Western Equine Veterinary Services

08/08/2024

BREEDING SEASON is here with foals already starting to be born.

With our move to our Werribee South facilities we are restarting our on site reproductive services.

We can confidently claim to provide personalised, individual service and handling to the mares and foals we look after, in individual pvc post and rail paddocks, and safe single mare stocks. We can also claim fantastic conception rates given the attention and treatment we give each mare.

Unfortunately being a small business, and given our location, we cannot offer bulk/package services like some of the larger farms/clinics located further out of town. We also don’t have the staffing for specialised services like embryo transfer, frozen AI, or
stallion collection.

However if you are looking for routine chilled AI or live cover preparation, and pregnancy monitoring where your mare will get that extra
tlc this could be a great option for you.

14/07/2024

We are glad we could help little Zac who was sick over the weekend. It is getting harder and harder to maintain the service that we do, while many other large animal veterinary businesses around us are scaling back. We appreciate, in return, lovely loyal clients like The Horse’s Heartbeat who support us to support them.

04/07/2024

MEET OUR NEW STAFF - PART 2

03/07/2024

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD FOR WEVS - WE HAVE MOVED!
We are overjoyed to announce we have moved our office and are now fully based at our Werribee South facility - 240 Diggers Road Werribee South. From here we have room to grow and evolve along with our recent staffing changes.
We are still primarily out on the road treating horses most of the day so please don't arrive unannounced. However we do provide some limitied in-patient care, and we do have a secure box for pre-ordered medication pick ups.
We are also soon to relaunch our short term agistment service for horses competing at the Werribee Park Equestrian Centre.

22/06/2024

MEET OUR NEW STAFF - PART 1

17/05/2024

REDUCED AFTERHOURS SERVICES - THE GLOBAL EQUINE VET SHORTAGE
The fight to find staff for large animal veterinary practice is a worsening global problem. The main deterrent pushing vets away in droves is the expectation to be "on call" for emergencies all night and all weekend on top of working average 50 hour weeks. The easy answer would be pay them more! Or set up night shift rosters. Unfortunately though the only way to do this would be to raise fees even more than we've already had to, and make veterinary care even more out of reach for some.

The article attached here describes some of the ways equine veterinary businesses are coping with this issue as best they can.

We are lucky where we are because there are several world class 24hour equine hospitals in Victoria who will take in new clients after hours so long as you haul in. So we encouraging all our clients to have access to a float and have a plan B formulated in case an emergency happens when we occasionally do not have a vet available.

In line with this article we also limit our out of hours emergency services to our 'current' clients, or pre-booked events (so we can roster). We want to be as available as we can to give back to our loyal clients in their times of need. Unfortunately we just can't staff a service for everyone any more, it's too financially, physically and emotionally taxing. Likewise it’s more exhausting, more stressful and sometimes even scary attending to people we have never met before on our own in the middle of the night. Then there's the frustration of new clients often not paying for our time and effort, which hurts more deeply when its out of hours.

So to be a current client, who we genuinely want to help as best we can, we would appreciate providing some routine in hours service at least once every 12-24 months. These might be simple things like annual health check and vaccination, dental assessment and filing, metabolic blood tests, soundness assessment, etc.

Horse owners were surveyed about their equine veterinarian's policies for providing emergency services. Here are the responses.

11/04/2024

🐴🐴NOW STOCKING SUCRALOX🐴🐴

We are now stocking this fantastic vet only gastrointestinal support feed supplement that is backed by extensive research and recommended by one of the leading equine gastrointestinal veterinarians in Australian, Dr Ben Sykes. We can now confidently answer a question we are constantly asked: “what supplement can I use to help support my horse’s stomach and digestion”.

This product is designed for long term use to aid in the treatment and prevention of stomach ulceration, and also as a supplement to maintain a health digestive environment. It is used in conjunction with prescription medications like Omeprazol, but many riders and trainers are reporting back amazing results with its use alone.

Sucralox contains sucralfate, a medication vets often prescribe for the treatment and prevention of equine gastric ulcer syndrome*. This is a shielding agent that binds with acid and forms a gel that adheres to ulcerated craters to safeguard the sensitive lining of the stomach. Sucralfate also stimulates the production of prostaglandin and mucus, to add a further two layers of protection. Aluminium phosphate absorbs bile acids that can reflux and damage the stomach lining.
In addition, Sucralox also contains a fast acting antacid to further protect the stomach lining, and a yeast metabolite as a postbiotic to aid digestive efficiency.

