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Insulin resistance and Equine Metabolic Syndrome

Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a relatively new term to veterinary medicine. EMS along with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) are the most common endocrine disorders associated with horses and ponies. The term was first used in 2002 to describe a condition in horses that consisted of obesity, insulin resistance (IR) and laminitis. The term EMS was used due to the similarities seen between horses and humans who have metabolic syndrome and shares some attributes similar to Type II d...

Too many wet-dry ewes?

Ewes that are scanned in lamb, then don’t give you a lamb can be so frustrating. Wet-dries are a frustrating cost to your operation. We all expect to get some wet-dry ewes, but some people have more than what they can explain. If this is the case it may be worth looking at these ewes to try to work out what has happened and possibly what options might exist to reduce the number in the future. Lambs lost between scanning and lambing can be seen as abortions, but often they are just not seen. Cr...

Making informed decisions

They say cash is king, but unfortunately for the last few years the king has left the building. While cost cutting has been an industry-wide focus, advice on the true facts around your different options can be hard to come by. Lately we have become increasingly disturbed at some of the wild advice being thrown around from different quarters of our industry, so here is a brief summary of some facts around the current animal health options used during the lead up to the start of mating....

Artificial insemination for mares

Artificial insemination (or AI) is becoming more common in the equine breeding industry. Standardbreds are now fully serviced via chilled or frozen semen with sports horses following closely behind. If you’re looking to breed, the first step is getting your mare scanned. This involves having adequate facilities such as stocks to restrain your mare for rectal examination. The mare’s reproductive tract is examined by manual palpation and then via ultrasound to determine the breeding soundness ...

Quick tips on artificial breeding

With the advent of Mycoplasma bovis and the national eradication programme, many farmers are looking for ways to reduce the number of animal movements on and off their properties. Understandably, some farmers are thinking about 100% artificial breeding (AB) for cows and/or yearling heifers so they can avoid buying bulls. Going 'all-AB' is not something to take lightly. We want to make sure you are fully informed, so here are some of the main points you should consider. Unless you synchronise you...

Body condition and mating

Making sure your cows are in good body condition is a simple way to boost your mating results. Now is the time to body condition score your cows and implement some strategies to help you reach those mating targets! Although body condition score at calving is very important for good reproduction outcomes, it is also equally important to prevent too much loss of condition between calving and mating. With the majority of cows already calved and through the negative energy cycle associated with calv...

Mycoplasma Bovis update

At the time of writing, we currently have 17 IPs in Southland, and 9 in Otago. Of these, 6 and 4 are currently deemed ‘active’. We aren’t notified of which properties are affected so we only know if we are told by the property owner. More IPs continue to be found, mostly in Canterbury. All of these are apparently linked to existing known IPs. Our feeling is that, in our area, most of the risk has now passed, because properties linked to the original infected farms have mostly been traced a...

Prolapsed Uterus – should I call the vet?

Prolapsed uterus is a relatively common reason for vets to be called out during the spring season. It is estimated to occur approximately 1 in 10,000 calvings. Because it can look quite horrific to the cow, we often get asked the question: is it worth culling you out to put this back in? A NZ study of 103 cows is summarised below: 4 out of 5 cows survive after the uterus has been replaced (81.6%).3 out of the remaining 4 alive cows got back in calf following mating season (77.9%). These are very...

Senior Wellness Month

If you own a pet, the sad truth is that you will probably outlive them. In this day and age, however, there is a lot you can do to help your pets live to a ripe old age. During the month of October, we are holding a Senior Wellness Month to promote an increase in quality (and quantity) of life for our senior friends. We all realise that as we get older medical conditions can become a bigger issue and these can range from discomfort to debilitating, to life threatening. The best way to manage the...

The argument for getting cats speyed

Getting a new kitten is a very exciting time for the whole family, with all the fun of getting a kitten to chase a ball or curl up fast asleep on your lap whilst you are watching TV in the evenings. This early stage of life is when there are some important decisions to make, which will have a significant bearing on your new furry family member's health as they grow older. One of these is the decision whether to get them neutered or not. Neutering of a female is referred to as spaying, whereas ne...