Cliffe Equine Vets

11/11/2025

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲

Lest we forget...the brave souls who fought in the war. Voluntarily or involuntarily.

Without horses, the British Army could not have functioned during the war. They were vital for the cavalry, but also needed for moving supplies, equipment, guns and ammunition, and for transporting the wounded to hospital.

Today we not only honour the red poppy, but also the purple poppy, for all the fallen animals of the First World War.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

10/11/2025

⭐⭐LAST REMAINING SPACES AVAILABLE! ⭐⭐

Call us on 01323 815120 to secure your place.

𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐢𝐝: 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

20th November 2025, 6.30pm start.

Horses are masters of injuring themselves - fact.

Would you know where to start if your horse had a nail in his foot? Or has your horse come in from the field with a puffy eye and you'd like to know the first steps to take?
Join us for a much requested, hands-on evening of delving into equine first aid with our vets and nurses. You never know when this client evening might come in handy!

Tickets are £15 per person, book today to secure your place. Call us on 01323 815120 or email [email protected]

31/10/2025

23/10/2025

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧 & 𝐒𝐲𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

Not only has there has been an increase in both acorn poisoning and sycamore poisoning (Atypical Myopathy) recently, but the high winds and heavy rain forecast will increase the amount of fallout form the trees — please check your fields regularly.

As grazing becomes limited and trees begin to shed, horses may be tempted to eat fallen acorns or seeds. These seasonal toxins can be fatal if not detected early.

Acorn Poisoning (Oak Trees)
Acorns, leaves and branches contain tannins that can cause:
• Colic
• Diarrhoea (sometimes bloody)
• Lethargy
• Kidney damage

Horses often eat acorns out of boredom or hunger, so ensure they have access to plenty of safe forage and limit access to oak trees.

Sycamore Poisoning (Atypical Myopathy)
Sycamore “helicopters” and seedlings contain hypoglycin A, which damages muscles.
Watch for:
• Muscle weakness or stiffness
• Trembling or sweating
• Dark urine
• Rapid breathing
• Reluctance to move

Prevention Tips
• Fence off oak and sycamore trees
• Clear fallen leaves and seeds regularly
• Provide hay or other forage to reduce risk

If your horse shows any unusual behavior or you suspect they’ve eaten acorns or seeds, contact your vet immediately.

Let’s stay vigilant and keep our horses safe this autumn. If you have any questions or concerns, please call us on 01323 815120.

22/10/2025

𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐢𝐝: 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

20th November 2025, 6.30pm start.

Horses are masters of injuring themselves - fact.

Would you know where to start if your horse had a nail in his foot? Or has your horse come in from the field with a puffy eye and you'd like to know the first steps to take?
Join us for a much requested, hands-on evening of delving into equine first aid with our vets and nurses. You never know when this client evening might come in handy!

Tickets are £15 per person, book today to secure your place. Call us on 01323 815120 or email [email protected]

17/10/2025

𝐄𝐇𝐕 - 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲

Given the large number of enquiries we have had following our post yesterday, in the best interest of our patients, 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲 to help encourage as many people as possible to vaccinate against EHV.

To provide effective immunity against respiratory disease caused by EHV-1 and EHV- 4 a primary course of 2 vaccinations should be given followed by a booster vaccination every 6 months.

🐴1st vaccination: Can be given to any horse over the age of 5 months.
🐴2nd vaccination: To be given 4-6 weeks after the 1st vaccination.
🐴6 month booster: To be given within 6 calendar months of the 2nd vaccination.

Pregnant mares: To provide effective immunity against abortion caused by EHV-1 and EHV-4 a course of three vaccinations should be given to a mare during her 5th, 7th and 9th months of pregnancy

** Start your course of EHV vaccinations before the end of November 2025 and receive the 3rd one for free. **

Vaccination with free of charge ZV (3 or more horses): £53.72 (including 7% prompt payment discount)
Vaccination with zone visit: £68.72 (including 7% prompt payment discount)

Many horses carry EHV without showing symptoms, but stress or travel can cause it to reactivate and spread quickly.

𝐄𝐇𝐕 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
Through direct horse-to-horse contact
Via shared equipment or contaminated hands
Through droplets from coughing or sneezing

Not all infected horses show symptoms – some can shed the virus silently.

𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
Nasal discharge
Coughing or fever (≥38.5°C)
Lethargy or poor performance
Loss of appetite
Neurological signs (wobbliness, weakness, recumbency)
Abortion or neonatal foal death

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥:
Isolate new arrivals and any sick horses
Avoid sharing tack, tools, or feed buckets
Wash and disinfect hands and stables regularly
Check and record temperatures daily

If you suspect EHV: Isolate the horse immediately and contact your vet for a clinical assessment
01323 815120

17/10/2025

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧

To support you and your horses this firework season, we will be offering a 25% discount on all oral sedatives through the firework season - starting today!

