Ridings Equine Vets are searching for a full or part time receptionist / administrator to join our growing practice in Lumby, South Milford. This is a new role within the team with scope to develop it further.
Equine Influenza
What is equine influenza?
- Equine influenza is a virus which is highly contagious between horses
How does it spread?
- It travels through the air when windy, on clothing, equipment, feed buckets, horse transportation, stables…. The list goes on!
- Coughing produces droplets which contain the virus, spreading to other horses in their vicinity
- In very windy conditions, the virus can be spread up to 2km from the infected horse!
- Infected horses show signs in 1-5 days after becoming infected
What signs should I look out for?
- An increased temperature above 38.5 degrees C for 1-5 days which can occur before any other signs!
- Coughing- harsh and dry
- Nasal discharge- varying from clear to thick and yellow/green
- Lethargy and inappetence
- Difficulty eating and ‘gagging’ when eating
- Swollen and sore glands around the head and jaw
- Secondary infections are also common such as pneumonia or swelling of the legs
- Those animals with pre-existing conditions affecting the respiratory tract (e.g. Asthma) are potentially more likely to be severely affected
How do we diagnose and treat it?
- Generally speaking a nasal swab and possibly a blood test will be taken and submitted to a lab to confirm the infection
- Supportive care is recommended, this may be through fluids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as bute or environmental changes such as reducing any dust to allow the horse to recover
- Recovery time is variable between horses and depends on underlying conditions or any complications which may occur.
How do I prevent my horse from getting equine influenza?
- Vaccination!
- A very effective vaccination is available and is considered part of the ‘core’ vaccinations for horses, donkeys and other equids.
- The course of vaccines is required for optimal protection
- Two vaccines 21-60 days apart THEN another booster 120-160 days later THEN boosters no more than a year apart OR six monthly depending on requirements at the time.
- Biosecurity
- Be sensible when away from home- limit contact with other horses, water troughs, members of the public etc to avoid spread of any disease
- Quarantine new arrivals- as flu is airborne this may not completely prevent spread but can certainly reduce the chance if any new horses are kept physically separated with separate mucking out, hay store etc. on arrival for at least 14 days (if not 21!).
If you have any questions or queries regarding equine influenza please don’t hesitate to contact us on 07747 771182 or info@ridingsequinevets.co.uk
Equine flu vaccines can be booked for our regular routine zone days, yard visits, standard visits or you can bring your horse in to our clinic for their vaccines. Alex x
Credit/source for information and images https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/health-care-management/horse-health/equine-diseases/equine-influenza/
Gastric Ulcers- Risk Factors and Associated Conditions
So why do horses get gastric ulcers?
Great question! And unfortunately it is one with several different factors, some of which may or may not apply to your horse!
- Medications
- Some medications such as prolonged use of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as bute, inflacam, danilon) at high doses can cause gastric ulceration
- Diet
- Diets high in concentrates (grains) and low in roughage/fibre (hay) are known to predispose the stomach environment to gastric ulcersExtended periods without access to forage have also been associated with gastric ulcersNot feeding some fibre (chop) before riding has also been linked with ‘splash’ lesions affecting the squamous mucosa
- Intermittent access to water has also been associated with gastric ulcers
- Stress
- Horses who are thought to be ‘highly strung’ or ‘stressy’ by their owners/handlers are more likely to develop certain kinds of gastric ulcers
- Illness or disease
- Management
- Multiple handlers and sudden changes in management have also been associated
- Some horses have very different personal preferences- one horse may LOVE being in the field 24/7 but for another this would cause them a lot of stress. Some horses enjoy being in work 6 days a week, others find that concept incredibly stressful. Each horse requires different management and this is something we will discuss when performing gastroscopy for your horse
- Pain
- One factor we are seeing more and more as a significant factor in the development of gastric ulcers is pain
- This can be broken down into orthopaedic pain, back pain or abdominal pain from other areasOrthopaedic pain is alarmingly common. Even low grade lameness cases are being seem more and more frequently for gastric ulcers, and when trotted up these cases are being identified.
- In refractory cases (ulcers keep coming back) or those which fail to respond to treatment it is recommended to ensure that we do a thorough soundness check/back assessment to ensure that we are not missing an underlying niggle!
So what do we do about controlling the risk for our horses?
- Ensure they have continuous access to forage and fresh water
- Ensure they are fed ½-1 scoop of chop before riding
- Ensure any diet or management changes are made slowly
- Acknowledge that not every horse will be happy with the same routine!
