The Podcasting Equine Vets

In this thought-provoking episode, Liz Somerville and Liz Daniels dive into the online buzz sparked by Loch Leven Equine Practice's recent social media post about vet bills — and the debate it ignited. From pricing myths to the realities behind the scenes, they respond to comments, questions, and strong opinions shared by the equestrian community. Tune in as we unpack: • Independent vs corporate vet practices – is one really driving up costs? • Value vs cost – where does your money actually go? • Why preventative care is more affordable in the long run • How "free" human healthcare might be skewing our perception of vet fees • The power of transparency – even down to the cost of a pair of gloves • Why positivity online matters more than ever Whether you're a horse owner, vet professional, or someone who joined the social media discussion, this episode offers a fresh, honest perspective on what veterinary care truly delivers — and why it's worth every penny.

It's been 5 years since we released our original episode on equine dentistry so we thought an updated edition was well overdue. Even in the last 5 years things have progressed, we've learnt more, developed better techniques and invested in our dental kit and equipment. Whilst we still have some way to go, more and more horse owners are understanding the benefits of using qualified and experienced people to look after their horses and ponies teeth. In this updated episode Liz Somerville is joined by Jenny Croft MRCVS to discuss dental qualifications, who to use to exam your horse's teeth, what should be involved in a proper dental exam, the different equipment and techniques and why sedation is so important.

Hugh and Liz Somerville are back this week chatting about joint injections. A slightly emotive topic that lots of owners have a lot of very different opinions on so this episode covers some of the more common threads that we are seeing across social media channels, including the recent coverage of Arthrimid as well as some of the questions that our own clients at Loch Leven Equine Practice are asking. The epsidoe covers: What is a joint injection? What happens when a horse gets a joint injection? What are the risks of joint injections? What are the different treatments we can inject into joints? What happens after my horse has had a joint injection? What should owners be looking out for after a joint injection? What happens if a horse goes lame after a joint injection? Arthrimid - was it really a 'bad batch'?

Series 2 of The Podcasting Equine Vets is back and we are kicking it off with a topic that is getting a lot of air time at the moment. Kissing spines is a condition that horse owners are much more aware of now than a few years ago. At Loch Leven Equine Practice we are getting asked to x-ray more backs during vettings than ever before and it would be fair to say we're seeing and treating more cases ourselves. Luckily at Loch Leven Equine Practice we have exactly the right person to speak to it about! As an orthopeadic equine surgeon with additional qualifications in surgery and diagnostic imaging, and many years of experience of working with both performance and leisure horses Hugh Somerville MRCVS is very well placed to talk to us about this condition. Keep listening to find out: What is kissing spines? How we diagnose kissing spines What are the different treatment options? What rehabilitation is needed? What is the prognosis or limitations for your horse if they are diagnosed? Should I buy a horse with kissing spines?

Coughing may seem like a trivial subject especially as the odd cough really isn't anything to worry about, but for those owners whose horses are coughing so much it is effecting their ridden work, or if they get regular coughs due to allergies it can incredibly frustrating. There can also be more than one thing going on which can complicate and prolong treatment. In this episode I talk to Jane Haden MRCVS about why our horses cough and the different causes, how we diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment as well as some management tips to reduce the environmental challenges for our horses

Foot abscesses are relatively simple to treat if managed properly. They are also one of the most common things that we see as equine emergencies and are excruciatingly painful for our horses. It is not uncommon for a client to call because their horse is completely non-weight bearing, only for the vet to arrive and diagnose an abscess. In our latest episode I am joined by Jenny Croft MRCVS to chat about what causes an abscess, the clinical signs that our owners should look out for, the best treatment plan as well as what can go wrong if they are not treated quickly and effectively.

Equine Grass Sickness is a particularly devastating disease given the poor prognosis and how little we know about what actually causes it. In this episode from the Podcasting Equine Vets Liz Somerville is joined by Karen Wilson MRCVS. Listen in to learn about the disease including the different categories of Equine Grass Sickness, the potential cause, symptoms, prognosis, treatment and what you can do to try to prevent your horse from getting it.

In our latest episode Jane Haden MRCVS and Liz Somerville chat about the minefield of horse insurance. If you want to find about more about the different types of cover, what to consider when choosing your policy including how the excess works, how to make a claim and some of the more common pitfalls that we see in practice then this is the episode for you!

Breeding from your mare is a really exciting time for all involved but foaling can also be a worrying time for even the most experienced breeder because of the speed of the labour and how quickly things can progress. In our latest podcast we chat about what to expect and bets to prepare for the birth, as well as what can go wrong, when to call for help and how to spot potential issues early.

The Podcasting Equine Vets are back with a brand new show 'Tails of a Horse Owner' which follows the journey of one of Loch Leven Equine Practice's patients through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. In this episode Liz Somerville interviews owner Lucy Blain about Caesar's journey after he was diagnosed with a penile squamous cell carcinoma. Lucy talks honestly about her experience and shares her worries and concerns as she prepared for Caesar to under go surgery as well as some of the complications that Caesar threw at the team at Loch Leven.

When we talk about sarcoids it is easy to picture huge, raw tumours but the reality is that lots of horses have small, seemingly innocuous sarcoids that can even sometimes go undetected unless we are carefully checking our horses on a regular basis. As well as working for Loch Leven Equine Practice Jenny Croft also works part time for Equine Medical Solutions which is the business behind the sarcoid cream that is so well-known. Her boss and mentor is none other than the incredible Professor Derek Knottenbelt who has done so much to increase our knowledge and understanding of sarcoids as well as being responsible for treating tens of thousands of sarcoids over his career. In this episode Jenny and Liz chat about why and how horses get sarcoids, some of the more common areas to find sarcoids and how to treat them as well as how not to treat them!

In this latest podcast The Podcasting Equine Vets discuss Impaction Colic. We talk through what an impaction is and how big they can be. We look at how impactions happen, treatment, what to look out for and give our top management tips to prevent them occurring.

In our latest podcast we chat about a few of the more common things we get called to see over Christmas, what to look out for and how to avoid your horse getting ill over the festive period.