Parkside Vets - Equine

08/01/2025

❄️Equine Seasonal Hazards❄️

As temperatures drop, keeping your horses safe from seasonal hazards is essential. Here are some key and common risks:

❄️ Ice & freezing conditions: Horses can easily slip on icy surfaces, leading to serious injuries. Clear pathways and use sand or grit for better traction. Consider removing shoes prior to icy weather to prevent slipping. Ensure water troughs are free from ice - consider the use of a tennis ball to help prevent water sources from freezing over.

⚠Toxic plants: Some toxic plants, like yew, bracken and acorns, can still be present in winter pastures. Ensure grazing areas are free of harmful vegetation.

🌧Wet and muddy conditions: These can lead to slips and falls, as well as an increased risk of mud fever, a painful skin condition often seen as a result of prolonged exposure to damp conditions. Consider fencing off poached areas of your field or moving ring feeders to prevent severe muddy conditions in high traffic areas.

Stay vigilant to keep your horses happy and healthy this winter!

If you have any queries regarding the best preventative measures to take for your horses, please call us on 01382 811111.

31/12/2024

🎉Happy New Year🎉

We would like to wish our clients and their equines a very Happy New Year and send you best wishes for 2025!

We will also take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued custom throughout 2024 and for trusting us with the care of your horses, ponies and donkeys.

25/12/2024

🎄Merry Christmas🎄

Merry Christmas to our clients and their equine friends from all of us at Parkside Equine.

We hope you all have a great day!

23/12/2024

🎄Festive Opening Hours🎄

Please see below our office opening hours for the festive period:

Mon 23rd December - 8.30-5.30
Tues 24th December - 8.30-5.30
Christmas Day - CLOSED
Boxing Day - CLOSED
Friday 27th December - 8.30-5.30
Saturday 28th December - CLOSED
Sunday 29th December - CLOSED
Monday 30th December - 8.30-5.30
Tuesday 31st December - 8.30-5.30
New Year's Day - CLOSED
Thursday 2nd January - CLOSED
Friday 3rd January - 8.30-5.30

Remember that one of our dedicated equine vets will always be on call throughout the whole festive period, meaning that if you need us at any point, you will always see a familiar face!

Please call 01382 811111 if you require a visit or advice.

21/12/2024

Are you planning to travel this festive period?

Please remember to call the office on 01382 811111 or send us an email at [email protected] to let us know who will be looking after your horses while you are away, and granting them permission to make appointments in your absence. This ensures that we can attend promptly without needing to request your consent at the time of the visit.

Our vets will contact you once they have attended to your equine friends, to discuss their findings and any treatment that may be required.

18/12/2024

🐴 Winter Wellness Wednesday - Body Condition Scoring in Winter🐴

It can be tricky to assess your horse's condition underneath a thick winter coat, so regular body condition scoring can be really beneficial in the winter months to ensure they're maintaining a healthy weight.

Body Condition Scoring (BCS) is a practical way to assess a horse's overall fat coverage and condition, using a scale from 1 (extremely thin) to 9 (obese). Scoring involves evaluating fat deposits in six key areas of the horse's body.

Ideal BCS:
Horses typically thrive at a BCS of 5-6. However, competition horses or certain breeds may require a slightly lower or higher score depending on their workload and body type.

Areas to Assess:
🐴Neck
🐴Withers
🐴Shoulder
🐴Ribs
🐴Loin/Back
🐴Tailhead

If you have any queries regarding body condition scoring, please contact us on 01382 811111. If you have a routine vet visit coming up, such as vaccinations or dental examinations, then please ask the attending vet to show you how best to body condition score.

16/12/2024

🐴Repeat Prescriptions🐴

If your horse is on long-term medication, please remember to place your repeat prescription orders by Friday 20th December to ensure that we are able to fulfil your request and ensure you have enough medication to last over the festive period.

Please contact the office on 01382 811111 to place your order.

16/12/2024

Shannon had the best start to her Monday morning this week, getting cuddles from Dolly!

