The sun has finally got its hat on, we hope you are all enjoying the warm weather ☀️☀️☀️
Just a reminder our breeding season is still in full flow here at KR Equine.
We offer frozen and chilled inseminations alongside routine scans. 💉🩺🔬
We’ve attached a video of kara defrosting some frozen semen and a picture of the coinsiding pregnancy. 🤰🐴
Please contact the office for more information on 02897228513 📞📞📞
💉💉Sacroiliac disease in the horse 💉💉
The sacroiliac (SI) joint is the joint between a horse’s hind limb and its spine. This joint facilitates the transfer of forces from the hind limbs to the spinal column.
Pain in the sacroiliac region is common and can be separated into two main categories:
Primary SI pain - for example a fracture or sprain from direct trauma to the region
Or
Secondary SI pain - for example pain secondary to lameness originating elsewhere in the hindlimb.
Clinical signs associated with disease:
Common clinical signs associated with SI pain include a shortened hindlimb gait, “bunny hopping”, frequently becoming disunited at canter or struggling to strike off on correct leg. Riders may often present horses with “poor performance”, a lack of impulsion or willingness to go forward rather than an overt lameness.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis can be challenging and may include ruling out other causes of hindlimb lameness by using techniques such as nerve blocks. Nerve blocking the SI joint is technically possible but due to the proximity of the sciatic nerve, and therefore the potential to temporarily paralyse a hindlimb, is rarely undertaken. Ultrasonography of the area is again possible but technically demanding. Due to the limitations of both ultrasound and x-ray in this area a bone scan may be required for a definitive diagnosis.
Treatment:
Treatment varies depending on the cause of the sacroiliac pain. In primary examples of trauma 4-8 weeks rest may be initially indicated. In secondary cases it is important to treat both the painful SI joint and the inciting cause of the hindlimb lameness. Medication of the SI joint with anti inflammatories is often indicated but will only result in short term relief. It is extremely important to follow up medication with strengthening exercises to gain long term relief. Training aids such as an Equi-Ami or Pessoa can be invaluable in rehabilitation to allow the horse to develop major
Skipping into the weekend!! with this delightful colt foal owned by one of our clients and foaled in the early hours of Monday morning
🤩 🐎
That’s a wrap for tonight at Balmoral show. Well done to all who have had fun in the sun today.
Our next fascinating case of last week again showed the power of on yard diagnostics! 🩻💪🏼
The pony below was approximately 12 years old and has been in the owner’s possession for a matter of months. It was noticed that the gelding was straining to urinate and dribbling urine. Initially a urine sample was submitted for analysis but the results were inconclusive. We then decided to perform cystoscopy (a camera up the urethra and into the bladder) on the yard to further investigate the clinical signs.
The images showed the most incredible cysolith (bladder stone) occupying a huge percentage of the bladder. Images were sent to multiple specialists and based on the sheer size of the mass the pony has been booked in for surgical removal!
Horses normally excrete large amounts of calcium carbonate crystals in their urine alongside urines high pH favouring crystal formation. Interestingly geldings make up 75% of all cases which we think is due to their longer and less distensible urethra preventing stone clearance.
Following surgical removal we hope he will have a good prognosis for a happy and pain free future!
The Grade One Ladbrokes Champion Steeplechase about to get underway as vets Chris Akkari and David Turley are on duty together at Down Royal Racecourse! 🏇🏇🏇
Check out our honorary team member Yuliia Zaruda rocking her new apparel! 🕶🕶🕶
Yuliia is a final year veterinary student from Kiev who has been assisting Chris for the last couple of months.
If you meet her out and about on calls please say hi and extend our infamous Northern Irish welcome!
As many if you know Jane has been a welfare advisor for The Donkey Sanctaury for quite some time now….
Her unwaivered dedication to the welfare of donkeys was rightfully brought to the attention of The Donkey Sanctuary a few weeks ago where they celebrated her 20th year as a welfare advisor!!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯
What an amazing contribution and huge congratulations from us all! 🎉🍾🎉
We are extremely proud that this is our first year as “KR Equine” providing veterinary cover at Balmoral Show!
Tuesday and Wednesday saw Zoe keeping a close eye, Chris was on duty today and David tomorrow.
If you see us around please come and say hello!
🐴🐎🏇
🎉Here at KR we know how lucky we are to have such wonderful clients who keep surprising us with their generosity and thoughtfulness!
Thank you to this lovely client who surprised Hannah on her visit today! 🥰
💪We hope to keep striving for excellence in practice and continue to develop strong relationships with our clients!
A successful day for Chris at todays point-2-point, with all the horse’s heading home safe & sound! 🐎
Last year the British Equine Veterinary Association launched an initiative called “Don’t break your vet.”
“Moo’s” health check with Chris was recently caught on CCTV - I don’t think he got the memo!!
😂😂😂😂
Fantastic afternoon out at the 2021 Donaghadee Beach Team Relay!
Teams of four horses and riders took part in a relay race over seven fences whilst been cheered on by hundreds of spectators who braved the weather!
So lovely to see so many friendly and familiar faces both riding and supporting the teams!
Congratulations to the winning riders and a bonus no one ended up in the sea! 🐟😂
Time to "recharge the batteries" after a long week! 😂
What a beautiful view from the office today at the North Down Point-to-Point! 😍🐎😎
We've been shopping for our upcoming first aid course! 🛒🛒
Check out our new freeze dried forelimb, we hope it will be a great educational tool! 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Making it all worth while 😍😍😍
"Today was the first time in 11 months my girl was happy to trot around on an arena surface, without resisting, without saying 'no', without using me as a human cannonball 🥴
It's been a long year of investigating, xrays, scans, ulcers, nerve blocks, a lot of sedation, boxrest, handwalking, travelling her across the border for surgery during lockdown, we still have a way to go but fingers crossed this is light at the end of the tunnel 😍🥰
Huge thanks to Chris and Jane at Ringneill vets for all their help over the last year and the brilliant vets Rachel and Cormac at Troytown GreyAbbey 😊🦄
#laceyloux"
With the wet autumnal weather over the past few weeks we've seen a typical seasonal increase in foot abscesses.
They often present as severe lamenesses, acute in onset in horses that have no history of trauma or an injury. They typically present with a hot hoof, increased digital pulses and a painful response to hoof testers.
Although sometimes tricky to relieve treatment is primarily based on achieving drainage and providing pain relief.
Here's one from last week.....enjoy your porridge for breakfast!! 😜
A glorious day for Ringneill Equine Clinic to be on duty at The Iveagh point to point in Moira. All horses home safe. Hats off to the support team from Ringneill who were hard at it keeping us fed and watered! A very enjoyable day all round!
