Whitchurch Equine Veterinary Practice, Andover (2025)

06/02/2024

CHANGES IN VACCINATION RULES FOR 2024:

Since the beginning of 2024 your Competition body (FEI, BSJA, BE, BD or Pony Club) may have changed their Vaccination protocols following advice from the British Equestrian Federation (BEF).

From 1st January 2024 the interval between primary vaccinations and the first booster vaccination has changed.

Any horse or pony STARTING or RE-STARTING their vaccination course will now need to follow the following protocol.

Previously correctly vaccinated horses and ponies do not need to restart their vaccination courses!

From 1st January 2024 new Vaccination guidelines:

1st vaccination followed by 2nd vaccination 21 to 60 days later...

Then first booster 150 to 180 days...

Then a subsequent booster EITHER within 6 months (+ 21 days) or 12 months depending on the Competition body.

**Last vaccination should be given at least 7 clear days before entering Competition venue.

24/01/2024

WORMING UPDATE: NEW YEAR, NEW START?

My advice to clients regarding worming is to keep the system as simple as possible…in short SMART worming: SIMPLY, MONITOR worm eggs, ASSESS the RISKS and only TREAT if necessary.

The majority of clients keep their horses and ponies in small ‘closed’ herds, on limited grazing and hopefully, weather permitting, poo pick once or twice weekly...

SO, for these clients I would advice worming once yearly, around December to January, with a wormer capable of eliminating those Over Wintering Parasites… AND then worm count at 14wk intervals, i.e EASTER, mid SUMMER and late AUTUMN.

I would expect, if you are regularly poo picking.... continually removing any worm egg contamination from the paddock.... your horse's poo sample should come back low, anything under 250 eggs per gram, so no need for further worming...

If you are happy with these sequential worm counts confirming ‘freedom’ from roundworm infestation, then the risk of encysted redworm is no longer significant and you could use a combined wormer (Ivermectin plus Praziquantel), as you still need cover against Tapeworm and Bots.

WHY should you change from giving a yearly Equest Pramox? Encysted redworm are larvae which have to mature into adult roundworms and produce eggs to ensure the next generation. If you have few or no roundworm eggs in the poo then you should have a insignificant roundworm population in your horse's environment, encysted or not.

As we are unlikely to develop newer, better wormers we should consider the risks of Equest Pramox over-use, such as potential resistance issues. Equally concerns have been raised about the environmental fall out of such effective wormers leaking into the soil.

So perhaps this year go poo picking and give poo samples a go?

09/01/2024

Calling all owners of SWEET ITCH ponies and horses.
BE Prepared the Sweet itch season will soon be upon us (honestly!)
Despite the recent cold snap, daytime temperatures will soon be rising and with the first hints of dry weather the midges will be out in force!
SWEET ITCH is a chronic, allergic skin condition due to the bites of female Culicoides midges, similar to the flea bite allergies which affect dogs and cats. The injection of midge saliva from the insect bites causes a delayed allergic reaction leading to itchiness, superficial skin damage and characteristic mane and tail hair loss. So although initial exposure may be OK in the first year, the following year(s) when exposed to midges again the allergic reaction is increased and over a more prolonged period. Some horses and ponies can suffer sweet itch reaction nearly all year unfortunately.
Over the last few years I have been advocating that the use of a licensed Equine Ringworm Vaccine which may offer SOME help to MILD Sweet Itch suffers.....though only IN CONJUNCTION WITH the established management practices such as:
* avoidance of midges by turning out 10am-3pm,
*wearing a Midge-proof rug,
*keeping muck heaps away from horses,
*avoiding standing water in fields
*regular use of effective insecticides.
Two injections, two to four weeks apart are given shortly before the Midge season starts in late Feb/ March. Clients have been impressed with their horse's response... enough even to ask to use the vaccine again!
HOWEVER the vaccine unfortunately seems to ineffective in really chronic Sweet Itch cases.
Please call me on 07795975705 to discuss whether your pony or horse might benefit from these vaccinations.

Address

Andover
SP117HQ

Telephone

+447795975705

Website

http://www.whitchurchequine.co.uk/

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