With the equestrian season kicking off in most disciplines, Spring is a good time for your horse to have its annual “warrant of fitness”.
Parasites:
A faecal egg count is a simple way of getting an idea of the parasite load in your horses. Many horses that are drenched at routine intervals probably do not need to be. Faecal egg counting packs are available at each of our clinics and results are generally available on the same day. If an anthelmintic treatment is necessary, it is best to use a combination drench.
Vaccination:
Whilst a number of vaccinations are available and in certain cases desirable for diseases such as Strangles, Equine Herpes Virus and Salmonella, all horses should ideally be vaccinated for Tetanus. The bacterium causing this invariably fatal disease is ubiquitous in the environment and the vaccine provides exceptionally good long-term protection.
Dentistry:
Due to their unique dental make-up with constantly “erupting” teeth, horses should have a dental check annually as a minimum. A thorough equine dental can only be performed using a full mouth speculum, a good light source and most importantly a practitioner with a good understanding of equine dental issues. Our equine vets tick all the boxes and have undergone further training in this area.
Blood selenium level:
Hawkes Bay is generally low in soil selenium and this is reflected in the levels we see in some horses. Low selenium can predispose horses to muscle pain and “tying-up” and adversely affect mare fertility. A blood test is inexpensive and the only way to accurately assess selenium status. Be careful not to give selenium to your horse if you are unsure of its levels – selenium is toxic if too much is given to your horse.
Vet Services Hawke’s Bay offer all of the above services which can be done in a single visit, including a health check.
We offer a range of other services including digital radiography, digital endoscopy, ultrasound, artificial insemination, lameness evaluation, pre purchase examinations and all other general health concerns….
For our Hastings and Napier clients we have excellent facilities available at Arena on Ormond on Ormond Road in Hastings. For our Waipukurau, Dannevirke & Wairarapa clients there are facilities at each clinic.
If you have any concerns please give one of our five dedicated equine vets (Dave Kruger, Richard McKenzie, Mike Fitzgerald, Johnny Atkins and Nicolette Adamson) a call.
