Call Us
Goosnargh:
01772 861300
Lytham Road:
01772 718774
Kirkham:
01772 681992

Category: EQUINE

Equine News Archive :
Our services range from routine through to preventative healthcare. Oakhill host a range of events within the equine sector to increase your knowledge and to also offer you a wide range of free services.

Lenny’s Tongue injury

Back in November, Lenny, a charismatic young dressage horse, was found hyper-salivating, unable to eat or open his mouth and very quiet when his owners did a routine late night check.

The emergency vet was called and Hattie attended to find a very unusual injury to Lenny’s tongue. The tongue had an almost full thickness jagged laceration to the top surface with a complete tear of the frenulum on the underside (the bit that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth).

Injury on Hattie’s arrival

Torn frenulum (underside)

 

During the repair

Lenny underwent a general anaesthetic first thing in the morning to have the wound cleaned and repaired. Hattie was able to pull the wound together on the surface but left the underside to heal on its own due to the difficulty keeping the stitches in a mobile tongue.

3 days after repair

Lenny recovering

4 weeks after repair

Lenny made an excellent recovery thanks to his very caring owners and is now back in full work with no long term effects from his traumatic autumn evening!

Lenny during dressage

Eyelid lacerations

Oakhill Vet Stuart was called promptly when Sully caught his eye on a wall. 

Sully’s eye was checked for an ulcer and the eyelid was sutured under sedation and local anaesthetic. Prompt suturing and great care from his owner, preventing him from disrupting the stitches, has lead to a great cosmetic result!

However, eyelid laceration can have many complications:

  • Failing to get the  edges of the wound meeting nicely when stitching together can cause the eyelid or lashes to scratch the outer covering of the eye, the cornea.

  • If the eyelids can’t move as normal then tears can’t spread across the eye.

  • There are glands in the margin of the eyelid that secrete a component of the tears. If these are damaged there is an alteration the tear consistency.

The above three complications leads to corneal ulceration and pain.

Tears drain via the nasolacrimal duct in the inner corner of the eye. If obstructed or damaged, tears accumulate and then tear down the face which can cause skin irritation. Stagnant tears can attract bacteria and lead to conjunctivitis

To give the best chance of eyelid lacerations healing well and preventing the above mentioned side effects, veterinary assessment and suturing of wounds needs to occur promptly.

Equine Influenza – what’s the current situation?

There have been separate cases of Equine Influenza confirmed in the UK. Horses in Essex, Cheshire and Derbyshire have been affected this month with further reports of outbreaks in Belgium, France and Germany. With all three outbreaks it has been unvaccinated horses that have tested positive.

Currently the number of outbreaks is small but they have occurred within a short duration; to put things into perspective a similar number of cases were reported during the whole of 2018.

It is currently unknown which strain of the virus has caused these outbreaks, but research is being conducted to find out. While there are several signs of flu in horses, those affected may only show one or two of them.

What are the signs of infection?

Unvaccinated horses

  • In unvaccinated horses the virus targets the upper respiratory tract, this leads to a very dry, harsh or hacking cough.
  • They usually have a raised temperature which can last around 7-10 days. The fever often makes them dull, off their food and lethargic
  • A clear or white nasal discharge is often seen with enlargement of the submandibular lymph nodes (under their chin/throat area).

Vaccinated horses

  • Horses that have been regularly vaccinated often show no clinical signs, but they may still shed enough virus to infect other horses. This is how the outbreak in Australia in 2007 started.
  • Horses that have been vaccinated but only have partial protection, e.g. because they haven’t been vaccinated frequently enough or because the vaccine type used was not updated, may show varied signs of mild non specific respiratory disease. This can include mild lethargy, nasal discharge and possibly a cough.

What to do if you think there is a possible infected horse?

Owners should seek veterinary advice if they suspect there is flu on the yard and carry out the following precautions:

  • Isolate the possibly infected horses. Infected horses will spread the virus in respiratory droplets, through coughing, and can spread the virus for up to 10 days. They must be isolated until the vet advises they are no longer infected.
  • All horse movements on and off the yard should be stopped.
  • Monitor all horses on the yard for clinical signs and record their rectal temperature daily, it should be less than 38.0˚C. A rise in temperature can be an early sign of an infection.
  • Booster vaccinating all in-contact horses, even if they are not yet due their annual booster, has been shown to provide horses with even more protection against flu.