Dolly got cuddles from her favourite vet today 💕

13/12/2024

⭐ Do you have a favourite Parkside Equine vet? ⭐

If you have a favourite Parkside vet or know that there is a specific vet who works best with your horse, pony or donkey, did you know that you can specifically request an appointment with that vet?

We understand how crucial continuity of care is, especially for ongoing conditions. This is why we always strive to accommodate requests that work for both you and your preferred vet's schedule.

Please don't hesitate to ask for a specific vet when booking your appointments, we are committed to providing the best care possible for your equine friends.

As always, you can reach us on 01382 811111 at any time of day or night.

11/12/2024

🐴 Wednesday Winter Wellness 🐴

Hoof problems such as abscesses and thrush are commonly seen in winter with cold and wet conditions. Here are some handy tips to try and keep on top of your horse's hoof health this winter!

If you have any queries, please contact our office on 01382 811111.

07/12/2024

🎁 Help for Kids Toy Appeal 2024 🎁

We are excited to announce our support for the ‘Help for Kids’ charity, based in Dundee, through their 2024 toy appeal. We are collecting small gifts and toys for children aged 0-16 years who may not receive any gifts this Christmas due to circumstances beyond their control.

🐴 Our equine office is now accepting donations of these items. Your contribution can make a world of difference to a child in need this festive season. Let’s come together to spread joy and bring smiles to these young faces !🐴☺️

📍Location drop off - Equine Office, Parkside Vets, 5 Kings Cross Road, Dundee, DD2 3PT

📆 Anytime from now until Monday, 20th December, 2024

🎁 Suitable gifts - Small toys, books and other appropriate gifts for children in the 0-16 age range including pyjamas, slippers, toiletry sets, etc

🎄🤶🏻Please help us - together we can make this Christmas a magical one for many kids

06/12/2024

🐴 CHOKE 🐴

Oesophageal obstruction, more commonly known as "choke", is a common condition seen in horses, ponies and donkeys. The oesophagus becomes blocked - this can be with foreign objects such as baler twine, unsoaked sugar beet, large pieces of fruit or vegetables or caused by a horse not chewing correctly due to dental disease. The obstruction often occludes the whole diameter of the oesophagus, preventing the passage of food and saliva down into the stomach resulting in a backflow of material, which can often be observed at the horse's nostrils.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF CHOKE?
🐴 Discharge at the nostrils - often frothy containing saliva and food material, may be green or brown in colour
🐴 Stretching out of the neck
🐴 Attempting to swallow repeatedly
🐴 Coughing or retching
🐴 A bulge on the neck, often seen on the left side
🐴 Spasms of the neck muscles
🐴 General anxiety/distress

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT CHOKE?
🐴 Try to keep your horse as calm as possible - this means keeping yourself calm too!
🐴 Remove all feed and water
🐴 Try to gently massage your horse's neck, aiming to pass any blockage down towards the horse's chest
🐴 If the blockage has not passed within 10-15 minutes, or if you are worried, please call us for advice or to arrange a visit

Choke often resolves on its own, but a vet visit is sometimes required to assist with clearing the blockage. Initially, the vet will administer an anti-inflammatory and pain killer medication, an anti-spasmodic medication and/or sedation - these medicines help to stop the oesophagus spasming around the blockage, preventing it from passing further down and into the stomach. Symptomatic treatment is usually effective, but occasionally further treatment is required - this often requires the passage of a nasogastric tube.

⚠️ POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS
The biggest concern is if they breathe in salvia/food material into their lungs which can cause an infection - aspiration pneumonia. Signs of this may only present a few days after the choke itself so it is important to keep a close eye on them. An episode of choke may cause damage to the oesophagus which causes a narrowing (stricture) - this can leave your horse prone to choke in the future. Very rarely the oesophagus can rupture either from the blockage itself or from attempts to dislodge it.

Choke can be a distressing thing to witness but it is important to remain calm, your horse can still breath as it is just the oesophagus that is blocked, with the trachea (windpipe) remaining clear. If you are concerned about choke please contact us on 01382 811111.

