Brigadoon Veterinary Chiropractic in Rockhampton, Queensland | Veterinary surgeon
Brigadoon Veterinary Chiropractic
Locality: Rockhampton, Queensland
Phone: +61 428 660 971
Address: PO Box 4169 4700 Rockhampton, QLD, Australia
Website: http://www.brigadoonvetchiro.com.au/
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25.01.2022 Heidi’s rant on LAMENESS 1 how to pick it Can be a tricky and HUGE topic. I would have to say 95% of horse owners pick the wrong leg when they are looking at their lame horse and 95% of those then tell me it is in the ‘shoulder’. Where is the shoulder exactly? Are we talking shoulder joint which is quite specific (and one of the lesser causes of lameness) or the shoulder ‘area’ which is quite vague. Leaving the shoulder out of it the first thing you need to do is get the... correct leg! (if it is in a leg.but that is a whole other discussion for later) If the horse is lame in the front and has a head bob: As the head bobs down the GOOD foot/leg lands HEAVILY on the ground. As the head hikes up the SORE foot/leg lands LIGHTLY on the ground. If you are having trouble with this concept then get a sharp stone and put it in your shoe and go for a trot yourself! Some people find it hard to visualise which leg is landing when the head goes up or down just do the head bob yourself, in time with the horse. Get yourself in rhythm and then look at which foot hits the ground as YOUR head goes downthat is the GOOD leg! You might look silly but at least you know which leg it is. If the horse is lame in the back end: The back end lameness can be a bit deceiving Generally the side that is sore has a bigger pelvic hike or rise, when looking from behind. You may also see the tuber coxae (the pelvic bone that sticks out near the top of the flank which people incorrectly call the hip) on the lame side have larger displacement than the other side. As simple as that! (mostly) See more
24.01.2022 Lameness Assessment Workshop for the Horse Owner.-27th Feb 2016 The Lameness Assessment Workshop for Horse Owners is aimed at giving you the basic skills and knowledge required to identify and manage lameness and gait issues in your horse. It seems to be increasingly difficult these days to get knowledgeable and professional advice, especially if your horse is not vaccinated for Hendra virus, so the more you know about your horse’s lameness the easier, cheaper and better fo...r your horse it will be. What you will learn: Basic musculoskeletal anatomy of the horse, How to work out which leg, and where on that leg, the problem is, What different lameness presentations can mean for your horse and his performance, How to use hoof testers and find a sore foot, How to palpate (feel) for pain and tissue damage, How to use a flexion test to identify sore joints, How to score the level of severity of the lameness, What it means when the lameness changes on a circle, What ‘blocking out’ is and its advantages, How to identify common issues such as locking patella, laminitis, and hoof abscess etc. How to choose a plan of action or therapy. To assist with your learning there will be: A horses spine and other bones, A printed proceedings with diagrams to take home for revision, A laminated ‘cheat sheet’ for the tack room, Live horse demonstrations for gait analysis practice, Video available for further demonstration of different issues. A giant industrial fan to keep you cool! Food supplied to keep your brain ticking along! Of course this is a limitless topic and we only have the day. Some lameness issues will need the assistance of an appropriate professional so you will learn how to choose which type of professional that would most likely be needed. If you would like to bring your horse, or for any other queries please don’t hesitate to call or text Heidi on 0428 660 971 To book in please contact Heidi Douglas.
24.01.2022 Welcome to the new Brigadoon Veterinary Chiropractic Facebook page - featuring refreshed branding. Likes and shares will be greatly appreciated! Our new website has also gone live, so feel free to check us out at http://www.brigadoonvetchiro.com.au
19.01.2022 I am heading out to BIloela next week on Wednesday the 7th and Calliope on thursday the 8th. If you wanted to book your horse in for a chiropractic and acupuncture treatment. Contact me by text on 0428660971 to book in. I will be organising it over the weekend. Heidi
19.01.2022 Its hoof abscess season!! Yay!! With this long awaited rain comes the increased chance of the good old fashioned hoof abscess. It seems up here in Qld the most common single cause of lameness is hoof abscess. So much so, if your horse is lame I reckon it is safe to assume it is a hoof abscess until proven otherwise! Well nearly anyway. It’s a great lameness to have. Simple and easyusually. Usually appears sudden, severe and obvious Usually have digital pulse, heat and posi...tive to hoof testers Usually easy to diagnose Usually easy to treat Just throw on a poultice and make your horse walk around on it for a week and hey presto!!! It bursts and you have a happy sound horse! Usually. However the best hoof abscess is no hoof abscess and maybe we can try to prevent it before it happens. Soooo During the Wet especially, we can do two simple things... 1) make sure your horses have a nice dry area to stand around in out of the soggy mud, and 2) keep their feet regularly trimmed (even if they are bushed) to help prevent predisposing factors like cracks, bruises, corns, separation etc. But don’t forget to enjoy the rain!! See more
19.01.2022 Did you know. The top edge of the shoulder blade (scapula) on your horse is cartilage, not bone. When you put your saddle too far forward (I reckon about 90% of people do) it hits the shoulder blade when the horse swings his leg (walk/trot/canter). This repetitive trauma causes the cartilage to ossify (turn to bone) leading to chronic pain and muscle misuse and wastage. Solution: Push the bloody saddle back and clear the shoulder blade!!
