Western Equine Veterinary Services

25/06/2025

WINTER SPECIAL - DISCOUNTED IN FIELD GASTROSCOPY
Our gastroscopy service is back as Dr Miranda grows her expertise with all things EGUS (Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome). To accelerate this growth we are offering a discounted price on gastroscopy over the quieter winter months. $220 plus sedation + travel.
This is a great opportunity to check if that girthy, irritable or NQR horse may have stomach ulcers, without having to leave home or wait for an in clinic scoping day. No minimum numbers required.
Please note: horses will need to be boxed/yarded over night with ALL access to food/grass/bedding withheld for 12hrs prior. We also require safe barn/shed facilities with power to protect our equipment. We can take patients in for overnight boxing and scoping at our Werribee South facility if required.

20/06/2025

Kissing Spine - not as romantic as it sounds.

Kissing Spine Syndrome (KSS) is a condition where there is crowding and overriding of the dorsal spinous processes of the thoracic-lumbar vertebrae in horses. It is a relatively common condition, is associated with back pain and may manifest as difficult behaviours under saddle.

If your horse has shown signs of back pain, and you are worried they may have kissing spines, radiographs are a useful diagnostic tool to allow us to assess for the presence of impingement and characteristic bony changes suggestive of KSS.
Below on the left shows a radiograph of a patient we recently radiographed to check for KSS. The second image is an example showing impingement, modelling of the cranial edge of T13 & 14 (asterisks), as well as sclerosis and radiolucency at T15-T16 (arrowhead). Image credit: from http://doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.09.0419

05/06/2025

AFTERHOURS EMERGENCIES - LIMITED SERVICE FOR OUR ACTIVE CLIENTS AND PRE-BOOKED EVENTS.
With a plummeting global equine vet workforce (due to excessive hours and poor pay rates compared to other professions/trades), and online pharmacies and corporates undermining small vet businesses competitiveness, equine veterinary businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to staff / fund an afterhours service.
Despite tireless effort we find ourselves in the same position.
So we encourage all horse owners, including our clients, to ALWAYS have access to a float and have a plan B formulated in case an emergency happens and an ambulatory vet can not be reached. We are lucky where we are located because there are several world class 24hour equine hospitals in Victoria who will take in new clients after hours so long as you haul in.
At WEVS we value our clients and genuinely want to give back to those who support us. So we still aim to be available out of hours as best we can for our active clients (and pre-booked/paid events). By being an active client you contribute to funding the retainer fees we pay to have staff on call at night and on weekends.
To be an active client we only need to provide a routine in hours service once every 12 months. This can be basic husbandry services like annual health check and vaccination, dental assessment and filing, metabolic blood tests, soundness assessment, etc. We also especially appreciate our clients who help pay the wages by valuing our professionalism, goods and services - resisting the pull of online discounts and competitors 'package deal' temptations.

The article we've shared here outlines how the shortage of equine and large animal veterinarians is a global issue, and what practices are doing to manage the situation world wide.

Horse owners were surveyed about their equine veterinarian's policies for providing emergency services. Here are the responses.

13/05/2025

Horses do the darndest things!
The owner of this wee pony found her with a stick of about 5cm poking out of the back of her leg. They pulled out what they could, but the fine end broke off and a piece approximately 2cm long was left stuck under the skin.
This is the splinter mid-removal, and was *extremely* satisfying to locate and pull out.

(Video of removal in comments for those that love that sort of thing 😉🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️)

12/05/2025

VALE DR RAYMUND HORSEY
It is with a heavy heart we share news of the passing of our founder Dr Ray Horsey.
Ray is an icon of the equine and veterinary community in the west of Melbourne. He is the person so many people trusted and relied upon at all hours of every day throughout his illustrious veterinary career from the 1970s though to the late 2000s.
Western Equine Veterinary Services grew from the substantial goodwill and clinical standards Ray had established.
Ray was like a second father to so many people inside and outside of the veterinary community, including our Dr Nick. He was a people’s person and so naturally took those younger than him under his wing and championed and encouraged them to bring out their best. As a natural born leader and brilliant clinician, he inspired so many kids to pursue a career in veterinary science.
Ray was one of those people who you just wanted to be around. He told the best stories and had so many interesting tales to tell about his escapades particularly as a large animal veterinarian. He was a pioneer in his field and an unsung hero. Ray was never afraid to be the first to try new techniques and attempt difficult and intricate surgical procedures when euthanasia was the only other option.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ray’s family in this difficult time. He leaves a massive hole in the hearts of so many he touched so profoundly over his lifetime. He truly was a great man who epitomised determination, resilience, effort, fairness and inclusiveness – everything good human beings should aspire to be.
Rest in peace.

01/05/2025

Another oral ouchie!
This sweet old guy had been found with some blood in his mouth, and the astute owners knew that something was up.
These grass seeds can become quite a problem in horses mouths, where they can primarily cause issues by migrating into the mucosa (often under the tongue), or secondarily when they stick onto ulcerated oral tissue following a traumatic wound, which is what we think has happened here.
If in doubt, get your vet out.

28/04/2025

OUCH! Look what was found during a routine dental last week.
This sweet pony had not shown her owner any signs of discomfort to hint that something was hiding in her mouth. Usually we might expect to see drooling, dropping feed and, depending how long it has been going on, a foul smell coming from the mouth.
This shows the importance of a thorough, sedated oral examination prior to corrective odontoplasty (or dental floating, for those of us that stumble over big words 😅🙋🏻‍♀️).
Give us a call to book your horses in.

21/04/2025

15/04/2025

It’s an EYEmergency! 👁️⛑️
If you notice any of the following symptoms indicating discomfort with your horse’s eye:
- squinting/blinking
- tears
- discharge
- swelling
- change in colouration
- any abnormalities
You should call your vet as soon as possible. Eyes left untreated can deteriorate rapidly.
A sore eye is always an emergency

07/03/2025

FAREWELL DR ADELE
It's with much sorrow we have to say farewell to Dr Adele, but hopefully its not goodbye. Adele has been a stable of the WEVS team for the past 4 years. Unfortunately traffic, and especially the dragged out Westgate tunnel works (thanks Dan!), has taken its toll and Adele understandably can't sustain the 2-3 hours she's been spending commuting to and from work. We wish Adele all the best in her future endeavors, and whole heartedly appreciate the tireless effort she has put in for us and our clients/patients. Luckily our new vet Dr Miranda Chalupiak has found her feet, and has completed some extra training in equine dentistry, so she can step into Adele's large shoes. We are quietly hopeful we may get Adele's services back in future if the roads eventually function as promised.

26/02/2025

Our first orders of Exavita supplements are going out. We are so excited to be exclusively supplying these vet only quality products to our clients. As one client has said to us “there is so much rubbish in the market place…”. We agree and hope we can take the guess work out of it, supplying a product you can trust with ingredients that have scientific merit.

05/02/2025

SAND CLEAR PSYLLIUM HUSK
A natural fiber-based supplement designed to clear sand and debris from the digestive tract, support gut health, and promote overall digestive well-being in horses.

Key Ingredients & Benefits
• Psyllium Husk: Clears sand and debris from the gut.
• Lucerne Meal: Enhances feed intake with added fiber.
• Bentonite: Binds toxins and unwanted materials in the digestive system.
• Salt: Supports electrolyte balance during digestive stress.
• Cold Pressed Canola Oil: Provides essential fatty acids for coat health and aids
digestion.
• Apple Flavor: Improves palatability for better consumption.