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Author: Julie Nuttall

Think twice before breeding

We currently have a horse crisis, whereby the number of horses far outweighs the number of good homes available.

 

Whilst we would all love to rescue every horse or pony that needs a home it simply isn’t possible with the numbers out there. Unfortunately for every horse that is born it means one that is currently alive is pushed out of a potential home.

But why do we have this crisis? The blame can’t be pointed at any one group.

 

In fact, collectively, twice as many foals are produced by people who will only breed 1 to 5 foals than by people who will breed over 100 each.

 

This shows that, everybody reading this, whether you be a dealer, breeder, or pleasure horse owner, has a role in stopping this crisis from worsening. 

 

Why horse owners breed from their mares:

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  • Injury: If she is having to be rested for a prolonged period it seems a good idea to get a ‘use’ out of her. In fact, her recovery could be jeopardised due to the excess weight of the foal, energy being diverted from healing to producing the foal and her body being stressed.
  • Preserve desirable traits: If this is your aim then you need to ensure the stallion is just as good. Even then you aren’t guaranteed the foal won’t have problems.
  • Prevent laminitis: this is no longer thought to help and is most probably detrimental.
  • You can make money: Producing a foal to the age of 4 is now more expensive than buying a 4-year-old. Consider the cost if the mare doesn’t conceive first time, vaccinations, microchip, passport, worming, livery and extra food. Worse even more if the mare or foal become ill or are accident prone.

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Whilst I can appreciate breeding your mare, raising the foal and then riding it is a lovely experience it also can attract a great deal of stress. So, if you have deeply considered the above and still want to breed from your mare then keep a look out for another instalment to try help you prepare her for breeding.

 

Extended liver fluke season and climate change

Fascioliasis

An important stage of the Liver fluke life cycle takes place in mud snails and requires wet and warm conditions (above 7 – 10°C) during the summer months. Over the last couple of years unseasonal weather has seen these conditions well into autumn and winter. This means that sheep and cattle are still being infected later in the season and more frequent testing and treatment may be required.

Fascioliasis can have a serious financial impact on a sheep farm with immediate losses up to 10 per cent caused by acute/subacute disease. Chronic disease could half profits by reducing lamb crop and increasing ewe mortality. Lack of treatment in cattle will lead to reduced growth and yields and discarded milk if treatment is no targeted.

We recommend testing your sheep and cattle for the presence of Liver fluke. Treatment needs to be targeted at your flock/herd and will vary from farm to farm. Please discuss your individual requirements with your vet to develop a treatment plan for the coming months.

liver fluke life cycle

Border Disease

Border disease or hairy shaker disease is a virus which causes birth defects, barren ewes and abortion. It is from the same family of viruses as BVD in cattle.

If a ewe is infected during pregnancy the virus passes through the placenta to the lamb, in some cases this causes embryonic loss or abortion. Some lambs survive and are born Persistently infected (PI). PIs shed the virus continuously and can infect other sheep and lambs. This can be a major problem in naïve flocks unknowingly buying in PIs which can then cause around half of lambs born to be affected by the disease.

 

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  • Infection in non-pregnant adult sheep is generally short lived and mild, often no clinical signs are seen.
  • Hairy shakers are lambs infected with the virus whilst developing in-utero effecting their nervous system which leads to trembling and incoordination. They also have long curly wool.
  • Some lambs are born completely normal but maintain the infection, these are called Persistently Infected animals (PI).

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Hairy shakers are usually a good way to diagnose the presence of the disease. These lambs can also be blood tested to confirm presence of the virus.

Blood testing a group of ewes can identify if the flock has been exposed to the disease and is likely to be present.

To discuss with our Farm Team further, please contact us

 

Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma – OPA

Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma is caused by a virus leading to a progressive and fatal infectious lung cancer of sheep.

The virus is spread from infected sheep by aerosol and nasal discharge. It is often seen in older thin sheep. There is no treatment.

The signs are very similar to chronic pneumonia:

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  • Difficulty breathing
  • Weight loss
  • Excessive watery fluid from the nose
  • Sudden death
  • Secondary infections such as Pasteurella are common.

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Once signs are evident the disease is fatal.

The definitive diagnosis is made by post mortem examination of the lungs.

