Services

General Health & Advice

We offer both in clinic consultations and mobile veterinary services. Our Equine Clinics are located in Hastings (Hawke’s Bay Showgrounds), Waipukurau, Dannevirke and Masterton. All of these locations have equine focused areas, with stables or yards, safe parking and specialist equipment. 

Consultations

Contact your closest Vet Services Clinic to book a consultation with the VS Equine Team.

HASTINGS

801 Heretaunga St West
(06) 876 7001

NAPIER

210 Taradale Road
(06) 843 5308

Waipukurau

43 Takapau Rd
(06) 858 9060

Dannevirke 

193-195 High Street

(06) 374 7021

Wairarapa 

24 Lincoln Road 

(06) 378 2662

Duty veterinarians provide 24 Hour / 7 Day a week after-hours and emergency cover.

At Vet Services Hawke’s Bay our experienced veterinarians take turns at being on duty and attending first aid and emergency calls outside of business hours. There is always a large animal or equine dedicated veterinarian available within your area who can offer you emergency assistance and horse care.

Annual Health Care Visit

Our annual warrant of fitness (WOF) packages offer a great opportunity to provide a top care to our equine companions and to do our best to prevent any health problems or concerns before they arise.

Basic annual warrant of fitness:
Our Basic WOF is the perfect package for those wanting basic health care support for their horse. The consultation will include a clinical examination, vaccination, selenium blood test, faecal egg count, body condition score, and diet & nutrition advice. 

The Works annual warrant of fitness:
The Works WOF is a package for owners wanting to provide comprehensive preventative care for their horse. The Works includes a  clinical examination, vaccination, selenium blood test, bio chemistry panel, complete blood count, faecal egg count, body condition score, routine dental and power float, foot balance x-rays, and diet & nutrition advice.

CLINICAL EXAM

  • Temp
  • Body condition score
  • Heart Rate
  • Hoof assessment
  • Respiratory Rate
  • Trot up
  • Diet

DENTAL

Equine sedation and routine dental (visual with power float).

WORM

Faecal egg count

 

VACCINATION

Booster – Tetanus

– Tetanus and Strangles

SELENIUM BLOOD TEST

Email results FEC/Selenium/Dental chart.

Pre-Purchase Exams

A pre-purchase exam is a fact-finding session which can be a useful for both a buyer and the individual selling the horse. Your vet will examine the horse head to tail and provide a report with their unbiased, professional findings. 

The purpose of the pre-purchase examination is not to pass or fail a horse, but to identify any existing conditions so that the potential buyer can make an informed decision.

Assessments can involve some or all of the following:

  • identification
  • structured clinical exam
  • flexion tests
  • radiographs
  • scopes
  • ultrasound scans
  • blood tests
  • exam after exercise

The format follows strict legal guidelines and the information is confidential to the buyer. Vendor and purchaser forms are required to be completed before any exam. A chat with your preferred veterinarian beforehand on expectations and any concerns is often beneficial to this exam.

Dental

Over the last decade or so, we have made tremendous advances in our understanding of equine dental physiology and pathology and treatment of dental problems. Simultaneously we have made dramatic advances in the development of equipment designed to perform equine veterinary dentistry.

Our Equine vets have completed additional studies in the dentistry which mean we can offer a full veterinary dental service at each of our clinics.

Reproductive Services

We have veterinarians across the business with specific training in equine breeding and ultrasonography who can provide all of your reproduction services for the season.

  • Artificial insemination with fresh, chilled or frozen semen
  • Embryo flushing and freezing
  • Post insemination care 
  • Pregnancy scans 
  • Pregnancy vaccinations
  • Post foaling checks 

Learn more here.

Wound Management

As every horse owner knows, lacerations and traumatic injuries are not uncommon in horses, particularly involving the lower limbs. These are usually related to mishaps with fences, gates or wire. Wounds on the lower limb – below the knee or hock – are always a potential problem. This is because of the unique anatomy of this region. There is very little soft tissue or muscle between the skin and underlying tendons and bones, combined with very little skin mobility. These factors mean that wounds cannot contract well, and blood supply is poor. It is important if functional and cosmetic healing is to be achieved, that appropriate and aggressive initial treatment of these injuries is carried out.

The time between the wound occurring and primary treatment is critical – the so-called “golden hour” – so please do not hesitate in calling your vet if you feel that an injury is serious enough to warrant veterinary intervention. After about four to six hours, primary suturing of a wound in a horse is far less likely to be successful.

Castration/Gelding

Geldings are best performed >12months of age but individual circumstances can require alternative approaches, i.e. early gelding as management aid/ retained testicles etc.

We normally administer a short acting general anaesthetic to perform this operation in field. Weather with any field surgery can be critical and we try to avoid wed/muddy or dusty “operating tables”. We remove both testes and leave the surgical site open to drain to reduce infection/inflammation. We routinely administer tetanus antitoxin, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

A consent form is required to be completed upon booking in. View forms.

Freeze Branding and Microchipping

We can help with branding/microchip insertion/identification certification/DNA sampling that is required by Thoroughbred Studbook and other horse societies. We can offer advice with weaning and undertake hernia repair that is often managed at this time.

Retail

Our clinics are well stocked with wormers, bandages, dressings, joint, feed and hoof supplements as well as specialised advice.

If we don’t stock what you require, just let us know, we can usually contact suppliers and order it in.