Coughs and colds
Coughs and colds Viral respiratory disease is a major cause of poor performance in horses. Most equine coughs and colds in New Zealand are caused by viral respiratory infections, of which the most common is equine herpes virus. Outbreaks are common in groups of young horses that are kept in close proximity and the infection […]
Stomach ulcers
Stomach ulcers Stomach ulcers, also called gastric ulcers, in horses are quite common. The current estimate of prevalence is 90% in racehorses, 50% in foals, and 37-66% in sport and leisure horses. A portion of horses don’t show obvious symptoms at all, while others do, and sometimes owners don’t recognise the signs until after their horse […]
Looking ahead
Potential animal health issues, tasks to consider and reminders for this month include…
Colic
Colic The word colic simply refers to the presence of abdominal pain. There are a multitude of colic causes and a spectrum of severity associated with these. The signs of colic are often vague and non-specific, but the more common things to watch out for include: Dullness or depression Disinterest in feed (inappetence) Laying down […]
Caring for the newborn foal
Caring for the newborn foal It is important to recognise normal behaviour in your foal so that you can identify problems early on and call us if you have any concerns. A healthy foal should: be sitting up on its sternum within a couple of minutes of birth attempt to stand within 30 minutes and […]
Broodmare management
Broodmare management In order to facilitate the management of spring broodmares at the start of the breeding season (1st September for Thoroughbreds), the following checklist is essential. Dry Mares Pre-mating examination to identify problem mares Caslick surgery if required, previous Caslicks may need to be opened before mating Worm treatment Assess body condition Dental examination Consider […]
Broodmare health
Broodmare health Prior to breeding, we recommend ensuring your mare’s general health and reproductive health is optimal, thereby increasing her chances of getting pregnant and delivering a healthy foal next year. While unforeseen problems can always occur, there are a number of procedures that can be performed on your mare to determine her suitability for […]
Internal parasites of alpaca
Internal parasites of alpaca Generally, alpacas are susceptible to internal parasites in much the same way that cattle and sheep are. Alpacas share some internal parasites with both sheep and cattle but not all from either. As a result of this overlap, alpacas run with sheep or cattle pick up more internal parasites than in […]
Feeding your pigs
Feeding your pigs Pigs are efficient converters of feed to liveweight. They have a single stomach very similar to our own, so do not cope very well with bulky fibrous feeds, particularly the younger pigs and lactating sows. Here are a few pointers to get more out of your porkers: Feed them well at weaningThe weaner […]
Dental care of alpaca
Dental care of alpaca In their natural environment, alpacas use their incisors to ‘rasp’ away moss and lichens growing on rocky surfaces and this keeps a check on the rapidly growing incisors. In New Zealand, the diet offered may not cause enough wear of the teeth, so regular dental checks are essential to alpaca health […]