Laminitis

10 take home points about Laminitis

Laminitis is an incredibly painful and debilitating condition which, in severe cases, can result in the loss of the affected patient.
Laminitis is defined as inflammation of the laminae which in turn results in pedal bone instability meaning that the pedal bone may sink (founder) or rotate.
The primary clinical sign of laminitis is a gait abnormality which can vary vastly in severity from being foot sore or a little pottery (exacerbated on the turn), to those that are unwilling to move, to those the spend increased amounts of time lay down.
Other clinical signs include any or a combination of the following: increased digital pulses, heat in the feet, weight-shifting, rocking back into a ‘saw horse’ stance and sensitivity on hoof testers to name but a few.
Concurrent foot abscesses are a common secondary condition.
90% of cases in the UK occur secondary to an underlying endocrinopathy- Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and/or Equine Cushing’s Disease.
Laminitis may occur at any time throughout the year although Spring turnout is a particularly ‘at risk’ time due to the sugar levels in the grass combined with many horses exiting the Winter months having gained weight and ultimately having some degree of insulin dysregulation (EMS).
This year, the corona virus pandemic provides further concern given the fact that many such patients are spending more time at grass or are being turned away to grass and are receiving less exercise meaning that weight gain is inevitable and the risk for EMS increased.
Weight management is vitally important to try prevent episodes of laminitis and may include limiting time at grass, use of a grazing muzzle, soaking hay, double netting hay and exercise provided there are no current clinical signs of laminitis.
If you have any concerns that your horse has clinical signs of laminitis, EMS or Cushing’s disease or if you want weight management advise, please call us for a chat. Further information on all three conditions will follow in future presentations.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcements and advice from our professional bodies, we are moving to a service where we no longer provide any ROUTINE veterinary care. This is to ensure the health and safety of our staff and our clients, and to strictly adhere to social distancing policies as set out by the government.

We will be providing care to ANY ill or injured animal in order to preserve animal welfare. Please contact the surgery as normal with any concerns you have regarding your horses’ welfare. We may only need to offer phone advice, and any horses that require treatment in order to preserve welfare will be examined. These decisions will be made on a case by case basis and the handler of the horse will need to confirm they are free of COVID 19 symptoms prior to our attendance.

We will continue to offer our normal 24 hour emergency cover. Your horse’s welfare is paramount to us and we thank you for your understanding at this difficult time. If you have any questions or would like to speak to a vet, please contact the office on 01772 861300

Equine Standing MRI – what to expect

What to expect when your horse has a standing MRI.

Using the right tools early in the lameness process to get a definitive diagnosis will allow you and your vet to devise the right treatment plan, hopefully getting your horse back to full fitness as quickly as possible.

The clear images from MRI allow vets to make an accurate and precise diagnosis in 90% of cases.

If you’ve considered requesting an MRI for your horse but wondered what actually happens, an MRI scan will usually include the following steps:

Initial examination

On arrival for the scan the horse’s overall health is evaluated for sedation and our clinic vets will briefly examine the horse’s lameness.
Horse shoes

Metal horse shoes would degrade the quality of the images if left on as the MRI scanner contains a large magnet. Normally just two shoes, on the leg to be scanned and the adjacent leg, are removed.
Sedation

The standing MRI eliminates the need for anaesthesia, so removes the mortality risk and often allows for day patient scheduling. Top up doses may be applied during the scan, either on a drip or via a catheter in the horse’s jugular vein.
Positioning

The horse is walked into the MRI scanner, with the lame leg placed between the poles of the magnet. A radiofrequency coil is fitted around the injury site and the operator makes careful adjustments to ensure the horse and magnet are both in the right place.
The Scan

The scan takes around 2 – 4 hours, producing around 300-500 images at multiple angles of the limb or hoof, highlighting different types of tissue and pathology.
Recovery

After the scan the horse is given time to recover from the sedation, and in most cases can return home the same day.
Interpretation

One of our specialists responsible for scanning will carefully review the images to arrive at an opinion about likely pathology or injury. The findings are then communicated to you or your vet.
Treatment

The findings from the scan will enable an accurate diagnosis to be made. With precise information available the vet can prescribe the best possible treatment for the horse.

Should your horse be suffering with lameness or poor performance issues, please discuss with your usual Oakhill Equine Vet or call the practice on 01772 861300.

