Dukes Equine Vets

25/03/2024

We have just published our spring newsletter. If you think you should of received one, please check your junk email as we know they don't all get through. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please email [email protected] or send a message on Facebook and we will send it to you. The features of the newsletter are :
Practice News,
Invitation to evening meeting,
Science on equine sarcoids,
Minimising the risk of colic,
New rules on vaccination,
Competition and Marketing Authority Investigation into Vet Practices.

14/03/2024

Back by popular demand! We are holding a repeat of our clients evening for those who couldn’t make it last time!

Please come along for an invaluable evening of free lectures presented by Dukes Equine Vets Limited. All donations raised will go towards supporting the horses at World Horse Welfare, Aboyne.

15/02/2024

Sweet itch - can we vaccinate for this? 🧐 ℹ️

As the days get a little longer and slightly warmer, most horse owners are relieved to see spring on the horizon. However, if your horse suffers from sweet itch, the prospect of midge season arriving might be less appealing.

Sweet itch is an allergic response to the saliva of biting culicoides midges. Management and fly repellents are fundamental in looking after affected horses and ponies.

In recent years, a sweet itch vaccine has become available, called Insol Dermatophyton. It is technically licensed for Ringworm, so use for sweet itch is off license. Effects are variable with limited scientific research to date, but there are some promising studies. Anecdotal reports suggest 50% efficacy in reducing symptoms of sweet itch. The vaccine works by reducing histamine release, hence preventing the itch scratch cycle before it starts.

The vaccine requires two injections, two weeks apart. These should be given before the onset of clinical signs, ideally in February/March before the fly population increases.

The vaccine is currently unavailable in the UK, so we import it. It comes in a 2ml vial, and the dose given is 0.5ml. Once the vial is opened it has to be used that day. Therefore we try to coordinate up to 4 horses for vaccination on the same date.

If you would like to try vaccinating your horse this year or would like to speak to a vet for more information, please get in touch with the office on 0345 095 9995. 🐴☀️💉🦟

01/02/2024

We were delighted to be invited to host a clients evening at Bogenraith Equestrian last night. This was the first of Bogenraith’s educational evenings at this exciting new venue for all things equestrian in Aberdeenshire. We gave a selection of talks on the subject of whether our horses are fit or fat - covering principles of fitness, training for longevity and soundness, metabolic obesity and how we tackle this and how pain might affect performance. It was great to see a full house, with over 120 attendees. And to raise £175.79 for HorseBack UK through charitable donations for the evening. Hopefully an informative evening and lots of food for thought! 🐎 👩🏼‍⚕️ 🩺 🐴

26/01/2024

Update on equine flu vaccination intervals as of
26 January 2024 💉🤧 🐎

There seems to currently be complete chaos in the vaccination rules for different authorities and much confusion about horses that have started but not completed their first three vaccinations before January 1st 2024.

As far as we can ascertain 🧐… the rules for different authorities are summarised in the table shown in picture 2 😁!

Please note that we cannot accept any responsibility for ensuring that your horse is vaccinated correctly, especially in view of the varying rules. If you are unsure whether your horse is correctly vaccinated we advise you to contact the relevant controlling organisation.

Most organisations state that "All horses and ponies receiving a new primary course of vaccinations from 1January 2024 must be vaccinated according to this schedule": However FEI for example states that "There is no requirement for horses that have received their primary course and first booster before 1January 2024, to be re-vaccinated provided that they have been vaccinated incompliance with the 2023 Veterinary Regulations." This is a subtle but significant difference and, unless clarified, there will be lots of confusion for horses starting their first vaccination before 1st January 2024 but completing their third after this date as to what intervals apply.

16/01/2024

The joys of winter with horses! Please be aware that we are seeing a lot more colics than usual this winter. And now that we have freezing conditions, there is an increased risk of impaction colics. Colic is not entirely preventable but here are some top tips to reduce the risk :

❄️ Check water troughs regularly. Break and remove ice to slow re-freezing. Not a job for bare hands! Break ice at least twice daily, particularly at feed times as this stimulates drinking.

💩 Check that horses are passing a normal amount and consistency of droppings. If you notice a reduced output, or particularly hard/dry droppings, get in touch with the vet.

🐎 Try to maintain some kind of routine, and include turnout where possible. Research suggests that turning horses out for at least 4 hours a day significantly reduces the risk of colic. If you can’t turn out, try to find a safe place to hand walk.

🌿 Check your forage and do your best to ensure you feed only good quality! Harvest was tricky last summer so some of the hay/haylage is not great quality.

🥣 If you are giving a hard feed, add extra water, preferably warm.

🐛 Ensure your worming is up-to-date. A vast number of the colics we see are due to tapeworm or small redworm. If you have any questions about worming protocols, please get in touch.

Of course, if you have any concerns we are here 24/7 if you need us 👍

05/01/2024

Visiting Equine Cardiology and Medicine specialist :

Professor John Keen B Vet Med, PhD, Cert EM (Int Med), Dip ECEIM, FRCVS, RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine is visiting us next Friday 12 January 2024. We have time for him to examine one or two more cases, so if you have a particular problem with your horse and you would like John to see him or her then please contact the practice and we will see if we can book you in.