- Use of ¼-1/2 dose of oral omeprazole has been shown to be preventative in times of ‘stress’ (for example going away for a riding camp, moving yard etc)
- Exercise 4-6 days per week and ensure regular ‘rest’ days are included
- Maximise turnout as much as possible
- Avoid high doses of NSAIDs where possible (only if safe to do so)
This is by no means an exhaustive list and there will always be a portion of horses where we really struggle to pinpoint an exact cause of their gastric ulcers- but hopefully by doing our due diligence we can get to the root cause and make any necessary changes!
Please contact us on 07747 771182 if you have any questions about gastric ulcers or would like to book in for a gastroscope. These can be performed on both your yard and in our clinic. Thanks! Alex
Client evening - Lameness - 27th August
We have a client evening coming up focusing on lameness - this evening is open to all who want to come and learn about lameness!
Katie and George will be presenting - covering what lameness assessments involves and what to expect, then arthritis and joints including some of the latest treatments we offer for your horses joints and what a diagnosis of arthritis can mean for your horse.
This client evening is at a different venue - Askham Bryan College. We are trying to vary the location of our client talks - so that they are not always closest to one are of our clients. This time we will again be offering teas and coffees plus cakes for all attending.
There will be opportunity to ask questions on the topics covered to either of our vets - either in questions after the talk, or come and talk to any of our vets during the short interval or afterwards.
The talks will start at 7pm, but you can arrive from 6:30pm and get coffee, tea and juice. The event is being held within the conference centre at Askham Bryan College.
Please let us know you are coming to book a place - email us, message us or call us - so we can cater to numbers.
Strangles Vaccination - Keeping your horse safe
Strangles is a highly infectious bacterial disease of horses that is highly prevalent in the UK. An outbreak of strangles can potentially involve all the horses on the yard, some may become very sick and the outbreak can cause a lot of disruption to your plans along with costs associated with treatment and testing. There is a vaccine that can help reduce the clinical signs in infected horses and reduce the rate of spread on yards. This article discusses the role of the vaccine.
Client Satisfaction Survey 2024 - Results
Earlier in the year we sent all our clients a survey asking a few questions about our client service and your experience using us. The aim was to get some feedback so we can review what we do and either continue doing a great job or make some improvements to areas we could be doing better.
Tapeworm in Horses - Test before you treat!
Many of you already perform regular faecal worm egg counts which is great, however these are not a reliable way of detecting tapeworm infections in horses. Historically many horses have been covered for tapeworm with combination wormers (like Equest Pramox or Equimax) either annually or biannually in Spring and Autumn (at the start and end of the grazing seasons) – however this should be replaced with testing which allows us to target treat only those who need it. In one of our previous blogs on worming we discussed the importance of only using wormers when they are indicated, usually by a positive test result, to help prevent resistance developing to the few products available to us.
Testing for tapeworm involves measuring tapeworm-specific antibodies – these antibodies are produced by the body in response to recognition of a tapeworm infection. There are two ways that we can measure antibodies – a simple blood test can be taken by the vet or a saliva test can be performed by horse owners. The saliva test is most commonly used and is simple to perform with a specially designed swab for collecting saliva.
We recommend testing for tapeworm in Autumn to allow us to make an educated decision on which wormer, if any, needs to be given in the Autumn-Winter period. Some horses which are higher risk may also need to repeat the testing in Spring. It is important not to test for tapeworm until four months after the last tapeworm treatment was given as testing too soon can affect the results.
The equine tapeworm’s (Anoplocephala perfoliata) body is made up of segments called proglottids, as these proglottids mature they are eventually passed into the faeces where they will rupture and release their eggs onto the pasture. The tapeworm eggs are then ingested by orbatid mites which live in the soil – these mites are what horses ingest whilst grazing leading to re-infection with tapeworm. A horse may be harbouring various life-stages of the tapeworm at once and the release of egg-containing proglottids into faeces is intermittent therefore faecal worm egg counts are not a reliable way of detecting tapeworm burden.
Tapeworm burdens can cause inflammation of the gut wall and are linked to various types of colic. The greater the tapeworm burden, the greater the likelihood of developing clinical signs. Tapeworm are commonly found in the caecum (a blind-ending sac at the beginning of the large intestine) and at the ileo-caecal junction (the junction between the end of the small intestine and the caecum) therefore these are the locations we commonly find disease. Clinical signs can range from mild colic to severe colic which may require surgical intervention!
