are permitted to carry out many roles within the clinic and out on visits. We feel that our nursing team can help provide a better team approach to the case using their valuable knowledge of patient care.
Cassie is our Registered Equine Veterinary Nurse and is able to carry out the following consultations.
BANDAGE CHANGES AND WOUND CARE
Following an injury or surgery, our nurses are able to carry out bandage changes and wound assessments. They are also on hand to teach bandaging if it’s a skill you’d like to learn.
POST OPERATIVE HOME CARE
Following a surgery or medical condition that had required admittance into our clinic, we can come out to your yard and assist with associated post operative care that requires veterinary intervention. As well as this we can help you with problems that may arise from box rest by assessing your set up, and with the administration of medication we can offer help and advice with techniques if you are struggling.
BLOOD SAMPLING
Nurses are able to obtain blood samples on the request of a veterinary surgeon.
Other sampling:
- Hair plucks
- Skin scrapes
- Nasopharyngeal swabs (e.g for strangles, equine influenza)
MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
Following a diagnosis from a vet surgeon, nurses are able to administer many types of medication where an injection is required. This can include a course of treatment such as intravenous antibiotics, regular injections such as cartrophen or sedation when required for events such as clipping.
RADIOGRAPHY
On request of our veterinary surgeon our RVNs are able to acquire x-rays of your horse, pony or donkey. This can be following a lameness investigation, a diagnosis for a condition such as laminitis, or acquiring images for the farrier for remedial shoeing. Nurses can also acquire images for pre purchase investigations.
Whilst nurses can obtain images, they are unable to make a diagnosis on the images. Once images have been obtained, this will be viewed by the veterinary surgeon in charge of the case later on that day.
Shockwave therapy was first developed and used in human medicine, and was then used to treat orthopaedic conditions such as tennis elbow and Achilles tendon problems.
In horses it is mainly used to treat ligament conditions, sore backs and sacroiliac pain. A special hand piece is applied to the horses’ skin in the injured area, which delivers a shock wave or compression wave towards the affected tissue. The series of shock waves promotes healing by promoting angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels and extra blood flow). It also removes pain from chronic ligament conditions thought to be by blocking substance P within pain fibres which is a key substance to transmit pain.
BIOSECURITY ADVICE AND ASSESSMENTS
Good biosecurity plays an important part in the preventative steps of disease control. We can provide a yard visit to assess current set up and discuss findings.
When faced with an outbreak such as equine flu or strangles, we can work alongside you to set up a suitable biosecurity strategy, working together to prevent the spread.
Our vets and nurses are also able to talk to yard members for education.
WEIGHT CLINICS
We are able to carry out one off visits for induvial horse owners for weight clinics on larger yards. We have portable horse scales that we can bring to your yard.
EQUIPMENT DEMONSTRATION
We are able to demonstrate equipment such as inhalers and nebulisers.
It is important to note that our nurses are unable to carry out the following procedures.
- Vaccinations
- Dentals
- Microchips and Passport
- A visit where a diagnosis is required.
The role of the ambulatory Equine Nurse (RVN) is very different to that of the Equine Veterinary Surgeon. Equine nurses are not able to make a diagnosis, however they are able to obtain the vital information, samples, radiographs, and assessments that provide our veterinary surgeon with the information that they need to support our patients in the way that we need as well as advising, teaching and supporting owners through their horses’ conditions.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions about Lower House Equine Clinic, our facilities or services, please feel free to contact us using any of the details below…