EQUINE NEWSLETTER AUTUMN ‘09
Welcome to the autumn edition of our practice newsletter.
It is the first of a new series of a quarterly issued information
leaflet, sent out to our equine clients.
This issue will re-familiarise you with our equine team and
the facilities we have on offer for you to maintain the health
and quality of life of our beloved horsy friends.
In addition some advice regarding the all too common mud
fever and a few updates relevant to the equine population.
THE EQUINE TEAM AND SERVICES
Our frontline Equine vets are, as many of you know, John
Robertson (now part-time), Mary Jo Anderson and since the
summer Heleen Braam has joined the team. All of the other
vets are equally trained to assist you and your horse at busy
periods or in out-of-hours situations. A shortlist of services
we have on offer for our equine clients is as follows:

Vaccination

Microchipping

Dentistry

Lameness work-up

Ambulatory radiography (x-rays)

Wound management

Tendon scanning

Pre-purchase examinations (‘Vettings’)

Reproduction guidance

Ophthalmology (specialist consultant)

Mare and foal assistance

Gastroscopy

Laboratory facilities

24/7 Emergency service

Member of the Joint Measurement Board
To find out a bit more about all members of staff and our
general services, we are currently working hard to get our
brand new website finished. You will find us soon at
www.moraycoastvets.co.uk
WORMING REMINDER
Often we are asked when is the best time to worm and with
what product…there is no straight answer!
Horses lead different lifestyles, from ‘Eventers’ on busy
yards to Shetland ponies in the back garden. In many cases
worming may not be necessary – a Faecal Worm Egg Count
(FWEC) is a straightforward measure to see whether
worming is appropriate.
As we find it highly important to control our horses’ worm
population correctly, we offer a competitive deal on the
FWECs. Currently our FWECs cost £10.00 each with the 4th
count FREE
The next time you’re considering worming, give us a call first
to discuss a personalised worming programme for your
horse.
Despite all that, tapeworms are not easily detected in faecal
worm egg counts; therefore we advise a routine twice yearly
treatment.
Remember: some wormers require a double dose to treat
for tapeworms!
legislation regarding compulsory microchipping of
foals born on and after 1st July ’09 and all adult horses
not previously correctly issued with a passport. Foals
must be chipped within 6 months of birth or by 31st
December of the year of birth – whatever date is
latest. This is an addition to the now familiar equine
passports and the reason behind it is to add to the
traceability of all equids, including donkeys and
mules; to minimise the risks of certain animals
entering the human food chain. It is hoped alongside
the traceability issue, it will help tracing stolen horses
as well as disease surveillance.
Further information is available from the DEFRA
website (www.defra.gov.uk).
SPECIAL OFFER: 1/2 PRICE VISIT FEE!
For a limited period only we are offering the
following: a half price visit fee for your horse to be
vaccinated and/or microchipped when combined with
a dental done at the same time.
So, get organised as this offer runs until the end of
this year!
Please contact our receptionists for further details,
that’s on our Forres number: 01309 672243
EQUINE CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE
Along with this newsletter you will find a
questionnaire relevant to our equine clients.
As your opinion matters to us, we would like you to
complete and return this questionnaire so that we
know what your thoughts are and how we can help
you and your horse with our services.
As a gesture of appreciation for your efforts we will
offer a FREE Faecal Worm Egg Count (see also under
‘Worming reminder’) in return.
Please sit down a few minutes to fill in the
questionnaire and send it back to our Forres surgery
or drop it of (and some fresh, uncontaminated horse
faeces) at any of the branch surgeries. Thanks again
for your time!
NEWS UPDATE
Some of you may have read
in the press over recent
months, the imminent new
For all your horse-related questions please phone our Forres branch on: 01309 672243
‘TIS THE SEASON FOR … MUD FEVER!
aim to avoid situations leading to prolonged wetting
of limbs.
Sad but true. Here is some information on this very common
condition and some tips for dealing with it.
A widely seen and potentially very painful and costly
condition seen all year round for some but more commonly
it starts to flare up at this time, right through winter and
spring.
Mud fever (‘cracked heels’, ‘grease heel’) is caused by the
bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis which lives in the soil,
able to survive for several years and takes any given
opportunity to invade the skin. This can happen if the
natural barrier formed by the skin becomes comprised by:
 Constant wetting
 Dry cracked skin from frequent wet-dry cycles
 Cuts/abrasions
 Bandaging of wet legs
The same bacterium is responsible for rain scald which
affects the back and croup.
Infection is usually seen around the coronet, pastern and
fetlocks; white hairs are more prone, as are those with a lot
of feathering. At first it can be recognised by the formation
of scabs in the affected area but more severe infections will
ooze serum, cause swelling up the leg and be very painful to
touch.
There are numbers of tried and tested ways to manage mud
fever, with no set rules it is generally what works best for
you, however there are few pointers to help:
 Keep the legs clean and dry, thereby removing the
cause. No matter how good the treatment, nothing
will work unless the skin is clean and dry
 Remove scabs. No cream will penetrate scabs and
bacteria will be in abundance beneath them. Take
great care though as this will not only be an
uncomfortable process for the horse, further damage
could occur to the skin below. The skin and scabs can
be softened in a number of ways:

Apply an Animalintex™ poultice for 24hrs

Apply a generous amount of emollient
cream such as Sudocream™, then lightly
wrap in clingfilm, covered by a stable
bandage for up to 3 days.
 Be prepared that this process may need to be
repeated more than once to fully remove the scabs
 The more severe cases may require sedation for scab
removal
 Hair should be clipped from affected areas to allow
the skin to breathe
 Use of Hibiscrub™ after scab removal, if left to soak
for up to 10 minutes will provide antibacterial activity
and therefore reducing the bacteria available to cause
secondary infection
 Use an antibacterial cream, for example Flamazine™
cream (stocked by us), over the entire area once the
scabs are removed and the skin is cleaned
 Apply a barrier cream, e.g. Veterinus Derma gel™
(also stocked by us), before turn out, however wash
this off thoroughly when brought in and allow the skin
to dry
This newsletter has been sent to our equine clients
who have been visited by one of our vets in the last 18
months. If the information we have is out of date or
you would prefer not to receive newsletters please
either ring reception or e-mail:
adminforres@moraycoastvets.co.uk Many thanks.
MCVG CONSULTATION TIMES
(By Appointment)
FORRES
Greshop Industrial Estate
01309 672243
Mon-Fri
9am - 6.30pm
Sat
9am - 12pm
NAIRN
St Ninian Rd
01667 453161
Mon-Fri
Sat
LOSSIEMOUTH
68 Queen St
01343 815335
Mon
9am - 6.30pm
12.30pm – 2.00pm
Tue
Wed
Thursday
Fri
10.30am - 11.30am
5pm - 6.30pm
1pm - 2pm
4pm – 6.30pm
5pm – 6.30pm
3pm - 4.30pm
BALLOCH
Culloden Rd
01463 794224
Mon/Wed/Fri
Tue/Thu
2pm - 3pm
5pm - 7pm
If the affected limb is swollen, painful to touch or oozing
serum or pus then systemic antibiotics will be required so
please contact us for a visit.
Prevention better than cure … If your horse is prone or your
fields are particularly muddy, consider using a barrier cream
preventatively before the skin’s defences are comprised and
For all your horse-related questions please phone our Forres branch on: 01309 672243