Hawkesbury Equine Veterinary Centre

12/08/2024

We are holding another Randlab Gastic Ulcer Scoping Day on Friday 13th September. If you would like to have you horse scoped for ulcers, please call our office on 4577-4611.
Randlab

01/08/2024

A very happy birthday to all our lovely client horses!

24/07/2024

We're gearing up for the start of the 2024-25 breeding season. Dr Cris Clark can be seen here collecting from Welsh A pony stallion, Imperial Nevada. Our breeding services include AI with chilled or frozen semen, embryo transfers, teaching stallions to jump, freezing semen, storing frozen semen, transporting chilled or frozen semen as well as routine follicle tests and pregnancy tests. Please call our office for a price list on 4577-4611.

13/06/2024

Win with Pentosan Gold!!

From today, Friday 14th June until Friday 26th July, 2024, if one of our vets attends your horse and administers a Pentosan Gold product, your name will go into the draw to win a set of equine ice wraps.

Thank you to Ceva Equine Australia

07/06/2024

Our office will be opened on Saturday 8th June from 8am until 12pm. We will be closed on Monday the 10th June. Our on-call vets will be available for emergency calls 24/7 to our regular clients over the long weekend.

15/05/2024

Dr Tony Drew recently removed a large and aggressive SCC from the left eye of this pony. Whilst the eye was saved, treatment had been left too long and her vision is now impaired. If you notice any unusual growths or lesions in or around your horses eye, it is very important to have them checked as a matter of priority.

14/05/2024

We will be attending Wisemans Ferry, Lower MacDonald and St Albans area next Wednesday 22nd May. Please contact our office on 4577-4611 if you would like to book an appointment.

07/05/2024

Check out our Golden Oldies Winter Package for horses 15 years and over...

22/04/2024

We will be holding our next Randlab Gastroscope day on Tuesday, 30th April. Gastric ulcer symptoms can present in many ways such as the horse appearing dull, a loss of appetite, becoming "girthy" or unwilling to perform under saddle. If you suspect your horse may have ulcers and would like them to be scoped, please call our office on 4577-4611 to make a booking.

22/04/2024

Our office will be closed for ANZAC day this Thursday, 25th April. If you have an emergency and require veterinary assistance, please call 4577-4611.

15/04/2024

Does My Horse Have Cushings Disease?

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a benign tumour of the pituitary gland located at the base of the brain. The tumour effects the horse’s hormonal regulation which results in increased cortisol levels that negatively impacts their body in a number of ways.

Symptoms include: excessive hair growth / curly coat, weight loss, cresty neck, excessive body fat and a risk of laminitis, among other things.

During Autumn, the levels of the hormone plasma adrenocorti cotropin, (ACTH) will peak so it is an ideal time to run a blood test on your horse to establish if they have Cushings Disease. Unfortunately there is no cure for this condition, it can only be managed by medication for the rest of your horses life.

If you suspect your horse may have Cushings Disease, please contact our office on 4577-4611 to make an appointment for a blood test to be taken. Insulin dysregulation (Equine Metabolic Syndrome or EMS), can appear similar and an insulin test may be worthwhile also.

27/03/2024

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish all our wonderful clients a happy Easter! Our office will be closed on Good Friday and will reopen on Tuesday 2nd April. Should you require emergency veterinary assistance over the long weekend please call 4577-4611.

29/02/2024

Vet Nurse Position

We have a vacancy for a vet nurse to join our team. Please send your resume to [email protected]

08/02/2024

Last week was a very busy week for breed work here at HEVC. Dr Leo performed 5 Embryo Transfers which resulted in 5 successful pregnancies. Nice work Dr Leo!

05/02/2024

Our next Randlab Scoping Day is on Friday 16th February. A gastroscope is the only procedure that will give you a definitive answer as to whether your horse has ulcers. You will be able to see the image on the screen during the scope. If you would like to secure a booking, please call our office on 4577-4611.

23/01/2024

What is an enterolith?

Enteroliths are calcifications or mineral masses that form within the intestine. They can form around any object the horse may have ingested, including string, baling twine, discarded plaiting thread, elastic bands or even a small rock. Mineral deposits accumulate around the foreign object over time and can obstruct the intestine, resulting in colic. Enteroliths can range in size. Some can be small enough to pass with manure, while others can be as large as a baseball.

Diagnosing enteroliths can be difficult as many of the signs are not specific. X-rays are often used, but they are not always able to definitively diagnose stones. The only treatment for horses that colic from enteroliths is surgery to remove them.

Note the different sizes of the 3 intestinal stones pictured. All 3 were removed from this Shetland who had recurring colic.

15/01/2024

Does my Horse have Neck Threadworm? Or is it QLD Itch?

Neck Threadworm is a common name for the filarial parasite, Onchocerca cervicalis. The adult worm lives in or around the large nuchal ligament that runs from the withers to the base of the skull.

These are typically present in areas where the intermediate host, the Culicoides midges (no-see-ums), have free access to exposed skin, such as on the ventral midline or along the neck. Clinical signs typically involve dermatitis with itching and swelling. These signs can look a lot like QLD itch, summer eczema (sweet itch), which ironically is caused by an allergic reaction to Culicoides midges. In other words, the same insect can cause two different diseases that look very much alike.