If there is suspected OPA ultrasound examination of the lungs can be considered.

If you wish to discuss further, please call our Farm Team on 01772 861300

Brexit: Travelling with pets after UK leaves the EU

Pet owners will still be able to travel to Europe with their pet after the UK leaves the EU, whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. However, in the event of no deal, they may need to take some additional steps to be able to travel with their pet to the EU.

If pet owners are planning to travel after 29 March 2019 the Government will recommend they contact their vet at least four months in advance to check what they need to do.

Those wishing to travel to the EU on 30 March 2019, for example, should discuss requirements with their vet as soon as possible and by 28 November 2018 at the latest.

The requirements for travel would include making sure that pets are effectively vaccinated against rabies before they travel. This involves having an up-to-date rabies vaccination and a blood test to demonstrate sufficient levels of rabies antibody.

The blood test would need to be carried out a minimum of 30 days after any initial rabies vaccination and a minimum of three months before their travel date. This means that pet owners will need to talk to their vet about health requirements in good time to make sure they are able to travel with their pet.

The Government has published further guidance for pet owners on its website.

If you wish to discuss further, please contact us.

Equine Client Evening – 14th November 2018

FREE EQUINE CLIENT EVENING

Wednesday 14th November 2018

Barton Grange Hotel,  746-768 Garstang Rd, Barton, Preston PR3 5AA

7pm for 7.30pm start

Join the Oakhill Equine Team and our guest speaker Fernando Malalana on to explore the topics of:

Horse eyes:  What’s normal, what can go wrong and what can be fixed?

Fernando Malalana, DVM GPCert(EqP) DipECEIM MRCVS, Senior Lecturer in Equine Internal Medicine, University of Liverpool

My horse is on three legs: What to do with a really lame horse.

Guy Hinnigan, Oakhill Equine Director and RCVS recognised Specialist.

In aid of SPANA

To book your place call 01772 861300 or email equine@oakhill-vets.com

Winter series: Impactions

Colic is a collection of clinical signs shown by a horse indicating abdominal discomfort. We see an increase in colic’s due to impactions during the winter months.

Impactions of the gastro intestinal tract commonly occur at the pelvic flexure. The pelvic flexure is a part of the large colon which turns 180 degrees on itself and naturally narrows. The reduced speed of food material passing through this area mean it is more susceptible than other areas to blockage.

Other than anatomy there are a number of changes that occur, mostly in the winter, which increase the risk of blockage:

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  • We reduce the amount of hours that horses and ponies are outside eating short moist grass and replace it with eating longer, drier roughage such as hay and haylage. Larger amounts of hay and haylage can be eaten alot quicker.
  • Horses and ponies often have less exercise either because they are confined to a stable for longer periods of the day or because we can’t ride them as much due to shorter daylight hours.
  • Horses may reduce their winter intake due to the water being cold or frozen, causing the food material to become dehydrated in the gut.
  • Horses may be turned out on sand paddocks to stretch their legs. If roughage is fed from the floor then they will ingest sand particles which will rest in the gut.
  • Horses and ponies may eat large amounts of straw from their bedding.

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As food material slows down in the pelvic flexure more water is reabsorbed from the gut causing drying of the gut contents, reducing motility of the gut further, leading to more drying and eventual blockage. Usually the horse will have passed reduced amount of, drier than normal, faeces over the preceeding 48-72 hours to eventually passing no droppings at all.

Pain from impaction colics is due to stretch of the gut.  Impaction colics usually are mild in pain but can have periodic episodes of more intense pain. Normal colic signs such as pawing, flank watching and inappetance can be exhibited.

Examination by a vet may reveal a mildly increased heart rate, dry gums and prolonged skin tent. Gut sounds can sometimes be reduced due to slowing of the gut, however they can also be increased as the body’s response to try to shift the blockage. Impactions of the pelvic flexure can usually be identified on rectal examination. They usually are doughy in consistency and sit in the lower left area of the abdomen.

Treatment, as with any colic, involves providing pain relief and a muscle relaxant. In addition the blocked food material needs to be rehydrated. This is most commonly done using a tube passed down the nostril of the horse into the stomach. A mix of water and electrolytes is then administered. Over time this will seep through the food and hopefully relieve the blockage. Food is restricted until poo is seen as it will contribute to the blockage. Tubing may have to occur repeatedly over several days. In severe cases intra venous fluids may need to be used.

