November Large Animal News

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Orange Veterinary Hospital
57 Molong Rd
Orange, NSW, 2800
orangevet@orangevet.com.au
Phone: 02 6361 8388

Problem weeds for horses

At this time of the year we see the emergence of many weeds amongst our pastures, many of which can have negative impacts on horse health. Although most weeds are generally avoided by horses, in tough dry conditions horses may consume weeds. Vet Megan explains why these weeds and horses don't mix.

Paterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum) is a common weed in our area, seen to paint our pastures purple with its flowers in late spring. Unfortunately, this weed is toxic to horses, containing compounds called pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Chronic poisoning from these toxic compounds in horses is the most common effect, resulting from grazing small amounts over time. This leads to damage of the liver and signs such as weight loss, decreased appetite, lethargy and photosensitisation (redness and swelling of the skin) may be seen. Signs may be seen years after grazing pasture with Paterson’s curse. In horses with suspected poisoning, liver function can be assessed by blood testing.

Flatweed (Hypochoeris radicata) may look like a harmless yellow dandelion but unfortunately has been connected to a devastating disease in horses. It is associated with stringhalt - a disease that damages long nerves in the body and commonly affects the hind legs of horses, resulting in sudden uncontrolled exaggerated flexion of one or both legs. Cases in horses range from mild (subtle changes when the horse steps back) to severe (flexion of hind legs so exaggerated that they may hit the belly when moving). Muscle wastage and paralysis of the larynx causing “roaring” may also be seen. Unfortunately the exact toxin in the plant causing this disease is still unknown.

The best way to prevent problems from flatweed and Paterson’s curse is to manage your pastures effectively by timely grazing and weed control. If you suspect they may be in your pasture or are worried your horse may be affected please contact us at the clinic for advice - 63618388.

Well recognised Paterson's Curse and the lesser known Flatweed or false dandelion. Watch out for these in pastures where your horse is grazing.

Contents of this newsletter

01  Tour de Cure - Hills of Orange

02  Managing sheep fertility by scanning

03  Pain relief for on-farm surgical procedures

04  Caring for your older horse

05  Foals with bendy legs

06  Ram management - improve your rams and get the most from your lambs

07  Oestradiol banned on EUCAS accredited farms

01 Tour de Cure - Hills of Orange

These smiles are before the first ride but happily were just as broad at the end of Day 3

Congratulations to our fit trouts Kim Dale and Andrew Denman after their marathon weekend supporting the inaugural Tour de Cure Hills of Orange event.

When not at work Kim and Andrew can often be found in the early hours churning out the kms on a bike ride! The weather conspired to make the ride an epic one - cold, wind, more wind, hills, hills and more hills! Our two intrepid OVH riders were up for the challenge for the 372km, 3 day event.

Event organisers and participants were thrilled with over $100,000 raised - the purpose of Tour de Cure is a world without cancer and all funds raised go to support the doctors and scientists who have dedicated their lives to uncovering a cure.

Great work guys!


	02 Managing sheep fertility by scanning
	Pregnancy scanning of ewes is a tool producers can employ to increase the profitability of their sheep enterprises. Key points: + Cost effective way to identify non-pregnant ewes + Facilitates management decisions- sell/rejoin + Preferential feeding Twins = More Singles/dries = less = Increased profitability + Adequate BCS= ↑lamb survivability= more lambs + Optimum time 90days after the commencement of joining The process involves utilising ultrasound, which is placed on the ewes abdomen and can detect a pregnancy and at the right time the number of lambs she is carrying. The best time for this procedure is around 90 days after the rams are put with the ewes. At this time the scanner can detect the number of lambs inside and also in certain cases determine if they will be an early or "late lamber". After this time the lambs get too big to work out how many there are and much before this 90 days it can be hard to detect the tail end of the pregnancies. Image: Pregnant ewe as seen on the screen of a scanner t can we do with this information? The greatest benefit of this information is how we manage our feed and our ewe body condition score (BCS). By preferentially feeding the twin-bearing ewes we can increase/maintain adequate ewe condition which in turn increases lamb birth weight = Increase in lamb survivability. On the other side of the coin now that we know who the single and dry ewes are we can feed them less, as their requirements are less. For producers with feed shortages, we now can sell our dry ewes either at scanning or after shearing.


	03 Pain relief for on-farm surgical procedures
	Image: This farmer is administering Buccalgesic prior to castration and tail docking As part of the welfare guidelines, there is a statement: “Surgical procedures should be done with pain relief. Operators should seek advice on current pain minimization strategies.” Surgical procedures include castration, dehorning, disbudding, tail docking and mulesing lambs. We can provide advice and sell appropriate pain relief. Here are some options available: Trisolfen + Trisolfen® is a local anaesthetic and antiseptic gel + It has been available for 10 years and has had large uptake with an estimated 73% of mulesed merinos treated + Since initial registration, it has also been shown to be effective for relieving the pain associated with tail docking and castration and is now registered for these procedures + Withhold and Export Slaughter Interval 90 days Buccalgesic OTM + Buccalgesic OTM® is an oral form of meloxicam which is effective for both pain relief and reducing fever caused by infection. Buccalgesic OTM®has recently been approved for tail-docking and castration in sheep + WHP and ESI – 10 day + Buccalgesic OTM is only available through veterinary clinics Metacam + Metacam® has been approved for use in the alleviation of pain and inflammation in sheep. + A single dose of Metacam® via subcutaneous injection on the neck behind the ear provides effective alleviation of pain and inflammation for sheep and lambs over 14-days old. + For use to assist in the control of pain following the dehorning of cattle particularly that following heat cautery dehorning of young cattle Bonus giveaway for all clients buying metacam until stocks run out - a bonus Dy Mark stockmarker.


