Autumn 2009 TCEH Newsletter
20 Year Anniversary Open Day
 We would like to invite our clients and friends to an open day on Saturday 19th September 2009 from 11am to 4pm to celebrate the practice’s twenty year anniversary and to raise money for The Injured Jockeys Fund. We really hope you’ll be able to come and join us for what we plan to be an informative and entertaining day with a bit of something for everyone. There will be no charge for admission but we hope you will purchase a raffle ticket, or just simply make a donation, with all proceeds going to the IJF.
Our star guest will be the 2009 Grand National winner Mon Mome.
Special thanks go to his trainer Venetia Williams and owner Mrs Bingham for allowing us to have him on the afternoon. Also attending will be his winning jockey Liam Treadwell, so don’t forget to bring your camera!
Arena activity
In the arena equine osteopath Liz Launder will be giving a practical presentation using horses with performance problems, including jumping and flat work. Top dressage rider David Pincus will be bringing along one of his advanced horses for a demonstration of working the horse in for, and then performing a Grand Prix test. His daughter Lucy will be also working one of her ponies and wife Serena will be commentating and discussing aspects of training.
Veterinary Talks
There will be plenty of opportunity to look around the practice including our brand new radiography and scintigraphy suites and the ever popular operating theatre. We will be holding talks in these areas, and also in the treatment rooms, laboratory, stables and conference room. Many of the TCEH staff will be on hand to answer your questions and show you round and we will be handing out a list on your arrival of all that’s going on, along with a map of the practice. These will also be available on this website prior to the day.
Nutritionist
Dr. Teresa Hollands is a qualified nutritionist who works for Dodson & Horrell and who also lectures to veterinary students at the University of Nottingham. She will be showing us how to fat score and we will be using Mark Georgetti’s Shetland pony Teddy for a “guess the weight” competition. Teresa will also hold a feeding clinic so don’t forget to bring information on the amount and type of feeds you use, and the weight of your horse.
A forage analysis form from Dodson & Horrell is available to download at the end of this article as they will be offering discounted analysis rates for people attending on the day.
Master saddler
Master saddler Michael Burleigh from the Horse Boutique in Kingsland will be bringing along various saddles in different stages of production so you can see exactly how they are made. He will also be available to answer any questions you may have on how to go about fitting a saddle.
Stem cell therapy
Following the success of our client evening in March, we will be available to discuss stem cell therapy for tendon injuries in more detail.
Respiratory disease and vaccinations
Kirsty Sturman from Intervet Schering Plough will be speaking on vaccinations, the diseases they protect against and how research and production of the vaccines is achieved.
Remedial farrier
Resident farrier Alan Bailey will have his forge open and will be making shoes and discussing the importance of a correctly shod horse.
Other attractions
At 3pm there will be a parade of the local foxhounds from the Croome and West Warwickshire Hunt. We also have a Grand Prix dressage simulator for the day which will be free for all to try so make sure you pay close attention to what David and Serena have to say!
Everybody is welcome and we look forward to seeing you on the day. For organisational reasons we need to know numbers so please contact us by 5thSeptember either via email or call the surgery on 01684 591260. Light refreshments will be provided. Fingers crossed the weather will be kind to us!
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Newsletter
Congratulations to Mark and Fiona on the arrival of their second daughter, Isabel, on 5th July 2009. Mother and baby are doing well and Isabel has already been spotted at the surgery, apparently she’s starting early!
Zone Visits
Don’t forget you can make a saving with our half price visit fees:
- Locate which day we are in your horse’s area by consulting the map or asking reception
- Book your call with reception by 4pm the day before
- Allocated time and veterinary surgeon is to be of our choosing
- Should you require a specific veterinary surgeon, or if you have any time restraints then our normal call out charges will apply.
Passport and microchip reminder
From 1st August 2009 new DEFRA rules mean that microchips are mandatory for all horses, both foals and adults, applying for a passport. The microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, is injected by a veterinary surgeon into the horse’s neck just below the crest in a simple and almost painless procedure. Once placed it provides lifelong virtually tamper-proof identification of the animal.
It is an offence to have an unpassported horse and the law states that owners must carry passports when transporting horses, and at other times must be able to produce a passport within three hours. Please make sure you have yours available whenever we visit your horse, or if you are attending surgery at any time.
The Veteran Horse
As the end of the summer approaches it is important to assess the condition of older horses and ponies before the winter. Body condition scoring is a good method for assessing overall condition. It is also useful to measure your horse’s weight on a monthly basis, commercially available weight tapes provide a good estimate. Elderly horses often suffer from weight loss leading to muscular weakness, poor thermoregulation, and in severe cases internal organ damage. In contrast overweight animals put excess strain on their joints, have large quantities of internal fat around their organs and are more susceptible to colic caused by fatty lumps known as pedunculated lipomas.
Veterans may require additional hard feed to supplement their grazing and forage especially during the winter and if your horse has difficulty maintaining weight it may be useful to choose a high fat diet or add vegetable oil to the ration to increase the energy density. Providing shelter and good rugs during bad weather is particularly important for thin horses who feel the cold due to reduced fat insulation and helps them conserve valuable energy.
Weight loss
Weight loss is common amongst elderly horses, the causes are numerous but the most common is insufficient food intake, either because inadequate good quality food is available, or because the horse is unable or unwilling to eat enough calories often as a result of dental problems.
Investigation of weight loss is likely to include a clinical examination and dental check initially. We may then suggest proceeding to blood tests to investigate organ function including checking for liver damage. The worm burden should be checked through a faecal worm egg count (which we can carry out in our in-house laboratory), and the worming programme addressed if necessary.
As horses age their gut may become less efficient at absorbing nutrients, this is known as malabsorption and can be assessed through a simple glucose absorption test. Liver disease also occurs with increasing frequency in older horses, it causes many signs including lethargy, jaundice, dermatitis of non-pigmented skin and weight loss. Other tests include abdominal ultrasound imaging, internal examination and liver biopsy.
Treatment depends on the cause of the weight loss but is likely to involve dietary modification to provide energy dense food. Where dental problems are causing difficulty eating a no long fibre diet may be required in which fibre is supplied as chaff and high fibre or grass nuts instead of hay and haylage. Some cases of malabsorption can be treated with corticosteriods, we will advise you on your horse’s particular case.
Cushing’s Disease
Cushing’s disease is a common condition of older horses caused by a small benign tumour of the pituitary gland in the brain. Endocrine and cortisol levels are affected and cause a diverse range of signs, the most serious of which is laminitis. Other symptoms include a long curly coat which is not shed in the summer, excessive sweating, lethargy, a loss of muscle especially over the topline, a pot bellied appearance and increased drinking and urination.
Diagnosis is often possible based on the clinical signs alone. There are a number of blood tests, including measuring ACTH levels, which can confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment may not be necessary in mild cases, but should be instigated where the side effects are causing problems for the horse. Several medical treatments are available including pergolide, cyproheptadine and trilostane, we will advise you on the best options for your horse. Simple measures such as regular clipping, including during the summer, to reduce sweating will make the horse more comfortable.
Accounts line
A reminder for anyone who is calling in regarding an accounts query, account payment or insurance issue to use our accounts line, 01684 591260. This means the main surgery number is kept free for emergency calls.
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