Don’t forget about encysted redworm too – this time of year it is also important to consider your horses redworm risk. Your horse may still need treating for encysted redworm despite a negative tapeworm test, depending on your horses individual risk. Similarly to tapeworm we can measure redworm antibodies to assess redworm burden, there is currently only a blood test available for this. We strongly recommend only worming for encysted redworm if there is evidence to suggest your horse needs it - e.g. a positive test result or your horse falls into the high risk category. Risk assessment is based on clinical history, age, worming testing history and pasture/herd management - please contact us if you would like more information on this/want to discuss your horses individual risk.
As always if you have any questions about worming or want to know how to go about testing in your horse, please do get in touch!
Holly x
Equine Gastric Ulceration - Risk Factors and Management...
Equine gastric ulcer syndrome can be a cause of poor performance, behavioural problems, poor condition, recurrent colic and more. The term equine gastric ulcer syndrome is an umbrella term for two conditions – squamous disease and glandular disease.
The equine stomach can be divided into two parts:
- The bottom two thirds of the stomach is known as the glandular portion, lined by glandular mucosa. This mucosa produces acid and digestive enzymes for digestion and mucous for protection, it is therefore well adapted for contact with acid.
- The top third of the stomach is known as the squamous portion, lined by squamous mucosa. This mucosa is sensitive and not well adapted for direct contact with acid.
Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) is well understood. Due to the nature of this mucosa and its limited defence mechanisms, ulceration in this area is caused by direct acid injury.
Risks for squamous ulceration include exercise, fasting and increased acidity in the stomach contents.
- Exercise – exercise increases the pressure in the abdomen which causes acid to be pushed up and splash onto the squamous mucosa. The higher the intensity of the exercise the greater the splash effect is.
- Low forage diet – horses have evolved to eat a high fibre trickle diet, therefore they need constant access to forage. Chewing forage produces saliva – this saliva contains bicarbonate which buffers the acid produced by the stomach
- High concentrate diet – hard feeds don't produce the same quantity of saliva as forages do. They also result in greater production of volatile fatty acids contributing to an increase in acidity of the stomach contents
- Prolonged periods without food – longer than 6 hours between forage feeds greatly increases the risk of ulcers
The risk factors for equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) are not as well understood as squamous disease. The exact reasoning as to why we can see a failure in the stomach's natural defence mechanisms is unknown, however it is often highly influenced by external risk factors:
- Exercise – there may be a link between exercise and reduced gastric blood supply, frequency of exercise appears more significant than intensity for glandular disease. Performing exercise more than 4-5 days per week has been shown to increase the risk of EGGD in racehorses.
- Stress – causes of stress such as reduced turnout time, box rest, isolation or just general changes in routine. Studies show stressed horses are more likely to develop gastric ulcers however again the link is not well understood.
- Concurrent pain – there may be some association between orthopaedic disease and EGGD, however this requires further investigation
So with these risk factors in mind, what can you do to help reduce the risk of gastric ulceration?
Squamous ulcers
- Feed 2 litres of chaff or an equivalent volume of forage 30 minutes prior to exercise – this creates a fibre matt on the surface of the stomach acid and reduces splash
- Ensure constant access to good quality forage
Glandular ulcers
- Provide 2 rest days from work per week
- Maximise turnout time
- Minimise management changes and stress factors
- Address any concurrent conditions that may be causing pain
Ragwort Poisoning in Horses
It is that time of year again where many of us will be tirelessly digging out ragwort from our fields. But why do we need to do it?
Why is Ragwort poisonous?
Ragwort contains toxins called pyrrolizidine alkaloids which if ingested in sufficient quantities can cause poisoning in horses. Small amounts of ragwort eaten over a long period of time causes accumulation of the toxin in the liver which results in liver damage. Alternatively large amounts ingested in a short period of time will also cause liver damage. Although the mature plant is generally avoided by horses due to its bitter taste, the nature of this cumulative effect means even small amounts of ragwort in your horses field should be removed.
What are the symptoms of Ragwort poisoning?
The toxin causes liver damage therefore symptoms are consistent with liver disease or failure. It is important to remember that horses may not display symptoms until the condition is advanced.