If you have a horse that is prone to stomach ulcers, or if you’re looking for a reputable digestive health supplement for maintenance, please give us a call to discuss if Sucralox is right for your horse!

*it is important to note that for the treatment of certain types of diagnosed stomach ulceration, medication such as omeprazole may be needed in addition to sucralfate

04/04/2024

Some horses and humans are a perfect match 🥰. Who else has a horse that is their soul mate? We’d love to see some pics in the comments!

14/03/2024

THE END OF AN ERA
We're getting in early to let everyone know our long standing nurse/practice manager Bree is leaving us later next week - setting off on a new adventure.
Most of our clients will have got to know Bree well over the past 6 years, sometimes too well! We're sure you'd agree we will deeply miss her bubbly, caring, compassionate and helpful voice on the end of the phone and in person at call outs.
Please join us in saying a massive thank you to Bree for her tireless work and dedication to the horses of Melbourne's west.
We will miss you so much!!

01/03/2024

As some of you have guessed correctly, this horse had a grass seed stuck under his eyelid, which rubbed and caused a corneal ulcer (highlighted by the green fluorescein stain). Happy to report that after a course of treatment the ulcer has healed and we have a happy horse! ❤️👀🐎

28/02/2024

👀 DO YOU SEE WHAT EYE SEE? 👀

What can you see going on in this horse’s eye?

27/02/2024

** RESOLVED***
PHONE ISSUES
Our phone diversions are playing up today. If you can’t get through to us please send a text to 0418385223.

26/02/2024

100% cuteness!
Dr Adele had the pleasure of meeting this little guy today for his and his mum’s post foaling check and IGG test.

13/02/2024

Interesting case alert 🚨

We wanted to share some cool pictures showing the amazing healing capabilities of the body. For poor Harry it was a suspected white tail spider bite - 3months later, all healed!

Comment below if you’re game enough and would like us to post the video of us handling the abscess. 🤢🤮

03/02/2024

02/01/2024

CREDIT & VISA/MASTER DEBIT FEES
We are sorry to inform our valued clients we need to start passing on merchant fees for credit and visa/mastercard debit (tap) payments.
We have accepted these fees as a cost of business for decades but, with the demise of cash and rise of tap and go culture, we are now finding our monthly merchant statement exorbitant.
Unlike many businesses we will not pass on the full cost - electing to set the rate at a flat 1%.
We will NOT be passing on fees for EFTPOS payments.
So to avoid the bank fees please feel free to insert your card when making payments and choose SAV or CHQ on the terminal, or we also happily accept CASH.

22/12/2023

MERRY CHRISTMAS
We are off for a rejuvenating break from 4pm today until 9am Tuesday 2nd January. If any of our clients require emergency care during this period please call 0418 385 223 and listen to message bank for contact details of the vet on call. We will not be checking emails or messages during this period.
PLEASE NOTE: We are also happy to assist new clients with emergencies during this period hoping they will respond in kind with their ongoing goodwill. Unfortunately we will only have one vet on during this period so we encourage those who use one of the other excellent equine veterinary practices in our area to check with them their availability over the holiday period.

21/12/2023

Happy Birthday Dr Nick!

Someone was clearly chuffed to get surprise birthday scones from one of our favourite clients… 🎉

19/12/2023

MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄

Thankyou everyone for trusting us to look after your beloved animals for yet another year. We hope you all have a safe Christmas & New Year!

If your animal has ongoing medication and you require supply over the holiday period - please organise this before Friday afternoon.

Please be aware we are closed from 4pm Friday 22nd December until 9am Tuesday 2nd January.
We are available for genuine emergencies over this period, so listen to the message bank on our mobile to get the contact number for the on-call vet.

🎄0418 385 223

12/12/2023

Not just horse vets 🩺🐴

We love horses, but we also love other 4-legged friends!

For all routine appointments or for equine and large animal emergencies call
☎️ 0418385223

27/11/2023

Meet Peaches 🍑

Peaches sustained a full thickness laceration to the tongue 👅 (70% of the width) about a month ago.
Luckily prompt action from her wonderful owners and with the help of Dr Maggie, Peaches’ tongue was able to be stitched back together - avoiding a tongue amputation!
We are happy to report she is recovering well. 😁

Great work team👏

For all routine appointments or for equine and large animal emergencies call
☎️ 0418385223

02/11/2023

As many of you have noticed, this horse has wolf teeth present.

Wolf teeth are small teeth that sit in front of the first upper cheek teeth. They are not particularly useful for horses and can possibly interfere with bit placement and cause discomfort when ridden, so we recommend removal before the horse is mouthed.

