Services
Diagnostic Services
Pre purchase examination
Morphettville Equine Clinic regularly performs pre-purchase examinations as per the Equine Veterinarians Australia code of practice. We also perform a range of examinations of horses as is required prior to their export overseas.
Radiology
We use high quality digital radiography both in the clinic and out on the road. At the clinic, we have a dedicated x-ray room, which allows us to obtain very high quality images. These digital radiographic images can then be examined on high definition screens allowing subtle pathology to be identified. The images are stored electronically, but can also be printed, saved to CD or e-mailed around the world.
Our ambulatory radiography unit permits us to obtain and review radiographs of unprecedented quality in the field, using computer generated digital technology.
One of the digital radiography units at Morphettville Equine Clinic in use
Ultrasonography
The practice undertakes a wide variety of ultrasonographic scans on a regular basis both at the hospital and on the road.
Frequent applications of ultrasound undertaken include: reproduction work, tendon scans, pelvis scans, cardiac scans, pleural scans and abdominal scans. Of course the list of applications for such a versatile imaging modality is always developing.
The practice owns a range of ultrasound scanners including two portable units and an exceptional hospital based unit that is capable of obtaining very high quality echocardiography as well as detailed tendon scans.
Shockwave Therapy
Morphettville Equine Clinic has a high quality shockwave therapy unit, which is very useful for the treatment of various orthopaedic conditions ranging from tendon and ligament injury to angular limb deformities in foals.
Stem Cell Therapy
This new technique in the treatment of tendon and ligament injury involves collection of bone marrow prior to in vitro culture and implantation to the site of injury. The technique offers very promising results in returning seriously injured equine athletes back to athletic competition.
IRAP
In recent months, the clinic has begun undertaking iRAP® therapy of damaged joints. IRAP is a new system that has been developed to stimulate white blood cells to produce anti-inflammatory mediators and enzymes to reduce the inflammatory phase of joint disease. Blood is taken from the horse’s jugular vein and incubated for 24 hours in special syringes that contain glass beads which induce the white blood cells to produce and secrete therapeutic proteins during the incubation period. After 24 hours, the blood is centrifuged and all red blood cells removed. This leaves a protein rich serum, that is then split into 3ml doses ready for injection into the diseased joint. Typically each collection produces enough serum for between 6-7 injections, which are only suitable to treat the horse from which the original blood was collected.
Ophthalmology
Eye cases are seen on a regular basis, receiving surgery or medical treatment as required. For difficult cases, we have a visiting specialist Veterinary Ophthalmologist, Dr Tony Read, who examines horses at the Hospital when required.
A tumour of the cornea in a horse that was successfully surgically removed.
A horse with a sarcoid near the eye being treated with combination therapy including cryosurgery (freezing) and the intratumoral injection of Cisplatin
A free conjunctival graft performed on a horse with a deep fungal infection of the cornea
Clinical Laboratory
Our onsite clinical laboratory performs a large range of haematological and biochemical analyses on a daily basis.
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