Loch Leven Equine Practice

News:

Nominations are open for the 2010 Petplan Equine Vet of the Year

The search is on for the 2010 Petplan Equine Vet of the Year and UK horse owners are invited to make their nominations. Last year we were delighted to announce that Jen had been nominated for the award, which was awarded to Pete's old collegue, Gil Riley, from Pool House Veterinary Hospital in Lichfield, Staffordshire. Gil was nominated by more than 100 of his clients!

If you feel you would like to nominate your favourite vet then nominations can be made online until 3rd October at www.petplanequine.co.uk/vetawards

Its a boy!

Hugh and Liz are delighted to announce the safe arrival of Euan Angus Somerville on 10th June. Gorgeous Euan was born at PRI and is a younger brother for Archie, who will be three in September. Liz, Euan and Hugh are all doing very well.

While Liz has her hands full at home we are also thrilled to report that following his successful operations Hugh has returned to work and is back on the road working alongside the newest addition to our team, Lauren Wert BVSc MRCVS. Lauren graduated from Glasgow this year and has taken a three month placement at the practice.

Work has begun on a new vaccine

Although African Horse Sickness (AHS) has not reached the UK the arrival of Bluetongue in 2007 put the equine industry on red alert as the diseases are carried by the same vectors (insects carrying the disease).

A vaccine has been developed in Africa, but it contains a live strain of the disease and therefore is deemed too risky to use on previously unexposed horses.

Defra has announced that it is funding a three year project, £190,000 per year, to develop a safe and effective vaccine. The Institute for Animal Health in Pirbright, Surrey, is poised to start work on the vaccine, led by Professor Peter Mertens, head of the vector-borne diseases programme.
Nine different vaccines will be made for the nine AHS variants, which will then be produced for the mass market at an affordable price. Long term it may be possible to produce one vaccine for all nine strains.
AHS is the most devastating equine disease in the world and kills around 90% of the horses it infects, leaving crippling impacts on communities, especially where working equids are an integral part of surviving. For more information on AHS go to www.defra.gov.uk

Goodbye and Good luck!

With Hugh back on the road again temporary locum vet Jess Dicks BVSc MRCVS has gone to exciting pastures new and is heading off to work in Mongolia assisting with the Mongol Derby which takes place in August. We wish Jess every success both with her travelling and career and can't wait to hear about her experiences in Mongolia!

Out of Hours Calls

If you have an emergency then please do not text the out of hours phone. This phone is usually kept in the office on divert so we can not guarantee that your text message will be picked up straight away. If you need any of our vets outside of office hours then please call our usual number – 07789 684245 so we can be sure that we receive your call.

UK Declared Clear of EIA

Quarantine regulations have now been lifted from the Wiltshire yard after all 50 horses have been cleared of carrying Equine Infectious Anaemia (Swamp Fever).

Two horses were destroyed and a further 50 put into isolation following the outbreak in horses travelling from Romania, through Belgium. After three sets of tests taken at 30-day intervals, the premises have been declared free of the disease by Defra.

A busy weekend for everyone!

Loch Leven Equine Practice have had a busy weekend providing the on call service for Central Scotland Horse Trials at Scone Palace and the Balcormo Mains Point to Point in Fife.

While Pete was getting a sun tan in Fife on the Saturday, Jen and Hugh braved the rain in Perth on Saturday and Sunday.

We were delighted to sponsor the Open Novice Section L at the horse trials which was won by Sara Dudgeon riding Turbo Toy, “The day has been great and really good fun” said a delighted Sara, “It’s raining and slippery but Turbo Toy handled the ground well. We haven’t had the easiest of starts this year so it’s great to come and get some confidence back. Thank you to the vets for sponsoring the class.”

Liz was on-hand to present Edinburgh based Sara her rosette while Hugh and Jen were busy out and about on the course.

Breeding talk a huge hit

Jen Lugton took to the stage to present a fantastic informative talk about 'Breeding from your mare - your options'. Attendees to the talk were greeted with free wine and refreshments, which included some of Patty's famous cake!

We were delighted to see some new as well as familiar faces at the talk which took place on Wednesday 17th March at Cleish Village Hall. Janet Croft was the lucky winner of the free raffle and took home a Loch Leven First Aid Kit.

"A fantastic evening was had by everyone and Jen did a fabulous job of presenting the talk. We hope that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the night" said Liz Somerville.

For more information on LLEP Stud Services click here.