If you wish to be referred to us from another veterinary practice, please contact your own veterinary surgeon in the first instance.

Why MRI?

Our equine clinic has the most technologically advanced standing MRI machine available, used for both clients and those referred from other veterinary practices.

Often during a lameness work-up, your vet will use ‘nerve blocks’ to locate where the pain is coming from. This may then be followed with X-ray or ultrasound examinations, but because these imaging tools only show bone or some soft tissue your vet may not be able to see abnormalities, particularly those within the hoof capsule.

Standing equine MRI offers unique insight into equine lameness, identifying the specific cause in over 90% of cases.

With no general anaesthesia required the inherent risks associated with anaesthesia and recovery can be avoided and an early, safe and accurate lameness diagnosis will save you time, money and worry.

We’re often asked….

What is different about MRI?

MRI images show information about both bone and soft tissue, whereas x-rays only show bone and ultrasound only shows soft tissues. The many, clear images from MRI allow vets to make an accurate and precise diagnosis in 90% of cases.

Foot Lameness Cycle

Is it the same as a human MRI scanner?

The underlying principle is exactly the same but the Hallmarq Standing Equine MRI system has specifically designed for imaging the standing horse, not a human! The scanner operates close to floor level and the horse can immediately step out of an opening in the magnet if it needs to.

Is it safe for my horse?

MRI is widely used in both human and veterinary medicine as it is valued for it’s high image quality of both bone and soft tissue with no ionising radiation. The technology used is unobtrusive and poses no known risk to the horse.

Unlike high-field scanners where the horse has to be anaesthetised, our Hallmarq low-field system uses a smaller magnet that fits around the leg, allowing us to image the horse while standing and under mild sedation.

Hallmarq equine MRI systems have been used for over 60,000 standing sedated horse examinations, during this time there have been no fatalities.

The benefits of having an MRI scan at Oakhill Equine Clinic include:

Expert interpretation of images by our ECVS & RCVS recognised surgery specialists, Rosie Owen & Guy Hinnigan and imaging specialist, Meredith Smith.
Precise diagnosis
Rapid results
Specific prognosis
Optimum treatment

Using the right tools early in the lameness process to get a definitive diagnosis will allow you and your vet to devise the right treatment plan, therefore getting your horse back to full fitness as quickly as possible.

It is also very useful in establishing an accurate prognosis, to save you time and money worrying about what is likely to happen in the future.

Click here to find out more about what to expect when your horse has a standing MRI.

Should your horse be suffering with lameness or poor performance issues, please discuss with your usual Oakhill Equine Vet or call the practice on 01772 861300.

If you wish to be referred to us from another veterinary practice, please contact your vet in the first instance.

Mission Christmas Gift Appeal

Once again Oakhill Veterinary Centre will be taking part in Rock FM’s Mission Christmas Gift Appeal 2019, in aid of Cash for Kids, who make sure Christmas gifts get to disadvantaged children in the area.

All 4 of our branches will be gift collection points.

If you’d like to donate a gift, it should be new and unwrapped (no food or chocolate please) and be with us by Monday 16th December at the latest so we can get them to Mission Christmas HQ in time.

Further information is available on the link below, including gift ideas (from birth to 18 years):

https://planetradio.co.uk/rock-fm/charity/events/mission-christmas-lancashire/

Thank you!

Keeping your horse safe on Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night can be stressful for both horses and horse owners.

The calmest of horses can become frightened by the unfamiliar loud noises and flashes of bright light.

There are some things you can do to prepare….

Find out when and where the firework displays will be in your area. You could look in local press, social media and shop notice boards.

Inform local firework display organisers and neighbours that there are horses nearby, so they can ensure fireworks are set off well away from them.

Decide whether to stable your horse or leave it in the field. Horses like routine, so try and keep as close to your usual routine as possible. If it is usually stabled, keep it stabled. If it is normally out in the field, keep it there as long as it is safe, secure and not close to the firework display area.

Check for anything that could cause injury to your horse:
– If stabled, look for things such as protruding nails.
– If your horse is to stay in the field, check that fencing is not broken and that there are no foreign objects lying around.

Ensure that you, or someone experienced, stays with your horse if you know that fireworks are being set off.
If you have to leave your horse in the care of another person during a firework display, then be sure to leave clear instructions with contact details for both you and your vet.

