Dierenkliniek De Morette- Clinique Equine De Morette

12/11/2025

📸 An Evening of Knowledge Sharing and Networking!

Our team of equine specialists had the pleasure of connecting with 40 referring veterinarians from Wallonia during an educational evening organised by Zoetis & Morette.

The lectures focused on practical, everyday tips for equine practice, which participants greatly appreciated. The rest of the evening offered a fantastic opportunity to discuss cases, exchange ideas, and enjoy great food in good company. 💙

A big thank you to Zoetis België for the excellent organisation, and a special shout-out to Céline Degrève for bringing us all together! 🙏

30/10/2025

🌟 Morette vet check: answer 🌟

👉 With the windy autumn weather, sycamore seeds are flying into our horses' pastures. These seeds are toxic to horses and can cause severe 'Atypical Myopathy. This intoxication can become fatal in a few days.

🔎 Symptoms:
The symptoms can be very similar to colic.
* Difficulty walking, moving forward
* The horse lies down more often and has a stiff gait
* Hypothermia
* Red urine
* Sweating
➡️ If you recognize these symptoms, contact your treating veterinarian immediately.

⏳Upon arrival at the clinic, we can perform the necessary tests within minutes to confirm the diagnosis and set up supportive treatment for the horse. Unfortunately, there is currently no antidote, so prevention remains crucial.

💡 Other horses that have not yet been affected may benefit from a blood test to screen for early symptoms and paraffin oil and activated charcoal to limit the absorption of toxins.

⚠️ Watch your horses and your pastures in this windy weather!
✔️Remove your horses if there are seeds on your pasture or limit the time in the pasture to a maximum of 6 hours. It can fly over 100 meters in this weather.
✔️ Add sufficient food (good quality hay) and preferably on height in the pasture.

💡 Only the seeds of the Acer pseudoplatanus are toxic. The seeds of the Acer platanoides are not toxic.

📞 Contact our clinic if you have any questions

23/10/2025

🌟 Morette vet check: answer 🌟

👉 Sarcoids are the most common skin tumors in horses. They are locally aggressive but do not metastasize. Several forms exist, ranging from small, wart-like lesions to large, ulcerating masses.

🔎 Sarcoids can occur anywhere on the skin but are most commonly seen on the head, around the eyes, the chest, the midline of the abdomen, and the legs. They usually don't cause pain but can be bothersome due to their location and are easily damaged or infected.

💡 Surgical excision (removal) is a commonly used method. This can be performed either with the horse standing under sedation or lying under general anesthesia, depending on the location and extent of the lesion.

💉 Sarcoids can recur. That's why electrochemotherapy is being used more frequently: a chemotherapeutic agent is introduced into the tissue and driven into the tumor cells using electric pulses. This increases the chances of successful treatment and reduces the risk of recurrence.

➡️ Careful selection of therapy and precise treatment are essential to prevent regrowth.

06/10/2025

Behind every healthy, happy horse is a team that truly cares. Every day, Elke puts her heart into providing high-quality dental care for horses and supporting their owners. She always goes the extra mile, and it really shows - in her work and in how much our clients appreciate her. We’re so happy to have her on our team 💛

03/10/2025

🌟 Morette vet check: answer 🌟

🔹 Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD) in Horses

👉 Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), commonly referred to as a “chip,” is a frequent joint condition in young horses. It involves loose fragments of bone or cartilage within joints such as the stifle, fetlock, or hock. These fragments can cause friction and damage within the joint, leading to stiffness, lameness, or swelling.

💡 Diagnosis and Treatment
The most effective treatment for OCD is arthroscopy—a minimally invasive procedure in which the loose fragment is removed through small incisions. Using a camera and grasping instrument, the surgeon can operate with precision, resulting in a short recovery time and minimal stress for the horse.

🕚⚠️ Early Detection
Early detection is essential. In young horses, an OCD screening using radiographic imaging can identify fragments before clinical symptoms appear. This allows for timely intervention and helps prevent joint damage.

🌟 Our Approach
At our clinic, we guide your horse through every step—from screening to surgery—with a strong focus on comfort and recovery. Our goal is to ensure your horse enjoys a long and healthy career in sport.

23/09/2025

🔹 Umbilical infections in foals: when medical treatment isn’t enough

👉 Umbilical infections in foals can escalate quickly. If medical treatment doesn’t resolve the infection, surgical removal of the umbilical remnants may be necessary to prevent sepsis (bacteria circulation in the blood) or lameness due to joint infections.

💡 Early intervention is key to protecting your foal’s health.

🔍 Tips for owners: prevention & early detection
✅ Keep it clean: Ensure the foaling environment is hygienic and dry.
✅ Preventive treatment: An antiseptic dip just after birth.
✅ Watch for signs: Swelling, discharge, or fever

🚨If you suspect an infection, don’t wait. Prompt veterinary care can make all the difference. 💙🐴

21/09/2025

Proficiat aan de winnaars en alle
deelnemers! 👏

Met veel plezier waren wij sponsor van deze proef. Bedankt aan het team van Indian Summer Jumping voor de organisatie en fijne samenwerking! 🙌

Celia Alvarado wint de 1m05 reeks powered by Dierenkliniek De Morette en Bradt Stables 🤩

12/09/2025

🌟 Morette vet check answer 🌟

👉 Gasterophilus is a horse botfly that lays its eggs on the horse’s hairs, often around the legs or the neck.

👉 When the horse licks up these eggs while grooming or grazing, the larvae hatch and move to the oral cavity and then to the stomach. There they attach themselves to the stomach lining.

⚠️ Usually, they cause few problems, but in heavy infestations they can lead to irritation in the mouth, stomach issues, and weight loss.

The adult fly itself does not feed and is mainly a nuisance because it buzzes around horses and lays eggs.

💡 Treatment consists of deworming. We recommend contacting your veterinarian for the appropriate treatment plan.

06/09/2025

👉 Asja completed her one-year rotating internship at our clinic. Over the past year, she has grown tremendously as a young equine veterinarian, showing dedication, compassion, and an eagerness to learn every single day. 👏

Asja has been a valued member of our team, and we are proud to have been a part of her professional journey. 🌟

Thank you, Asja for your hard work, your energy and your passion for equine care. We wish you all the best in the next chapter of your career. We are sure the horses will be lucky to have you. 💙

💡 Our internship program is a practical training program for graduated veterinarians to strengthen their clinical skills and theoretical knowledge. Under the direct supervision of our specialists, interns rotate through all departments of our clinic and are exposed to a wide variety of cases.

It’s a unique stepping stone that shapes them into good all-round veterinarians, ready for high-quality service in practice or the first step toward specialization — and we are proud to guide them along this journey. ✨

05/09/2025

🌟 Morette vet check answer

In our story yesterday evening, you saw our intern Asja performing the Madigan foal squeeze technique.

👉 The Madigan foal squeeze is a technique used on so-called ‘dummy foals' (foals with neonatal maladjustment syndrome).
👉 These foals are often lethargic after birth, have difficulty nursing, and struggle to establish normal contact with the
mare.

Using a soft rope, the foal is held in a lying position under gentle pressure for a few minutes.
➡️ This mimics the pressure a foal normally experiences in the birth canal.
➡️ This stimulus can in effect
'reset' the nervous system, after which many foals become more alert and begin nursing more effectively

⚠️ The method may seem simple, but it should always be performed by a veterinarian or an experienced handler to avoid risks for the foal