18.01.2022 Hi Guys. I am looking for any unwanted saddles that are collecting cobwebs in your shed. Does not matter about condition as I want to use them to demonstrate saddle fit and 'anatomy'. This is a great opportunity to get rid of that saddle that you will never use again, cant sell and is taking up space in your tack room but you cant bring yourself to throw out. Flick me a text on 0428660971 if you can help. thanks. Heidi
17.01.2022 Lameness again!! Now that you have worked out which leg it is. It is all very well knowing which leg is sore but we really need to take it further and find out where and what is the actual problem. There are an infinite number of causes of lameness. Some are obvious but most require at least some level of examination (observation as well as palpation) and a few may even need advanced diagnostic techniques (xrays, ultrasound etc) to make a diagnosis. All too often I arrive up... to find the lame horse being walked about ten steps and the owner announcing Yep, it’s in the shoulder, eh. Hang on a minute. Maybe we can pick out the acres of dried black soil cemented under their feet. Maybe we could take the ill-fitting rug off so the horse can move freely. How about we walk the horse on level ground or not in the deep sand arena. Maybe we could even hold the lead rope a bit further down so the horse can move its head freely. And maybe we could actually bend down and touch the leg! I can count on one hand the number of people I know skilled and experienced enough to make a reliable diagnosis by just observing the horses gait and all of those people would confirm their diagnosis with closer examination and palpation. Sooooo. BEND DOWN AND TOUCH THE BLOODY LEG!! It’s not hard. You are looking and feeling for heat, swelling, pain on palpation (reaction from the horse as well as a local reaction from the tissues), digital pulse, scabs and any other signs of trauma. Now pick up the leg and have a comprehensive look at the foot and coronet band, following any little dirt crease with the hoof pick. If you have hoof testers then go nuts a large percentage of lameness is in the foot, making hoof testers worth investing in. While you are holding it up start at the foot and work your way up the leg stopping at each joint and putting it through its full range of motion of flexion, extension, rotation and lateral movement in other words shake, rattle and roll the hell out of it. If it feels stiff, hot, swollen, tight, crunchy, unstable or painful then you have found the problem! IT’S THAT EASY! (I wish) See more
15.01.2022 There are a couple of spots left for the Lameness assessment workshop on 27th Feb. If you want to book or any enquiries dont hesitate to contact me on 0428 660971. Come and learn the basics of lameness that every rider should have an understanding of!
15.01.2022 Contrary to popular belief one cannot properly assess a lameness in a horse just by looking at it move. I find most people decide on a cause/location of a lamen...ess without even touching the horse! I look at a lameness like a Where’s Wally drawing. At the first sign of red stripes or a walking cane you can’t just leap to the conclusion that that is Wally. You have to take a closer look, rule out other walking canes, assess what the red stripes are from etc. There are lots of Wally-wanna-bees. The real one is rarely found with a simple glance. Sometimes you can even find two Wallys! I recently worked out that 92% of people (a survey of my client notes over the last 3 months) actually chose the WRONG leg in a front leg lameness. If we could all make a basic assessment of our horses gait and lameness then we would be able to better consider what the horse actually needs to help heal and prevent this problem happening again. Maybe he needs rest. Maybe he needs more work. Maybe he needs a saddle that fits properly. Maybe he needs Bute or joint food. And maybe he needs a massage, or chiro or even some x-rays. Knowing your horses lameness is the first step to getting on the right management track to get (and keep) him sound. Soooooo I have decided to run a few one day clinics on the Basics of Lameness for the Horse Rider to help arm people with the skills and knowledge to be able to ‘see Wally’. If you can correctly assess your horses lameness then you are on your way to choosing the right management plan for your horse to get the best performance he can offer. If you are interested in doing a clinic keep an eye out for the flyers with dates and locations or ring/text me on 0428 660 971. See more
13.01.2022 Did you know. Horses have an amazing system of structures in their front and back limbs called ‘the Stay Apparatus’ which permits the horse to stand and sleep with minimal muscular activity. The genius of Mother Nature means the horse can stand using an arrangement of ligaments, tendons, bones and muscles that locks the legs as an almost entirely passive, force resisting system. i.e. they can stand up all day using the bare minimum of energy! I challenge any engineer to design a structure that can beat that.