Discuss with your vet about sedation or perhaps consider moving your horse for the night.

Playing music on a radio positioned outside the stable can often mask sudden noise, distract attention and be soothing.

Stay calm, as horses will sense that you are anxious and that could increase their fears.

A startled horse can be dangerous, so try not to get in the way if a horse becomes frightened as you could easily be injured yourself.

Remember that Chinese lanterns (also known as sky lanterns) can cause harm to livestock and wildlife.

If you wish to discuss concerns about your horse with us, please call 01772 861300

PetPlan Veterinary Awards 2020

The PetPlan Veterinary Awards 2020 are now open!

2020 marks an amazing 21 years of these awards celebrating excellence within the veterinary industry.

The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise the fantastic work that goes on in veterinary practices across the UK. Petplan has worked closely with the veterinary profession for over 40 years and hosts these independent industry awards to recognise the hard work and dedication of veterinary staff caring for our pets.

If you think that the Oakhill Veterinary Centre practice or someone in our practice team deserves to win, click here to complete the nomination form.

Thank you!

Atypical Myopathy

Atypical Myopathy is a very serious and often fatal disease that horses can get when out at pasture from consuming sycamore seeds.

What is Atypical Myopathy?

An acute, severe rhabdomyolysis (a severe form of azoturia / tying up) that occurs independently of exercise. The disease causes extreme muscle cramping and often irreparable muscle damage.

Muscle enzymes that are released when the muscles are damaged, cause multiple organ failure.

What is the cause?

A toxin called Hypoglycin-A found in sycamore seeds. Ingestion of these seeds at pasture causes Atypical Myopathy. Outbreaks may occur with multiple horses affected in one geographical area within a few weeks of each other.

What are the clinical signs?

The onset of Atypical Myopathy is acute. Early presentation of the disease may be confused with colic or laminitis. Horses may be found dead, but more frequently they start by showing signs of weakness, stiffness, falling over, lying down more than usual, sweating, apparent sedation or depression, fine muscle tremors, dark brown urine that can look like blood and respiratory distress.

Progression to recumbency is often rapid and once at this stage, the prognosis is hopeless. Mortality is seen in 70% – 90% of cases within 3-5 days.

Who is at risk?

The condition predominantly affects young animals, but all horses are at risk. No sex or breed predisposition has been described, but to date, no cases of the disease have been reported in donkeys. Underweight body condition is associated with increased risk.

Overgrazed pastures and poor quality grazing gives a greater risk of disease.

What can I do to prevent Atypical Myopathy?

Clear fields and water troughs of sycamore seeds, leaves and saplings. If this is not possible, do not allow horses to graze affected paddocks or fence off affected areas. Do not over graze paddocks and avoid overgrowth of weeds on pasture. Provide hay if the fields are low on grass and where possible consider stabling horses over night.

What to do if you think your horse may have Atypical Myopathy

Ring your vet immediately. Try and move the horse to a stable with deep bedding in case they want to lie down. If you notice your horse urinating try and catch a urine sample with a clean jar or mug so that we can test it.

Can we fight resistance?

Can we fight resistance? Responsible equine worming.

The approach to worming of the general horse population has changed significantly over the years. Unfortunately there are no new worming products in the pipeline and resistance to the current wormers is becoming more and more of an issue.

Testing to identify those horses (approximately 30%) that carry a worm burden significant enough to warrant worming is taking over from the ‘blind worming’ approach that we have previously taken.

In this ‘test before you treat’ approach, the positive tested horses then need to be wormed with the correct product, dependent upon the time of year. Ensuring you are administering the correct dose for the horse’s weight is really important as well because underdosing contributes to resistance.

The basic life cycle of an equine roundworm is shown in the picture below.

roundworm cycle

Stage 1: Eggs shed onto pasture develop, under the right conditions, into larvae.

Stage 2: Larvae are then eaten by the horse on grass where they enter the large intestine. These larvae mature to produce eggs.

Stage 3: Eggs are passed out in faeces, back to Stage 1.

Our new Equine Worm Control Plan is now available!
This year’s Oakhill Worm Control Plan is a bit different from previous years to avoid over-worming. It consists of an Equest wormer, 3 faecal egg counts spread over the year and a tapeworm saliva test kit.

