Veterinary

Understanding dystocia in the field: part 1

From approximately 2 months into gestation, the equine foetus is highly active (Allen and Bracher, 1992). The characteristically long umbilical cord facilitates free movement within the allantoic...

Understanding dystocia in the field: part 2

Once the nature of the dystocia has been diagnosed, a concise conversation with the owners should ensue. The likely prognosis for mare, foal and subsequent fertility, as well as costs associated with...

How to interpret an electrocardiogram

A good quality ECG trace makes interpretation much easier (Verheyen et al, 2010). The fundamental principles are ensuring that the ECG pads have good contact with the horse and limiting movement...

Spring poisoning hazards

European adders (Vipera berus berus) hibernate from around October to February. They emerge when the weather warms and bites typically occur in the spring and summer. Although relatively common in...

Endoparasite control for donkeys in the UK

As with horses, routine monitoring of FWECs, particularly during the grazing season, can help build a picture of each individual animal's parasite status and help target anthelmintic treatments at...

Don't forget the foal: the nursing requirements of hospitalised foals when the mare is the primary patient

Admitting a mare for treatment at an equine hospital when she has a foal at foot is not comparable to admitting an adult horse with a companion. The foal, even though it is not the primary patient,...

Streptococcus equi infections: current best practice in the diagnosis and management of ‘strangles’

S. equi is an obligate pathogen that does not survive well outside the horse. Elimination of the disease should be a realistic aim; in some countries, strangles is a reportable or notifiable disease....

Therapeutic farriery of the hind feet for horses with hindlimb orthopaedic injuries

Low-heel hind foot conformation has become prevalent and can be recognised in several ways. When viewed from the side, with the third metatarsal vertically orientated, the digit will have a BB-HPA...

Diarrhoea in foals

Foal heat diarrhoea is a self-limiting condition that occurs in 75-80% of foals, aged between 5 and 15 days. Diarrhoea is usually transient, lasting 3–4 days, and foals typically remain bright and...

Immune-mediated disorders of the eye: part two – equine recurrent uveitis

All equine practitioners will be familiar with ERU as it is the most common cause of blindness in horses worldwide (Gilger and Hollingsworth, 2017). While it is agreed to be an immune-mediated...

Diagnosis of digital flexor tendon sheath conditions in the horse

The digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) is a synovial cavity occupying the distal third of the palmar metacarpus/plantar metatarsus and the palmar/plantar pastern, to the level of the middle phalanx....

Potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on horse behaviour in the UK between March and October 2020

When horses are handled by nervous humans their heart rate increases (Keeling et al, 2009). Horses also react differently to odours from nervous humans, they touch people more and spend more time with...