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Welcome to the Summer edition of the equine newsletter. In this issue read about the importance of dental care and we are pleased to offer you some great offers on microchips and vaccines. Ragwort is abundant at this time of year and posses a real threat to your horse’s health, see page 4 for details.
 

Wormer Prices:
- EQUEST PRAMOX. Complete protection against all common worms including tapeworms. £16.22
- EQUEST. Active against common roundworms and encysted larvae. £10.35
- NOROMECTIN. Treats common roundworms. £6.72
Call for further advice. Prices include V.A.T


 

New Legislation: All Foals to be Microchipped as of 1st July 2009

From 1st July all foals will have to be microchipped by the time they are 6 months old. In addition any new passport application will require that the horse or donkey is microchipped. Microchips are the most reliable and tamper-proof method of identification, the best means of authenticating horse passports and of ensuring the accuracy and success of the National Equine Database. Placing a microchip is quick and simple. Typically they are placed midneck below the mane. Very occasionally some bruising and swelling may develop but in these cases quickly subsides. If your horse has long hair typically the insertion site is clipped and cleaned prior to inserting the chip.
 

Tracer microchip. 15th to 30th June inclusive - £12 excluding call out (normally £24).


 

Equine Dental Care

The horse of today is far removed from its original habitat. Horses in their natural environment would typically spend most of the day grazing poor quality tough forage. This almost constant grinding of the teeth would pre-vent some of the most common overgrowths we see and treat today. Domestication has placed very different demands on the horse and dental disease is increasingly recognised as a consequence.

RASP/FLOAT: the action of correcting any dental defects. Sometimes also referred to as dental reduction or equilibration.

HOOK: sharp protrusions that develop on teeth when an overbite, underbite or other dental deformity causes an imperfect meeting of the top and bottom arcades. Most common on the upper first cheek tooth and lower last molar.

STEP MOUTH: a cheek tooth row with one molar that has grown unopposed so it protrudes above the rest of the arcade. A gap in the op-posite molar lineup usually initiates the abnormality.

WAVE MOUTH: a severely restricting abnormality that occurs when two or more teeth in an arcade are high, creating a series of ascending and descending grinding surfaces.

SHEAR MOUTH: a dental configuration in which the molars’ grinding surfaces are worn at a sharp 60 to 75 degree angle. Normally the angle is 15 degrees.
 

Rasp/Float teeth including sedation £56.10 Inc. VAT.


 

National Vaccination Month

Restore your horse's protection against disease

During National Vaccination Month 2009, horse owners can obtain discounted vaccinations against some of the most dangerous equine diseases. The offer includes a free second dose of tetanus vaccine (with or without flu), plus a free wormer (Vectin). Horses must be over 12 months of age, and be unvaccinated or overdue for an annual booster by at least 3 months.
Neither the visit fee, nor the third dose of flu vaccine, if required, is included.
Print your voucher online to claim your free vaccination www.vaccinationmonth.com

Equine Influenza

'Flu in horses is a highly infectious viral disease which affects the respiratory tract including the windpipe and lungs. Widespread throughout the horse population, the virus is transmitted by direct horse-to-horse contact and indirect contact via contami-nated people, tack, feed and equipment. Signs of 'flu include a dry, harsh cough, fever, nasal discharge and lethargy. Following a bout of 'flu, horses need complete rest for at least 6 weeks. Equine 'flu is not contagious to humans.

Tetanus

Tetanus is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetanii which can be found in soil and horse droppings. Although most animals can be affected horses are particularly susceptible. The bacteria enter the body through wounds and punctures of the sole of the foot are common routes of infection. Horses will develop muscle stiffness resulting in a "rocking-horse" stance and "lock-jaw". Unfortunately this condition is usually fatal.


 

Ragwort

Ragwort is ubiquitous on unimproved pastures and wasteland in Britain. Plants are 0.5 to 1.0m high and have dark green leaves which are deeply dissected with ragged edges. Ragwort flowers from June to October with large flat topped heads of yellow flowers. Two other species of the genus Senecio may also cause poisoning in Britain, marsh ragwort (S aquaticus) and groundsel (S vulgaris).

Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is the most common and economically important cause of poisoning by plants in Britain. The most common clinical signs are of chronic liver disease, although acute liver disease can occur. This progresses to cirrhosis and death.

Why is it poisonous?

Active ingredients are pyrrolizidine alkaloids which survive drying and are therefore active in hay and silage. They are thought to be transformed by the liver to toxic pyrrole derivatives which inhibit liver cell replication. Mature plants are not palatable and are usually avoided by grazing animals. However, ragwort may be ingested in spring when the plant is just emerging or if fed in conserved fodder.

Symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea, constipation and straining
• Drunken like behaviour
• Incoordination
• Yawning
• Head pressing
• Apparent blindness
• Collapse, coma, death
• Jaundice (not always)

Treatment

There is no specific treatment. When animals show severe symptoms euthanasia is the most humane course of action. Supportive treatment for liver disease includes:

• Antibiotics
• Vitamin/mineral supplementation - particularly B vitamins
• Provision of an easily digestible source of carbohydrate

Control

Ragwort is included as an injurious weed in the Weeds Act 1959, and landowners can be required to prevent spread of the plant. The plant can be controlled by hand removal of plants before seed production or by application of herbicides. Animals should not be allowed on to recently sprayed pasture as the palatability of wilted plants is greater than fresh plants.