We are the Equine team of a mixed vet practice based in Droitwitch.
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Diagnostics at MBG Vets
The upper part of the horse’s respiratory system can be difficult to have a look at, our endoscope is a long thin camera which helps us to have a look into the guttural pouches sinuses, throat, and trachea of horses and can help us to identify problems or take samples to help us monitor and treat infections.
Clinic Days
Following from the success of our Gastroscope clinic days we are opening up our clinic days on the last Tuesday of the month at Dodderhill Equestrian Centre for all sorts of different investigations and routine work.
💉If you can transport easily and want to avoid a visit cost for vaccinations or dentals, then this is for you!
🐎We can use the facilities at Dodderhill Equestrian Centre to do radiographs, ultrasound scanning and lameness exams if you don’t have a suitable set up at home.
🐴Gastroscopes can still be preformed at a reduced price on these days.
📆Our next clinic days are on the 27th August, 24th of September and 29th of October.
📞Call our office on 01905 773 262 to book in.
We know that saving every penny counts!
For routine visits like monitoring blood tests, vaccines, passport paperwork and dentals did you know you can book in for a zone visit at a significantly reduced price. If other people on your yard have routine work due around the same time, we can reduce the price further by splitting the visit between you.
Find your zone day using the map, or phone to check with our reception team.
o Monday (Blue): Wychbold, Bromsgrove, Alvechurch, Reddich, Hanbury, Feckenham and Astwood Bank.
o Tuesday (Green): Ombersley, Ladywood, Claines, Hallow, Broadheath, Alfrick, Wichenford, Great Witley, Dunley, Astley Cross, Hartlebury, Doverdale
o Wednesday (Red): Elmbridge, Chaddesley Corbett, Belbroughton, Cookley, Kinver, Shatterford, Wolverley, Kidderminster, Stourport, Bewdley, Wyre Forest
o Thursday (yellow): Copcut, Tibberton, Whittington, Earl’s Croome, Pinvin, Lenchwick, Dunnington, Inkberrow, Flyford Flavell, Sale Green
For zone visits we require payment in advance, and you can’t be given a specific time or vet as it will depend on who and when someone ends up in that area during the day.
We will always let you know when we’re on our way!
📞Call our office on 01905 773 262 to book📞
To you they may be a disembodied voice on the phone or the gateway to getting a box of bute but we rely on our lovely team on reception every day.
Kim, Sophie, Chloe, Gill, Emma and Jo keep us heading in the right direction and try to keep us organised.
They are almost impossible to catch on camera though !
Happy International Cat Day! We love meeting yard cats, please share some photos of your favourite felines, we’ll start!
Last week we described the signs of liver disease but how do horses get liver disease in the first place?
There are many different possible causes of liver disease and unfortunately it is not possible to identify the cause of disease from clinical signs and changes in the blood but we can rule certain things in and out by carefully looking round your horses field and checking other horses on the yard
· ☣️ Toxins
o Plants, for example Ragwort and St John’s Wort
o Mycotoxins
o Chemicals (arsenic, lead)
o Drugs
🦠 Infections (bacteria or viruses)
· Inflammatory
o Active hepatitis (inflammation with no obvious cause)
o Secondary to gastrointestinal disease
· 🩻 Neoplasia (cancer)
· 🧈 Hyperlipaemia (abnormal metabolism of fat, this is more common in donkeys and small ponies who have stopped eating or lost weight)
We are very sad to be saying goodbye to Izzie.
Izzie has had a flying start in her first year of practice as a vet and we know she has lots of fans out there, Alfie her terrier may have even more!
She is leaving us to start an internship at an equine hospital so she can improve her skills and knowledge and we can't wait to hear what she gets up to even if we miss her and Alfie in the office!
😭❤️
Over the last year we have seen an increase in the number of horses with signs of liver disease. Why do we worry about liver disease in horses?
🐴The liver has many functions including:
· 🍰Carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism
· Production and secretion of bile
· ☢️ Detoxification
· 🩸 Production of clotting factors
· 🍏 Metabolism and storage of vitamins and minerals
In the early stages of liver disease, clinical signs are often vague and non-specific, and many horses experiencing mild liver disease do not show any clinical signs so we may diagnose liver disease when bloods are taken for other reasons.
