SELENIUM IN HORSES DENTAL CARE FLEA SEASON

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1 equine / Working Dog September 2013 SELENIUM IN HORSES DENTAL CARE FLEA SEASON Photos by Richard Hilson, Dave Kruger, Vicki gilchrist & jess Manning STOP PRESS Working Dog Training Days VET Service s Hawke s Bay is proud to bring you a rare opportunity to spend a half day with Lloyd Smith at five Working Dog training days in the wider Hawke s Bay area. Lloyd Smith of Palmerston, North Otago has bred and trained countless dogs. In his spare time, Lloyd enjoys sharing what he has learnt about training dogs at training days, field days, and through his book and DVD From Pup Pen to Paddock. Muster Times: Dannevirke Monday 30 th September David Shield Te Kouka Stn Waipukurau Tuesday 1 st October Rob Gallien Mangatapiri Stn Wednesday 2 nd October Jim Chaffey Mangaorapa Stn Hastings Friday 4 th October Selwyn Dorward Alness Farm Napier Monday 7 th October Rex James Rukumoana Stn There will be a charge of $10.00 per attendee To register visit and follow the links from the main page, or for Dannevirke call Grant or Kay at the Clinic , Waipukurau - Jess Manning , Hastings/Napier - Harold Amner

2 SELENIUM IN HORSES Richard Sides BVSc This trace element is one commonly discussed in the equine world, as both deficiency and excess can cause significant health issues in horses. Selenium is important for many biological processes, including the anti-oxidant system. Any traumatic process (which includes normal exercise, and growth) needs anti-oxidants to ensure that adaptation to the stress does not cause excessive inflammation. Selenium deficiency in horses causes signs of stiffness/soreness, lameness, muscle weakness, poor coat and difficulty keeping condition on. Because of the stresses of growth and exercise, these signs are more likely to be seen in young horses, or performance horses in training; but any horse can be deficient. It is also commonly implicated in cases of tying-up although genetics and dietary factors are also at work in this condition. Excess selenium (toxicity) can cause terrible damage either acutely (sudden death) or more chronically (loss of hoof wall strength with eventual loss of hoof altogether, and hair loss). In New Zealand, toxicity is only caused by incorrect supplementation. It is thought that at least a third of New Zealand farmland is deficient in selenium, and we certainly find this reflected in blood testing of cattle, sheep and horses in Hawke s Bay has seen particularly low selenium levels in horses, possibly as a consequence of the drought conditions seen since last spring. Some of these horses have been tested as part of a routine monitoring programme, but many have been assessed because of stiffness, lameness, tying up or generally poor condition. The good news is that selenium deficiency is relatively easy and inexpensive to test for (in a blood sample), and is easy to correct with supplementation. Ideally all horses in work should be tested annually to make sure that supplementation is effective but not excessive. Feel free to talk to any of our large-animal vets about a monitoring (and if necessary, supplementation) programme for your horse. OSTEOARTHRITIS IN WORKING DOGS Vicki Gilchrist BVSc Pockets 14 years old and Bob 8 Years, on monthly Trocoxil and daily exercise before expecting to see improvement. Veterinary products include Grand Mobility, Synoquin and Mobilize. For a large Huntaway, cost varies between $0.85 to $1.78 a day depending on which product is used. Other basic options include fish or flaxseed oil capsules. They need to be given daily and are well worth trying. Prescription Medications Pentosan- one injection a week for four weeks, then boosters given every 3-6 months or as necessary. This product improves the health of all joints by aiding lubrication and providing some long term pain relief. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID s)- these reduce inflammation and therefore pain. The dog is able to exercise more and maintain muscle mass and strength. Veterinary NSAIDs can be used in the short or long term safely. Daily medications include Metacam and Rimadyl and a once a month treatment Trocoxil is often used in working dogs with good results. Arthritis can affect any dog at any age and can significantly affect the usefulness of a working dog. However, there are some useful management and treatment options that can keep an arthritic dog comfortable and working well into old age. Little and often exercise is essential to maintain joint mobility. Leaving a dog to rest for a week then working it for six hours will cause significant stiffness and pain in an arthritic joint. For working dogs, it is a great idea to allow them out of their kennels or off their chains at least once a day for a wander around to keep the joints mobile. Warm, well padded bedding in a kennel is a simple solution that can reduce how cold and stiff an arthritic joint will become at rest. Omega 3/6 fatty acids, Glucosamine and Chondroitin are common components in joint supplements. Some dogs respond better than others and it is worth doing a trial for at least a month Bob 8 year old Huntaway on monthly Trocoxil