Symptoms include:
Lethargy
Photosensitivity – inflammation of white-haired/pink-skinned areas when exposed to sunlight
Weight loss
Diarrhoea
Colic
Neurological signs – blindness, compulsive walking, head pressing
For those not displaying symptoms, we can assess liver damage through a simple blood test. This blood test can detect elevated liver enzymes however does not confirm a diagnosis of ragwort poisoning; a liver biopsy can tell us more information about cause of elevated liver enzymes.
Treatment of Ragwort poisoning
Treatment is based primarily on supportive care to aid liver regeneration. In severe cases, liver damage can be irreparable and prognosis is guarded even with treatment.
Supportive therapies may include milk thistle, vitamin E and selenium.
Prevention and control
It is not enough to assume your horse will choose not to eat ragwort so control is essential. Regular checks of your horses field will identify presence of any new plants so it is important to know what we are looking for throughout the year.
Seedlings can start to appear in autumn – they are about 1-1.5cm tall
Rosettes are generally seen from early spring onwards
Mature plants flower between May and October – these can reach up to 2m!
Ragwort removal
- DO wear gloves (can be harmful to humans too)!
- DO remove plants before flowering, at their rosette stage if possible and whilst ground is soft
- DO remove as much root as possible as it will regenerate from any root left behind – purpose designed forks will help with this
- DON’T dispose of pulled ragwort on muck heaps as this will encourage plants to re-seed (DEFRA can advise on appropriate methods of disposal)
Spraying is an option for large affected areas however the dead plant is still poisonous so all traces need removing before anything is to graze on the area again.
Ragwort can be disguised into hay and is more palatable this way so may be accidentally ingested – look for thick fibrous stems, yellow flower heads, leaves with ragged edges and remove where possible.
If you have any concerns or would like some advice on Ragwort please remember to speak to your vet - we can be contacted on 07747 717474, please note we can only give opinions on horses in our area who are registered clients. Enjoy the sun! Holly x
Strangles Awareness
Strangles awareness week has just passed and following on from this we thought it would be a good idea just to give a little refresher on Strangles!
Laminitis
Coming into spring with the grass starting to come through – and likely some warmer weather coming soon here is a reminder of what laminitis is and what we can do with laminitis.
We have already given a brief summary on facebook (click here) and Holly has written about feeding for a laminitis prone horse / pony – click here for more details.
If you want more details there is also a recent information leaflet by BOVA - here, and a weight management leaflet here.
Why is laminitis such a concern?
Laminitis is a very painful condition of the hooves in horses, ponies and donkeys, which in some cases can start without any warning. It is common and unfortunately once you have laminitis it is much more likely to have another episode in the future. Laminitis can also lead uncontrolled pain or a poor prognosis and is one of the more common reasons horses are euthanased.
Even with milder cases horses can be on rest and out of work for long periods of time.
What causes Laminitis?
In the vast majority of cases laminitis is caused by one of two hormonal diseases (endocrine):
Cushings disease (mostly in older horses) or Equine metabolic Syndrome (EMS – similar to type II diabetes in people) which is usually seen in overweight horses.
Both of these conditions can be diagnosed by blood tests and are managed with medication, weight management, diet and exercise – details of which are coming in a blog in June, or click here for an older article.
Other causes include:
- Diseases with severe inflammation – for example retained placenta after foaling, certain severe colics and bad diarrhoea.
- Overloading the limb – if there is a severe lameness on the opposite limb overloading of the other leg can cause laminitis.
- Severely overgrown hooves – a lot of pressure on the limb from overgrown hooves can also cause lamintis.
Signs:
Acute sudden cases can show: severe pain, weight shifting, high heart rate, reluctant to move or recumbent (lying down) – and they can in some cases be difficult to distinguish from colic.
More chronic cases – often have more subtle signs, but have pain especially when walking on hard or uneven ground, difficulty turning and raised digital pulses.
Below is a short video of a horse with laminitis trying to move:
What to do if my horse has signs?
If out bring your horse in slowly and rest them in a box with a deep bed. Make sure there is fresh water available and keep them on a restricted diet – ideally on soaked hay, but making sure you avoid anything rich in carbohydrate or sugars – see Holly’s recent post for more details.
Most horses with laminitis will need a visit from your vet for a diagnosis, pain relief, blood tests and x-rays/treatment as recommended.
Treatment
Rest on a deep bed is an important part of treatment – this should reduce further damage to the laminae in the hoof and allow the hoof to start to repair. Hoof support from pads and when more comfortable remedial farriery to fit support shoes like heartbars may also help.