Many horses with liver disease present as not quite being their normal self. Clinical signs may include any of the following:
· Lethargy/depression
· Mild colic signs
· Weight loss/loss of condition
· Poor performance
· Anorexia (reluctance to eat)
· Jaundice – whites of the eyes, gums
· Photosensitisation – burning of pink skin
· Increased drinking and urination
· Swollen sheath +/- ventral oedema (collection of fluid along belly)
· In more dramatic cases – neurological signs including head pressing and circling.
Check out this great infographic from britishhorse for all the symptoms of ragwort poisoning (a specific type of liver disease)
☎️If you notice any of these signs call the practice on 01905 773262 to book an appointment as soon as possible
👀Keep an eye out for next weeks post where we'll describe some of the possible causes of liver disease.
Its time for another Introduction!
Becca joined us in October 2021 having qualified from Edinburgh in 2018. She worked in mixed practice in mid-Wales, followed by an internship at a large nearby equine hospital. She can sometimes be spotted hiking around the countryside on the weekends when she’s off duty and not busy updating our social media.
Enjoying our Facebook posts? You can also follow on Instagram to see more.
😣Over the summer we often see more issues with itchy skin and urticaria.
🔥 Urticaria is another word for hives and horses that are affected usually come up in multiple itchy lumps over the whole of their body.
🦟This can be caused by reactions to sweat, new supplements, feeds or medications; eating plants they are allergic to; reactions to different shampoos, ointments or rug cleaners; or insect bites and or stings.
In most horses the symptoms will reduce with time, and they will usually be back to normal in 24-48hrs, washing the coat with plain water to remove any remaining allergens can be useful.
☎️In some horses the clinical signs may be severe and your horse may be at risk of injuring themselves due to itching. These horses need an examination by a vet and medication to resolve the symptoms more quickly.
In horses that regularly suffer from urticaria we can do allergy testing to discover the potential cause of their issues.
Another Monday, another lovely equine vet to introduce!
Maggie
Maggie moved to us in 2023, having worked in South Wales and Hampshire for a number of years. She grew up in Pennsylvania before qualifying from Edinburgh in 2015. She splits her time between farm and equine with lambing being her favourite time of year. She also has a keen interest in flock medicine, smallholders, donkeys and camelids. Outside of work you can find her traveling, at a yoga class or hanging out with her cat Pumpkin.
🌦Any changes in weather always makes out equine team on alert for colic. In the summer a common trigger for developing colic is horses moving less and not drinking enough water in hot weather.💧
🍏Encourage drinking by adding some apple slices or carrot slices to “bob” for in water or make a very wet mash feed to encourage uptake of water. Adding a teaspoon of salt to any feeds can also help to improve hydration.
If you bring your horse in during the day offer some soaked hay as another way of increasing water consumption!
👀Watch out for the symptoms of colic and call us on 01905 773262 if you have any concerns:
☎️Restlessness
☎️Eating less or reduced droppings
☎️Abdominal pain (flank watching and kicking up at stomach
☎️Clinical changes (increased heart and breathing rate)
☎️Tiredness/lethargy
Congratulations to vet Vicky Savage from Three counties equine hospital who, on Saturday completed a Bob Graham round in the Lake District. This is a gruelling and challenging mountain running challenge in which, runners try and scale 42 of the highest Lake District peaks in 24 hours covering 66 miles with 27,000ft of elevation gain. Our vet Ollie was privileged to be part of the support crew helping to pace on 2 of the legs covering just under 30 miles.
Vicky completed this challenge in 22 hours and 52 mins!
This adds to Vicky’s many other fantastic running achievements which include completing the Montane winter spine race, the dragons back and the cape wrath ultra. Some of you may have come across Vicky if you horses have been referred to Three Counties for medical treatment.
Our next vet to introduce is Josie.
Josie worked in mixed practice for 4 years before joining our Large Animal team in 2009.
She generally prefers camelids and cows over horses so you’re less likely to see her for routine vaccinations but she’s very used to dealing with any type of emergency you can send her way. In her spare time she likes to ride her own horse and relax.