John is a senior clinician in the Dick Vet Equine Hospital and Chair of Equine Cardiovascular Science. His particular interest is cardiology and he is coming up to see some cardiology cases but his expertise extends to all aspects of equine medicine. Ideally we would like to see all cases at our clinic in Aboyne but we might be able to see you at your yard depending on time and location and nature of the problem.

If you want to discuss anything first please contact the office to speak to one of the vets who can give you all of the details.

03/01/2024

We are very excited to be hosting an educational evening at Aberdeenshire’s exciting new venue, Bogenraith Equestrian, later this month! Looking forward to discussing all things fitness as we head towards spring and we have some great talks lined up :

1. Jim : Fat v fit - aims of training for performance and longevity.

2. Alice : New tools for old problems - getting to grips with overweight horses.

3. Anna : Why isn’t my horse going forwards - is it pain related?

4. Panel discussion. Bring your questions.

Please register your interest with [email protected] or [email protected]

A big part of our ethos here at Bogenraith Equestrian is to promote the training and education for all horse owners at all levels.

We are pleased to announce the first of our monthly "off the horse" classroom based talks below, Wednesday 31st January.

"Is your horse Fit or Fat?"

The Fern Restaurant will be open beforehand and available to book via the website.

We are in talks with other Vets, Farriers, physios and other professions for our next client evenings. If there are any subjects in particular that you would be interested in please drop us a comment or email Jemma directly.

[email protected]

All the details are below 👇, we look forward to welcoming you all .

22/04/2023

A great conversation with Alice about life as an equine vet in rural Scotland on the Women in Wellies podcast. 👋🎤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🐴

🔗 Link in the comments below. Or as they say… “Head over to your favourite podcast platform, Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen”

Women in Wellies Podcast

18/10/2022

ATYPICAL MYOPATHY ALERT
Nobody wants to lose a horse to poisoning and as a vet these are some of the toughest cases to treat, as despite whatever we might try, if the horse has ingested enough poison we cannot save them. This is very much the case with atypical myopathy. It is caused by ingesting sycamore seeds which have contain a toxin called hypoglycin A. Not all trees and not all seeds contain the toxin. The truth is we don't know when or why they will, but it seems in the last week there have been a large number of cases across the UK. Once horses show clinical signs they can be very difficult to treat, but other horses in the field can be blood tested, and if they are affected can have supportive treatment and a reasonable chance of being fine.
The best way to prevent the disease is not to graze horses in fields where there are sycamore trees. The truth is many of the fields where horses graze in Aberdeenshire are surrounded by them, or they even grow as ornamental trees in the fields. The seeds can potentially also blow a long way on the wind. It is a bit of a lottery but if the horses have access to adequate supplementary feeding then this reduces their risk of ingesting the seeds. So at this time of year if you have sycamore trees in your field make sure the horses have something else, as well as grass, to eat. If possible don't graze fields where there have been cases before and young horses in particular seem more at risk.
Cases can be tricky to identify initially as they may look like colic, or even just appear a little stiff and out of sorts, and have vague non specific signs. By the time they progress to recumbency it is going to be very difficult to save them.
The main thing is just to be aware that the disease exists and give supplementary feeding if you need to. You should contact your vet if you have concerns that your horse is looking in any way unwell and there are sycamore trees in or around the field.

16/09/2022

Just enjoying a morning on a horse!

11/09/2022

We were lucky enough to work for the Queen and I had the chance to meet her informally on a few occasions. I always felt pretty awkward but she was always very kind and interested in what we were doing. It is really sad to say goodbye but it was an honour and a pleasure to have worked for her. The Queen was a truly remarkable woman and we can only stand in awe and appreciate how amazing her life was.
The practice will be closed on Monday 19th September for the Queen’s funeral but we will have a vet on duty for emergencies only.
Rest in peace your Majesty.

25/05/2022

You go that way and I’ll go this way!
JUBILEE HOLIDAY
To celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee the practice will be closed on the 2nd and 3rd of June. We will still have a vet on call and be doing the stud work but will not do any routine calls and the office is closed. Enjoy the celebrations.

12/05/2022

A busy start to the stud season at Dukes Equine Vets with some positive pregnancies including one embryo transfer pregnancy already. We are hoping to take some embryos from this mare by Painted Black. The foal is a little cracker by Faustinus standing at Romanno Stud, already practising her one time changes at exactly a week old.

03/05/2022

EMBRYO TRANSFER RECIPIENTS WANTED
We are looking for a few more embryo transfer recipient mares. The mares need to be between roughly 15.2 and 16.2, 3-12 years old and either maiden or if they have had a foal previously then without any reproductive issues. The mares need to be reasonable to handle and paddock sound but this can be a good job for mares that are not rideable for a variety of reasons. If you have a mare that you think may be suitable please either message here or email [email protected]
Thanks
Jim Dukes

31/01/2022

Following the storms over the weekend, like most of Aberdeenshire, we still have issues with no phone signal, power and many road closures etc. If you can’t get through to the office phone line then please leave a message with the answer service. Alice still has the on call phone (07966 367746) for emergencies and is trying to make sure it has signal. And the answer service will pass on any emergency calls to her, so that one of us can be in touch as soon as possible. Hope everyone and their horses are ok.