	04 Caring for your older horse
	Horses and ponies can often live into their thirties or beyond with the right care. If you're lucky enough to own an older horse, here are some key health tips. Maintaining healthy body condition in older horses is very important and can be achieved by supplementing their diet with an energy dense feed. Older horses may eat less and can lose the ability to absorb nutrients efficiently. Caring for an older horse involves maintaining their dental health and ability to eat. Older horses can lose teeth, develop sharp points and grow painful ulcers, which affect their ability to chew and digest. Signs that your horse may have a dental problem include weight loss, dropping feed and foul-smelling breath. Older horses often develop arthritis. Arthritis means painful joints and horses that have had an athletic career are at increased risk. Fortunately, there are many treatments available such as supplements, anti-inflammatory medication and intra-muscular injections which can be extremely helpful in keeping your older animal moving comfortably. Annual veterinary health checks are recommended. We perform a thorough physical examination and blood tests if required to identify horses with liver, kidney, gastrointestinal or hormonal dysfunction, all of which are increasingly common in older horses. In the end, when the sad time comes to make the difficult decision to part with your aged equine friend our caring veterinarians can be there to offer advice regarding euthanasia. If your horse is due for a check-up or you're worried about their health, call us today.


	05 Foals with bendy legs
	This is a happy time of year when many young foals are joining us. However, a thing that is often overlooked, especially in non-racing breeds, is the conformation of their lower legs. Some limb deformities can, if untreated, become permanent disabilities rendering horses unsound for life. Common angular limb deformity (ALD) sites include above the fetlocks and above the carpi (knees). These abnormalities of the bone can cause the leg to angle into or away from the body. Preventing ALD can be difficult in many cases. Feeding foals a balanced diet, and restricting feed intake and exercise during periods of fast growth can be beneficial. Remedial farriery early in life can help, and often resolve, minor ALD. In cases not responsive to conservative management we recommend surgery. This may involve a periosteal elevation (strip) or a trans-physeal screw. These surgeries work by either increasing or decreasing growth on one side of the limb and absolutely need a functional growth plate to work. Strict timeframes apply and performing surgery early gives a much better chance of complete resolution. Fetlocks must receive a strip by one month of age, or a screw by 4.5 months of age. Knees must receive a strip by 3 months, or a screw by 15 months. If you are concerned about the conformation of your young foal please call us to have it assessed by one of our experienced veterinarians. Waiting for them to ‘grow out of it’ is highly discouraged because some of them never will!


	06 Ram management - improve your rams and get the most from your lambs
	Sheep producers with autumn lambing systems should be well into preparation for joining. This involves increasing ewe feed intake so that they are on a rising plain of nutrition prior to joining. The focus of ram nutrition should also be for a rising plain of nutrition. Rams should be checked before mating each season. This is ideally performed early enough to allow rejected rams to be replaced. A good checklist for rams is easily remembered as the Five 'T' Test: 1. Teeth - Broken mouthed rams are culled as they end up in poor condition 2. Tossle - The sheath should be checked for any signs of infection or swelling. Abnormalities may require treatment or in many cases culling. 3. Toes - are a good sign of conformation and lameness. Most lameness will originate in the foot and overgrown toes can be a sign of lameness in the associated limb. 4. Testicles should be palpated to check for abnormalities including lumps, size and symmetry. Lumps in the testicles should raise suspicion of Brucellosis. 5. Torso - Check body condition score – 3/5 is ideal. Fat rams tire quickly, and skinny rams don’t often get the job done. Rams should be included at joining at one ram per fifty ewes, or 2%, as this is the current recommendation for maximum profitability. A higher percentage may be required in maiden ewe mobs as young ewes have a shorter standing heat period and it is easier for the ram to miss a mating.


	07 Oestradiol banned on EUCAS accredited farms
	Australian farmers operating under the EUCAS accreditation have received an official warning about the use of oestradiol (Ciderol / Bomerol) in beef AI synchronisation programs. These products are now banned for use on farms with EUCAS accreditation. Oestradiol is frequently used at the start and end of fixed time AI programs to reset the follicular and induce ovulation in synchrony with the other females in the mob. This allows for consistent and reliable synchronisation of oestrus, and subsequently high conception rates. The move by the EU to ban oestradiol beef synchrony programs comes around 10 years after the EU banned the importation of dairy products that have been treated with oestrogens, including oestradiol. It is important to note that the risk to humans from the use of oestrogens in FTAI programs is negligible. The EU however has banned all classes of Hormone Growth Promotants (HGP). In this instance the dose is so low, and the drug is excreted so quickly, that the effect on growth would be miniscule, if anything. If you are EUCAS accredited, and wish to continue fixed time AI programs, please speak with us about alternative products.


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