How to prevent it

Horse Flu is endemic in the UK, which means that most horses will come into regular contact with the virus during their lifetime. The control of horse flu in the UK is based on limiting the signs of infection in horses that have been exposed to the virus, rather than trying to prevent exposure itself. This is primarily achieved through regular vaccination which is given either once or twice a year.

If you have any questions about your horse’s vaccinations, please call our Equine Team on 01772 861300

Free* ACTH tests are back for 2019

Testing for PPID in your horse or pony

A few years ago PPID or Equine Cushing’s Disease was considered a rare hormonal disease in horses. Now it is thought to affect over 20% of horses over the age of 15 and is a condition recognised almost daily in equine veterinary practice.

Past ‘Talk about Laminitis’ test results show that you should look out for any of these clinical signs in your horse:

  • Laminitis
  • Abnormal or delayed moulting
  • Muscle wastage
  • Periorbital fat (fat round the eyes)
  • Increased drinking and urinating

In 2017, thousands of laminitic patients benefitted from PPID being ruled in or out of their condition during the Talk About Laminitis campaign, as a result, the Talk About Laminitis campaign will continue offering FREE* ACTH lab testing during 2019

You can claim your complimentary testing voucher code by visiting www.careaboutcushings.co.uk

If your horse is already on Prascend, you may be eligible for a free monitoring test (lab fees only). You can generate your voucher code for this by visiting the link above.

Terms & Conditions:

  • This free ACTH test voucher code is for the laboratory fees for a blood ACTH test only.
  • Each voucher is only redeemable against an ACTH blood test where the patient has not been previously diagnosed with PPID
  • Full T&Cs can be found below at www.careaboutcushings.co.uk
  • Oakhill blood sampling fee, visit fee and postage still apply.

What lurks beneath – equine lice

As our horses grow a thicker and longer coat over winter to keep themselves insulated it becomes an ideal breeding ground for lice, especially when we then cover this in a warm rug.

The life cycle of the louse is complete within 4 weeks and eggs hatch 10 days after being laid. Eggs or nits are small (1mm), yellowy-white in colour and glued tightly to the base of hairs.

Damalinia

Haematopinus Lice

Haematopinus

All horses can become infected with lice and those kept in large groups indoors, the elderly and young and those with immunosupressive conditions such as malnourishment and PPID (Cushings) are at an increased risk.

There are two types of lice affecting horses, a biting louse called Damalinia equi and a sucking louse called Haematopinus Asini.

Biting lice feed on skin scales and are found where the coat is finer (neck & body) whereas sucking lice feed on blood and are found where the hairs are longer in the mane and tail.

The feeding nature of the lice causes skin irritation with horses becoming extremely itchy. This can lead to patchy hair loss and a scurfy coat. In severe infestations the horse or pony can become anaemic.

Diagnosis is based on evidence and appearance of lice or their eggs.

Removal of the winter coat will help ensure treatment reaches the skin and has the best effect. Lice powders are available over the counter however anecdotally they don’t seem to work. Treatment needs to involve a permethrin or cypermethrin product applied every two weeks for a few treatments to ensure all life stages of the lice are killed. In addition if there is an underlying cause this needs to be identified and treated to prevent reoccurrence.

The lice affecting horses can’t affect humans however sharing rugs/ numnahs/ grooming kits can spread it horse to horse.

If you have any questions regarding lice on your horse, please contact us.

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:

[checklist icon=”fa-arrow-circle-right” iconcolor=”#39aa87″ circle=”yes”]

  • 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.

[/checklist]

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.

 

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:

[checklist icon=”fa-arrow-circle-right” iconcolor=”#39aa87″ circle=”yes”]

  • 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.

[/checklist]

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:

[checklist icon=”fa-check-circle” iconcolor=”#39aa87″ circle=”yes”]

  • 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.

[/checklist]

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……..

[checklist icon=”fa-arrow-circle-right” iconcolor=”#39aa87″ circle=”yes”]

  • 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.

[/checklist]

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