Newsletter

WINTER NEWSLETTER 2019/2020

Microchipping Law October 2020

Did you know that by law all horses, ponies and donkeys must have a microchip by October 2020?  This new law is to help prevent abuse and improve welfare by discouraging horses being fly-grazed or dumped.

Horses, ponies and donkeys passported since 2009 will already be microchipped as this became a requirement when they are passported, however many older animals will not be microchipped and therefore need to be microchipped by October 2020.

Microchipping is a quick and easy procedure and can be done at the same time as other routine healthcare visits such as vaccinations or dental checks to avoid an additional visit.

As of 1st January 2020 we will be offering microchipping at a reduced rate of £25.00.

Date for your Diary!!  Clinic Open Evening

We are holding an open evening at the clinic for our local Pony Clubs on Tuesday 21st January where we will display all our veterinary equipment along with a brief explanation and demonstration of how and when we would use them.

We appreciate some of our clients may find this interesting so would be happy to extend the open evening after the Pony Club have been for any clients who would be interested in coming along. As it is likely to be cold in January the evening will be run for about an hour and we will provide basic refreshments in hot drinks and cakes/biscuits.

Further information and times will be confirmed in December so please keep an eye on our social media pages for further details.

FREE Monitoring & Diagnostic ACTH Lab Fees

There are currently two offers available for FREE lab fees on ACTH blood samples for both the diagnosis and monitoring of Cushings Disease.

The diagnostic test is available for any horse or pony over 10 years of age who has not previously been diagnosed/started treatment for Cushings disease.

The monitoring test is available to all horses and ponies currently on Prascend for Cushings disease and each animal is eligible for one monitoring test per calendar year (the test has to be a minimum of 6 months after their last test).

To claim the offer of free lab fees for your horse you need to register yourself and your horse at www.careaboutcushings.co.uk

Diagnostic tests – you will need to put in your horses details to redeem a code.  We can apply for this code on your behalf.

Monitoring tests – you must enter the date and ACTH level of your horse’s last ACTH blood sample – if you do not know this we can give you this information.  You will then be emailed a code which you give to us so we can redeem the free lab fees.

Clinical signs of Cushings Disease:

Horses and ponies suffering from Cushings Disease may have the following signs:

  • A long, curly coat
  • Laminitis
  • Increased thirst/urination
  • Recurrent infections e.g. foot abscesses
  • Muscle wastage
  • Abnormal fat deposits e.g. pads above eyes
  • Lethargy

For more information on Cushings Disease, and for more details on how to get free lab fees visit http://www.careaboutcushings.co.uk

Prescription Medicines

We appreciate this may be frustrating as it is an added expense for horse owners however unfortunately this is unavoidable.  To help with this we have a reduced fee ‘Prescription Consultation’ for this purpose and any visit by the vet e.g. vaccinations/dentals etc can be classed as a check.  For the same reasons we are unable to hand out prescription only medications (including oral sedation) if we have not seen the horse in the last 6 months.

If your horse, pony or donkey is has been prescribed long term medication such as bute or Prascend they will need to be seen by the vet and examined at least once every 6 months.  This is because in order to legally prescribe and dispense medicines the animal has to be deemed as ‘under our care’ and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons states that in order to be under our care the animal must have been examined within the previous 6 months.

Winter Worming

Don’t forget we advise all horses are given a routine wormer over the winter months regardless of past FWEC results.  For this we recommend you use Equest Pramox to treat for encysted small redworm, tapeworm, other adult worms and bots.