County Equine aims to provide a service combining knowledge of traditional medicine and cutting edge technologies; all alongside additional therapies. Trained to the highest standards, animals can be assured consistency and personal care in your home.
It has been noted that due to a strong internal nervous structure of the horse (known as the limbic system), equine patients often respond very well to the effects of acupuncture. Responses to acupuncture often include alterations in behavior and overall demeanor, during the treatment and afterwards. Some animals will show a positive response with their first treatment, however the majority gradually respond over a greater period of time. On average 4-6 treatments, usually every 7-14 days may be necessary to control or achieve a desired effect. Top-ups can then be required. Some patients – along with some diseases – are refractory to acupuncture and will not respond to treatment. This can occur in up to 10% of patients.
At County Equine, we recognize that every horse is individual and as such each acupunture treatment is specifically tailored through extensive history taking and detailed physical examination. Within the UK, only veterinarians can perform acupuncture and at County Equine, all are associate members of the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists and have undertaken training in Equine Acupuncture.
Often the cost of acupuncture can be claimed for on your insurance – but please do check your own individual policy or with your insurance company prior to embarking on a course of acupuncture.
Payments for referral patients will need to be made at the time of the treatment. Please contact County Equine for more details on booking an appointment and charges.
FREQUENTLY TREATED CONDITIONS INCLUDE
- Neck and back pain, including kissing spines, sacroiliac and pain pelvic
- Myofascial pain syndrome, myopathy
- Chronic joint pains with associated muscle pain
- Respiratory disease – COPD/RAO
- Gastrointestinal disease – Chronic diarrhoea, recurrent spasmodic colic, weight loss
- Poor performance syndromes
- Infertility/reproductive problems
- Some behavioural problems
The role of the chiropractor is to diagnose and treat loss of normal range of motion in joints throughout the body; but particularly in the spine. These areas with reduced range of motion and changes are often referred to as ‘Vertebral Subluxation Complexes’ or ‘fixations’. What chiropractors don’t do is treat ‘bones out of place’! All of the joints are in their normal positions but sometimes they become stiff or impaired in their movement.
Should a fixation occur in the spine, this not only affects the motion of that joint but all the muscles, nerves and tissues around it. This can result in pain, muscle spasms and stiffness. Nerves are sent down the spinal canal sending out fibres at each joint. These supply various muscles, organs, sections of skin and the limbs depending on the level of the spine. If the joint fails to move properly, this alters the nerve signals sent to the brain and consequently the nervous supply to this area and where they lead to can change. It is possible that after a short period of time, the brain then believes the new or altered signal to be ‘normal’, and hence the animal remains with the altered gait or change to the spine.
TREATMENT WITH CHIROPRACTIC
Whilst pain is often noted with fixations, inflammation and permanent degenerative changes can also result if left untreated. Ultimately fixations can lead to an overall change in how the horse moves (known as the biomechanics) and this can result in overloading or compensating to other areas of the body e.g. tendons, ligaments, adjacent parts of the spine. Muscles in the area surrounding a fixation can become abnormal and lead to reduction in stamina and athletic ability. Overall poorer performance and injury are more likely.
Adjustments are used by chiropractors to treat fixations. These are very specific thrusts applied on the affected joint to enable it to work through its normal range of motion. In doing so, this stimulates the nervous system in that segment leading to improved movement and function. The aim is to restore normal range of motion to that joint and allow the surrounding tissues to work appropriately. The technique used is very gentle and acts only on specific sites that are affected. Compared to some other techniques it is much less likely to cause any injury.
For signs and details of symptoms, and conditions which could benefit from chiropractic or acupuncture, click here
WHO PERFORMS CHIROPRACTIC?
Within the UK there are many people who refer to themselves as ‘chiropractors’, ‘practitioners’ and ‘manipulators’. It should be noted that to perform chiropractic on animals you must be either a Veterinary Surgeon or Human Chiropractor who has that completed an approved veterinary chiropractic course. The IAVC in Germany and Options for Animals in America are the only two approved schools for this training. The International Veterinary Chiropractic (IVCA) have details of all animal chiropractors worldwide who have been independently examined and passed certified exams. At County Equine your horse will be examined by an Equine Veterinary Surgeon that is also Internationally Approved in Veterinary Chiropractic.
New content arriving soon!
Here at County Equine we are very excited to be able to offer our patients Therapeutic Laser Therapy.
What is Therapeutic Laser Therapy?
Laser therapy has been used in Europe and America for the last 15 years for the treatment of numerous conditions. The technology and the science has developed at an impressive rate to give us a spectacular method of treatment. Our Class IV Laser is used to deliver infrared wavelengths of laser light into tissues to induce many biological and therapeutic effects, so called photobiomodulation. These biological effects include:
- Reduction of inflammation
- Reduction of pain
- Accelerated tissue repair & faster wound healing
- Increased blood flow to damaged tissue
- Increased metabolic activity of cells
- Reduced scar tissue formation
- Improved nerve function and recovery following nerve damage
What conditions can be treated with Therapeutic Laser Therapy?
In short any tissue that is painful or damaged can be treated with the laser. Common examples are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Muscle, ligament or tendon sprains and strains
- Neck and back pain
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Post surgical wound treatment
- Acute traumatic wounds
- Chronic wounds
- Fracture repair cat laser
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Lick granulomas
- Ear infections
- Anal gland abcesses
- Chronic stomatitis in cats
- Cystitis
- Inflammatory lung diseases eg. Feline asthma
Commonly treated conditions in the horse for which laser therapy is used
5 Difficult-to-Treat Equine Conditions That Respond Well to Laser Therapy
How is the treatment delivered?
It is a very straight forward procedure. No sedation and almost no restraint is needed. laser2Treatment is not painful, in fact many patients find it relaxing and comforting as they experience a very pleasant warming sensation in the tissues being treated. It is not uncommon for them to be so relaxed that they go home and go straight to sleep after treatments.
Dr Marvin J.Firth will perform the treatments using our laser machine. You will be with your pet for the session and its great if you can feed them their favourite treats at the same time.
How often should a patient be treated?
Acute conditions may be treated daily or every other day particularly if they are accompanied by significant pain, eg. A severe infected wound. More chronic problems may need treatments 2-3 times a week to begin with tapering to once a week or every other week as improvements are seen.
How many treatments does it take?
This depends on the nature of the condition being treated. For some conditions 1-2 treatments may be enough. For more chronic conditions 6-10 sessions may be needed. Some conditions may require ongoing periodic treatments to control pain eg. 1 session every 3-4 weeks for ongoing osteoarthritis.
Increasingly, veterinary surgeons and owners request the additional opinion of a ‘fresh pair of eyes’ on complicated or difficult cases. County Equine Ltd is able to offer review of clinical history, examination and referral for further assessment of individual cases at the request of owners and primary veterinary surgeons.
Should this be requested, please contact your veterinary surgeon to email info@countyequine.co.uk with full details of the individual horse and their complete medical history to date.
Dr Firth also assists in providing equine veterinary consultation to horses in island communities throughout the world including Tresco UK, Mustique in the Caribbean, Bermuda and shortly, Bahrain UAE. Assistance in importation/exportation and travelling equids throughout the world is possible with prior arrangement.