🐴Our vets Fiona and Jade are qualified to perform acupuncture. 🐴
Acupuncture can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including painful disorders like arthritis, nerve damage or myofascial pain; and used in conjunction with medical treatments to help restore and normalise bodily functions such as in asthma or recurrent digestive upsets.
We most frequently use it for muscular pain in necks and backs, especially in horses in moderate to high levels of work. After all, they are athletes and their muscles need to be looked after so they can perform and train at their best.
Acupuncture works by stimulating the autonomic nervous system (this the part which controls unconscious processes such as digestion and blood pressure) and by stimulating the body to produce its own opioids to relieve pain.
The needles that are used are very fine and flexible and most animals will find the process relaxing, but sometimes sedation might be required . Owners are often surprised that even patients that are normally averse to injections will tolerate acupuncture very well.
Acupuncture can only be performed on animals in the UK by a qualified veterinary surgeon who is a practicing member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
If you have any questions about whether acupuncture would be appropriate for your animal, then please ring the office on 01905 773262 or email [email protected] and we would be happy to answer any of your queries.
Jade joined us in 2016 after previously working in mixed practice. Jade is originally from Lancashire and goes home to visit/get roped into working on the family farm and livery yard. She enjoys all aspects of her work, especially surgery. She also trained in acupuncture and offers this for equine and small animal clients for a variety of conditions.
A busy day handing out cake and keeping an eye on all the horses at ! Despite the rain ,or maybe because of it, we saw lots of you so thanks for coming to say hi!
Come join us by the main arena ! The suns coming out…. And if it doesn’t we have a tent and cake!
The next vet on our list of introductions is Fiona!
Fiona qualified in 2001, initially working in mixed practice. She travelled to New Zealand and worked predominantly in equine practice before joining the practice in 2007.
Fiona has is trained in acupuncture and uses the technique regularly as an additional therapy in many cases.
Fiona is particularly interested in lameness and the management of chronic conditions
Enjoyed reading our vet bios so far? Come meet us at Hanbury Show on Saturday 6th July!
More information (and tickets) are available from www.hanburyshow.co.uk
Hanbury Countryside Show
Don’t forget to come and see us at Hanbury Show on the 6th of July.
As many members of our team as we can muster will be on the showground to chat with you and keep an eye on everything going on at the show.
We have a new machine that can perform worm egg counts.
💩We recommend you do these every 4 weeks through the summer to monitor the worm burden in your horses, alongside poo picking to reduce the pasture worm burden.
⚙️Our new machine is called Ovacyte and is more sensitive than standard worm egg counts, detecting eggs down to 10 eggs per gram (standard tests only go to 50 epg). These can also be turned around the same day.
The price for a worm egg count is: £14.80
Alternatively consider joining our worming programme. - call 📞 01905 773262 or email [email protected] to find out more!
Next up on our introductions is Ollie!
Ollie graduated from the Royal Dick Veterinary College in 2014, and following a couple years in other practices in Worcestershire, he joined MBG in 2019. He splits his time between our farm and equine clients, enjoying all aspects of large animal work. As well as performing normal reproductive work in both cattle and horses, Ollie has also started performing embryo transfer in these species as well. He has also been known to moonlight in our small animal clinics from time to time! Having recently retired form playing rugby, his spare time is spent with his young family, running and cheering on Gloucester down at Kingsholm.
Last week we described how to recognise a problem with your horses eyes but what should you do once you know you have a problem?
☀️If possible bring the horse in away from bright light and flies , swelling in and around the eye can alter your horse’s control of their pupil meaning that sunlight can be irritating.
🕶️If you can’t bring the horse in a fly mask can be very helpful.
🧽Clean off any discharge with cool damp cotton wool, this can be soothing and will reduce numbers of flies attracted to your horses eyes.
📞Call the vet, there are a number of different things that can happen to eyes and some eye medications can slow down healing if used on the wrong condition so an exam is needed to find the best treatment
What we will do:
👀We will examine both eyes from the front to the back using an opthalmoscope ( a special light with a magnifying lense)
👁️we will test for any damage to the cornea using a stain and then discuss the most appropriate treatment.
🧫Sometimes we will take swabs of the surface of the eye to find out what bacteria or fungus could be involved.
This month we’d like to help you to get to know our Equine team a little better.
First up is a firm client and patient favourite, Anne!
