Anna Blunden - McTimoney Animal Practitioner

27/03/2023

Well today didn't go as planned! Flat tire, managed to get it changed in about 30ish minutes, ok it was probably 40 minutes, then the battery died because I had my hazards on. Managed to get a bump start from some generous guys, then off to put the horses to bed.

27/03/2023

With all the wind and rain a tree came down today, I couldn't work out what the noise was, sounded like a lot of horses galloping about! This one was growing at a funny angle so it was only a matter of time. Luckily the horses were standing by the gate waiting to come in, and only one electric fence post was lost to the tree gods. Looks like we'll have lots of lovely logs for next winter.

25/03/2023

I've done a few miles in my little car, mostly driving about treating horses, or learning how to treat! Only a thousand miles til the big one!

14/08/2022

Ground conditions: pretty firm 🤣 got up early to do my barn chores in the cool of the morning.
✅Muck heap chucked back
✅Electric fence moved
✅Algae scrubbed from the water trough
✅Home for first cold shower of the day!
🥵🥵

13/08/2022

Apparently she's not warm enough, so we need to cuddle 🥵

27/07/2022

Every time you pull ragwort you will snap roots off even using a rag fork, now instead of one plant you'll have ten to deal with next year. Oh but ragwort is also biannual, so next year you'll think you're in top of it, only to have ten times as much the following year.

I rented a field that was plagued with the stuff, and I managed to clear it in around 4 years. Here's how:

➡️When it is in the rosette stage in the spring, cut the leaves at the base and sprinkle salt on the stump. Remove the leaves and burn.
➡️ If it gets to the tall flower stage, pull it, but sprinkle salt in the hole, remove the plant and burn immediately or bag up and remove from the pasture - ragwort will go to seed within 24 hours of pulling, don't leave it in piles on your pasture.



📷Henry Perks

25/07/2022

How do you know if your cat is in pain? Researchers have developed a feline grimace score, there is even an app to download to help you decide if your cat is in pain and needs veterinary attention. Read about it here: https://ucalgary.ca/news/cats-faces-reveal-their-hidden-pain

19/07/2022

Keeping cats cool today.

16/07/2022

How am I keeping my horse cool this summer? Firstly I've taken his feathers off, I couldn't bare to take his mane off, so that is plated up, which definitely helps. Being a greasy cob I have bathed him more than usual, removing the grease from his coat will help me to wet his coat thoroughly when cold hosing, rather than the water beading up and rolling straight off.
Our barn is cool in the morning but tends to get warm after lunch, so hosing our horses off and turning them out when they have shade in the field after midday is best for our situation.

16/07/2022

Would you put on a jumper or coat to stay cool?

CLIPPING DOUBLE-COATED BREEDS IN THE HEAT

Clipping Double-Coated breeds is contentious. That’s a massive understatement. As I have said repeatedly, although many people choose not to read that part, the decision to clip a DC breed in hot weather should be based on risk factors for heatstroke, for example being old, being overweight, being a large breed, being dark coated, being brachycephalic, having existing health conditions such as heart disease. I’d probably also add “being miserable in the heat”.

And yes, I’ve heard all the arguments “coat funk” (abnormal re growth) and “sunburn” being the most common ones.

Re abnormal regrowth, I’d suggest reading Mia Overnas The Educated Groomers page. https://theeducatedgroomer.com/shaving-double-coated-breeds/

Re sunburn - keep your dog out of the sun. You should be doing this anyway.

Image below posted from a private group with permission of owner. Personally I think Zhiva looks fantastic.

15/07/2022

Using thermography to show how scraping a horse prevents cooling.

15/07/2022

How horses move when they are free is so important, if your training is improving your horses movement whilst they're moving in the field then you are on the right track. My rehab/prehab exercises are easy to perform for owners and riders of all stages, effective, force free, and gadget free.

13/07/2022

... I evolved an elongated rostrum to be able to see predators over the long grasses of the open prairies whilst grazing.

I said it wasn't funny! 😆

01/06/2022

Good advice from heath vets for cat owners.

Have you noticed that your cat appears to be struggling to groom their coat? Have you noticed they may have matted fur around the sides of their body or at the base of their tail?

Matted fur can be a sign of your cat struggling to groom themselves due to pain or discomfort. Arthritis can cause stiffness and limit mobility when performing day to day activities.

If you have noticed any signs in your cat, or have concerns about their mobility, call us today on 01444 242500 or send us a message via Petsapp to book an appointment.

04/05/2022

Advice from a vet, slow down on hard ground or risk damaging your horses joints.

*** HARD GROUND ***

I have seen some very worrying “advice” on social media over the past couple of weeks, recommending cantering/galloping and jumping on the hard ground as a way to condition your horse’s legs to it. NO!!!!! You CANNOT condition a horse’s joints to hard ground! The more you canter and jump on hard ground, the more you will hammer the joints and help your horse get arthritis! Please do not listen to anyone advising you to condition your horse’s legs to hard ground, unless you want your horse to head towards steroid injections or early retirement. Cross training your horse (riding on a variety of surfaces) is good for legs, but hammering around on hard ground is not!

The ground, certainly in my area, is currently like concrete. PLEASE think twice about jumping/cantering in fields at the moment, as it’s almost the equivalent of jumping your horses on the road. If you are struggling to keep your horses/ponies fit, and can’t use or hire an arena, then trotting steadily up hills out hacking is a great alternative. Or just lots of hacking in walk to keep them ticking over until we get some much needed rain!
I’ve seen horses this week who are simply jarred up/foot sore from being turned out on this hard ground, so try not to add to the concussion by making them work on the rock hard ground....

Photo of Johnnie, enjoying the perfect ground at South of England Horse Trials, less than 3 weeks ago!

Feel free to share.

21/04/2022

Dogs might not be able to recognize themselves in a mirror, but that doesn't mean our pets don't have some level of self-awareness.

13/03/2022

Fill in the survey if you live or have lived with dogs!

What emotional support do you get from your dog?
Vet and behaviourist Jonathan Bowen from the Royal Veterinary College is conducting research into the emotional support that people get from their dogs in everyday life and in times of trouble – and is asking dog owners to fill out a survey: https://bit.ly/3KkflWB
It is open to adults who live with, or have lived with, dogs. It will take about 10 minutes and is completely anonymous.
The aim is to collect information to develop a proper scale for measuring social support from dogs, which can then be used in other studies. The overall findings will be published in a scientific journal.

18/01/2022

Frosty start to the day, thankful for my insulated boots.