12.01.2022 Did you know Feeding horses GARLIC is it a good idea? To summarise.NO. It’s a stupid idea unless you are aiming to REDUCE your horse’s health and performance! The most common reason I hear from horse owners as to why they are feeding their horse garlic is as a form of insect and parasite control. I cannot find (and neither can anyone else it seems) any scientific evidence that supports the value of garlic in this way. Sowhat’s the harm? you say, Maybe it works, maybe... it doesn’t but I may as well cover all my bases. Maybe you should consider the scientifically PROVEN evidence that plants from the Allium Family (including Garlic, Onions, Leek etc.) causes Heinz Body Anaemia in horses and other animals (including humans however we are far less vulnerable to the toxin)! I remember in my vet days treating a dying dog that ate half a pizza that had onions on it. Basically Heinz Body Anaemia is a disease where the red blood cells (which carry oxygen to all tissues in the body) become corrupted (deformed) and because of this they are then removed from the blood stream and broken down to recycle the parts. Thus causing a lower than normal number of functioning Red Blood Cells in the bloodstream (i.e. anaemia). The level of anaemia in your horse depends on the amount of garlic and the length of time it has been in his diet, but basically the less number of functioning red blood cells means the less potential ability to carry oxygen throughout the whole body. And we all know how important oxygen is I don’t know about you but I spend enough money and time on my horse in attempt to maximise its health and performance. I don’t really want to jeopardise all this effort just because a friend of a friend thinks her horse has less flies on it. See more
11.01.2022 Did you know. The horse does not have a gall bladder. So when bile (which is stored in the gall bladder in other animals) is produced it continually drips directly into the gut whether the horse is eating or not. Since the function of bile is to aid the break down of foods in the gut, it can also break down the gut wall itself. The horse can produce around 1.5 litres of gastric juices per hour!!! Thus.self-digestion and ulcers galore!! The horse produces saliva when he eats which guards the lining of the gut by neutralising the digestive juices thus ulcer protection. Soooo.. we need to stop stabling our poor self-digesting horses and make sure they have access to food (of any quality) 24 hours a day.
11.01.2022 Lameness Assessment Workshop for the Horse Owner.-27th Feb 2016 The Lameness Assessment Workshop for Horse Owners is aimed at giving you the basic skills and knowledge required to identify and manage lameness and gait issues in your horse. It seems to be increasingly difficult these days to get knowledgeable and professional advice, especially if your horse is not vaccinated for Hendra virus, so the more you know about your horse’s lameness the easier, cheaper and better fo...r your horse it will be. What you will learn: Basic musculoskeletal anatomy of the horse, How to work out which leg, and where on that leg, the problem is, What different lameness presentations can mean for your horse and his performance, How to use hoof testers and find a sore foot, How to palpate (feel) for pain and tissue damage, How to use a flexion test to identify sore joints, How to score the level of severity of the lameness, What it means when the lameness changes on a circle, What ‘blocking out’ is and its advantages, How to identify common issues such as locking patella, laminitis, and hoof abscess etc. How to choose a plan of action or therapy. To assist with your learning there will be: A horses spine and other bones, A printed proceedings with diagrams to take home for revision, A laminated ‘cheat sheet’ for the tack room, Live horse demonstrations for gait analysis practice, Video available for further demonstration of different issues. A giant industrial fan to keep you cool! Food supplied to keep your brain ticking along! Of course this is a limitless topic and we only have the day. Some lameness issues will need the assistance of an appropriate professional so you will learn how to choose which type of professional that would most likely be needed. If you would like to bring your horse, or for any other queries please don’t hesitate to call or text Heidi on 0428 660 971 To book in please contact Heidi Douglas.
