Dooneen Equine Veterinary Clinic

01/12/2024

🚨 Attention Stud Farms & Veterinarians 🚨

Arvac vaccine will be shipped to Covetrus by 9th December 2024. This vaccine must be administered by 10th Dec 2024 to ensure stallions are released from quarantine for the ITM Irish Stallion Trail (10–11 Jan 2025). 💉

Blood samples must be collected on 7th Jan 2025 and delivered to Backweston by 10:00 AM the same day. 🩸

It is advisable for vets (who are planning to administer vaccine on December 9th/10th) to pick up the vaccine directly from Covetrus on December 9th to avoid delays! ⏰

For more information, visit our website: https://itba.info/News/EVA-Vaccine-ARVAC-Update/1200757/Index.html

26/10/2024

What is EHV?
EHV is equine herpes virus- which cause respiratory disease in horses. Most horses don’t have any issues and it passes through and they are fine.
It’s very contagious 😷 and will spread rapidly between horses.
When is it a problem?
It causes poor performance in racing and competition yards. Horses can’t be competing to their best level and trying to fight of a respiratory disease at the same time 🤧
In pregnant mares it causes ABORTION, and foals to be born dead or will die within hours of birth.
Once this disease is in a herd of pregnant mares it spreads like wildfire and all mares will be affected- the disease spreads before you even notice it and often the first sign is a mare aborting a pregnancy- and often the whole group will lose their pregnancy 😱.
How to avoid EHV?
Have good biosecurity.
Do not let new stock into broodmare bands or training yards without sufficient isolation periods.
Do not mix youngsters and pregnant mares
Do not mix pregnant animals with animals that are out competing every week.
Vaccinate!
Vaccinations for disease prevention in broodmares is carried out at months 5, 7 and 9 of pregnancy.
( so mares covered February, March, April and May of 2024 should have already started their course of vaccines, and June covered mares should start in November)
Vaccinations in non pregnant animals is done every 6 months.

Be prepared! Prevention is essential . There is no “cure” once EHV has been introduced to your mares. And after all the hard work and cost of spring and getting them pregnant- let’s keep those unborn foals as safe as possible.

03/10/2024

What is EHV?

EHV is equine herpes virus- which cause respiratory disease in horses. Most horses don’t have any issues and it passes through and they are fine.

It’s very contagious 😷 and will spread rapidly between horses.

When is it a problem?

It causes poor performance in racing and competition yards. Horses can’t be competing to their best level and trying to fight of a respiratory disease at the same time 🤧

In pregnant mares it causes ABORTION, and foals to be born dead or will die within hours of birth.
Once this disease is in a herd of pregnant mares it spreads like wildfire and all mares will be affected- the disease spreads before you even notice it and often the first sign is a mare aborting a pregnancy- and often the whole group will lose their pregnancy 😱.

How to avoid EHV?

Have good biosecurity.
Do not let new stock into broodmare bands or training yards without sufficient isolation periods.
Do not mix youngsters and pregnant mares
Do not mix pregnant animals with animals that are out competing every week.
Vaccinate!

Vaccinations for disease prevention in broodmares is carried out at months 5, 7 and 9 of pregnancy.
( so mares covered February and March and April of 2024 should have already started their course of vaccines, and May covered mares should start in October)

Vaccinations in non pregnant animals is done every 6 months.

Be prepared! Prevention is essential . There is no “cure” once EHV has been introduced to your mares. And after all the hard work and cost of spring and getting them pregnant- let’s keep those unborn foals as safe as possible.

21/09/2024

Scarier than a clown costume!

Puncture wounds in the foot qualify as medical emergencies, due to the number of vital structures just beneath the sole that can be physically damaged and/or contaminated with bacteria when they are penetrated by a sharp object.

If your horse steps on a nail or other sharp object and it remains embedded in the hoof, resist the temptation to pull the nail out and consult with your veterinarian first. Leaving the nail in place will allow the vet to take x-rays of the foot before removal, which helps to identify exactly what structures have been penetrated, and to plan the most appropriate strategy for dealing with the situation.

If your veterinarian advises, carefully remove the nail to prevent the horse from stepping on it and driving it deeper into the hoof cavity. As you remove it, be sure to mark the exact point and depth of entry with tape and/or a marker so the veterinarian can assess the extent of damage. Apply antiseptic to the wound, and wrap to prevent additional contamination while you wait for your appointment.

