Vet in the Valley

15/10/2025

‼️‼️Warning - snake are active! ‼️‼️

Last week we had our first snake bite presented to Vet in the Valley Animal Hospital. In this case the outcome was very successful! Hooray! 🥳

Some key elements the owner did to facilitate this outcome was:
1. Immediately present to their closest veterinary clinic
2. Called ahead to warn their veterinarian- which allowed our team to be prepared and facilitate rapid response
3. Made clear and decisive decisions which gave our team direction for rapid and successful treatment

If you think your dog or cat has been bitten by a snake please take them immediately to your closest veterinarian, and ring ahead. Have a discussion within your family about limits and treatment.

What are signs of a 🐍 snake bite:

- Dilated pupils
- Drooling or vomiting
- Wobbliness or ataxia
- Blood in urine
- Muscle shaking or twitching

Hopefully we don’t see too many over the warmer months, but rest assured we have a team and the equipment for the best initial care possible.

15/10/2025

This is what we love! ❤️ our first mare 🐴 pregnancy of the season! Vet in the Valley offers full season and per cycle packages for both frozen and chilled semen at our property in Plenty.

13/10/2025

🚗BOTHWELL RUN🚙

Dr. Liam is heading through Bothwell tomorrow with availability for both equine, farm animal and small animal consultations (plus a visit to the post office IYKYK).

12/10/2025

⚠️ Parascaris in Young Horses 🐎

Did you know that one of the biggest parasite threats to foals and youngstock isn’t small strongyles — but Parascaris equorum, the large roundworm?

This worm can cause serious health issues in horses under 2 years old, especially if not detected and managed early.

🧬 Why is Parascaris dangerous?

✅ Stunts growth – Competes for nutrients, leading to weight loss and poor condition

✅ Causes respiratory signs – Larval migration through the lungs can lead to coughing and nasal discharge

✅ Triggers colic or gut blockages – Large worm burdens can cause life-threatening impaction or even rupture

✅ Post-deworming Complications - A heavy parasite load + sudden kill-off after worming can lead to intestinal blockage, severe inflammation and increased colic risk

✅ Resistant to common wormers – Increasing resistance to ivermectin means many treatments may not be effective

🔍 So how do you stay ahead of it?

With Faecal Egg Counts (FECs).

💩 FECs are a simple test that checks how many parasite eggs your horse is shedding.

👶 In foals and young horses, we recommend FECs starting from 8–12 weeks of age, and repeating every 1–2 months.

🔬 A Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) after worming helps ensure the treatment actually worked — crucial when resistance is a concern.

At Vet in the Valley, we help you take the guesswork out of worming.

📅 Book your foal or young horse in for a FEC today and get expert advice on which wormers are still effective against parascaris.

📞 Call now or message us to learn more.

09/10/2025

All this week it’s Vet Nurse and Vet Technician Appreciation week! 🩺

What an amazing team we have in both Vet in the Valley and vetinthevalleyanimalhospital. We are so grateful for our nurses, the important and essential work they do for us. Their care, empathy, compassion and skill is the foundation of offering high quality patient care. We couldn’t do it without them - and seriously who would tease us and get all the embarrassing photos that will NEVER see social media without them?

Today we get to celebrate with a morning tea, give a little gift and embarrass them with a little public social media video 😋!

07/10/2025

🐎 Faecal Egg Counts: Smarter Worm Control for Your Horse

Are you still worming your horse on a fixed schedule? It’s time to rethink the old routine.

💩 Faecal Egg Counts (FECs) are a simple test that checks how many and what parasite eggs your horse is shedding — helping you decide if, when, and what to worm with.



🔬 Why it matters:

✅ Identify high egg shedders

✅ Avoid unnecessary drenches

✅ Monitor dewormer effectiveness

✅ Protect your paddocks and reduce re-infection

✅ Slow down growing worm resistance across the industry



Recent research shows many horses don’t need worming as often as we think — and over-treating is increasing resistance to our dewormers. With FECs, we can make targeted decisions that keep your horse healthier for longer.



Foals and youngstock under 2 years are especially vulnerable to Parascaris equorum (roundworms), which may not respond well to some common wormers — so early monitoring is critical.





🗓️ What We Recommend at Vet in the Valley

Regular FECs – Ideally every 3 months for adult horses, and every 1-2 months for foals and youngstock.
2. Start FECs at 8–12 weeks of age, especially if showing signs like poor growth or diarrhea.

Always do another FEC 10-14 days post treatment when egg counts are high or when changing dewormers, to monitor efficacy.
Integrate pasture management — remove manure regularly, rotate grazing, avoid overstocking.
Use a risk-based, diagnostic-led deworming approach, rather than automatic blanket drenching.
Work with your vet to interpret FECs, account for your paddock, season, and horse history, and build a tailored parasite control plan.
Stay up to date — as resistance trends and diagnostic tools evolve, we adapt best practices.




👩‍⚕️ At Vet in the Valley, we offer fast turnaround FEC testing and expert advice to build a parasite control plan tailored to your horse and your property.



📞 Call us today to book your horse’s FEC or chat about resistance management.

03/10/2025

Did you know that Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among females? 1 in 7 women and 1 in 550 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Vet in the Valley and Vet in the Valley Animal Hospital is dedicated to giving back to our communities so we are hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast on October 22nd!

Please pop in to support us to give back and aid in Breast Cancer Research!

29/09/2025

🚨🛻 October Run Dates 🐴🐮

These are our scheduled run day for October, but we are out and about everyday!

Derwent Valley - October 8th and 22nd

Acton/Lauderdale and surrounds - October 6th, 10th, 14th, 20th

Sorell, Carlton River, Kellevie - October 13th and 31st

Peninsular - October Friday 24th

Triabunna/Buckland/Orford - October Friday 10th

Please call ☎️ 6146 2255 if you would like an appointment.

27/09/2025

19/09/2025

Did you know that Dr. Liam and Dr. Libby often perform obstetrics duties for cattle? 🐄 As calving season ramps up they have been out and about helping cow delivery their calves through both normal but assisted deliveries and c-sections!

When do you know if your cow requires assistance?

Positive progression in labour is vital! If the cow is in active labour and pushing, then a calf should be present within 4 hours maximum.

What do you need for us to provide assistance?

A set of yards, with a crush or head bale is vital to ensure us to have the best chance to help.

11/09/2025

** September Lameness Special **

50% off lameness consultations, including Flexion tests, and gait analysis!

For September only and ONLY at our Plenty facility!

Limited spaces available for September lameness consultations remain!