Pepper Tree Farm Equine Clinic offers an extensive medical diagnostic and treatment service. We are experienced and well equipped to deal with all medical cases, from disorders that can be managed through medical intervention alone, through to providing medical support for surgical cases.
Medical issues that can arise with your horse include gastrointestinal pathologies such as colic and diarrhoea, respiratory and cardiac problems, liver and kidney disorders, neurological derangement, metabolic issues such as obesity or chronic weight loss, hormonal imbalances and skin complaints.
Investigation into these cases is facilitated through a combination of on-site diagnostic equipment including digital x-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy and in house laboratory.
The clinic is equipped with a portable digital x-ray unit that can be used as part of our ambulatory service. The unit allows us to bring digital x-ray to your horse whenever needed. The unit allows us to take high quality images in as little as 5 seconds from exposure. This assists us in a more rapid and accurate diagnoses of your horse’s condition.
These images can then be saved onto a USB drive for referral to specialist centres or for the owners to keep if needed.
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The clinic also has a portable digital ultrasound machine to assist in the diagnosis of a variety of conditions such as sites of swelling, abdominal pain, respiratory problems, joint, tendon and ligament injuries or to monitor reproductive cycles and pregnancy. The system also has recording capabilities. These media can also be saved onto a USB drive for owners to keep, as well as transferred to our network to be saved into the patient’s file for future reference.
Endoscopy is an imaging technique that allows us to investigate the upper respiratory tract, the proximal digestive tract including the oesophagus, stomach and opening to the small intestine, the urethra and bladder and the rectum.
Endoscopic view of a horse's larynx (upper airway)
PTFEC has a well equipped laboratory that is able to process in house blood tests including haematology, biochemistry and blood gas as well as a range of other investigations that may be required in the diagnosis and management of your horse. The in-house testing is supported by a commercial laboratory which undertakes specialist tests.
Our in house lab equipment
PTFEC has a portable electrocardiography (ECG) device which allows for an immediate assessment of the horse’s heart rhythm. This can be done at the hospital or out in the field immediately after exercise. The ECG trace is then uploaded to a computer for assessment or referral to a cardiac specialist.
An ECG trace
