North East Equine Veterinary Services

31/03/2025

Excellent seminar tonight hosted by Equine Vets Australia, with international speaker Prof Derek Knottenbelt.
Topics covered were things we see almost daily… wounds, sarcoids and equine melanoma.

28/03/2025

Standing with Western Queensland Farmers

Our hearts go out to the farmers and communities in Western Queensland currently facing devastating flooding. We know the toll this takes—on livelihoods, stock, and wellbeing.

When North West Queensland flooded in 2019, Rural Aid was there to help, and we’re here again now.

If you need support, we’re just a call away—whether it’s a listening ear through our free counselling program or assistance with hay to keep livestock alive.

Contact our team on 1300 327 624 or email [email protected]. Register online today at https://faa.ruralaid.org.au/

We stand with our mates in the bush. Stay safe 💚

If you would like to help provide assistance for those affected, please donate today https://donations.ruralaid.org.au/



Photo credit: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-27/outback-and-northern-queensland-rainfall-flooding-continues/105097186

25/03/2025

An injury we treated recently by casting.
This horse has healed extremely well and is a credit to the owner’s good management once we send these patients home.

We have treated a few fairly severe leg injuries over recent weeks; some sadly occurred after horses were moved to different paddocks/ farms to avoid flooding. Sometimes you can’t win either way!!

Rain seems to be fairly set in for this week at least.

21/03/2025

09/03/2025

As we’re hoping that the finale of TC Alf has passed by, overall the region has probably gotten away with a fairly manageable flood. This isn’t to say certain regions and many people aren’t severely affected because we know already they are, however so far we haven’t seen major widespread flooding, and a lot of people thankfully took the warnings seriously, moved horses and cattle and for that I am personally very thankful.

Some reminders of common issues we see after each flood or even general prolonged wet weather, and this one is no different as we’ve already fielded questions and started treating affected animals…

HORSES:
- swollen limbs: this is usually simple lymphoedema caused by poor lymphatic movement, secondary to standing still too long. It mostly affects the hind limbs surprisingly but can affect all limbs. This is NOT treated by giving bute; it isn’t an inflammatory process. The solution to this is make the horse walk and get it moving.
This is usually a non-lameness causing condition, and the horse is otherwise bright and normal.
In contrast, cellulitis is an infection in the skin and deeper tissue often caused by Staph bacteria. This is a far more serious condition. The horse is generally febrile, lethargic, and LAME, as opposed to non-lame oedema. Cellulitis is cause for veterinary treatment.

- greasy heel/ rain scald/ other skin conditions: horses are subject to numerous skin infections after prolonged wet weather.
Greasy heel is often associated with white pasterns but not exclusively. Common preventatives which may help include petroleum jelly, Dermapred/ Prednoderm ointment (vet-only medication), and henna hair dye (very commonly seen on endurance horses at rides).
Rain scald is a bacterial infection (Dermotophilus) of the skin. In severe cases it may require a course of penicillin; milder conditions are responsive to sun and iodine- based scrubs.

- foot abscess: these become far more common after prolonged wet ground due to the feet softening, exposing micro cracks in the white line usually, and allowing mud and bacteria to migrate upwards. Prevention is hard while it’s wet everywhere but daily cleaning where possible and spraying with bluestone/ CuSO4 & water mix may help harden and dry the sole. There are many other products which claim to help with this so just be mindful of cost vs benefit of these products. Difficult these are!
If your horse does go very lame due to an abscess then we still like to drain them where we can and then the after care and management become much more tricky and critical compared to drier weather.
Please DO NOT allow an abscess to be opened under a horse’s foot and then not be intensively and carefully managed because they usually lead to much bigger problems.

- mosquito-borne viruses: generally after each flood event we see various viruses spread by mozzies and other biting midges. Any horse that becomes lethargic, usually febrile should be considered possibly infected by one of these. Treatment is always supportive but blood tests often help with surveillance, especially in the early stages after floods so that DPI and other bodies are aware of where infections are and when.

CATTLE:
- mud scours/ yersiniosis: this is probably by far the most common and severe infection seen in cattle grazing flooded or water logged country.
Prevention is difficult except not to graze the pasture until it’s either been slashed and we have regrowth or once it’s dried a bit and we see new growth. Yersinia can also pop up in contaminated water sources. Tricky one this is and often occurs so matter what we do. Treatment is most effective if diagnosed very early.

We also see cases of diarrhoea in horses after they graze flooded pasture and in my experience these are highly fatal even if caught early. I’d treat horses as far higher risk than cattle in terms of grazing flooded pasture.

- protein deficiency: after prolonged wet weather most pasture is depleted in protein and while it appears green, it’s full of water and cattle drop condition rapidly despite eating well. They require supp feeding such as grain or other protein-rich feeds.

