Orientation

Unfortunately not. All our patients should receive the best possible medical treatment and care and this is only possible when our staff have enough time to look after the animals undisturbed. Nevertheless, we have generous visiting hours: You are welcome to visit Mondays to Fridays from 11 am to 7 pm and on weekends and bank holidays from 1 to 4 pm.

Please deliver your horse between 11 am and 7 pm on weekdays and between 11 am and 4 pm on weekends and bank holidays. That way, we can guarantee that none of the important details concerning the treatment of your horse are forgotten. Please pick up your horse between 11 am and 7 pm on weekdays and between 11 am and 4 pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Our veterinarians are completely focused on the horses in their care and on applying their complete range of medical knowledge. They are therefore not always immediately available to discuss your concerns. Please bear this in mind when you visit the clinic. Veterinarians frequently carry out their examinations outdoors or in stables. If you see a veterinarian, this does not necessarily mean that they have time for you. Please respect the interests of the patient being examined and its owner. Please contact reception and arrange an appointment.

Since the very start, our clinic has followed the maxim: no news is good news, the less you hear from us, the better your horse is. Nonetheless, our veterinarians will be in touch with you at regular intervals. Should you have any additional questions or suggestions, our reception staff will be happy to deal with these during your visit or by telephone. The veterinarian in charge will then contact you at the earliest possible opportunity.

This depends on the medical diagnosis when your horse is admitted. As a rule, the more critical the state of health is, the closer the contact. The veterinarian will always involve you in all important decisions that affect your horse and provide all the relevant information in advance.

No, we can’t promise that. Our veterinarians invest a great deal of time and energy in the examination and treatment of the horses entrusted to their care. Frequent telephone calls would hinder their ability to do so, and put the patients’ health at risk.

Invoices for out-patient examinations in the clinic without in-patient treatment are to be paid immediately afterwards at the reception desk. The treatment of horses accepted as in-patients is to be paid for on their release. Payment is accepted in cash, by EC card or credit card. Please be aware of the daily limit on your cards. If the attending veterinarian has not stated the invoiced amount, then you can usually request this from 11 am on pick-up day. We reserve the right to claim advance payment during in-patient treatment.

In principle, the invoiced amount is to be paid immediately and in full following treatment or when your horse is picked up from the clinic. On a case-by-case basis, on request we also offer options for payment in instalments – although this is subject to a thorough assessment and does not apply across-the-board. Please do not hesitate to ask the veterinarian in charge or the staff at reception. We are fully aware that unexpected medical emergencies can temporarily lead to financial straits. Because specific rules must be met, please speak to us in advance. We will do our best to assist you. Our discretion is of course guaranteed.

Yes. You do not need a referral to visit a veterinary specialist, as you would with a doctor. You can come to us as soon as you have an appointment, or immediately in emergencies. Nevertheless, the involvement of your own veterinarian brings significant benefits for your horse. Important information reaches us without delay, existing imaging material (X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy, etc.) is available for comparison, and top quality follow-up care can be continued in your stable after consultation with your veterinarian.

In emergencies, we are available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. We recommend that you or your veterinarian call us briefly before you load your horse so that we can get everything ready for you. Regular appointments will be given within a few days. This applies to orthopaedics, imaging examinations, internal medicine and surgery. In exceptional cases, e.g. preferred appointment times, or examinations by a specific veterinarian, waiting times can be a little longer.

Yes. Our reception staff can describe most of the medical procedures in the clinic to you. The more detailed your explanation is, the more precise the questions to the veterinarian in charge will be. Should the veterinarian then have further questions, or wish to discuss the next steps, they will contact you.

In such cases, bring your horse in the day before. It will stay with us overnight and the veterinarian in charge will examine the horse the next day upon consultation with you. Experienced veterinary assistants are at hand to assist, who are also used to handling difficult horses. Please bring your horse to the clinic in the evening, before 7 pm if possible, or already at the weekend. The same applies to picking up your horse.

We can’t promise this. State-of-the-art medicine calls for well rested and attentive medical practitioners. We therefore prioritise regular working hours for our staff. You and your veterinarian will also find the information discussed before discharge in the detailed discharge instructions. Should you however have further questions, you are welcome to contact the clinic by email or telephone the next day. The responsible veterinarian will then contact you as soon as possible. Please bear in mind that only the responsible veterinarian can answer specific questions about your horse.

During the examination, all our attention is focused on the horse and its health. There is a limited amount of time for telephone calls. Our reception staff will however make a note of your concerns, and the responsible veterinarian will be in touch as soon as an opportunity arises.

Every general anaesthetic carries a medical risk. However, there are ways of minimising this risk. These include the examination of the horse by the anaesthesiologist the day before the operation under calm conditions, a blood test carried out without the influence of stress factors (immediately after transport), the horse fasting for some hours before the general anaesthetic, and its acclimatisation to the new surroundings. Delivering your horse on time therefore protects your horse.

An MRI scan on a standing horse enables the detailed observation of anatomical structures with a maximum sharpness of focus. This is only possible when the horse is calm and cooperative. The amount of time your horse has to remain calm depends on the part of the body that is to be examined, but not every horse is equally patient. We often therefore have to allow the horse to take a break in its stall. This improves the image quality and thus safeguards the quality of the diagnosis.

This diagnostic test involves the use of the radioactive isotope Technetium-99 (Tc99). This substance is subject to the Radiation Protection Ordinance, which regulates the safe handling of this material and also the living beings treated with it. It states that animals administered Tc99 are not permitted to come into contact with unauthorised individuals for approx. 48 hours. The exact amount of time is determined by the level of radiation. Your horse is therefore placed in a specially protected stall with other horses that are also in the clinic for scintigraphy scans. Authorised staff members take care of your horse’s well-being. Video monitoring also ensures that your horse is well. However, for your own safety, you as the owner are not permitted to visit your horse during this time. The horse is also not permitted to leave the stall – apart from for the examination itself. There are no exceptions to these rules.

The scintigraphy scans are carried out in several phases spread out over a day, because not all areas of the horse’s body can be examined simultaneously. This is because of the physical causes of the radiation behaviour. The results gathered throughout the test day are collated in the evening after the completion of the scans and made available to the treating veterinarian the following day. The results of the scans can then be discussed with you personally by phone or by appointment. During this discussion, decisions will be made regarding further investigative steps after the quarantine period has elapsed.

We aim to improve the medical care of your horse by keeping you as the owner informed at every stage, sharing information and offering you the best possible service. However, please understand that this is not always 100 per cent possible. In general: administrative questions are handled at reception, financial questions are handled by the accounts department and medical questions are answered by the veterinarian. In this way, each individual does what they have been trained to do.

Yes, but it must be kept on a lead at all times. This is for the protection of the horses, since they can on occasion be startled by dogs. Should you let your dog into the grounds, please make sure you clean up after it. Our staff can supply the equipment you will need.

No. All owners and patients are entitled to discretion. The ban respects the rights of those who feel that photos and videos invade their privacy. The use of images or videos on social networks is also prohibited. Exceptions must be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the management. The ban also applies to photos and films of one’s own horse in the stall during the whole time in the clinic. The protection from the uncontrolled or public use of image material is also extended to our staff.

Yes. This is for the protection of the patients entrusted to our care. Signs indicate the presence of the CCTV cameras.