3 Frozen Dog Semen Usage ten years on, what have we learned? Stuart Badger BVSc In May 2003 Stuart Badger, a vet based in our Hastings branch, began using frozen dog semen and this area of specialised reproductive work has continued to increase greatly over the last ten years. Assisting dog breeders create litters using imported dog semen from throughout the world is incredibly rewarding for both for the vet and the owner. Freezing dog semen for kennel club breeders, farmers and clients wanting to preserve genetics is all part for the service that we offer. It has been particularly rewarding to see several litters born to semen that was frozen over 30 years ago. To the absolute delight of these particular huntaway dog owners who had preserved the semen, they were able to reach back into the past to add proven, valuable genetics to their current dog trial team. The system of semen freezing Stuart uses has provided excellent and consistent results, with 90% conception rate and average litter sizes of 7 pups. Over the last 10 years, the proven pelleted semen freezing system we use has produced consistently excellent results. The depth of knowledge we can now draw on when trouble shooting unsuccessful natural dog mating has been greatly enhanced by our involvement with assisted dog breeding. For our farming clients; if you are entertaining the idea of using semen freezing to preserve a valuable dog s genetic material for the future, the most important message is: DON T LEAVE IT TOO LATE. Dogs older than 6 years of age have rapidly deteriorating sperm quality. While they will still get bitches in pup at that age they are not likely to produce suitable quality semen for freezing. We can say with confidence that by the time they reach 8 to 10 years of age male dogs rarely have high enough quality semen to enable freezing. For any further information on AI and semen freezing, please contact me in the Hastings Clinic. DENTAL CARE IN YOUNG HORSES The first five years of a horse s life are critical in regards to dental development. Like us, horses have two sets of teeth, the deciduous being shed from about two and a half years until all permanent teeth have erupted at around five years. During this period it is vital that regular dental checks are performed, ideally every six months, but at least annually. Wolf teeth, the vestigial first premolars erupt at about nine WOLF TOOTH to twelve months of age and may cause discomfort when bitting a young horse. In those animals where these teeth are present we routinely extract them at the first dental check or in the case of geldings whilst the horse is under anaesthetic for castration. Deciduous teeth, like their adult counterparts, may develop very sharp enamel points on the outer edges of the upper cheek teeth and the inner edges of the lowers, leading to ulceration of the cheeks and tongue. Hooks, ramps and excessive enamel ridges may also be present. As the permanent incisors EXCESSIVE ENAMEL RIDGE and premolars develop and erupt, the overlying deciduous tooth is eroded away until only a remnant or cap is left in place. Under normal circumstances this cap falls off, exposing the developing tooth which continues to erupt until in full wear after six months. Where these caps are retained or impacted, serious discomfort and occasionally infection can occur. Long term retention SHARP ENAMEL POINTS WITH ULCERATION DAVE KRUGER BVSc of caps will lead to disruption of the opposing tooth, uneven chewing surfaces and even long term malocclusions. In some cases the developing tooth will erupt alongside the deciduous one, requiring extraction before the permanents are pushed out of alignment. By performing regular dental checks we can prevent the above issues from arising. For anyone involved in training young horses it is imperative that the bitting process is comfortable for the animal from day one. As we are all aware, horses quickly create associations with painful or frightening stimuli and these associations can be long lasting! We offer a full veterinary dental service at each clinic. For more information please contact Dave Kruger (Waipukurau), Richard Mckenzie (Hastings) and Johnny Atkins (Dannevirke) Two of our vets are attending an equine dental course in September. Mike Fitzgerald (Waipukurau) and Johnny Atkins (Dannevirke) are going to the Equine Dental Vets course in Auckland. This will be a comprehensive program and is being run by Shannon Lee, an Australian veterinarian who holds a post graduate qualification in Equine Dentistry. For those keen on the internet (and horse dentistry) a visit to Shannon s website is well worthwhile. DECIDIOUS CAP We also plan to hold an equine dentistry evening seminar again around October, dates to be confirmed. Details will be posted on our website closer to the time.

