Specialist Diagnostic Investigations
Rossdales has long been at the forefront of the diagnosis of racehorse injuries and illness. Our vets play a key role in the early detection and prevention of injuries by carrying out thorough lameness and poor performance investigations. For more complex cases and for those that require hospitalisation for surgery or further medical investigations, our ambulatory services are backed up by direct access to our equine hospital and diagnostic centre, which is led by RCVS, European and American specialists.
Expertise in Surgery & Medicine
Fracture repair
Our highly skilled, experienced team of specialist surgeons offers a fully comprehensive surgical service for elective and emergency surgery. In recent years, a major development in surgical techniques has been the increased use of standing sedation and local anaesthesia to carry out surgical repair of lower limb fractures - a technique that senior surgeon Richard Payne helped pioneer in 2004.
Treatable fractures sustained by racehorses in the UK have traditionally been repaired under general anaesthesia. However, certain types of fractures are now amenable to surgical repair in the standing sedated patient. At our hospital, standing fracture repair has now become the first choice in appropriate cases due to the many advantages the technique provides to surgeon, patient and owner, with other practices and surgeons in the UK now following suit.
Internal medicine
Our internal medicine specialists are available for complex medical, neurological and cardiology cases and have a proven track record of helping talented Thoroughbreds reach their potential. The team is led by Professor Celia Marr, who has an international reputation in cardiology and has published widely on a range of medical disorders of the horse, concentrating on cardiovascular disease and diagnostic methods in medical disorders.
Advanced Imaging Techniques
We offer the widest range of veterinary imaging equipment available in the UK including radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scintigraphy (bone scan), fluoroscopy, videoendoscopy and overground endoscopy.
Rossdales pioneered the use of MRI in the racing Thoroughbred and our MRI service has an internationally renowned reputation for experience and excellence in the detection of pre-fracture injury of the fetlock joint and stress injuries of the upper cannon region and knee.
Continual improvements to our CT service ensure our clients have access to the best possible technology capable of the full range of CT procedures – not just those restricted to the lower limb. CT can be very useful for:
- Complex fracture assessment and surgical planning
- Traumatic injuries to the head and upper neck
- Dental and sinus disease (no anaesthetic necessary)
- Ear, nose and throat conditions (no anaesthetic necessary)
Overground endoscopy is invaluable for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of equine upper airway disease, a common cause of poor performance in racehorses. Our overground endoscopic system can be integrated into a horse’s daily exercise routine over the preferred canter or gallop and provides excellent images to allow detailed post-exercise analysis to determine quickly and accurately the causes of airway obstruction.