Three Moors Veterinary Services

28/08/2024

Always lovely to receive such kind gifts, sad when it’s a goodbye from wonderful horses and clients
Thank you Linda and Kizzy and I wish you all the best

22/07/2024

Could you all share this for me to find this superstar 🦄 🤩 a new place to be 😃

Ballymerrigan Rocket is looking for a new home to enjoy continuing her education Kind and loves attention. Lovely temperament. Not mareish (was yard favourite) Lives in or out Doesn’t have to be ridden daily to stay sane. Nothing phases her, so easy to do. Takes yo...

30/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/mowVV5JQ7WtBMW4N/?mibextid=WC7FNe

24/03/2024

🌟 Laminitis Watch 🌟

With the changes in climate and growing season, laminitis is a year round problem in the UK and needs to be a consideration at all times.
But being in the growing season (spring/summer) can be a high risk time especially with bouts of warm weather and rain.
Laminitis is often a result of an accumulation of number of risk factors rather than just an ‘overweight pony’

High risk equids are warmbloods, native ponies and overweight cobs.
Any horse or pony which has had a previous episode is at a higher risk as even if they appear fully recovered we know damage within the foot capsule causes permanent change.

Concurrent metabolic disease is also a high risk factor, with both Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Equine Cushings (PPID) contributing to the risk. EMS is seen in lean ponies with uneven fat distribution (as well as obese ponies) and results in high circulating insulin and altered glucose levels. PPID means circulating steroid levels are increased due to the damage caused by a benign growth in the brain. Both these metabolic changes can lead to changes in the laminae within the hoof capsule.

Management changes
•Weight
Most of the UK’s pony population is overweight, the media images of successful show ponies does nothing to help us realise what a healthy equid looks like. Muscle is not soft like fat-so any areas where you can easily push your finger in (gently!) is more than likely fat. The common places are shoulders and over the rib cage. Ribs should be easily felt and often just visible when the horse is moving. The crest fat is often firmer but still an area where fat is deposited.
Many feed companies have portable weigh bridges so club together with others at your yard and get your ponies weighed. Your vet can also help with condition scoring, a scale used to help you monitor your horses condition long term.

•Exercise
Increased exercise (only when sound and not during active laminitis, most cases need stabling for a minimum of 4weeks to allow the inflammation to settle)
Walking out actively in hand or lunging to increase breathing rate will help aid weight loss. You can use a heart rate monitor to ensure training at the right intensity

•Nutrition
Low calorie and high fibre feed to reduce fat pads and reset the metabolism.
Careful feeding, it is worth avoiding sugar based feeds and most overweight ponies only require a feed balancer not a complete feed. There are some excellent low calorie feed balances available.
Avoid rye grass forage, either grazed or fed preserved as hay or haylage. It is designed as a feed for high yielding dairy cattle and completely inappropriate for most horses and ponies.
Test both grazing land and forage regularly so you know what supplements are actually needed.
Soaking good quality meadow hay for 12 hrs will reduce soluble sugars and help aid weight loss.
Wearing the correct muzzle when out at grass can help reduce intake but isn’t the complete answer

•Farriery
Remedial farriery only with recent xrays as unfortunately no-one has X-ray vision so cannot predict the internal foot changes without it!
For acute episodes frog support can be needed, this can be provided by pads, shoes or an appropriate deep bed depending on the situation and is best assed by your vet and farrier.

•Medications
There are some drugs that can aid weight loss in equids but must only be used in conjunction with blood tests and monitoring. Your vet can discuss what may be appropriate for you in more detail.

•Analgesia
Bute and paracetamol are very useful for pain relief and can be used in combination with other drugs if needed. Again speak to your vet for the correct dose and usage; as it can cause a fatal colitis if used inappropriately.

03/03/2024

🪱🐴Equine worming 🐴🪱

So much information out there is out of date so I have written notes from the most up to date research available 🖋️📄 (kind debate welcomed)

This is a complicated topic made more so with the increasing amount of resistance we are seeing to the current drugs we have available. The move is towards strategic use of the drugs rather than blanket treatment 2-4x a year as used to be recommended.

We know 80% of the parasite population is carried by 20% of horses and these horses are the ones we need to target and treat. Horses with low burdens that are low risk are best treated less often so they can be used to reduce exposure of the parasites to the drugs in the equine population.
It is important to ensure the correct weight dose of drug is given, both checking the weight of the animal and setting the syringe to the correct dose.

I recommend worm egg counts are utilised to identify the population of horses that needs treating. They are beneficial even in young and older horses that are naturally at a higher risk from parasite infection. 🥚 🪱

Timing of worm egg counts is important;
March/June/September/December (if needed)
⭐️Collect samples if possible within 12hrs of defaecation, pick from 5 different faecal balls to a total 15g weight (satsuma)
⭐️Ideally keep cool or refrigerate until processed and drop off to me on the same day
⭐️If a high worm egg count is identified then we recommend a follow up sample is processed 4 weeks later to monitor effectiveness of the drug and resistance levels.

WEC Results (see table for risk classification)
High risk horse >250 epg treat with ivermectin or pyrantel (alternate years)
Low risk horse >500 epg treat with ivermectin or pyrantel (alternate years)

🪱Tapeworm infection used to be thought to be an increased risk factor for spasmodic and small intestine impacting colic but this has been disproven more recently.

🪱Tapeworm and encysted small redworm infection can now be diagnosed with saliva testing (there are many limitations to the tests but it is the best available at this current time) Testing in the Autumn time is the best for both to plan Winter treatment with moxidectin or moxidectin plus praziquantel (covers tapeworm).