Anne qualified from Bristol University in 1991 having intercalated to obtain a degree in Pharmacology.
She worked initially in mixed practice in Oxfordshire before returning home to join the practice in 1993. Anne divides her time between farm and equine work and provides veterinary cover at Ludlow, Hereford and Worcester racecourses, as well as many local Point-to-Points. She is a former chairman of the Association of Racecourse Veterinary Surgeons, and is certified to undertake export work for farm animals, horses & products.
Dodderhill Court
| Monday | 08:30 - 18:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:30 - 18:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:30 - 18:00 |
| Thursday | 08:30 - 18:00 |
| Friday | 08:30 - 18:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 13:00 |
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🐴One drug does not treat all when it comes to worms, your horse will need a worming programme targeted specifially for them affected by their genetics, lifestyle, age and the time of year. 🪱Approximately 80% of worms will be shed by only 20% of horses on a yard. Identifying and treating these high shedding horses means that low shedding horses shouldn’t need to be wormed on a regular basis particularly if you have good field management and regularly poo pick your fields. 🪱This is becoming more important as widespread resistance to worming drugs means that we can no longer simply use the same wormer types at the same times every year. ⚖️Whatever wormer you use, giving the correct dose is extremly important for preventing reactions to the medication and ensuring that worms with a small amount of resistance to the drug are not able to survive, using weight tapes or asking us to bring out weigh scales to your horse can make your dosing more accurate. 💩We can use a small sample of your horses faeces (a FWEC) to work out how many eggs are present in each gram of their poo. This gives us an idea of your horses worm burden. Juvinile worms and worms hibernating in your horses gut over winter will not produce so egg counts may be less accurate between late autumn and early spring. 💩Encysted redworms, pin worms, bot larvae and tape worms will not show up on a FWEC. For these worms there are specific tests we can recommend depending on your horses worming history. This advice generally relates to adult horses, young horses ( below 4 years) are at high risk of picking up worms and require different management to adult horses. If you are concerned about worming please call the practice to discuss your worm control. We can provide a yearly tailored worm survalliance plan which can reduce the cost of regular monitoring of worming allowing us to give you personalised advice on worm control. Comment below if you would like to see more posts about parasite
Applying a foot poultice: What do you need? · A Dressing: Animal Intex is designed for use in hoof abscesses. You can also use veterinary gamgee · A cushioning layer: A material like softband can be useful and easier to apply than cotton wool. · A nappy is easy toapply over these layers and can hold everything together. · A Holding layer such as Vetwrap · Grey “Duck” tape: create a square of this to apply to the bottom of the foot by sticking strips of tape together, apply the strips in different directions to make a thicker square of tape. This will make your poultice more waterproof and longer lasting #equineveterinarymedicine #equinevet #horse #horsecare #veterinarymedicine #hoofabcess #hoofabcessesarenofun #hoofcare #hoof #abcess #be #prepared #horsefirstaid
Few people enjoy going to the dentists and horses are no different! Ella wasn’t thrilled to see Becca pull up with the dental kit but a little sedation made it a calm comfortable experience for everyone! Horses are particularly good at hiding symptoms of dental pain and issues might not be easily spotted and may have caused further damage and changes within the mouth if you wait for them to show you that they are having trouble. A healthy horse’s teeth should be checked by a vet or a qualified Equine Dental Technician annually, some horses will have abnormal wear or dental problems which require more regular checks. The following symptoms may be a sign that your horse needs a dental exam: dropping feed, resisting the bit, headshaking, reduced intake of hay or haylage, abnormal jaw movement whist eating, weight loss, diarrhoea, head shy behaviour, episodes of choke or colic symptoms Using a vet for your dental exams has some benefits - If your horse dislikes the dentist or finds it uncomfortable we can provide sedation and pain relief to make the process stress free. - We can combine an annual dental check over with other regular treatments such as vaccinations or repeat prescription checks - If any major dental problems are noted on examination we are able to administer any required medication and organise any further treatment required. - We can investigate other causes if your horse is showing signs associated with mouth pain but doesn’t seem to have any dental issues - If needed we can take radiographs and use our oroscope to provide a clearer understanding of what is happening in your horse’s mouth #equinedentistry #equinevet #dental #happyhorse #mbgvets #vet
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