29/01/2022

Like most of Aberdeenshire, with the gales we are once again having issues with power, phone signal and trees down on the roads etc. Alice is on call this weekend and doing her best to have phone signal as much as possible… if you are trying to ring the on call phone and don’t get through straight away then please leave a message with the answer service and Alice will get back to you as soon as possible. Hope everyone and their horses are keeping safe.

29/11/2021

We are currently experiencing problems with our phone lines. Leave a message with the answering service and we will get back to you as soon as possiable. Thanks for your understanding.

08/10/2021

Off to buy the Sunday papers on Craggy Island!

At least that's what it looks like to me. But I was trying and I did complete the triathlon, surprising to me as a complete newbie and a "tri-takeparter" as opposed to "tri-athlete" I did ok. In the end I finished 127th of 216 starters on the Sunday.

Thank you very much for your support and everyone who has contributed. So far I have raised over £7,000 including £1,500 from anonymous donors for Anthony Nolan so I can't thank everyone personally.

This is enough money to add over 150 people to the stem cell register plus provide some support for individuals and families going through the ordeal of requiring a stem cell transplant.

I am going to keep trying to raise the profile of Anthony Nolan and encourage donors to sign up. On average the Anthony Nolan register is used for over 100 transplants every month, that's 100 people with no other option given a chance at life.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jimdukes

The triathlon was fun. Might even do it again next year!

Cheers

02/10/2021

Posted by Jim Dukes
The start of tomorrow’s triathlon!! In case you missed it this is a first triathlon for me and I’m doing it to raise money for Anthony Nolan. I have already raised an incredible £4450 and I want to thank everyone that is supporting me and has contributed so generously. If you would like to know more check out my earlier Facebook posts or visit just giving.com. If you search for jimdukes Craggy Island Triathlon you should find my page. Any problems message me. Thank you all x

30/09/2021

From Jim Dukes. Thank you very much for the amazing response to my plea for help raising money for Anthony Nolan. I'm raising money to say thank you for their help saving my son, Jesse who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2015. So far we have raised over £3000 which will pay for more than 100 people to be added to the stem cell register plus give support to patients and families going through the ordeal of a stem cell transplant.

The triathlon I'm doing this Sunday is going to be wet and windy and I'm not looking forward to the 550m swim across the sea to Kerrera Island, and I'm sure the mountain biking and hill run will also have their challenges but I'm still going for it! If you want more information or to sponsor me you can visit my just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jimdukes

24/09/2021

From Jim Dukes

On 25th July 2015 my son Jesse was diagnosed with leukaemia. The type of leukaemia he had is normally treatable with daily medication but it didn’t work for him. By early 2016 his bone marrow was so badly suppressed that the only option was to have a stem cell or bone marrow transplant.
On the afternoon of 30th June 2016, 100 years after the eve of the Battle of the Somme, an unknown German man went into a hospital in Hamburg and donated his stem cells to save Jesse’s life. The cells were shipped on a plane that afternoon and by the evening they were flowing into Jesse’s arm. Thanks to that man’s selfless generosity, the incredible team at the Beatson Cancer Hospital in Glasgow and the Anthony Nolan charity that runs an international stem cell donor register, Jesse’s life has been saved.
I want to say thank you to those people and to everyone else that has helped and supported Jesse and to do so I am asking for your help. I would like to do two things, firstly raise a meaningful amount of money to give to the Anthony Nolan charity, and secondly encourage anyone between the age of 16 and 30 to consider signing up as a donor. Being a donor will mean you may need to make some sacrifices, but it may also mean you save someone’s life. You can find out more information at www.anthonynolan.org
So what’s my sacrifice? I have decided to do a triathlon. That sounds Ok you say but when I first started training for this I couldn’t swim 25m without seriously running out of puff, I hadn’t been on a bike since I left school and I hadn’t done any running for over 20 years.
In 10 days time on the 3rd October I’m planning to swim 550m across the sea at Oban to Craggy Island, mountain bike 14km around the island – there are no roads - and follow this with an 8km hill run!
I’m going to kick the fund raising off with £1000 and if you feel you could help me out please visit my just giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jimdukes
Thank you

22/08/2021

11/02/2021

Night on call! We have to go out in all weathers. Last night it was Jim’s turn to see a horse with colic. We are seeing more colics than usual in part due to the weather. Colics are not entirely preventable but you can massively reduce the risk of your horse getting colic by following a few simple steps. Make sure your horses worming is really up-to-date. Roundworms or tapeworms are possibly involved in over half of the colics we see. If possible keep to a routine but when the weather is like this be flexible and try and ensure your horse gets some exercise every day. There is good data to support that turning horses out for at least four hours a day significantly reduces the risk of getting colic. Also make sure your horse has access to clean fresh water, particularly with all the frozen pipes and troughs. Have fun and enjoy the beautiful weather and know that we are here if you need us.