Hospital discharge and aftercare

Here you can find details on what to expect during your horse's discharge from the hospital and information about aftercare.

When will I need to collect my horse?

The veterinary clinical team looking after your horse will advise you when your horse can go home. Sometimes this will be later the same day for out-patient appointments. For most horses, this will be after the relevant assessments and treatments have been performed as hospital inpatients.

Please arrange a time for collecting your horse with our reception team. Wherever possible, we ask that this is during normal hospital working hours.

What will happen when I collect my horse?

Your horse will be discharged by a member of the hospital veterinary team. The senior veterinary surgeons who have been looking after your horse will discuss the plan for hospital discharge and aftercare during updates. Your horse will be sent home with written instructions and any necessary medications. Please follow the instructions provided. If your horse is being collected outside standard working hours, the senior veterinary team who have been treating your horse may not be available.

What if I have any questions or concerns after my horse has been collected?

If you have any urgent concerns about your horse once you are back home, please contact your usual veterinary practice in the first instance. We are always happy to be contacted as needed if you or your veterinary practice have any questions about your horse’s hospital visit and ongoing aftercare.

Assistance with loading horses

Although our staff are happy to help load your horse during the hours of 9am-4pm, we ask that you read our loading policy (sent via email) before arranging transport of your horse. If assistance is required during working hours, we may have to add a fee for the professional time required. We also accept no liability for injury to your horse, people, or damage to property. 

We value your feedback and updates

We are always happy to receive constructive feedback about your horse's stay. Please contact the reception team on +44 (0)151 794 6041 or by email equinereception@liverpool.ac.uk and they will be happy to help. 

The hospital team always appreciates updates on how our hospital patients have progressed once back home, so please let us know how they get on. We may also contact you for updates about your horse, pony or donkey, as feedback about progress following discharge helps us determine the success of treatments and awareness of complications.