Jen nominated for 'Vet of the Year'

Congratulations to Jen Lugton who was nominated for 'Vet of the Year' for Petplan Veterinary Awards 2010. Known as the Oscars of the Veterinary world' this is a highly regarded award and just to be nominated is a fantastic acheivment. The Petplan Veterinary Awards ceremony takes place on 8th April and winner will be announced then.

LLEP Stud Services launched

We are delighted to announce that, under the umbrella name of LLEP Stud Services, we have expanded the reproduction aspect of the practice and now offer an even broader range of services or your mare and foal.

All of our vets are highly experienced in reproduction work and are ably assisted by our qualified Veterinary Nurse, who is a qualified AI technician. For more information click here

In-house Worm Egg Counts now available

Faecal worm egg counts are now available in-practice for just £9.50 including VAT.
Having faecal worm egg counts done can avoid unnessacary worming, saving you money on wormers and helping to prevent resistance. Simply gather your sample (no more than a golf ball size) in a sealable sandwhich bag, or similar, and either post it to the practice or give it to the vets at the time of visit. Remember to take samples from different areas of the dropping.

As always we aim to provide an excellent service and you will get the results within 24 hours of the practice recieving the sample (on working days). As with all faecal worm egg counts it can’t identify tapeworms - this still needs to be done in separate blood test.

Controlling the worm burden in your horse is an essential part of your yearly management programme and a faecal sample is an excellent non intrusive way of assessing the levels of common worms in your horse.

Worm egg counts of 50-100 per gram need not necessarily be treated, as some level of worm infestation is thought to enhance natural immunity. A worm burden can lead to lack of performance, weight loss, colic, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, anaemia, dullness and respiratory problems.

With the growing threat of resistance to wormers owners are being asked to routinely use faecal egg counts to ensure that only those horses that need worming are treated. It is also important to treat your horse with the corect wormer at the correct does as underdosing is another factor for building resistance.

Equine Infectious Anaemia update

Following the confirmed cases of two horses in Wiltshire that tested positive to Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA), following importation from Romania via Belgium, it has since been reported that no other horses have tested positive.

DEFRA is assuring worried horse owners that it has traced all equines that came into contact with the horses with swamp fever in Wiltshire.

EIA is spread by biting flies and so is unlikely to be spread at this time of year and with the current weather, therefore we are asking our clients not to panic.

More information may be available on this outbreak via the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk.

Further information on EIA (including a link to further Q&A material) is available at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/eia/index.htm

Over weight horses - a welfare issue

Those of you who attended our Too Fat - Too Thin talk will already know the implications of overweight horses and no doubt will have taken home your information pack and free DVD provided. The British Equine Veterinary Association have recently reported that "At present, the country is facing an epidemic of overweight animals, and this includes horses and ponies. Despite the economic downturn, some people are still significantly overfeeding their horses and ponies, and ironically, leading to welfare issues."

A recent survey conducted by World Horse Welfare suggests that nearly half of the horses and ponies in the UK are overweight or obese. The effects of too much weight are emormous and include laminitis, arthritis, heart and lung disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome and insulin resistance.

Is your horse the right weight? For an excellent guide click here

FEI Ruling causes uproar

Following world wide uproar the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has quickly backtracked on the new ruling which will allow previously prohibited substances to be used in competition.

The new Equine Prohibited Substance List — which will allow bute, aspirin and flunixin, along with several other equine drugs to be used in competition will now come into effect on 5th April 2010.
The FEI has been under attack since announcing the rules changes at the end of November.

Low levels of dichloreacetate (lactanase), isoxuprine (vasodilator), acetycysteine (mucolytic) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) Phenylbutazone or bute, Salicyclic acid or aspirin and Flunixin are now going to be allowed in competitions under the new ruling.

A petition has been set up on line, forcing the FEI to re-think their decision. To sign the petition go to: http://www.no-fei.com/

Respiratory talk a great success

Loch Leven Equine Practice were delighted to welcome renowned equine vet Bob Ordidge BVSc, Cert ES(Orth), MRCVS (centre), to present an interesting talk on respiratory problems in the horse on Friday 13th November at the Dewars Centre, Perth.

The informative talk covered conditions in both the upper and lower respiratory tract, and spectators were treated to some video footage taken by an Optomed Dynamic Respiratory Endoscope. Bob founded his own equine practice, Rainbow Equine Clinic, in Malton North Yorkshire, and is highly regarded for his work in respiratory surgery and orthopaedics.

