The Equine Services team, wishes all our clients, referring vets, family and friends, a safe and happy New Year and all the best for 2025!
As we welcome the New Year, it is important to remember that this time of year comes with some scary fireworks for our four-legged friends. For location and times of scheduled fireworks, please visit this link: https://bit.ly/4gC8UyN
We are open today and on hand for all your emergencies after hours and during tomorrow’s public holiday, with normally services resuming on Thursday. The team can be contacted on 1300 652 494.
From all of us at The Animal Hospital at Murdoch University, Happy New Year!
🎄🐾 Thank You and Merry Christmas! 🐾🎄
As we come to the end of another wonderful year at The Animal Hospital, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our amazing clients and dedicated colleagues. Your trust and hard work make everything we do possible.
We had a blast at our annual Christmas games, here are some of the highlights!
Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable Christmas! 🎁
If you have an equine or small animal emergency we are here to help 1300 652 494💚💚
#ThankYou #MerryChristmas #TheAnimalHospital #ChristmasGames #VeterinaryCare
📢 Guess Who’s Joining Our Team?💚
We’re excited to announce that a new specialist in Equine Surgery and Equine Sports Medicine is joining us soon! With an impressive background that includes prestigious qualifications and experience in both academia and private practice, this new team member is set to make a big impact.
They’ve worked at top universities and veterinary clinics across the world, and their expertise includes orthopaedic surgery, lameness, poor performance, and rehabilitation. They also have a special interest in issues under saddle and the axial skeleton.
Stay tuned for the big reveal! 🎉
#NewTeamMember #EquineSpecialist #VeterinaryExcellence #MurdochUniversity
💚 Happy world Anaesthesia Day! 💚
Today it is recognised to celebrate the importance of anaesthesia and the efforts of anaesthesiologists in guaranteeing a positive patient experience.
Here at The Animal Hospital, we have a team of anaesthetist’s and veterinary nurses who specialise in this discipline, they are dedicated in providing the best of care to patients. This service is essential in supporting our other specialist teams during procedures, such as surgery, diagnostic imaging, and internal medicine. Our anaesthesia team combined have over 275 years of experience, from all around the world.
Not only are the team involved with cases in our hospital, but they also spend each day contributing to training the next generation of veterinarians, as a part of the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Thanks to our amazing team of anaesthetist’s and nurses!
This week we celebrate our Veterinary Nurses, Technicians and Support Staff! 💚
Our nursing, technician, and support team here at The Animal Hospital are made up of 154 members’ who play a vital role in not only assisting our veterinarians with the care of patients, but also teaching our Veterinary Students throughout their clinical rotations.
The Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia developed this week of recognition to raise awareness and the importance of Veterinary Nurses and Technicians. This year’s theme is “Celebrating all the ways we make a difference”, which aims to celebrate and highlight the diverse roles and talents that veterinary nurses and technologists possess that make a difference to their patients, clients, colleagues, and the community.
A Veterinary Nurse and Technician can wear many hats in our hospital, with no two days being the same! Some of the roles include admitting patients to our hospital, day to day treatments and patient care including intensive monitoring of critical patients, assisting with anaesthetics, surgical nursing, diagnostic imaging, performing laboratory tests, post-surgery physiotherapy, triaging emergency patients, performing CPR, assisting the vets and finding the things they have lost, cleaning and organising and coordinating the various nursing teams. This is only a very small part of what our team does daily! 🐱🐶🐴
They are always learning and taking part in further studies to ensure they are always up to date with the latest developments in veterinary medicine, as well as educating nurses in training and from other practices.
They are the backbone of our hospital, and we are forever grateful for them all! 🫶🏼
#vetnurse #vetnurselife #vetnursing #schoolofveterinarymedicine #vetschool #myvnca #VNTAW2024 #veterinary #murdochuniversity #vets #veterinarymedicine #veterinarylife #vettech #dreamteam #vetclinic #theanimalhospitalmurdoch
⁉️Did you know we have a dedicated isolation unit? ⁉️
Having an isolation unit in an equine hospital is crucial for managing and containing infectious diseases. It helps ensure that horses with contagious conditions don’t spread infections to other patients or staff, and provides a controlled environment for diagnosis and treatment of even the sickest of horses.
Our isolation unit is separate from other areas of the hospital, to prevent any risk of cross-contamination. The stables and treatment area have a separate entrance, a climate-controlled environment, which includes specialized ventilation systems, and distinct waste disposal, and cleaning protocols.
Like the main barn, our isolation unit is under 24/7 surveillance with video cameras in all the stalls.
