Foot abscesses or "pus in the foot" are one of the most common causes of lameness in horses, ponies and donkeys, particularly during warm, wet weather. They can be very sudden in onset and are usually very painful. Foot abscesses tend to be caused by bacteria tracking up the hoof wall or under the sole through weaknesses in the white line (where th...
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Here's an overview of the recent caninsulin testing for your attention. Please bear in mind that we will not be switching to gel ice packs until January. Getting the conditions right: Each test involved packaging an insulin vial in the temperature controlled envelopes with the varying ice and gel packs. The ice packs were not to come into direct co...
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Equine Grass Sickness: Most horse owners will now be aware of Equine Grass Sickness (EGS). But for those that aren't, Grass Sickness is a disease that results in intestinal paralysis. The clinical signs are dullness, depression, inappetence, colic, patchy sweating, muscle tremors, increased heart rate, dribbling saliva, and decreased faecal output,...
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In light of the recent Equine Herpes Virus (EHV) 1 outbreaks in the UK we have put together a list of steps to help protect your own and other horses from the virus. If your yard is free from disease then it should not stop you going out competing or to events, but be extra vigiliant with biosecurity. What is EHV? Equine Herpes Virus is ubiquitous...
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Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) have recently won a recommendation from the EMA for a marketing authorisation for a new flea and tick treatment. While it will be another addition to our weapons against mass infestation, it has a difference; it is effective for 12 weeks! Bravecto is in tablet form and allows fuss-free administration for most dogs. The...
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A new product has taken a leap closer to joining Advocate and Stronghold in the fight to be called the UK's 'top feline anti-parasitic'. Merial have furthered their leading flea and tick treatments 'Frontline' and 'Frontline Combo' and taken things not one, but two steps further . In order to beat products currently seen as 'the best', Merial had t...
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This final post in our Pet Diabetes Month blogs will outline potential difficulties and conditions linked to diabetes to round off your overview of the condition. Complications with treating diabetic animals As explained in Part 3, controlling blood glucose level is difficult and it is safer to be on the higher side of normal. While the aim is to m...
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The health of a diabetic pet is determined by appropriate medical treatment and an informed, dedicated owner. This is the third post for Pet Diabetes Month, and the time has come to focus on what needs to be done to ensure diabetic pets lead healthy and normal lives with their families. The main aim with managing diabetes is to reduce the risk of d...
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This is the second of four posts aiming to increase understanding and awareness of diabetes in pets. Last week's post set the background to diabetes and will hopefully have given you a basic understanding of what causes the disorder. Spotting diabetes early is vital if you want to prevent the long-term damage that high blood sugar levels will cause...
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November is Pet Diabetes Month and this year we will be working together with MSD to raise awareness amongst animal owners. We want to help more people understand what goes wrong in pets suffering from diabetes, what to look out for, how it's treated and other complications that can go hand-in-hand with the disease. Because diabetes is such a big t...
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