Young Horses 🐴
⭐️ 1-5 years old are less immune to parasites so need more care.
⭐️Ideally high level paddock care; remove dung at least twice a week, rotate paddocks and do not use the same grazing every year.
⭐️Regular worm egg counts and use an extra moxidectin dose in the springtime if overwintered on pasture.
⭐️If high risk (many youngstock around) then test biannually for tapeworm.

Foals 🐴
⭐️Due to a naive immune system they require a higher amount of regular treatment from
2-4 months old treat with pyrantel and ivermectin alternately each month.
⭐️Can use double dose of pyrantel or single dose of praziquantel for tapeworm at 6 months
⭐️6-12 months can do worm egg counts every 3 months and treat as needed with a dose of moxidectin winter time.

PM or message me for details of worm egg count testing. You can post samples or drop them off and yards will be reduced cost per sample (>5 horses)

Table from Equine de-worming: a consensus on current best practice 2019 D Rendle at al.

02/01/2024

🤣🫣🐴

24/12/2023

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://fb.watch/p8pyw2N928/?mibextid=WC7FNe

24/12/2023

Happy Christmas all 🎄🎁🤩

12/11/2023

If using an unqualified lay dental person they certainly won’t be properly insured and that puts your horse at risk.
There are plenty of options for using qualified dental technicians or vets 🙂

Would you use an unregistered dentist? Neither should your horse…

Did you know❓ There are only 2 professionals qualified to check your horses' teeth!

An Equine Vet or Equine Dental Technician registered to either the British Association of Equine Dental Technicians (BAEDT) or category 2 members of the Worldwide Association of Equine Dentists (WWAED).

To learn more and download your free digital Dental Awareness Week pack visit👉 https://bit.ly/46QSFJ4

23/10/2023

🤪🤣🤷‍♀️

Yep, this is about right! 😂

03/09/2023

Fantastic weekend away at the Irish Draft Breed Show with my 3 year old ID. As far as I could see the only palomino at the show!
2nd in the 3 year old filly and qualified for the evening Gala performance (won by a stunning steel grey filly)
4th in the Moorbennhall Semi-final class

13/05/2023

These are just a waste of money sadly and as often no veterinary involvement we can't offer the best advice. A well written article

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is strongly advising horse owners against the use of independent and unvalidated genetic testing for certain myopathies, including diseases known as type 2 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM2), myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) or Muscle Integrity Myopat...

19/04/2023

Sycamore seeds, also known as "helicopter seeds" or "whirlybirds," are the seeds of the sycamore tree. They are characterized by their unique shape, which allows them to spin as they fall from the tree, allowing them to travel long distances from the parent tree.

Sycamore seeds can be toxic to horses, especially if they are ingested in large quantities. The seeds contain varied amounts of a toxin called hypoglycin A, which can cause a condition called atypical myopathy in horses. Atypical myopathy is a serious and potentially fatal muscle disease that can cause severe muscle damage and weakness, as well as kidney and liver failure.

Symptoms of atypical myopathy in horses include muscle stiffness, weakness, and trembling, as well as dark urine, dehydration, and colic. If you suspect that your horse has ingested sycamore seeds or is showing signs of atypical myopathy, it is important to seek veterinary attention immediately.

Preventing access to sycamore seeds and seedlings can help reduce the risk of atypical myopathy in horses. It is also important to provide horses with a balanced diet and access to fresh water at all times, as dehydration and poor nutrition can increase the risk of developing the condition.

The seeds are everywhere this year- including driveway! They must be removed by hand, cut and removed by mowing or sprayed and raked up.

Please contact your vet if have any concerns about your horses

16/02/2023

I’m glad he did well and I was able to help. The fire and rescue crews are amazing 😊

Fire crews worked alongside a local farmer and a vet to bring the horse to safety.

10/02/2023

Woo hoo ☀️ 🐴😃

19/01/2023

Kieran used a photo of me scanning Lil for her AI cycle a few years ago in H&H this week 😃
Not the reason I hoped Lil would make the magazine, but beggars can’t be choosers 🤣

13/01/2023

We all know it’s true! 🤣🙈

31/12/2022

Happy New Year to all my clients old and new. I hope you have a wonderful 2023
And remember-just buy the pony 😅🤪

23/12/2022

Happy Christmas 🎄 to all clients and friends
May you have all you wish for and 2023 bring good health and happiness 🌟

16/11/2022

If anyone wants to save on the gym membership pop over to mine 🤣

11/11/2022

05/10/2022

🙈🤪🤭

Emergency operator talks to the horse 😂

30/09/2022

Worth a read 🐴

The 24 Behaviors of the Ridden Horse in Pain is a film that dares to challenge the way we look at "badly behaving" horses, and promotes the notion that lamen...

06/09/2022

Please share and ensure the vaccines we have left available go to those who need them the most.
Thank you 😊

Further to the update we issued jointly with BEVA - The British Equine Veterinary Association and the British Horseracing Authority on 17 August, it has been confirmed there are distribution problems with doses of equine influenza vaccination.

Our latest update provides further information on what this means for the UK's equine population, including how vaccination recommendations have been temporarily adjusted for leisure and competition horses.

Full update 👉 https://bit.ly/EIupdate2Sept

21/03/2022

British Veterinary Professionals are pulling together and sending in much needed veterinary and medical supplies

£80 funds a medical combat first aid kit.

I am proud to be supporting both the medical and veterinary effort. If anyone wants to help this is the direct link

UKVets4Ukraine, founded by UK vet and second generation Ukrainian Antonina… David Rendle needs your support for British Veterinary Professionals for Ukraine

24/12/2021

Happy Christmas Everyone

24/11/2021

Finally some sensible advice about checking horses when rugged. Please stop feeling their ears or putting rugs on if you feel cold!