05/12/2024

🚨 OUT OF HOURS AND EMERGENCY SERVICE 🚨

We are proud to provide all of our own out-of-hours services to our equine clients. This means that whatever time of day or night that you might need us, you will always see a familiar face! Our team of dedicated equine vets provide the out-of-hours cover for the practice 24/7 and 365 days a year.

For any emergencies, the best way to contact us is on 01382 811111 - from 8.30am - 5.30pm Mon-Fri this will connect you to our office staff at Dundee. Out-with these hours, your call will be transferred to our emergency call handlers, who will then pass your details to the on-call vet.

29/11/2024

🐴 PPID 🐴

PPID or Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction is more commonly known as Cushing's disease. It is thought to affect approximately 20% of the UK horse population over the age of 15.

It is caused by enlargement of the pars intermedia part of the pituitary gland, which results in excessive hormone production. The gland continues to increase in size as the disease progresses, meaning that hormone levels will also increase.

Common clinical signs of PPID include:
🐴 Laminitis
🐴 Increased urination and drinking
🐴 Recurrent infections (e.g. mud fever)
🐴 Retention of long hair coat
🐴 Abnormal fat deposition
🐴 Muscle wastage
🐴 Dull demeanour
🐴 Abnormal sweating

Diagnosis is made on the results of blood testing for adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) levels.

The only current licensed treatment for PPID in the UK is pergolide. This is administered in tablet form orally, usually once or twice daily. It is really important that clinical cases are blood tested regularly to ensure that their ACTH levels are well controlled by their medication, as we often need to adjust the dosage throughout the horse's lifetime.

⭐Every horse in the UK is entitled to an annual FREE lab fee for ACTH testing, courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim. Please see the Care about Cushings website for more information - www.careaboutcushings.co.uk ⭐

If you would like to discuss your own horse, please contact us on 01382 811111 and ask to speak to one of our equine vets.

25/11/2024

🐴 EQUINE SERVICES 🐴

Here at Parkside, we aim to provide a wide range of services to help keep our equine patients healthy and happy while providing a high quality service to our clients.

We have 6 dedicated equine vets who participate in an out-of-hours rota, so no matter what time of day or night you need us, you will always see a familiar face!

Services provided:
🐴 Vaccinations
🐴 Blood sampling
🐴 Care for sick and injured patients, including all emergency work such as wounds, colics, chokes, etc.
🐴 Worm egg counts
🐴 Joint Measurement Board Official Measurements
🐴 Upper respiratory tract endoscopy
🐴 Routine dental work
🐴 Advanced dental work including extractions, restorations and diastema work
🐴 Geldings
🐴 X-rays - we have a mobile x-ray unit so we can carry out x-rays on yards
🐴 Ultrasound scans of tendons and ligaments
🐴 Lameness investigations
🐴 Gastroscope clinics (once per month)
🐴 Pre-purchase examinations
🐴 Official Veterinarian (OV) work - such as export certification
🐴 Fertility work - artificial insemination, pregnancy scanning etc.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means so if you have any questions for the team please do not hesitate to contact the office on 01382 811111

22/11/2024

MUD FEVER also known as pastern dermatitis, is a common skin condition in horses, especially during wet and muddy conditions. Here are the symptoms to watch out for:-

* Crusty Scabs on the heels or lower legs
" Broken or damaged skin
* Matted hair or patches of hair loss with raw skin underneath
* Creamy, white, yellow or green discharge between the skin and scabs
* Heat, pain and swelling the in the lower limb
* Lameness in severe cases

To help your horse, here are some treatment tips:-

1) Keep the affected area clean and dry. Gently clean the area with a mild antiseptic solution and dry thoroughly.
2) Remove scabs carefully. Avoid picking at the scabs as this can cause further damage. Consult your vet if unsure.
3) Use barrier creams - apply a barrier cream to protect the skin from further damage.
4) Trim excess hair. Regularly trim the hair around the affected area to reduce moisture retention.
5) Consult your vet. If the condition persists or worsens, seek professional veterinary advice.

Early detection and proper care can make a big difference !