So to prevent your horse or pony from becoming impacted this winter try to:

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  • Change diet slowly.
  • Avoid straw bedding if you are concerned your horse or pony eats it.
  • Try to keep exercise maintained, a walk around the yard is better than standing still in a stable.
  • Ensure a ready access to fresh water.

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It is worth noting that there are other causes of impactions such as ileo-caecal impactions due to tapeworms and ascarid impaction of the small intestine in youngsters and these will be discussed at a later date.

 

As always, if you are concerned about colic in your horse, please call us on 01772 861300

 

Winter Series: Mud Fever

Mud fever, also known as greasy heel syndrome but correctly termed pastern dermatitis, is an infection of the skin usually of the pastern.

The bacteria causing the infection can be from the environment or living on the skin itself and will gain entry due to an injury to the skin surface. It more commonly affects white socked legs, as the skin’s immune function of these areas is reduced. In minor cases it may present as just a few scabs, however, it can spread above the fetlock, occur concurrently with cellulitis, or leg filling, and be openly bleeding.

Although it can have a typical appearance sometimes a vet visit is needed to rule out other conditions and to identify predisposing factors.

The skins integrity is weakened by continuous wetting of the skin and rubbing from mud meaning it is a problem commonly seen in Winter. However, it may not just be wet and muddy conditions that are causing the problem……..

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  • Lymphoedema: this is typical of cob type or draught breeds. Lymph fluid circulates around the body carrying nutrients in lymph vessels. The lymph vessels in these types seem to be less effective in circulating blood in the lower limbs which leads to accumulation of fluid and skin thickening.
  • Leucocytoclastic vasculitis: this is an immune mediated condition whereby blood vessels become damaged. Personal experience shows it occurs more commonly on the outside of white pasterns.
  • Photosensitisation: this is caused by either liver disease or allergic reaction meaning the horse doesn’t deal with chemicals that react with light meaning that when the horse is exposed to UV radiation (sunlight) it becomes sunburnt.
  • Feather mites/ Chorioptic mange: Chorioptes mites causes itchiness of the lower limbs. This can lead to self trauma and wounds allowing skin infection.

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To rule out these conditions it may be necessary to take blood samples or biopsies to determine if one of these are involved.

In order to treat Mud Fever you may need to treat the underlying cause. Sometimes a thorough antibacterial cleaning and removal of scabs is needed, under sedation, so that topical antibacterial, steroidal and protectant creams can be applied directly onto the damaged skin. In some cases when associated with cellulitis or more widespread infection of the leg systemic antibiotics may be needed.

The deliberation is always; do you wash the mud off your horses legs or do you brush it off when dry ?? In our opinion neither is superior. If you are to wash your horses legs they need to be thoroughly dried and if there is already some mud fever present avoid wetting the leg further.

If you are concerned about Mud Fever in your horse, please call us on 01772 861300

No EYE in team

Rags’ owner had noticed that his right eye looked a little swollen and weepy and over the course of the day it also became cloudy. With concern, his owner called Oakhill Equine Vet, Stuart Davies, to get Rags thoroughly checked.

Rags’ right eye was partially closed (blepahrospasm) and his right pupil was very small – this is a response, by the horses eye, to discomfort or pain (uveitis).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With careful examination using an ophthalmoscope, a very small (only approx 1mm) black object could be seen penetrating the cornea (outer surface of the eye) in the lower left corner of the eye.

Rags was given pain relief, atropine (to dilate the pupil which in itself provides pain relief), then his owner bought him into the Oakhill clinic.

Understandably horses needed to be very cooperative when dealing with their eyes, so Rags was given some sedation and a local anaesthetic block allowing his eye lid to be held open.
Fellow Equine Vet, Jess Wray, then carefully removed the black object that turned out to be a thorn!! Great team work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rags was able to continue his pain relief and antibiotic drops at home. A week later you can see his eye is completely back to normal and from now on he will be tuned out with a face mask!

This case demonstrates the importance of careful eye examination. If you notice anything different about your horses eyes, please contact us.