11.01.2022 There has been a great response to this. I have had lots of enquiries. Just to answer a few questions... I am happy to do these clinics at Creekside (calliope) and out west at emerald or some where as long as there are the numbers. The response so far has been great. Maybe for all those who are seriously keen for me to come to their area to flick me a text (0428660971) then once I get a few people I will be able to commit to a clinic in a certain area and start advertising ...it with a specific date. Texting me is a lot better because I dont get to FB as much as I should and I tend to lose control of it. I cant guarantee I will find your message...sorry. For those who may want to go further into this limitless topic of lameness, such as equine health practitioners, riding instructors, trainers, farriers dentists and any body workers or even really keen horse owners... I think I may do a few 2 day clinics so we can get into further detail, look at more lamenesses, even watch some gait videos and critique them. Everyone is welcome to these one day clinics but I think there are quite a few of you out there that one day would be too short. Let me know if you would be keen for the more advanced two day ones. Also, I have plans for running workshops on other topics such as saddle fit (the nightmare for every rider!!), wound management and more. Basically if I get lots of interest in it I will do it. Any other ideas for workshop topics... I am open to suggestions. See more
10.01.2022 More snippets of lameness What is a ‘SPLINT’ and how the hell does a horse ‘THROW’ it? It is easy enough to identify when your horse has ‘thrown a splint’ and most people can however not many of those actually know what it is. Prepare for the anatomy lesson The front canon bones in your horse are actually the central long bone in our hand (3rd metacarpal). Most people don’t realise there is a little bone either side of the canon bone that makes up the lower part of the kne...e joint (our wrist!) at the top but dwindles out before it gets to the fetlock (the base of our middle finger). These are called splint bones and are the equivalent to the long bones in our hand either side of the central one (2nd and 4th metacarpals). Are you still following me? Because these bones narrow down and just stop before they reach the fetlock they need to be very well attached and stabilised to the canon bone. If there is trauma or misuse then ligament strain (between the canon and the splint) may develop or the splint bone may even fracture (especially near the narrow end). This will cause a periosteal response in an effort to repair the damage which involves the formation of a bony lump. Seeclear as mud! While healing is active there will be heat, swelling and pain when challenged (i.e. pushed and pulled). The horse is likely to be lame at this stage and should be rested as the bone is not stable and is vulnerable to more damage. Once full healing has occurred and the splint bone is stabilised, well supported and pain free, the horse should no longer be lame. However, the lump may still be there. It may take months to years for that lump to slowly resolve, if it ever does, but as long as it is not painful or causing lameness then is not a problem. Horses can also throw a splint in the hind, although it is not as common. The hind canon and splint bones are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th metatarsals (long bones in our foot). The top of the splint bones form part of lower hock joint (our ankle) but narrow down and stop before they get to the fetlock, similar to the front leg. So, now you know what a ‘thrown splint’ is Although I don’t quite know how or where they are ‘thrown’. See more
09.01.2022 I agree. Its so sad and wasteful when horses are euthanased due to bad advice. Even if you have faith in the person you have been using for years.... Really? You would shoot your horse on that one persons say so and not get a second opinion? ..... Very sad.
06.01.2022 There are a couple of spots left for the Lameness assessment workshop on 27th Feb. If you want to book or any enquiries dont hesitate to contact me on 0428 660971. Come and learn the basics of lameness that every rider should have an understanding of!
04.01.2022 WARNING...It's Anhidrosis season again!! Fun, fun! So.... you need to keep an eye out for the clinical signs and get on top of it sooner rather than later so it does not set your horse back too much. I have seen a few already in the last couple of weeks... Decreased ability to sweat, prolonged recovery times, puffing after work or even just on a hot day in the paddock, sluggish in work, increased time at the water bowl, playing with the water, getting affected by the heat and... even XS warm to touch, decrease appetite and poor coat. Horses with Anhidrosis (or "the puffs") usually have some sort of combination of these clinical signs. As a vet I cant treat this condition but as a chiro/acupuncture/homeopathy practitioner I can fix it...very exciting!! (well... I find it exciting anyway). So, keep an eye out for these signs and try not to tempt fate... It is triggered by an episode of XS stress and XS heat but it is sometimes hard for us to identify the particular episode. So try not to ride or float in the heat peak of the day, and that will really help. See more
02.01.2022 Hi Guys. Thanks so much for all those who parted with their old faithful (but unwanted) saddles. I really appreciate it. I am still looking for more so if anyone out there has an unwanted saddle of ANY condition (even if it is totally busted) I would love to add it to my collection for demonstrations in my saddle fit clinics. Thanks. Heidi
01.01.2022 Its hoof abscess season!! Yay!! With this long awaited rain comes the increased chance of the good old fashioned hoof abscess. It seems up here in Qld the most common single cause of lameness is hoof abscess. So much so, if your horse is lame I reckon it is safe to assume it is a hoof abscess until proven otherwise! Well nearly anyway. It’s a great lameness to have. Simple and easyusually. Usually appears sudden, severe and obvious Usually have digital pulse, heat and posi...tive to hoof testers Usually easy to diagnose Usually easy to treat Just throw on a poultice and make your horse walk around on it for a week and hey presto!!! It bursts and you have a happy sound horse! Usually. However the best hoof abscess is no hoof abscess and maybe we can try to prevent it before it happens. Soooo During the Wet especially, we can do two simple things... 1) make sure your horses have a nice dry area to stand around in out of the soggy mud, and 2) keep their feet regularly trimmed (even if they are bushed) to help prevent predisposing factors like cracks, bruises, corns, separation etc. But don’t forget to enjoy the rain!! See more
