Bendigo equine hospital launches Australian first foal ambulance

The White Hills operation has just launched a foal ambulance to transport young horses needing medical imaging to a CT scanner in Epsom.

Veterinarian Mike Whiteford explained the initiative came about after the Victorian Equine Group, which runs the hospital, was bought by Apiam Animal Health in July last year.

"Apiam have a CT machine at one of their clinics and they said, 'If you want to use it for your foals, you're welcome'," he said.

CT, "a much more sensitive, 3D form of imaging" than X-ray or ultrasound, offers the vets medical insight into the condition of foals who are lame or have abdomen, chest or head injuries.

"We threw around various ideas about how we could transport them," Mr Whiteford said.

"We decided the safest way would be asleep and inside an ambulance."

The ambulance they found was a former human one that came from an online auction in Melbourne.

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"We had to buy it sight unseen," Mr Whiteford said.

"It didn't have any stickers or sirens but was otherwise intact.

"The biggest thing we had to do was make the bed."

The project, which took a couple of months, had only been completed in the last two weeks, with a fold-out bed that can accommodate a patient of up to 180kg, Mr Whiteford said.

"We knock them down inside, then transfer them on a stretcher to the bed and then on the bed to the back of the ambulance and all the way to the CT."

The service is available for any equine - "from a mini to a Clydesdale".

"If it's appropriate to your case it's 100 per cent on offer," the vet said.

But at a cost of between $1000 and $2000, it "isn't for everybody".

Thoroughbred foals are sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and the level of care expected for them now is high level, Mr Whiteford said.

"Back in the day you were making your best guess [when diagnosing] but the advent of digital X-ray, more advanced ultrasound and CT has meant people now want an answer and best guess is no longer accepted."

Meanwhile, the new ambulance is set to also serve as a mobile hospital for on-farm surgeries, something the vets envisage doing at thoroughbred studs, where there are more horses to deal with.

"We reckon we might be using it, out on the road, one day a week up until Christmas," Mr Whiteford said.

Trainee vet Eve Arbour said the vehicle, fitted out "just like a mini hospital", was comfortable to work in.

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"We've had a couple of foals go to CT and a couple of test runs doing surgery here in the ambulance outside the hospital," she said.

"It's been a good success so far in our trials. It's just about the team getting used to it.

"It's nice to be able to get out and about and be able to provide the same level of care as in the hospital."

Apiam CEO Dr Chris Richards said the company was proud to be delivering the service in time for foaling season.

"[We] look forward to seeing our top vets in action as some future superstars are born, he said.

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