Information for owners of horses undergoing surgery (standing):

Before the Surgery:

• If your horse is insured and the surgery is planned, you should inform the insurance company that we intend to perform a surgery and, where appropriate, check that the insurers are prepared to cover the costs of this. Where possible this should be done in advance of your horse’s surgery date. You can download our guide for insurance claims HERE.

• As a minimum, all horses undergoing surgery should be up-to-date with their tetanus vaccines. Please check your horse’s passport prior to your horse’s surgery and let us know if your horse is overdue a tetanus vaccine.

• Shoes can generally be left on in horses undergoing most standing surgeries. If you are uncertain, please ask your vet.

• For most standing surgeries we do not starve horses prior to the operation although there are few specific surgeries before which we may request food is withheld; please ask your vet if you are uncertain whether you should withhold food.

• Please bring your horse’s passport to BELL EQUINE when he / she is admitted. Please also bring any rugs you want your horse to wear if your horse stays overnight. Hay and feed are provided but if your horse has specific dietary requirements, please bring these feed types.

• The risks of the specific surgery that your horse is undergoing will be discussed with you prior to the procedure. Routinely, owners will not be allowed to watch the surgical procedure to prevent stimulation of your horse.

Surgical Procedure:

• An intravenous catheter will be placed prior to standing surgery in most horses. This generally involves clipping a small area on the neck. Please let us know if you do not consent to clipping the neck.

• Standing surgery also often requires additional ‘nerve blocks’ so your horse does not feel any pain during the surgical procedure. This may result in additional clipped patches near the operated area.

• Horses should only be transported, once fully recovered from sedatives and only after our veterinary team has given you permission to do so. This may take 1-3 hours. Food and sometimes water should be with-held until your horse has recovered from sedation. Some horses undergoing standing surgery will stay in the clinic overnight but some may be discharged the same day.

• Sedative drugs have a tendency to slow bowel movements down, which might increase the risk for colic.  Watch your horse carefully for any signs of colic in the first 24 hours following standing surgery and to make sure that he/she is passing droppings. Provision of a laxative diet / grass may be helpful immediately after surgery to reduce the risk of impaction colic. If your horse needs to be kept on box rest after his/her surgery, then it is particularly important to make sure that he/she is passing droppings regularly and has free access to ad lib water. If possible (check with your vet) he/she will likely benefit from being walked out of the stable several times a day.

KC/AG 2020

Information for owners of horses undergoing surgery (under general anaesthesia):

Before the surgery:

• If your horse is insured and the surgery is planned, you should inform the insurance company that we intend to perform a surgery and, where appropriate, check that the insurers are prepared to cover the costs of this. Where possible this should be done in advance of your horse’s surgery date. You can download our guide for insurance claims HERE.

• As a minimum, all horses undergoing surgery should be up-to-date with their tetanus vaccines. Please check your horse’s passport prior to your horse’s surgery and let us know if your horse is overdue a tetanus vaccine.

• If possible, shoes should be removed prior to bringing your horse to BELL EQUINE Equine to undergo surgery.  

• For most surgeries we do not starve horses prior to the operation although there are few specific surgeries before which we may request food is withheld; please ask your vet if you are uncertain whether you should withhold food. For planned procedures, horses generally will not receive ‘hard feed’ on the morning before anaesthesia and nursing foals will be muzzled for 30 – 60 minutes prior to induction of anaesthesia. 

• Please bring your horse’s passport to BELL EQUINE when he / she is admitted. Please also bring any rugs you want your horse to wear if your horse stays overnight. Hay and feed are provided but if your horse has specific dietary requirements, please bring these feed types.

• The risks of the specific surgery that your horse is undergoing will be discussed with you prior to the procedure. Routinely, owners will not be allowed to watch the surgical procedure to prevent stimulation of your horse and operating theatre personnel.

Anaesthetic / surgery procedure:

• An intravenous catheter will be placed prior to anaesthesia and surgery in most horses. This generally involves clipping a small area on the neck. Please let us know if you do not consent to clipping the neck.

• Anaesthesia (making horses fully unconscious by use of anaesthetic drugs) involves a number of risks which we will discuss with you at the clinic and please do ask if you have any additional questions. At BELL EQUINE our mortality rate for general anaesthesia is very low (less than 1%, excluding colic cases).  The risks and benefits associated with each surgical procedure are carefully considered on an individual basis for each patient. Surgery will only be performed, if necessary and appropriate.  General anaesthesia is, therefore, mainly indicated for medical or surgical procedures that cannot be performed in a safe, careful and efficient manner under standing sedation.  General anaesthesia is only performed by trained veterinary surgeons, and we use the most up-to-date and safest techniques available in order to minimize the risks to your horse. However, despite these precautions, you should be aware that very sick patients are at higher risk of suffering from anaesthetic complications. Risks specific to your horse will be discussed prior to the procedure but please ask us if you have specific queries.

• Recovery from anaesthesia can take 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the animal and on the length of the procedure.  For safety reasons and to avoid stimulating your horse, owners are not allowed near their horses during the recovery period. 

• Horses should only be transported once fully recovered from the anaesthetic and only after your veterinarian has given you permission to do so. Most horses undergoing surgery will stay in the clinic overnight but horses may be discharged the same day under specific circumstances.

• Anaesthetic drugs have a tendency to slow bowel movements down, which might increase the risk for colic following anaesthesia.  Watch your horse carefully for any signs of colic in the first 24 hours following general anaesthesia and to make sure that he/she is passing droppings. Provision of a laxative diet / grass may be helpful immediately after surgery to reduce the risk of impaction colic. If your horse needs to be kept on box rest after his/her surgery, then it is particularly important to make sure that he/she is passing droppings regularly and has free access to ad lib water. If possible (check with your vet) he/she will likely benefit from being walked out of the stable several times a day.