Keep up to date with all our latest news, articles and case studies from the veterinary world around Hawke’s Bay, Dannevirke, and the Wairarapa.
Colic is abdominal pain normally caused by a gastrointestinal disorder; however, horses may also exhibit signs of colic with non-intestinal disorders (e.g. shipping fever, ruptured bladder, ruptured uterine artery in mares). It can be very difficult in the early stages to distinguish the mild from the potentially fatal. Therefore, colic should always be considered to…
Details
Wolf teeth are technically known as the first premolar teeth in horses. They usually erupt into the mouth at between five and twelve months of age, but do not continue to grow or erupt into the mouth as do the rest of the cheek teeth. It has been estimated that approximately seventy percent of horses…
Details
There are a number of conditions of the hind leg in the horse that cause very specific, atypical type lameness and gait abnormalities. These include stringhalt, shivers, upward patella fixation, fibrotic myopathy and rupture of the peroneus tertius muscle. Dave Kruger outlines each of these medical conditions and what to look out for below. STRINGHALT…
Details
The transportation of horse to events in NZ (such as HOY) is commonplace but in saying that it needs to be managed to maximise athletic performance, and minimise the risk of any negative impact on horse health. After all it is a long expensive and disappointing trip to an event to have your horse perform…
Details
Vaccination provides your horse important protection against some of the more serious and potentially life-threatening diseases that can occur. They act to stimulate the body’s natural response to a disease, allowing a rapid and effective response if that disease is encountered later in life. This can be the difference between severe clinical disease and a…
Details
Stomach ulcers (gastric ulcers) are a hot topic! Stomach ulceration is a somewhat confusing syndrome – the syndrome can have a multitude of clinical signs, ranging from very subtle performance issues, or picky eating, to weight loss and colic. There is also a multitude of products on the market which claim to help with ulcers,…
Details
Selenium supplementation is a very topical issue for all horse owners. An essential component in all diets, Selenium plays a vital role in a horse’s metabolism. Together with Vitamin E it is a powerful antioxidant, protecting their cells from damage. The soil in NZ is naturally very low in Selenium, as a result, so are…
Details
Is your horse moving like its drunk, trembling, falling over, behaving abnormally, or easily spooked? If any of these symptoms sound familiar, your horse may have rye-grass staggers. Rye-grass staggers is a neurological condition caused by toxins in rye grass affecting the central nervous system. Symptoms – Horses with staggers can show a wide array…
Details
Most pregnant mares should be in or approaching their last trimester. Although the vast majority of mares have uneventful pregnancies, abortion during the last few months can occur. Besides twin pregnancies the major cause of abortion is Equine Herpes Virus I. This is one of the common Herpes viruses responsible for the ubiquitous common cold…
Details