Telling the two conditions apart can be confusing but if it is Neck Threadworm, your horse’s clinical signs should resolve following deworming with ivermectin and moxidectin, (ie Equest, Equimec, Equimax Elevation). Within 24 hours of deworming, your horse will become extremely itchy as skin reactions are sometimes exacerbated by deworming, as there seems to be a tissue reaction to dead or dying microfilariae. If they appear unaffected by the deworming treatment, then they are more likely to be caused by QLD itch.

When looking for a suitable wormer to use, refer to the packaging to ensure that it treats Onchocerca (microfilariae). With extensive use of the mectin wormers over the last 20 years, Neck Threadworm is extremely rare.

13/01/2024

On the 30th November, 2023, Dr Leo attended the below horse to treat and suture it's abdomen and thigh after a freak accident. Fast forward to mid January, 2024 and the wound has healed incredibly well thanks to the dedication of her owner and Dr Leo.

09/01/2024

The look you give when someone reminds you that your another year older. Happy Birthday Dougie!

08/01/2024

A shout out to all our clients in the Blue Mountains and surrounding areas. We will be in your area this Thursday 11th January. We are available for routine work, vaccinations, lameness work ups, xrays and breed work.
If you would like to secure an appointment, please call our office on 4577-4611.
New clients welcome.

05/01/2024

**EDIT: Thank you to one of our lovely clients who opened their hearts and home to this gorgeous little tiger**

This gorgeous little kitten and 2 others, were born in the old residence out the front of our clinic. In the interest of their welfare we are trying to catch them all and rehome them. We were able to catch this little one in the picture below. It has spent the last 10 days getting love and affection from one of our staff members and their family. It has been wormed, uses kitty litter and is approx 6 weeks. Please call our clinic on 4577-4611 if you can offer this little cutie a forever home.

31/12/2023

HAPPY NEW YEAR 🥳

During this celebratory time of year there is so much happening, but we need to take a moment to think of our horses's safety. Here are a few simple tips to try to make your horse’s New Year’s Eve a bit more bearable.

*Keep your horse's routine the same as you normally would. If your horses are in at night, stick to that routine, leave the lights on and turn on a radio with soothing music. Music or the noise of a fan may help to dull the shock of the fireworks noises.

*Make sure to keep yourself safe and do not stay in the stall or in the pasture with your horse. Scared horses can be unpredictable and it is highly unlikely you could hold your horse still in the event they panicked.

*Before the sun goes down make sure to check all fences, gates, and other latches to ensure everything is secured in the event your horses get running. Also check for holes or other places in your pasture that could injure your horse if they are running around in a panic.

*Make sure your horse has proper identification in the event they get out. It can be something as simple as writing your phone number on a hoof with a sharpie marker, a halter identification tag.

*If your horses are normally kept in a paddock vs the stable, a larger turnout is preferable to a smaller arena or pasture. You want to make sure your horse does not feel trapped.

*Something simple that may work as well to help suppress the noise is ear pom poms, noise, reducing Hoods or earplugs. We suggest using these ahead of time to ensure your horse is accustomed to how these feel.

Have number handy:
Hawkesbury Equine Veterinary Centre
(02) 4577 4611

Keep writing letters to the powers that be, and trying to encourage the use of “silent” fireworks… They have certainly worked overseas!

And to all those that will be chugging a non-alcoholic beverage at midnight before they go around and check every horse on their place between midnight and 1am… Happy New Year !

30/12/2023

Jumping into the New Year!
Wishing all our clients a happy, safe and prosperous new year.

21/12/2023

After receiving a number of inquiries, we would like to confirm that our books are open and we are happy to take on new clients and new cases.

We have been operating in the Hawkesbury, Hills and Blue Mountains regions for over 40 years. We can perform routine work such as vaccinations, dentals, castrations, vet checks, gastroscopes, xrays in the field, lameness work ups, breed work, (including embryo transfers) and storing frozen semen.

We are available 24/7 for emergencies and the practice is equipped with full surgical facilities and intensive care facilities. Equine Surgeon Specialists Dr Nick Kannegieter and Dr Hadley Willsallen frequent our clinic to perform surgeries and we do take cases on referrals.

Please call our office on 4577-4611 or email us at [email protected] with your enquiry.

20/12/2023

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our clients and their beloved horses a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We will continue to operate as per our normal business hours over the Christmas/New Year period, (Mon-Fri 8am to 5.30pm and Sat 8am-12pm). The office will only be closed for the public holidays. Our on call vets will still be available for the public holidays and all after-hours emergency calls.

20/11/2023

We will be travelling to the Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Oberon and surrounding areas this Friday the 24th November. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call our office on 4577-4611.

06/11/2023

We will be heading to the Blue Mountains and surrounding areas on Wednesday 8th November. Please call our office to make a booking on 4577-4611.

25/10/2023

Hawkesbury Equine will be servicing the Blue Mountains, Megalong Valley, Hartley, Lithgow , Bathurst and Oberon tomorrow Thursday 26th and on Wednesday 8th and 22nd November . For any veterinary attention for horses or alpacas please contact our office on 0245774611 or email [email protected]

08/09/2023

23/08/2023

We have a couple of bookings available on our Blue Mountains run tomorrow. Please call our office on 4577-4611 to book in.