The clinic is experiencing technical difficulties with its appointment booking software today. If you have an appointment today or tomorrow, please confirm with Sam on the office number (03) 52 488 899. Thank you for your understanding.

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Merry Christmas to all loyal and valued clients of Barwon Equine Hospital. It's been a busy year and no less so in the last few weeks! In 2016, we have performed over 1000 mare scans, interpreted over 600 blood tests, x-rayed the joints of over 300 horses, injected over 500 joints, stomach tubed over 300 horses, performed ultrasound examination of around 100 abdomens/eyes/ tendons/chests etc, tapped around 50 abdomens, scoped over 200 airways and attended over 300 ill or injured horses out of hours...to name just a few of the things we routinely do at Barwon Equine. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2017 for both you and your horses!

Cambridge Equine Hospital

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While we never take pleasure in seeing wounds on horses, we are pleased when they heal as well as this one...

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A friendly update to all valued BEH clients of our clinic hours this Christmas period. We will be open as normal on Saturday the 24th December 2016 from 8-11am. Thereafter, an on call veterinarian will be available at all times (for emergencies only) until Wednesday the 28th December 2016 when we resume normal hours of 8am-5pm. If you think you may run out of an ongoing medication during this time e.g. pergolide, please make sure you have made arrangements with the office to restock before Christmas.

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Check out the legs on this kid!! We see foals of all shapes and sizes. This filly didn't get quite enough colostrum and needed some help in the form of plasma to boost her immunity. She's certainly full of energy now!

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Some days you just happen to be in the right place at the right time...On a property for other routine jobs a few weeks ago, this mare decided to foal (uneventfully) early one morning. We couldn't help but watch on.

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This mare presented for a routine reproductive scan. Incidentally, we were asked to examine her for a foul smelling odour from her mouth. After removing a large amount of grass seeds that had accumulated between her gums and teeth, this is what we could see. The ulceration of the gingiva and mucosa (outlined in yellow) had been caused by the sharp, barbed ends of the grass seeds lodging into her gums. This would have been quite painful. It provides a timely reminder at this time of year to check your horse's mouth periodically, remove any such grass seeds and flush the horse's mouth out with water. Other signs that can indicate oral ulceration include increased salivation, decreased appetite, difficulty eating, finding small amounts of uneaten food, saggy/droopy lips and atypical hypersensitivity around the mouth and/or gums when being handled.

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Urticaria ('hives') is a skin condition in which small lumps appear on the skin, sometimes merging to form large, raised plaques of oedema. The horse may also be itchy. Hives can develop on any part of the body but occur mainly on the back, flanks, neck, eyelids, and legs. Hives can develop within minutes to hours of exposure to a causative agent. Most commonly, it results from a hypersensitivity reaction and we see hives regularly in our area during heavy mosquito infestation. Other causes of hives include: sweat, sunlight, heat, exercise, stress, feedstuffs, soaps, vaccines, plants and drugs. Treatment is aimed at eliminating the underlying cause, if possible, along with anti-inflammatory medication to improve comfort levels where necessary. In straightforward cases, hives disappear as rapidly as they arise, often within a few hours.

Volkswagen - Horses laugh [Commercial]

For something light hearted this afternoon!

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ANGULAR LIMB DEFORMITIES (ALD). Most foals do not have straight limbs at birth. In the first few months of life, it is typical for a foal’s limbs to display up to 3 to 5 degrees of deviation. This usually corrects as the foal grows into a yearling and the limb elongates. An ALD is defined as deviation of the limb from a straight, imaginary line running along the long bones of the limb. Diagnosis is based on inspection of the limb from the front when the foal is both standing & walking, manipulation and diagnostic imaging. The need for an early diagnosis cannot be overemphasised enough. Animals present with either a valgus deformity (a lateral/outward deviation of the limb below the location of the deformity) or a varus deformity (medial/inward deviation). Either type of deviation is usually associated with a certain amount of rotation of the foot. In many cases ALD will resolve early on with confinement, for more marked ALD however, with time the bone will adapt to abnormal loading with asymmetrical bone growth. This can result in a permanent deformity if untreated. Treatment options vary depending on the severity of the deformity. The timing of any treatment is a most important consideration, as growth plates close at different times in different joints. Broadly, treatment falls into 2 categories: non-surgical (e.g. confinement, corrective farriery) or surgical (stripping, screws, bridges). For further information, please contact one of the vets at the clinic.

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