- foot abscesses/ soft soles/ etc: most common in dairy cattle where it’s a massive cause of production loss but also very common in beef cattle especially after they’ve been trucked either to agistment or back to their home farm after the floods. Early treatment is best here again.

- mastitis: usually almost exclusively reserved for dairy cows, mastitis certainly rears its head in beef cattle if they’re calving during this weather, and we often see severe E Coli cases which are rapidly fatal if not treated very early.

These are just a few if the most common conditions we see after every flood or prolonged wet period and as always give us a buzz should you require specific help.

We wish all our clients and the entire region the very best during this event and hopefully some autumn sun shines very soon.

06/03/2025

The cyclone front seems now to be well on the Northern Rivers region
There has already been some significant rainfall totals around the region.

Since apparently this page is viewed by people over a fairly large area, can we ask where safe to do so, if people wish to publish here RECORDED rainfall totals, stating approximate location and the time frame of that total.

It may help people along river systems have an idea of potential issues by providing real time rainfall data.

This is NOT a replacement for official warnings and notices.

Stay safe and bunker down. The severe weather system is now well upon us.

Bruno, North East Equine Veterinary Services

05/03/2025

Latest updates courtesy of Higgins and BoM (I have no affiliations or COI with either).

The NE NSW region is now predicted to be in the zone of the actual cyclone. Right now it is predicted to make landfall as a Category 2 or possibly low level Category 3 cyclone (sort of irrelevant).
Regardless of the exact path and exact landfall (again mostly irrelevant except for future historical purposes and claim to fame) the region is predicted to receive SEVERE amounts of rain, and this is now predicted across MANY models and sources.

Thursday morning is your last chance to move livestock (cattle/ horses/ sheep etc).

DO NOT ignore the warnings and DO NOT assume it’s hysteria. If it’s wrong in hindsight then have a beer and a laugh. Yeah it may cost a few bucks or bit more but what if the predictions are correct this time?

We do not want a repeat of 2022 and the experiences of that event for our region.
This advice is especially for EVERYBODY in the lower reaches of the Wilsons and Richmond Rivers and also up around Uki and the Tweed areas, but also EVERYBODY anywhere near a creek or water-carrying channel; if the predicted rain actually falls then it’s going to be very severe flooding in the areas downstream of that catchment.

03/03/2025

Final reminder to everybody today…
These may seem monotonous but we do not want to see a repeat of 2022 and the experiences of that with stranded and drowned animals.

Today, the weather is so far calm and even blue sky out in the west, move horses away from all areas subject to flash flooding AND riverine flooding. All the models and all the predictions for this region are suggesting significant rainfall well sufficient to cause major flooding now, if it is widespread over the entire catchment of the Wilson and Richmond River systems.
I’d suggest if the property is subject to 2017 or the March 2022 flood (the large but smaller flood that year) then move horses out today, just to be safe, and then relax.

This is not to scare people, but act and prevent disaster and emergency situations later in the week.

I’d also be hoping farmers seriously consider relocating stock where possible and feasible to higher ground within the next day or two before it gets too bad.

If you see a neighbour or somebody you know failing to heed the advice of incoming severe weather, do give them a kick and try make them move. This isn’t alarmist but nor do I want to be seeing cattle and horses hanging from trees and stranded when this time there is plenty of warning time and there is more than enough time to act and move.

Again, all predictions across various models, including BoM, have the region sustaining a very large amount of rain in a short period. I’ll hope it’s all wrong but some regions will cop it for sure, it’s just the exact locations yet to be known.

Stay safe and act early and relax.

03/03/2025

We’ve received a few requests for information from horse owners to provide some vet advice regarding the approaching weather system, in addition to the somewhat usual panic and hysteria that seems to gather pace on facebook sites.

I’ll try to be short (and sweet??) and to the point…

Horses aren’t stupid creatures! They can fend for themselves given the opportunity to do so. They also like routine so as best as practically possible, don’t change their usual routine.

Feeding-
Don’t change anything. Hopefully it’s already a simple diet so I see no need to alter their diet in this weather.
Feed them as you would as change potentially increases risk of gut issues.
If it’s a more complicated diet and time is rushed and other things are happening, feed moistened lucerne chaff as I think it’s the safest and best roughage to feed anyway.

To rug or not to rug-
I see this often debated. To me it’s pretty simple. If the horse has a shelter or very heavy tree canopy then it shouldn’t need a rug. If the horse is exposed then rug it with a weather proof rug such that is blocks wind and rain.

If the horse is shivering or muscles quivering then it’s cold, so rug it.

