Breathing difficulties
Horses with coughs and difficulty breathing.
We are getting a lot of calls regarding horses that are having respiratory issues.
A horse has a normal respiratory rate of 8-16 breaths per minute.
The heat does not help those equines with breathing issues and they will breathe faster.
Some tips if your horse is in respiratory distress.
π΄ Soak hay/ steam hay
π΄ Dust free bedding
π΄ Establish whether your horse is triggered by being out at pasture, or in the stable, and adjusting management to suit that
π΄ Keep affected horses away from the muck heap, hay store and other horses on dusty bedding
π΄ A horse suffering from acute symptoms should be turned out into a dust-free, airy space such as a paddock, kept quiet and closely observed.
π΄ Call a vet if your horse has an unusual increased breathing rate or is coughing a lot, before they go into respiratory distress if possible to help prevent progression of disease
Here is a video of Daisy who is enjoying her nebuliser due to her cough. She didnβt tolerate it at first but now she loves it!
Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive treatment used to treat various orthopaedic conditions including, Kissing spines, injuries to the suspensory ligament/branch, splints, navicular disease and collateral ligament injuries.
ππππ ππ πππππππππ πππππππ? The shockwave machine creates and emits shockwaves. These shockwaves are directed at the area needing treatment by using a probe. With it being non-invasive and well tolerated its becoming a popular treatment choice.
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πππ πππππππππ ππππ? The shockwave uses sound waves to stimulate tissue, increasing blood flow and instigate healing. It can also help relieve pain and stimulate the horses natural healing process. Most horses will undergo a course of treatment, this consists of 3/4 sessions over a month, it is a quick treatment to carry out but timing is also dictated by the injury being treated.
Here you can see our Veterinary Nurse Katie carrying out shockwave on Bonnie. Bonnie had gone suddenly lame Right Hind after doing some low level jumping, Giulia carried out a lameness examination and nerve blocks to try and pin point where there lameness was coming from. Once Bonnie had a positive response from the nerve block we carried out an Ultrasound scan which showed mild-moderate border tearing of the medial suspensory ligament branch, one of the treatment options that was suggested was shockwave to help stimulate healing and help to relieve pain. Bonnie had a course of 4 shockwave therapy sessions and had her last one today π₯³
Willow the foal that was very sick.
This little foal, Willow, was an unexpected arrival for one of our clients and sadly, her mum got mastitis so she was unable to suckle. Young foals donβt take long to go downhill, so by the time we saw her she was very sick, and we didnβt think there was much hope of her survival. We placed a drip with glucose to help hydrate and give her some energy.
Willow was being prevented from nuzzling and suckling due to the painful mastitis, so we put her mum on antibiotics to help improve the likelihood of her being allowed suck. Her owner also got some foal milk powder and was supplementary feeding, but she then developed diarrhoea and we had to give thickening agents along with electrolytes and energy to help.
We are really happy to say that Willow had no idea that she wasnβt supposed to survive and it is testament to her owners hard work that she has turned a corner. Here is Willow enjoying the sunshine on the Marsh! You would not think a month ago he was on death's door.
Reuben is thoroughly enjoying putting our awning up for our Easter break!
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! π£
We had to share this video one of our wonderful clients sent us. Little Beckham is on a weightloss programme π. You can do it Beckham ! π
CORPORA NIGRA CYSTS
Cali is an 11-year-old Irish mare.
Whist Reuben was rasping her teeth he notice some cysts in her eye which were diagnosed as corpora nigra cysts - which can impair the vision.
She came into our surgery recently, to have the corpora nigra cysts lasered by one of the ophthalmologists at Optivet. The procedure went smoothly, and Cali is now enjoying her clear vision.
This video shows the procedure and if you listen carefully you can hear the popping sound!
Corpora nigra is a normal anatomic structure in horses that function to improve vision in bright light by reducing the glare from sunlight. Corpora nigra cysts are pigmented, irregularly shaped, cystic structures extending over the pupil. These can develop in any horse but more commonly from middle age onwards. These cysts do usually develop slowly but can in certain occasions grow fast. Horses with small corpora nigra cysts most commonly donβt have any visual deficits, however when various/big ones are present they can impair the vision.
Typically, symptoms present in bright light and horses can spook into certain objects and can also headshake when the cysts move, as occasionally happens.
Diagnosis is achieved by ophthalmic exam and confirmed with ultrasonography.
See comments for pictures
**Please ensure your horses have their teeth checked/rasped every 6-12 months**
All of our vets carry out dental checks and routine rasping. To allow for a thorough check of the mouth, we also offer sedation for just just Β£15 when we are performing a dental examination.
If further issues are found then they are referred to Reuben (who is an Advanced Practitioner in Equine Dentistry). He regularly performs dental surgeries, including fillings, routine tooth extractions and complicated procedures (see below).
This is Spotty! He was found to have a fractured 109 (one of the cheek teeth) and radiographs showed apical infection of the roots. The tooth had to be removed as it can otherwise cause sinusitis.
Reuben used minimally invasive transbuccal extraction technique to remove the rest of the tooth and the roots. With the assistance of Katie our vet nurse.
This is where a small hole is incised into the side of the mouth, avoiding the salivary ducts. Then instruments can be introduced through the hole to elevate the tooth until it becomes loose enough to remove. Reuben then drilled into the tooth and created a thread, and then gently extracted the tooth, using a dental mallet to tap against the threaded screw.
This technique is less invasive than the alternative way - using a mallet and tooth punch to knock them out from the other side. This causes around a 50% complication rate that requires further surgery.
Itβs important to manage your horses dental care, by asking us to routinely check and rasp their teeth at least once a year.
Just one of our calls this week, involving Troy, who we were called to for suspected choke. We like to share case studies for those that find them of interest.
**LAMENESS/PERFORMANCE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENTS**
Since we began RW Equine Vet in 2018 from our kitchen with just one laptop, we have continuously invested in expanding our facilities, so we can offer the best possible service to our clients.
We are thrilled to announce the opening of our brand new Mark Scott arena! Together with our hard trot-up and lunge area, the latest x-ray and scanning equipment and our dedicated team of equine vets, we are fully equipped for all your lameness and performance needs.
As many of our clients are aware, we already perform pre-purchase examinations, diagnose and treat horses with performance and lameness problems and all types of orthopaedic disease, at your own yard with our latest mobile equipment. We are now in a position to offer a more comprehensive service for those that choose to bring their horses to us.
Reuben is an Advanced Practitioner in Equine Surgery, Orthopaedics & Equine Dentistry.
Our vets, Giulia Tagliaferri, Barbara Portal and Oana Radu have a special interest in lameness and performance issues. Giulia and Oana are also studying for their ISELP certificate, (The International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology) which is an internationally recognised certificate focussing on lameness diagnostics and treatment.
All the vets in our team, work together to diagnose and treat any performance issues, please get in touch if you would like more information.
This is Megan. Her owners regularly clean her teeth as she has diastemaβs (gaps between teeth) and food gets stuck. She doesnβt even mind the taste of toothpaste!
