Crown Equine Veterinary Services QLD

14/10/2024

10/10/2024

𝑹𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒔 & 𝑻𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉

Sometimes we need the help of x-rays to diagnose dental disease in horses. This case was a young filly with a fractured baby tooth. Just because horses are young doesn't preclude them from dental disease and it is important to get young horses teeth checked 6-12 monthly by a veterinarian.

If your horse is due a dental check up, get in contact with one of our vets today.

As a general rule of thumb we recommend young horses have a check-up at 6 months of age, followed by 6 monthly dentals until they are 5yo or when their last adult teeth erupt where they can move onto annual dental checks. Older horses or horses with dental disease may also benefit from 6 monthly dental exams. Our veterinarians will be able to advise you which schedule will best suit your horse.

27/09/2024

🥽 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 & 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀

💡 A topic that has been playing on my mind a little too much lately is feeding the laminitic or metabolic horse and how scarily contradictory it can become. In recent years, there has been a real shift of the spotlight towards sugar and starch and how they influence the laminitic or metabolic equine, and rightly so. What has become a little frustrating and confusing for some people simply trying to do the right thing by their horse, is the tunnel vision marketing focus on how low in sugar and starch certain feeds or supplements are, without any consideration or education offered to the other nutritional aspects that may influence how well a laminitic or metabolic horse responds. If you are thinking something along the lines of "is sugar and starch not the only thing to consider?!" then I encourage you to keep reading.

🌽 Sugar and Starch.

Yes, sugar and starch and grain-free compositions are absolutely a vital aspect of feeding and managing the laminitic or metabolic equine. Feeds that are tested at less than 10% combined sugar and starch are considered 'safe' for this category of horse. Even if featured in low concentrations, any cereal grain or grain by-product is worth avoiding for laminitic or metabolic horses as ingredient sensitivity despite low overall sugar and starch percentages can still be enough to tip some highly sensitive horses into a symptomatic state.

🤔 Okay so we've talked about sugar and starch.. so what else is there to consider?

🫘 Protein.

Not much is known about why protein can be a trigger for some laminitic or metabolic horses, but it absolutely can be. This is why I don't recommend lucerne or lupins as 'safe' for actively laminitic horses because despite being less than 10% combined sugar and starch, the protein seems to be an issue for some horses to digest and utilise without consequence. Sadly, there are countless times where I have been involved with an actively laminitic horse who is being fed a < 10% sugar and starch "complete" feed but is still symptomatic and not improving. The reason is almost always because of the high protein concentration OR inflammatory ingredients that are hidden amongst the ingredient list. If the protein % is higher than around 15% and the ingredient profile lists anything other than beet pulp, soy hulls, or lupin hulls, I can say with certainty that I would not recommend this feed to an actively laminitic or symptomatic horse.

⚖️ Digestible Energy.

Implementing "complete" feeds for laminitic or metabolic horses almost always means that the recommended daily feed rate ranges from 500g-3kg per day. If the horse is underweight, these calories wouldn't be an issue, however many laminitic and metabolic horses suffer from obesity and feeding anything more than a token meal for supplements would be incredibly counterproductive regardless of the sugar and starch concentration. Even when they are fed at the recommended daily feed rate, more "complete" feeds than not do not have fantastic nutrient profiles and it's not hard to imagine how easy it would be to onset deficiencies if we begin feeding less than the recommended daily feed rate to control calorie intake.

💠 Trace Element Profile.

A lot of "complete" feeds and supplements list an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink nutrient analysis which to the uneducated eye may sound great. In reality, when we are targeting hoof and metabolic health, these profiles often do not come close to stacking up when compared against the therapeutic servings that are necessary to support better hoof growth, coat colour, metabolism, muscle recovery etc. "Complete" feeds are rarely complete, I'm sorry.

🐎 I am really passionate about offering practical, current, and science-supported information resources such as this one. Sadly, a lot of feed companies have taken advantage of the sugar and starch hype in recent years and we all seem to have forgotten about the other dietary components that support our horses' health. Remember, there is no industry regulation stopping me from handing you a bag of corn and telling you it's laminitis-friendly, so just because it says it's laminitis-safe, complete, calming, low in starch etc., does not mean that it actually is. And lastly, horses do not need to be overweight to develop laminitis or metabolic issues, so don't assume that your ribby Thoroughbred or lean Welshy is safe by default!