Loch Leven Equine Practice Manager, Liz Somerville said, “An excellent night was had by all. We are very grateful to Bob for giving up his spare time to talk to us, to Intervet-Schering Plough and Norbrook for their backing and to all of our clients for their continued support and loyalty to the practice. Our talks are part of our ongoing client education programme which is so vital in keeping our horses and ponies, fit, healthy and happy!”

Loch Leven Equine Practice First Aid kits

Everything you need in an emergency!

Whilst we all hope that we don’t ever need a first aid kit, it is better to be prepared for that emergency situation rather than wishing you had bothered after its too late.

LLEP first aid kits include: Steri-Protect Poultice, Cotton wool, Vetrap x2, Hibiscrub 500ml, Citrugel, Melonin x2, Soffban, thermometer and useful wipe clean storage bag. Also includes a First Aid information sheet full of easy to follow points and advice in case of an emergency situation.

For only £30 can you afford not to have one? Call the office to order yours today.

Join our NEW Healthy Horse Club

Join our new Healthy Horse Club and provide your horse with comprehensive veterinary care throughout the year, whilst budgeting your finances and saving money as well!!

What is the Healthy Horse Club?
Here at Loch Leven Equine Practice we believe that a healthy horse goes a long way to being a happy horse and we know that you do too. Our Healthy Horse Club is specifically designed to provide your horse with all of the essential routine veterinary care that they need throughout the whole year, to give you peace of mind when it comes to your horse’s wellbeing.

By joining the Healthy Horse Club you can ensure that your horse receives his annual vaccinations, dental rasp and ‘general MOT’ in the safe hands of the Loch Leven vets, whilst spreading the cost out over the year and saving you money.

We have put together an all inclusive plan which covers annual vaccinations, routine dental work, a detailed health check, a blood sample and a faecal worm egg count complete with a personalised worming programme.The health check will include a trot up and flexion tests, examination of the skin, eyes, heart, teeth and discussion about weight, feeding and foot balance.

The visit will also give you the opportunity to discuss any health worries and provide you with reassurance that your horse or pony is still in great shape for his job. At the visit the vets will also take a blood sample, which will be sent off for analysis, and ask for a faecal sample to check for worms.

Just as importantly we wanted to put together a plan which allowed you to budget effectively for your horse’s care – we all know there can be unexpected veterinary bills but by offering quarterly payments we hope this will let you plan for all of your routine treatment throughout the year.

How much is it?
The total price per year is just: £180, making you an initial saving of £37 per year.

Price per Quarter £45
This works out at just 49p per day.

How do I join?
Simply call Liz or Patty in the office and they will send out your joing form and payment plan. After your first payment has been recieved we will then arrange for your first aid kit to be delivered, and you can make an appointment for your horse any time after that.

Join now and save even more money!
Join the club now and receive a Loch Leven First Aid kit absolutely FREE.
That’s a total saving of £67!!!

Club Rules!
The boring bit! There is no initial joining fee. Payments for the plan are quarterly (£45), all treatments will only be given after the first quarterly payment has been taken. Clients must agree to sign a 12 month payment plan. The first aid kits will be delivered after the first payment has been received. Joining is at our discretion. The plan includes one visit fee per year. Appointments for the vaccination, dental rasp and health check to be made in advance and taken in normal working hours. The club does not affect other work undertaken by Loch Leven Equine Practice.

Call the office and join the club today. A healthy horse is a happy horse.

Dental Clinics

We are now operating dental clinics at the practice every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. Clients will also receive a further 10% off dental work, plus no visit fee - making it a cheaper alternative! Appoinments need to be booked in advance through Patty or Liz.

Practice Standards Scheme

Horse owners always want to ensure their animals recieve the best possible care from their vets, but how can they be sure? The RCVS ensures that all vets are properly qualified and fit to practise but by registering with the voluntary Practice Standards Scheme, practices have to adhere to and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. We decided that to keep improving our service to our clients and give them piece of mind we should register to join the scheme.

We are delighted to say that we have passed our inspection and are now a Tier 1 Accredited Practice. The inspector was extremely complimentary and in his report wrote, “The chairman noted the comments that the Practice was extremely well run and the standards of knowledge and care of equines was second to none. The Inspector wished to thank Mrs Somerville for the time and effort she had spent preparing for the inspection and was particularly grateful for the faultless presentation of the paperwork.”

FREE Condition score
Our qualified vet nurse, Lynsey McKay is available to come to your yard to condition score your horse and help to advise on feeding through out the winter months. This is a free service for all clients. Please contact the office to book your appointment today.