Penetrating hoof wounds can be extremely serious and shouldn’t be underestimated. The prognosis for successful recovery depends on quick action to identify the path of the nail, treatment of potential infection and mechanical damage to the foot, and proper aftercare. As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

13/09/2024

Q. What do stud vets do in September?
A. Learn more about managing broodmares 😆

BEVA - The British Equine Veterinary Association Congress 2024.

09/09/2024

Now is a good time of year to test for Tapeworms! 🐴🦠
Did you know tapeworms can cause serious health issues for your horse? Even if your horse looks healthy, they could still be at risk! 🐛 Tapeworm infections are tricky to detect, but routine testing is the key to early detection and prevention.

07/09/2024

What is EHV?

EHV is equine herpes virus- which cause respiratory disease in horses. Most horses don’t have any issues and it passes through and they are fine.

It’s very contagious 😷 and will spread rapidly between horses.

When is it a problem?

It causes poor performance in racing and competition yards. Horses can’t be competing to their best level and trying to fight of a respiratory disease at the same time 🤧

In pregnant mares it causes ABORTION, and foals to be born dead or will die within hours of birth.
Once this disease is in a herd of pregnant mares it spreads like wildfire and all mares will be affected- the disease spreads before you even notice it and often the first sign is a mare aborting a pregnancy- and often the whole group will lose their pregnancy 😱.

How to avoid EHV?

Have good biosecurity.
Do not let new stock into broodmare bands or training yards without sufficient isolation periods.
Do not mix youngsters and pregnant mares
Do not mix pregnant animals with animals that are out competing every week.
Vaccinate!

Vaccinations for disease prevention in broodmares is carried out at months 5, 7 and 9 of pregnancy.
( so mares covered February and March of 2024 should have already started their course of vaccines, and April covered mares should start in September )

Vaccinations in non pregnant animals is done every 6 months.

Be prepared! Prevention is essential . There is no “cure” once EHV has been introduced to your mares. And after all the hard work and cost of spring and getting them pregnant- let’s keep those unborn foals as safe as possible.

06/09/2024

What is EHV?

EHV is equine herpes virus - which is a respiratory disease in horses.
It is really common in horses and young stock in particular throughout Ireland. Generally it doesn’t really affect them and you may just spot a bit of a runny nose or eyes for a few days.

BUT!

It causes poor performance in competition horses and racehorses- you cant be at your best while fighting of a cold,

AND it causes abortion in mares. If it gets into your herd it will cause abortion in the whole herd, or foals that are born still born or severely compromised and unlikely to survive.

After a whole season of everyone working hard to get mares and matings right - really it’s a kick in the teeth that nobody needs.

So -

Biosecurity - keep your mares as separately as possible from your youngsters
And AWAY from any newly introduced animals or visiting animals.

And
VACCINATE

Vaccination in mares is recommended during pregnancy at months 5, 7 and 9.

All mares covered in February and March should have started their course of EHV vaccination already, with the April covered mares starting to get their first shots now.

06/09/2024

01/09/2024

I may have mentioned this before!

Wounds in horses are quite common and we are often asked what’s the best first aid while waiting for the vet or for small wounds.

NEVER USE BLUE SPRAY!! 😱😱😱

Or purple or silver or green or any other colour! 🌈🌈

It doesn’t help. In fact- it slows wound healing ( and makes it pretty impossible to clean the wound 😩)

28/08/2024

Have you applied for the the EH testing scheme?

This scheme is designed to help prevent enteric and respiratory disease in young foals. The scheme involves a farm visit by a microbiologist and/or environmental scientist to sample various
aspects of the applicants breeding premises (foaling stables, foal paddocks, water and fodder).

These samples will be analysed and reported back to breeders with regards to the hygiene status of the communal areas and the presence of any pathogens in the environment and the quality of forage. This preventative approach is more cost effective than being reactive and can greatly reduce treatment, loss of time in development of the animals, labour costs and loss of breeding outcomes for stallions and mares.

Click below to apply:
https://forms.horsesportireland.ie/240864878993984

21/08/2024

Congratulations 🎉
The most deserved win ⭐️

What a result for the O'Donnell family at York with Extensio! 👏

Trained by Pat, owned by his wife Una, and led up by daughter Sylvia, who also rode Extensio to victory on his last start —truly a family affair! 💚

02/08/2024

The stark reality of resistance issues in treating horses for parasites. 😕 This highlights the need for a parasite control plan that is specific to your farm, your horses and your situation.