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Services

We offer a range of services to our equine clients

We provide a range of services to our equine clients to ensure that their horses are fit and healthy. Whether your horse is a companion or a competition horse, you can be assured of the highest and most sophisticated standards of care. Our team of Veterinary Surgeons is happy to provide treatment onsite or, if you prefer, at our clinic in Trudoxhill near Frome on the border of Somerset and Wiltshire.

Our facilities include:

Our services include:

For more information about any of these procedures or facilities please do get in touch to speak to a member of the team or arrange a time to meet and discuss your horse's needs.

  • Stabling/hospitalisation facilities
  • Video endoscopy of the respiratory tract
  • Gastroscopy
  • Dentistry
  • Lameness Work Ups
  • JMB height measurement
  • Pre purchase examinations
  • Surgical facilities and gaseous anaesthesia

Stabling/hospitalisation facilities

Our hospitalisation facilities allow for management of medical cases and post-operative surgical care.

Video endoscopy of the respiratory tract

We have a range of endoscope including an endoscope specifically used to visualise and evaluate the upper respiratory tract (pharynx, larynx, guttural pouches and trachea).

This is used as part of the evaluation of horses who may have upper airway obstructions, abnormal respiratory noises or lung disease. These horses often present as having poor performance.

The endoscopes are linked to a screen (videoendoscopy) which allows the vets and the clients to see the images at the same time and for the images to be recorded.

Gastroscopy

Gastroscopy is the only way to accurately diagnose gastric (stomach) ulcers. We use a 3-metre-long endoscope to visualise and evaluate the oesophagus, stomach and entrance to the small intestine.

Gastric ulcers are extremely common on horses. Please get in touch on 01373836186 if you are concerned about your horse.

Dentistry

We offer routine and advance dental care.

Horses on our Equine health plan received two dental examinations and rasps per year.

We have top of the range dental gags, hand and motorised rasps. We also have a rigid odontoscope camera to allow visualisation of every tooth in detail.

We also work closely with the Equine Dental Clinic for any advanced dental cases including diastema treatment, root canal fillings, infundibular fillings and molar extractions.

Lameness Work Ups

We regularly carry out simply and complex lameness investigations at the clinic.

We have an indoor trot up area, outdoor lunge and outdoor arena to allow a full assessment.

We have a set of examination stocks. These allow us to safely restrain your horse so that certain more detailed/invasive procedures can be performed without danger to the horse or the vet.

We have state of the art ultrasound and x-ray machines to assist with the diagnostic work up.

JMB height measurement

Bellevue Equine has the facilities (including an official measuring pad) and certified Official Measurer, David Francis, enabling us to offer a height measurement service on site at the clinic.

Key features of the scheme:

  • All horses and ponies must have at least one Annual Certificate before they can have a Full Certificate
  • Annual certificates are issued to animals aged 4, 5 and 6 years old, or to any animal over 7 which is being measured for the first time.
  • Measurements can be done at any time of the year but Annual Certificates will expire on the 31st December following the last measurement.
  • Measurements are carried out by Official Measurers only.
  • Measurements are carried out on registered measuring pads with shoes removed.
  • Consecutive measurements must be carried out by different Official Measurers.
  • The Measurer for a Full Certificate must be from a different veterinary practice from the Measurer of the last Annual Certificate.
  • The JMB is going paperless from 2017. This means that no JMB certificates will be issued or updated and all measurements will be available for inspection on our on-line searchable database.
  • Owners will be required to apply and pay for measurements in advance using an on-line form. The fee if paying by credit and debit card will be £87.00; payment by cheque will be £90.00. Further information on application and payment is available on the JMB WEBSITE. Please note that as well as being more expensive, payment by cheque will delay the measurement appearing on the database as owners will have to post cheques and allow 10-14 days for processing and clearing. Payment by credit or debit card will mean that once the animal is measured and the Official Measurer has uploaded the details, the measurement will be added to the database within a day or two.
  • Once owners have applied and paid for a measurement they can book an appointment with an Official Measurer in the normal way, taking a hard or digital copy of the payment receipt, that will be emailed to them, to the measurement.
  • The animal’s passport must be available at the time of measurement, so please ensure it accompanies the animal on the day. Also all animals being measured must have a microchip inserted. This can be done at the time of measuring if required.

Pre purchase examinations

Bellevue Equine recommends that all horses are examined prior to purchase.

A pre-purchase examination identifies detectable abnormalities on that day. It gives no long-term guarantee for future health or soundness. However long-term implications of any abnormality found will be discussed and we are therefore able to give an opinion as to the suitability of the horse for its intended use. As the purchaser this enables you to make an informed decision as to whether or not to proceed with purchase.

The purchase of any horse involves you in the taking of a risk. No horse is risk free and at best, we can aim to identify, assess and attempt to quantify that risk for you so that you can come to an informed decision as to whether or not to proceed with your intended purchase.

On arranging an examination our reception staff will request information including the address of both purchaser and vendor and intended purpose of the horse.

For further information, please call the clinic on 01373 836186.

Surgical facilities and gaseous anaesthesia

We have a fully equipped state of the art theatre enabling us to carry out elective non-emergency surgery.

We are able to carry out standing surgery’s in our examination stocks. These procedures range from treatment of dorsal spinous process impingement (kissing spine) surgery to sarcoid removal using a laser. These procedures are carried out using sedation and local anaesthetic.

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