If any of the tests come back positive, the appropriate wormer will be sent out for no extra charge, including the tapeworm-only praziquantel wormer that is no longer available from shops/online.

Click here for further information about the Oakhill Worm Control Plan.

Poisonous Ragwort

Did you know that Ragwort is poisonous to horses, ponies and donkeys?!

If eaten, the toxins in ragwort can accumulate over time and have the potential to cause irreversible liver damage. Your horse may get just as ill from eating a small amount of ragwort over a long period as it would eating a large quantity in one go.

Signs may include:

[checklist icon=”fa-chevron-circle-right” iconcolor=”#39aa87″ circle=”yes”]

Lethargy and depression
Change in behaviour or appetite
Loose droppings
Photosensitivity with sunburn developing easily
A yellow appearance to gums/around the eyes
Significant weight loss

[/checklist]

However, there are often no signs until it is too late.

For more information on the best way to remove ragwort, please follow the link….

http://www.bhs.org.uk/our-work/welfare/our-campaigns/ragwort-toolkit/toolkit-dealing-with-ragwort-england/ragwort-removal-at-plant-stage

Image source: www.bhs.org.uk

10 take home points about Laminitis

What to expect when your horse has a standing MRI.

Using the right tools early in the lameness process to get a definitive diagnosis will allow you and your vet to devise the right treatment plan, hopefully getting your horse back to full fitness as quickly as possible.

Initial examination

Horse shoes

Sedation

Positioning

The Scan

Recovery

Interpretation

Treatment

Should your horse be suffering with lameness or poor performance issues, please discuss with your usual Oakhill Equine Vet or call the practice on 01772 861300.

Our equine clinic has the most technologically advanced standing MRI machine available, used for both clients and those referred from other veterinary practices.

We’re often asked….

What is different about MRI?

Is it the same as a human MRI scanner?

Is it safe for my horse?

The benefits of having an MRI scan at Oakhill Equine Clinic include:

Expert interpretation of images by our ECVS & RCVS recognised surgery specialists, Rosie Owen & Guy Hinnigan and imaging specialist, Meredith Smith.

Precise diagnosis

Rapid results

Specific prognosis

Optimum treatment

Should your horse be suffering with lameness or poor performance issues, please discuss with your usual Oakhill Equine Vet or call the practice on 01772 861300.

If you wish to be referred to us from another veterinary practice, please contact your vet in the first instance.

Once again Oakhill Veterinary Centre will be taking part in Rock FM’s Mission Christmas Gift Appeal 2019, in aid of Cash for Kids, who make sure Christmas gifts get to disadvantaged children in the area.

All 4 of our branches will be gift collection points.

Bonfire Night can be stressful for both horses and horse owners.

The calmest of horses can become frightened by the unfamiliar loud noises and flashes of bright light.

There are some things you can do to prepare….

The PetPlan Veterinary Awards 2020 are now open!

2020 marks an amazing 21 years of these awards celebrating excellence within the veterinary industry.

Atypical Myopathy is a very serious and often fatal disease that horses can get when out at pasture from consuming sycamore seeds.

What is Atypical Myopathy?

What is the cause?

What are the clinical signs?

Who is at risk?

What can I do to prevent Atypical Myopathy?

What to do if you think your horse may have Atypical Myopathy

Can we fight resistance? Responsible equine worming.

The approach to worming of the general horse population has changed significantly over the years. Unfortunately there are no new worming products in the pipeline and resistance to the current wormers is becoming more and more of an issue.

Our new Equine Worm Control Plan is now available! This year’s Oakhill Worm Control Plan is a bit different from previous years to avoid over-worming. It consists of an Equest wormer, 3 faecal egg counts spread over the year and a tapeworm saliva test kit.

Did you know that Ragwort is poisonous to horses, ponies and donkeys?!

If eaten, the toxins in ragwort can accumulate over time and have the potential to cause irreversible liver damage. Your horse may get just as ill from eating a small amount of ragwort over a long period as it would eating a large quantity in one go.

Signs may include:

However, there are often no signs until it is too late.

If you’re concerned that your horse has eaten Ragwort, please contact us.

Our new Equine Worm Control Plan is now available!
This year’s Oakhill Worm Control Plan is a bit different from previous years to avoid over-worming. It consists of an Equest wormer, 3 faecal egg counts spread over the year and a tapeworm saliva test kit.