Our hospital is open all weekend for emergencies! If you have any concerns about your equine friends, please call us on 1300 652 494. 💚
#equine #university #equinevet #vetlife #schoolofveterinarymedicine #vet #vetschool #vetmedicine #equinehealth #horseriding
Name a more handsome man than Bruno. We’ll wait. 😉
Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend!💚
💚✨Case Highlight - Diaphragmatic Hernia✨💚
💚✨Case Highlight - Diaphragmatic Hernia✨💚
This 6 month old standardbred colt was referred to hospital as he was displaying severe colic signs (rolling and thrashing on the ground). Based on the severity of clinical signs, laboratory results and ultrasonography, exploratory laparotomy (colic surgery) was recommended. ‼️
In theatre the surgeons found that a large section of the colon was displaced and trapped in the chest through a diaphragmatic hernia. The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle between the chest cavity and the abdomen which keeps the bowel in the abdomen and the heart and lungs in the chest.
In this case, there was a large opening in the wall allowing bowel to move between both cavities. The colon had filled with food within the chest cavity (a colon impaction) preventing it from returning to its normal position. The anesthetists were surprised when our surgeons explored the hernia and said, ‘I can feel its heart beating in my hand’. If you look closely at the video you can see the heart beating! ❤️
This type of diaphragmatic hernia is called a retrosternal or Morgagni hernia. ✨
After the colt had successfully recovered from the initial colic surgery, a second surgery was required to close the hernia, to prevent bowel from moving back into the chest cavity. Our team of surgeons used a sheet of non-absorbable mesh, which was sutured in place over the hernia and therefore closing the hole.
➡️ There is no sex, age or breed predisposition for this condition; most diaphragmatic hernias are traumatic in origin or due to increased intra-abdominal pressure.
➡️ In foals, they can develop in association with rib fractures that occur during a difficult birth.
➡️ In mares the increased intra-abdominal pressure during birth can result in diaphragmatic hernias, especially during dystocia.
The colt was discharged from hospital a week later without complications and is doing well. We can’t wait to see what his future
It took a team approach to save this pregnant mare who was referred to TAHMU for a severe sand burden causing acute colic and a very distended abdomen.
She has received the all clear and is now happily back at home for the remainder of her pregnancy!
👀P.S. Can you spot the baby’s heart beating on the ultrasound!?! 💚
💚 Blood Transfusion💚
At TAHMU we are fortunate to have our herd of teaching horses, who not only teach the future generation of veterinarians, but a selection of which also are tested as universal blood donors. This patient received 3 bags of blood (12L) from teaching horse Luke over multiple transfusions!
The universal blood donors have the ability to donate 1/5 of their blood volume. For the average 500kg horse that is 8L per donation. For humans we donate one pint of blood (473ml)!
Just like your post-donation biscuit, our equine friends get an extra feed with added muesli for dinner, and are closely monitored before being retuned to the herd.
We are incredibly thankful for the many “jobs” that our teaching horses take part in!
#teachinghorseappreciation
💚Highlight on “Wobblers” syndrome💚
A young thoroughbred gelding was referred to us for evaluation of gait abnormalities, including stumbling and abnormal limb placement, that had failed to improve following a spell.
Neurological assessment by Dr Guy Lester from our medicine team was performed. This test includes assessment of nerve function of the head and body, tests of reflexes, brain function, gait evaluation at the walk on a firm and sloping surface, circling, backing and tail pull. The gelding showed multiple abnormalities on examination, including abnormal foot placement, toe dragging and pivoting, consistent with an abnormality in proprioception (knowledge of the body in space) which is transmitted by the spinal cord to the brain. As all four limbs were affected, this is usually indicative of an abnormality in the cervical spine (neck).
Radiographs of the cervical spine obtained by the referring veterinarian were inconclusive; this is a common finding using a two-dimensional imaging modality for a complex structure such as the spine. A computed tomography (CT) myelogram was performed to obtain a definitive diagnosis. This involves injecting a contrast solution (radiographic dye) into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space around the spinal cord, which highlights areas where the spinal cord is compressed. Importantly, CT is able to image the spine in 3d dimensions.
The images confirmed a diagnosis of cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM), commonly known as Wobblers Syndrome, secondary to abnormalities of bone formation during growth. It is important to confirm the precise cause of neurologic signs, as there are multiple causes that can appear similar. Wobblers is often perceived as a grave diagnosis, but without confirming the precise reason for neurological disease, it is not possible to establish treatment options and prognosis. While severe, developmental causes of Wobblers are not usually treatable, other causes such as arthritis, a
TAHMU
💚“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” - Helen Keller💚
We might be biased, but we believe we have something special here at TAHMU.
We are incredibly grateful to work as part of such a diverse, knowledgeable, experienced and effective team. Just this week we have performed 8 standing CT, 1 general anaesthetic CT, 3 MRI, foals, dynamic scopes, dental extractions, countless surgeries, and extensive lameness exams in this immense heat!
We couldn’t be more proud! 💚
The Equine Centre provides first opinion, emergency and referral veterinary services. The hospital reception is open between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday.