12/09/2024

𝑷𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑼𝒍𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔

The image here early stage pyloric ulceration (green arrows), this horse also had squamous ulceration present in the upper region of the stomach. The purple arrow points to the exit point of the stomach (pylorus). The only way to definitively know if a horse has stomach ulceration is via a procedure called a gastroscopy where we place a camera up the horses nose and down into their stomach. We can perform this procedure on farm, under sedation and provide treatment options at the time. If you would like to have your horse assessed please let the clinic know.

05/09/2024

𝑳𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 - 𝑩𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 & 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓

Sometimes, we have to get a little creative with stitch-ups to get the best closure of a wound we can! With this laceration we used some IV fluid extension line tubing to thread the suture through and distribute the tension over a larger surface area of the skin to reduce the likelihood of the wound breaking down and sutures pulling though. So far everything is healing well!

29/08/2024

𝑹𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒎 - a case Dr. Shanya attended recently.

Despite the name - Ringworm is not caused by a worm but in fact a fungus! NOTE: it is a zoonotic disease meaning it can pass from horses to humans - although this is rare.

𝑺𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒔:
▪️Circular Lesions: Look for round, scabby patches of hair loss. The hair might appear broken or brittle.
▪️Itching: Horses may scratch or rub affected areas, though ringworm is not always intensely itchy.
▪️Scabs and Crusts: The lesions can become crusty or scabby.

𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏:
▪️Direct Contact: Horses can catch ringworm from direct contact with an infected animal.
▪️Indirect Contact: Fungal spores can survive on surfaces like grooming tools, tack, or stable equipment, allowing for indirect transmission.

𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:
▪️Good Hygiene: Regularly clean and disinfect stables and equipment.
▪️Quarantine New Horses: Isolate new arrivals until you're sure they're not carrying any contagious diseases.

Ringworm is usually not severe and resolves with appropriate treatment and care. However, it’s important to consult your veterinarian for treatment options as these can vary based on lesion severity.

27/08/2024

𝑽𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅/𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔

Great infographic by the American Association of Equine Practitioners, our vets hear the below statement often. Some of the diseases listed don't apply to horses in Australia but the premise is the same. Just because a horse is retired or a paddock companion doesn't in any way mean it no longer requires vaccination. Hendra virus and Tetanus are the main diseases of concern - Hendra being spread by flying-foxes and tetanus spores are found in soil and enter the body through wounds. So make sure you keep your horses up to date with their vaccines to maintain their health (and yours in the case of Hendra virus)!

20/08/2024

𝑮𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝑼𝒍𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒔

This horse presented to our vets with poor behaviour under saddle and a poor appetite. Given the symptoms, we recommended a gastroscope procedure to visualise the inside lining of the stomach. Pictured here is what we found, severe grade 4 ulcers with the largest ulcer pictured on the left of the image.

This horse has been started on medical treatments and management practices to give the stomach lining the opportunity to heal. The horse has already shown an increased appetite since starting the medications which is great to hear! If you are suspicious your horse may be suffering from gastric ulcers, please reach out to organise a farm visit and gastroscope appointment today.

19/08/2024

Have you ever been told to not allow a hot, sweaty horse to drink cold water because it could lead to colic, founder or tie up?

This notion is actually a myth, and a dangerous one too, because it could lead to dehydration and very serious (and real) consequences. A sweaty, hardworking horse needs to be rehydrated without delay (i.e. don’t wait for the horse to cool down first).

The key, however, is to know how much water to allow at one time — because of the equine stomach’s relatively small capacity, offer small amounts of water every 20 minutes until the horse drinks his fill rather than letting the animal drink it all at once.

Remember that water is the most vital nutrient for a horse. A horse’s daily water requirements are influenced by many factors, but the average idle 1,100-pound horse in a cool environment will drink 6 to 10 gallons of water per day. That amount may easily double or triple in a hot environment! Therefore, it goes without saying that providing cool, clean water to your horses at all times is of paramount importance.

Source: Equus Magazine and AAEP member Dr. Anthony Blikslager. More information about offering a horse water can be found at https://equusmagazine.com/.../offering-a-horse-water...