X-rays can be important as they allow us to see what is going on inside your horses hooves - and help assess severity and plan treatment / farriery. They can also help assess how long it will take for your horse to recover and make a plan going forward.
Pain relief – as above horses can be in a lot of pain and need courses of pain relief including bute or other NSAID drugs and in more severe cases other types of pain relief are likely to be included as well.
Weight management – overweight horses are more likely to have equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) which is a common cause of lamintis, but losing weight reduces this risk and can control it well in many horses. In the shorter term medication can help control this condition.
Recovery
Recovery can take weeks in milder cases and months in more severe cases – more than 60% of horses are back in work within 8 weeks.
How to prevent laminitis
Laminitis cannot be cured completely with many severe cases not returning to complete comfort, and recurrence being common. However steps to avoid recurrence and also the first episode of laminitis include:
- Weight management – horses at the correct body condition are much less likely get an episode of laminitis.
- Restrict access to very rich feeds – other than breaking into a feed room and eating a large quantity of rich food, avoid very rich pastures and feeding sugar rich foods – especially in EMS or horses with previous laminitis episodes.
- Blood testing for Cushings disease – in older horses (teens or older) the risk of having Cushings disease increases. Monitor for signs of Cushings and consider testing every year to rule out the disease in older horses – especially if your horse has had previous laminitis.
- Keep your horses feet well trimmed/shod – although farriery is unlikely to cause laminitis overgrown poor quality feet will not help, and severely overgrown feet may be a cause.
- If your horse has severe lameness on another limb consider a deep bed and possibly support for the opposite weight bearing limb.
- In severely ill horses prompt treatment and management may reduce the risk of laminitis.
If you have any concerns your horse may have laminitis please remember to speak to your vet - we can be contacted on 07747 717474, please note we can only give opinions on horses in our area who are registered clients.
What should I be feeding my EMS/laminitis prone pony?!
FORAGE
Forage is an essential part of all horses and ponies diets to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal system so we need to find a balance when dieting.
To assist weight loss and reduce risk of laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome diet should be low in non-structural carbohydrates (simple starches and sugars) – ideally non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) content should be less than 10%.
Knowing the starch and sugar content of your hay can be tricky, generally later cut/coarser hay is lower in NSCs however it is not an exact science. There are now various companies offering forage analysis, these can be found easily with a google search.
As a general rule hay has a lower NSC content than haylage so is most often the forage of choice. Straw has the lowest NSC content - good quality straw can be used to replace a small percentage of the hay ration (no more than 30%) if needing to slow eating time.
How much?
1.5% bodyweight for weight loss – for a 500kg horse this equates to 7.5kg per 24 hour period, for a 250kg pony this equates to 3.75kg per 24 hour period
1.75% bodyweight for maintenance – for a 500kg horse this equates to 8.75kg, for a 250kg pony this equates to 4.4kg per 24 hour period
Soaking hay
Soaking hay is a sustainable approach to weight loss – by removing carbohydrates from the hay it allows us to feed adequate quantities of fibre in order to maintain welfare and gut health while minimizing starch and sugar intake.
We recommend soaking hay for 10-12 hours for EMS and laminitis.
Soaking also removes minerals so horses need to be supplemented for these – the easiest way to do this is by feeding a balancer – most balancers are below 10% NSCs and there are lots of low calorie balancers available that are aimed at good doers.
Soaking reduces palatability so it can be necessary to increase soaking time gradually.
Soak in cold water and ideally out of direct sunlight - soaking at higher temperatures might encourage bacterial growth.
Haylage cannot be soaked due to fermentation and bacterial growth.
Supplementary feeding
As mentioned earlier it is often a good idea to supplement your horse or pony with a light/low calorie balancer to ensure they are getting the vitamins and minerals they require, especially when on soaked hay and/or a grass-free diet.
These can be safely accompanied by a molasses-free chaff or mash to increase fibre intake.
The 10% rule applies to feeds too! So look out for those little numbers on the back of the bag – less than 10% starch and sugar!
Grazing
Time at grass needs to be managed carefully, consider one or more of the following options:
- Turning out late at night (when grass sugar levels are at their lowest) and bringing in early morning
- Track systems
- Grazing muzzles
- Strip grazing
- Co-grazing with other species (sheep)
- Yard or dust paddock turnout