Please note, your horse will need to have been examined by a vet in the last 6 months in order for us to be able to prescribe. Zone visits are available for those that haven't and can be booked in advance by calling 01323 815120.

Please note, payment must be made at the time of ordering.

If you have further questions about which sedative would be most suitable for your horse, to discuss general tips on how to make your horse comfortable during firework season, or to book a zone visit, don't hesitate to call the team.

16/10/2025

𝐄𝐇𝐕 -𝟏 (𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥) 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐲

There has been a confirmed case of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) in Surrey, which sadly resulted in the euthanasia of a horse.

In response, local equestrian facilities have increased biosecurity measures and issued warnings to horse owners and visitors. These precautions include wearing freshly cleaned clothing and footwear, using disinfectant footbaths at entry points, and minimizing movement between yards. As the virus can spread easily through direct contact or contaminated surfaces, maintaining strict hygiene, monitoring for symptoms, and seeking prompt veterinary advice are essential to reduce the risk of further transmission.

We suggest that each horse owner promptly vaccinates their horse from EHV to reduce the symptoms should your horse encounter the virus. This is applicable to anyone who travels with their horse, or is on a yard with horses that come and go, locally or more further afield.

We want to normalise vaccinating against EHV like we vaccinate against flu and tetanus. The diseases can have equally, if not more, devastating effects. If you have any questions regarding the vaccine please don't hesitate to call.

Protect your horse by calling 01323 815120 to book.

15/10/2025

⭐⭐Gastroscopy Clinic SOLD OUT!! ⭐⭐

Additional date to be held on the 11th of November 2025.

Call us on 01323 815120 to book.

08/10/2025

𝐆𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 & 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

Have your horse scoped for gastric ulcers with huge savings - £100* per horse

Does your horse display signs of any of the following

• Aggression
• Wind sucking
• Colic
• Resistance to tacking up
• Poor performance such as reluctance to go forward
• Stopping or running out at jumps
• Struggle to keep weight on?

If yes to any of the above, your horse may have gastric ulcers

Each horse will be scoped and where necessary be given a detailed treatment plan by one of our experienced vets.

£100* including sedation (usually £400 without sedation, a huge saving of over £300).

or *£180 including sedation for horses that have received treatment for ulcers in the last 12 months (usually £300 without sedation)

Please note, these prices are for the initial scope only, any subsequent scopes booked outside of a clinic will be charged at the standard rate of £300.

Treatment often covered by insurance, please check with your provider.

Limited spaces so book fast by calling 01323 815120 or email [email protected]

25/09/2025

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐘𝐀𝐑𝐃!

For the month of October 2025, we’re offering castrations at your yard for just £250 per c**t, a minimum saving of 25%.

Price is inclusive of the visit fee, sedation, castration, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories prescribed.

The criteria for our discounted clinic are as follows. Your c**t must be:

* 4 years old or under, with 2 descended te**es (if you are unsure, please book a zone visit examination to confirm beforehand).
* Vaccinated for influenza and tetanus (if not, cost of vaccine and tetanus antitoxin will be added)
* Post castration treatment for complications are not included in this price.
* Passports, microchips, and vaccinations can also be completed on the day but must be booked in advance.

Payment to be made in full on booking. 50% non-refundable if booking cancelled less than 48hrs before the appointment unless the space is filled.

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬
Please also bear your facilities in mind. Our vets require a clean, dry area, ideally a stable with straw to castrate c**ts. For aftercare, you will be required to have your c**t on box rest for 48hrs post appointment followed by restricted turnout for one week.

To book, or to discuss further, call our team on 01323 815120.

24/09/2025

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥

Over the last month, we have highlighted the importance of using regular worm egg counts to be able to perform fully targeted worming. This will allow you to move away from blanket worming treatments and reduce the build up of resistance.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥?

We recommend performing at least 4 WEC’s at equal intervals throughout the year. Our equine health plan includes 6 WEC’s. This is to allow for two FECRT (faecal egg count reduction test) if needed. This will be recommended to you by one of our vets if the burden is particularly high and we need to check that the prescribed wormer has been effective. These are carried out two weeks after the wormer has been given.

Youngstock (less than 3 years old), pregnant mares or donkeys require different worming programmes, please speak to one of our vets for further information.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact the hospital on 01323 815120 to discuss worming further.