Barwon Equine Hospital in Moolap, Victoria, Australia | Veterinary surgeon

Barwon Equine Hospital

Locality: Moolap, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 5248 8899

Address: 8-12 Cooney St 3224 Moolap, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.beh.com.au/

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25.01.2022 To be an equine vet. Part 12. A client's perspective on the young vet. Don't be offended if the client wants a second opinion or looks to the senior vet present with you when you are first introduced to a client. The rapport that develops between a client and a vet is something that develops over time. You will have to earn their respect. Confidence in your opinion will get you a long way (e.g. phraseology 'I would recommend', rather than 'we could'), but be prepared to be a...ble to justify your opinion. This is particularly true if you are working for a client who runs a business, for instance a racing stable, where they may need to justify the cost of diagnostic procedures to an owner. Don't take it personally when the client seems disappointed that they haven't got a more senior vet attending. It does not necessarily mean that they don't have time for you, they may never have even met you before! The client may just have a strong sense of familiarity with other vets, how they carry out exams, how they explain things etc. Remember that from the client's point of view, they are paying the same whomever attends from the clinic, so they want the most experienced. Other times, the client won't appreciate that the clinic has made a conscious decision to send the new graduate, as it is a straightforward job and a good opportunity for the two parties to meet in a confidence building way for all involved. After hours is where you can really earn your stripes. It is a great way to allow clients to see what you are made of and what your capabilities are. The client gets whoever is on call, their preferences play no part - show them you can be trusted and that you know what to do! Extract as much information as you can from your history, observations and clinical examination. Many young vets have a heavy dependence/reliance on secondary diagnostics to confirm their suspicions, such as bloods and x-rays etc, but this should not be at the expense of a good examination. There is definitely a place for these tests, but much can be gained from your initial observations and findings. If you don't look, you won't find!

24.01.2022 Lice, lice everywhere. We may be out of winter but we are seeing lots of lice in our area at the moment. If your horse is itchy and scratching madly, losing patches of hair or has a dull coat - look closely for these little critters laying their eggs. They are most often seen in the forelock or mane, but can be found on the flanks in many cases too. If you see them, you need to act. Lice are easily transmitted between horses, either via direct contact or through shared use of equipment.

20.01.2022 To be an equine vet. Part 11. The breeding season. How to cope in periods of increased intensity and stress. If you can make it through your veterinary exams, you've got this! If you enter into equine general practice in the southern hemisphere then the busiest time of year will typically fall in the period August - November. This covers the time that foals are being born and the preparation of thoroughbred mares for covering at stud. During this time, being on call really ca...Continue reading

18.01.2022 A reminder that the clinic will be operating on an emergency only basis this Wednesday and Friday (public holidays). As always, the on call vet can be reached for any emergencies on 0418 520 533. Normal business hours will apply on Thursday. Being in the thick of the breeding season, we are currently experiencing very high demand for consults, so if you need any routine work done, we recommend you contact the clinic well in advance.

17.01.2022 It's a baby boy! Yvonne was delighted to welcome her Gypsy Cob foal into the world late on Wednesday evening. Observing the golden 1, 2, 3 rule of foaling, when this little fellow hadn't managed to master the art of suckling from his mother 'Buttons' in the first 2 hours, our after hours number was called. After resolving a meconium impaction and tubing him with some colostrum, the slow but steady task of coordinating him to find the teat and latch on was then patiently undertaken. Once he worked it out, he was flying! An IgG of 1300 this morning confirming Buttons has delivered some super colostrum. He has every chance of growing as big and strong as his sire Red Rocky. Congratulations to Yvonne and her family.

14.01.2022 With the temperature already slowly creeping its way up above 30 degrees, even here in Victoria it’s time to turn your attention and awareness to what you can do to alleviate heat stress in your horse. High temperature, high humidity, lack of air movement, poor ventilation, dehydration and direct sunlight exposure are all risk factors. When we expect horses to travel, perform or compete in these conditions, the risk is amplified. FEI and RVL sanctioned events have heat poli...cies to make sure the welfare of the horse is considered before an event is run. These take into account a combination of the ambient temperature and relative humidity. Riders and horse owners also have a responsibility to take into account these factors when determining whether to ride, compete or travel their horses. Common signs of heat stress include: Profuse sweating Failure to sweat under circumstances where it would be expected Rapid resting breathing rate (more than 20 breaths/min), flared nostrils Rapid resting heart rate (more than 40 beats/min) Dry, hot skin Unusually high rectal temperatures (more than 38 degrees Celsius) As the condition progresses, further signs may become evident: Agitated, restless behaviour e.g. kicking out behind Weakness e.g. staggering, uncontrolled gait Diarrhoea Colic While horses competing in athletic activities are those most influenced by the heat, don’t forget that foals, especially very young foals, have poor ability to regulate their own body heat and may require our help. Remember that lactating mares have higher requirements for daily water intake even in mild weather, these demands only increase further in hot or humid weather. Horses clearly distressed by the heat, or those that have stopped sweating require immediate cooling. Place the horse in a shaded area, remove any saddlery and boots. Begin continuously applying cold water to the entire body. If possible, use fans, to enhance evaporative cooling. Encourage the horse to drink, offering both plain water and electrolytes. In acute cases, veterinary attention in the form of IV fluids is necessary.

10.01.2022 To be an equine vet. Part 13 (the last one). Burnout and the tough times. Those who watched the recent SBS program Insight when it profiled the mental health of veterinarians may already be aware of some of these terms. Importantly, this post is no substitute for professional help. If anybody reading this recognises signs in themselves, we recommend you seek advice from your GP or avail yourself of the AVA counselling service. The following post has been prepared using excerp...Continue reading

05.01.2022 My horse is fading away...literally! More distressing to owners than horses, vitiligo is the name given to this unusual skin condition, which first appears as small, focal and generally well circumscribed white spots, due to pigment loss. Cells containing melanin, melanocytes, are lost. It is non-painful and the skin is free of damage. Most cases affect the muzzle, lips, periorbital region or perineum. Vitiligo is seen more often in certain breeds e.g. Welsh and Arabians, so ...there may be an ill-defined hereditary aspect to the condition. Auto-immune conditions are often implicated. Mineral deficiencies have been postulated in some cases, however the assumption should not be made that this is true of all cases. There is no magic fix. Several treatment options can be trialled, however, horses on a well balanced diet, with measures taken to reduce stress in their daily routine will frequently undergo spontaneous resolution of the condition. This was certainly the case for a recent patient of ours! Image Credit: A., B. and C. courtesy of Dr. J. Davis, D. courtesy of Dr. K. Bergvall