4 It s Flea Season!! Many of you may disagree with the title of this article! But in-fact as I am writing this a colleague informs me that fleas were found on two out of three routine surgeries (speys and castrates) performed today. In addition to this, we commonly see flea related issues throughout the year. It is a common misconception that fleas are only an issue in the warmer months of spring and summer. This is partly true in that we don t see as many issues with heavy infestations over the cooler months but in fact the lifecycle continues throughout the winter with immature fleas building up in the environment, ready to emerge in droves come the warmer weather, when the flea lifecycle speeds up. The flea lifecycle involves the adult flea, the egg, the larvae and the pupae - the important thing to remember about fleas is that approximately 95% of the flea population live as immature flea stages (eggs, larvae and pupae) in the environment. The remaining 5% live as adult fleas on animals if you see fleas on your animal it is usually the tip of the iceberg! Mike Fitzgerald BVSc Fleas are definitely a year round issue and prevention of environmental contamination is important (i.e. the fence at the top of the cliff), especially preceeding the warmer months. Treatment options include spot on products such as Frontline Plus, Advantage, Advocate and Revolution. Depending on the product, fleas that jump onto the animal are killed for up to 8 weeks of duration this prevents environmental build up and also acts as a vacuum to soak up hatching pupae from the environment. Another product you may like to consider is Seresto, a new age flea collar providing up to 8 months worth of cover against fleas and ticks. It may take months for environmental contamination to reduce following a major outbreak for this reason if large infestations are present, removing immature populations in the environment using measures such as vacuuming, water blasting and flea bombing kennels, is required. If you have any further questions regarding fleas, flea control and treatment options please pop in or ring the clinic for a chat! staff introductions Helen Crawford Dr. Helen Crawford joined the Vet Services Group in late 2012 after moving down from Auckland where she had worked in a central city companion animal clinic. She is a full time small animal vet working in both the Hastings and Napier branches. Her interests include feline medicine and surgery, especially care of senior cats. She also enjoys other aspects of small animal work including pocket pets and working dogs. She is loving the Hawke s Bay since moving down and is enjoying the benefits of a more rural lifestyle. Kathryn Sigvertsen Kathryn grew up in Wellington, and has been with Vet Services since June. Up until moving to Waipukurau, Kathryn worked in a mixed practice in Taranaki, focussing on companion animals and dairy cattle with a small amount of dry stock and lifestyle block work thrown in. Kathryn and husband Carl have two young children, a two year old girl and a seven month old boy. Prior to moving to Waipukurau Carl & Kathryn were operating a dairy farm (alongside vet work) in Taranaki and are currently enjoying their lifestyle block and living closer to family. Dog Vaccination Run Yes it is nearly that time again! Yes we will come to your place, to vaccinate your dogs. Yes we will contact you from the 17th Oct-14th Nov to confirm a time. If you have not heard from us by the 14th Nov you may not be on our runs so please call us at the clinic: Waipukurau (06) Hastings (06) Napier (06) Dannevirke (06) Dannevirke runs begin second week of December

5 Seasonal Update Hastings/Napier As you can see from the Flea article, fleas are definitely a yearround problem. Especially with our very mild winter, there will be no drop in the flea population numbers and they may well reach an all time high this summer. Keep your pet s flea treatment up to date and in some cases environmental control may be required to keep on top of things. We have also seen plenty of male cats with blocked bladders- in this recent spate of bad weather we have seen a disproportionate number of male cats who are unable to urinate. There are many factors that influence this disease; young male cats can get a blockage of debris or crystals in their urethra, they are trying to Waipukurau As I write this the wind has started but with such a kind winter so far we can t complain at this point. Rain has been warm and in perfect quantities, grass has grown well through the colder months, and only one true southerly system has landed so far. Animal health has reflected the kind climatic conditions and at the time of writing cattle have generally been calving well. In sheep however, metabolic conditions (milk fever and pregnancy toxaemia or sleepy sickness) have caused some ewe deaths despite the good weather, so make sure you monitor pregnant Dannevirke What a great winter we are having so far! There has been plenty of growth about and covers are looking good. Calving is well underway and as you read this so too will be lambing. Unfortunately with the good conditions come various animal health issues and as predicted we are seeing plenty of metabolic issues around the place in both cows and ewes. Most of these seem to be responding well to prompt intervention, but we have seen a few complicated cases needing further treatment as well. Make sure you keep the supplements going in! With all the feed about make sure you are wary