I see mention in places where people recommend not to rug a horse in case it gets caught in fences or is in water… the entire point to this advice is to eliminate your horse being in such a predicament, like we seen many many cases of in 2022 when warning systems and predictions failed and were overwhelmed.

Relocating horses-
if the horse or any stock are in a paddock subject to flash flooding then move them early and do it in daylight at a calm pace. We’ve moved some of our own stock; early decision was made and they’re now away from rapidly rising creeks.
If the paddock is subject to riverine flooding then you should have more time to act and monitor the situation closely making sure you continue to have access to the horse otherwise yes relocate it. If you’re nervous then move the horse and then relax.
If the paddock isn’t subject to flooding then I see no reason to relocate the horse unless nobody can access the property in the event of flooding, but even then weigh up the likelihood of flash flooding vs riverine flooding. The reason being an animal is far better off in its usual known paddock then rash relocations during a weather event like this, so only move the horse if absolutely necessary for reasons above.

Feet-
Yes they’ll be some foot issues almost no matter what you do.
The single biggest protector to feet in any weather is properly maintained feet so they withstand the elements and have capacity to repair if there is an issue such as sole abscesses.

Basically the point to this is calm down, relax, it isn’t anything so different to what we’ve experienced before. It isn’t a high category cyclone and the wind and rain are the most likely dangerous aspects.
We have had similar conditions many many times even in the last few years (late 2021, early 2022 being the most recent).

Try to remain calm. Prepare. Make early decisions and enact them then relax and help the next person if need be.

Give your horse more credit as they are smart most of the time, and keep things routine and simple for them.

I have already seen cattle moving to higher ground as I drive round the place so they too sense when things may be happening.

We don’t want to see repeat of 2022 and those experiences so hopefully this is basic common sense advice then carry on with life and monitor the situation.

Remember, flooding is the biggest immediate threat with this event, so if horses or stock are at risk of flash flooding inundation or isolation then move them early (I’d be guessing tomorrow sometime) and try to eliminate the panic we had to deal with in the mammoth 2022 event which was beyond anybody’s capability but learn from that whilst remaining objective and calm and rational.

I too also have period of the unknown and hence this event we moved stock early and made the call and now it’s done. By now we should all know where every place floods and if you’re new to the area ask somebody who knows, who actually knows, and heed their advice. Try to avoid the online hysteria and opinions of many who chime in and don’t actually know most of the time.

Plan ahead, act early, relax.

If in need of veterinary help then give us a bell as we’ll be floating around as usual ☔️🍻

01/03/2025

UPDATE:
Latest forecasts now all seem to agree that the region is highly likely (guaranteed?) to receive the heavy rain from the approaching cyclone, now predicted to make landfall as a cyclone somewhere around SE Qld, or even Brisbane, and NE NSW will as usual get the southern effects of that which is strong easterly winds from the coast and very heavy rain.

I’d suggest now is wise time to make plans to move horses and stock out of areas likely to be impacted by flash flooding or any riverine flood plains that are affected by moderate flooding at least, possibly even major flooding.

Hopefully any move is a waste of our time but that is far better than haste and panic in an emergency situation.

We very much hope that this is not going to come to fruition however all models are now agreeing that we are in for some major rain totals.

We will closely monitor the situation and this week will be basically emergency only calls I’d imagine as we also sort some things here of our own and make plans for what may eventuate.

Once again this is not to be alarmist, but simply to make you think to act early rather than sitting and waiting and hoping for the best. That is best done over several beers once the preparations and plans have been enacted!!

Good luck to all.

01/03/2025

There is now some common predictions coming out of various weather sources saying that the region may be in for some significant rain into the middle and latter parts of next week.
This is not to alarm obviously but simply to be prepared well in advance to move stock from low lying areas and especially away from areas known to get flash flooding.
Stock up on feed and be prepared.

Horses especially dislike wind and rain and both are predicted so consider rugging where shelters or heavy tree canopies are not available.

We are starting from a much drier base compared to 2022 so there is no suggestion we are in for major flooding other than whenever a low pressure system stalls off the coast near us, it invariably brings fairly significant rain for its stay with us!

28/02/2025

Good info again from the AAEP, via our own EVA.
We still get asked to, and people are still seemingly shocked when I refuse to, perform re**al exams on horses other than in a suitable horse crush, either for colic or still to pregnancy test mares.
It is why we often suggest owners bring their colic horse to us, and yes it’s possible and yes people do this; it’s to help you help your horse.

28/02/2025

Three years today that we awoke to the largest flood probably known to have struck the Northern Rivers.
The memories shall live on and to all those who have got back going again it’s a huge effort and well done.
Sadly many have left and that is also very understandable.
Those months that we diverted to full time flood relief shall not ever be forgotten.

07/02/2025