We use sedation to keep the horse still and comfortable, nerve blocks to numb the area, and specialised dental elevators to extract wolf teeth. Most horses recover quickly and continue to happily eat following the surgery.

Some horses have blind wolf teeth - meaning they haven't erupted and instead sit within the mucosa/gum. Often these blind wolf teeth are growing and odd angles. Horses with blind wolf teeth may resist the bit or toss their head. Radiographs are usually required to diagnose blind wolf teeth.

If you have any questions about wolf teeth or equine dental procedures that we offer, please give us a call on 0418 385 223

01/11/2023

What is going on in this horse's mouth? We will post our comments tomorrow, but in the meantime we look forward to hearing your thoughts!

30/10/2023

The season for allergies and insects is here! We have seen a few horses recently with allergic reactions, presenting as urticaria and hives. So we thought we might share some info on equine allergic reactions so you're all prepared. If you suspect your horse has had an allergic reaction, even if you are unsure if it is mild or requires vet attention, please feel free to call us for help on 0418 385 223

27/10/2023

Happy Friday everyone! We hope you all have a weekend full of apples, carrots, and brushes. Love from the team at WEVS ❤️

23/10/2023

SPRING - BEWARE OF LAMINITIS!

With all the nice green grass in the paddocks at the moment, it is a good idea to think about our ‘easy doers’ and the risks of laminitis. Laminitis, commonly known as founder, is inflammation of the laminae within the hoof. These laminae are sensitive tissue structures that attach the inner surface of the hoof wall to the bone within the hoof. During an episode of laminitis there will be altered blood flow to these laminae resulting in loosening of attachment of these tissues. This, in turn, results in hoof wall separation and rotation of the pedal bone, which is extremely painful. In severe cases, the pedal bone can rotate through the sole of the hoof.

Laminitis in horses and ponies usually has an underlying cause – most of the time this is a metabolic condition such as Equine Cushing’s Disease or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (insulin dysregulation), however sepsis, concussive forces from work on hard ground, stress, and excessive weight on one leg (for example when one leg is injured and the horse rests on the other leg) can trigger laminitis.

For a horse or pony to get ‘grass founder’, there must be an underlying metabolic or hormonal imbalance. Grass founder occurs when sugars in grass stimulate an overgrowth of bacteria within the horse’s large intestine. These bacteria produce and release endotoxins which can enter the bloodstream and travel to the laminae in the hoof resulting in damage. Rapidly growing grass produces more energy than it needs and stores excess energy as sugars, which is why Spring grass is of particular concern. Shorter new grass is much higher in sugar than long old grass!

Horses and ponies with laminitis may present with the following signs:

🐴Overweight and cresty neck

🐴Lame – varying from shuffling movement to a severe head bob

🐴Saw horse stance – where the horse will lean back onto the hindfeet to take the weight and pain off the forefeet

🐴Increased or bounding digital pulses

🐴Heat to the hoof

Strategies to reduce the risk of laminitis:

🌱Avoid grazing on short fast growing pastures, or on grass that has been stressed (eg after frosts)

⏰Restrict grazing to only overnight, or a few hours early in the morning, when sugar content in grass is lower

🌱Use strip grazing or track grazing, or a grazing muzzle, to reduce intake

🏃‍♂️Exercise! This helps with weight management and also increases the resting metabolic rate which aids in control of insulin regulation

💉Ensure metabolic conditions such as Equine Cushing’s Disease and Insulin Dysregulation are managed appropriately with medications

🚑 Laminitis is considered a medical emergency as it is a very painful condition and the consequences of not treating can be life threatening. If you suspect your horse or pony is developing laminitis, or may have a metabolic condition that predisposes them to laminitis, we recommend getting a vet to assess them as soon as possible.

18/10/2023

NEWS LETTER
Check out our latest news. If anyone didn’t receive it or wants to be added to our mailing list please comment with your email address or DM us.
https://mailchi.mp/f2dc41807567/western-equine-vets-news?e=32bf1dadc4

13/10/2023

Happy Vet Nurse (and support staff) Day to our amazing superstars Bree and Krystal 🥳 We couldn’t function without you guys ❤️. Thank you for all your dedication and hard work, and for always keeping the vets in line!

11/10/2023

🐴 HELP US TO HELP YOU 🐴
We enjoy sharing information that may be interesting or helpful to our clients on social media. This time, we want to ask YOU if there is anything you would like to see here! Comment on this post anything you would like to learn more about, and we will endeavour to share some information over the coming weeks about each topic 😀