of what you are feeding your horses and ponies and watch for founder. With the warm, damp conditions parasite growth and survival has Lighter note... I recently spent $6500 on a young registered Black Angus bull. I put him out with the herd but he just ate grass and wouldn t even look at a cow. I was beginning to think I had paid more for that bull than he was worth. Anyhow, I had the vet come and have a look at him. He said the bull was very healthy, but possibly just a little young, so he gave me some pills to feed him once per day. The bull started to service the cows within two days, all my cows! He even broke through the fence and bred with all of my neighbour s cows! He s like a machine! I don t know what was in the pills the Vet gave him...but they kind of taste like peppermint. H H H H H There were these three girls who were getting married and they all met at the marriage counsellor s office to discuss the options of having or not having a baby right away. They were two city girls and one farm girl. The counsellor asked them if they planned on having a baby right away or were going to wait awhile. They all said that they had discussed this with their potential husbands and had all agreed to wait awhile. Well, the counsellor asked the first girl what type of birth control she planned to use. Vicki Gilchrist but unable to urinate, are extremely painful and unwell. It is an emergency situation, please call us without delay if you think your cat may be showing these symptoms. On the large animal side calving is going well and the weather has been fantastic for all of the new lambs on the ground. As is the case in CHB and Dannevirke there have been a few metabolic issues around and with the recent rain make sure you keep on top of any potential foot issues. We shouldn t count our chickens weather-wise, winter is bound to finish with a lick in its tail- make sure you have your animal first aid supplies on hand should another southerly blast make its way up the island. Richard sides ewes (especially mixed-age ewes close to lambing) very carefully especially if we get another southerly blast. Make sure you have sufficient first-aid supplies on hand. This post-drought effect has been observed before in ewes. The sheep scanning season has officially finished there will be some interesting figures out of the scanning database this year! I am hopeful that the figures will give us valuable information rather than just sobering news. In the meantime, enjoy the spring. johnny atkins probably been good too is your worming programme current and up to scratch? Wet and muddy paddocks aren t a great issue as I write this but there is likely more rain on the way, watch for lame horses and infected feet. The same goes for your dog team. They may have been quiet for a while but now is the time to make sure they re fit, healthy and ready to go at full noise when needed. Get any lingering issues seen to before they become majors. They should be on a regular worming programme and have you considered flea treatments before the summer months? Let s hope the favourable conditions continue! Her answer was, The rhythm method. That will work, said the counsellor, but only if you keep a good record. He asked the second girl what system she planned on using. I plan on using birth control pills she said. Again he said, Yes that will work as long as you don t forget to take them. He then asked the farm girl what system she was planning on using. Her answer was, The bucket and saucer method. After a short delay, he told her that should also work. He asked them all to come back in one year on a specific date for a follow up on how things were going. They all met again one year later and the two city girls were pregnant. Only the farm girl was still slim and trim. The counsellor asked the first girl what method she used and what went wrong. She replied, I used the rhythm method but somehow got my notes mixed up and, well here I am, going to have a baby. He asked the second city girl what method she used and she replied, The birth control pill... But we were camping one weekend and I didn t have my pills with me and as you can see, I too am going to have a baby. He turns to the farm girl. I vaguely remember you were going to use the bucket and saucer method. Now I must admit that I don t have a clue what the bucket and saucer method is. Will you explain it to me as I see it has worked well for you.. She replied, Well, we always make love standing up, and since I am quite a bit taller than my husband, he stands on a bucket turned upside down. Now as we are making love, I watch his eyes, and when his eyes get as big as saucers... I kick the bucket out from under him.

6 got all round protection this summer? You can - simply purchase any FRONTLINE Plus cat or dog pack, or two packs of BROadLINE spot-on solution for cats from your veterinarian, and go in the draw to win one of 10 ShadE 7 Umbrellas, or an outdoor furniture set to the value of $10,000.* Your pets will also thank you as they are getting the best flea protection and worm control this summer. *While stocks last. Offer ends 22 November Relaxed, Healthy & Protected NEW PRODUCT BROADLINE delivers flea, tick and internal parasite control, including tapeworm in a single easy to use topical treatment. Keep your cats healthy and your family protected with BROADLINE spot-on solution for cats. NAPIER 210 Taradale Road HASTINGS 801W Heretaunga Street DANNEVIRKE 9 Gordon Street WAIPUKURAU 43 Takapau Road