Author Archives: melissa.rennie

At Vets North, we know how quickly horses can go from happy in the paddock to needing urgent veterinary attention. Being able to recognise the early signs of common emergencies – and knowing what to do while you wait for us – can make a big difference to your horse’s outcome.

Lameness & Hoof Problems

A horse that is suddenly non-weight bearing lame is always a concern. Common causes include foot abscesses, penetrating wounds, pedal bone fractures, laminitis, or septic joints. Each needs a different treatment plan, so the best step is to call your vet immediately.

•  Foot abscesses: Bacteria enters through small cracks in the sole or the white line, causing a pocket of pus within the foot. We’ll pare the hoof to identify the tract and drain the abscess, poultice administer pain relief or tetanus cover if needed.
•  Penetrating wounds: Never remove the object yourself – it helps guide diagnosis and treatment. We’ll X-ray first, then safely remove the foreign body and provide the appropriate aftercare.
•  Pedal bone fractures: Often mimic an abscess but will have history of trauma to the foot, commonly after a horse has kicked a hard surface. X-rays confirm diagnosis, and prognosis depends on location and size of the fracture.
• Laminitis: This is a very painful condition leading to rotation of the pedal bone within the foot. Horses may rock back onto their hindlimbs, show heat in the hooves, or refuse to move. Treatment combines pain relief, supportive farriery, and strict rest.

Skin & Limb Conditions

• Cellulitis: A bacterial infection of soft tissue under the skin, causing heat and swelling which can spread throughout the limb rapidly. Prompt treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories usually resolves cellulitis within a week.
• Mud fever: Caused by persistent wet, muddy conditions, leading to scabs and inflammation around the pastern. This is typically a bacterial infection but can also be fungal. Prevention is best, but treatment may involve careful clipping, cleaning, barrier creams, or systemic medication in severe cases.

Colic

Colic remains one of the most common equine emergencies. Signs of colic include rolling, pawing, flank-watching, stretching out, and reduced droppings. While most cases respond well to medical management, some may require referral for further monitoring, or even surgery. Call us straight away, and while waiting, keep your horse walking if it is safe to do so.

Eye Conditions

A swollen or painful eye should always be treated promptly. Possible causes include corneal ulcers, uveitis, conjunctivitis or trauma. Because eye conditions can deteriorate rapidly, call your vet immediately and keep the eye protected with a fly mask or in a dark stable until we arrive.

Choke

Choke occurs when food becomes lodged in the oesophagus, not the airway. Signs include coughing, nasal discharge, and stretching of the neck. Most cases self-resolve within 30 minutes, but if it persists beyond this time, call your vet who will pass a stomach tube to clear the obstruction. Never attempt to syringe fluids into the horse’s mouth, as this risks aspiration of fluid into the lungs.

Wounds

Wounds vary in severity, and not all are suitable for bandaging or stitching. Contact your vet if you see:

• Wounds over joints
• Heavy bleeding
• Exposed bone, tendon, or ligaments
• Wounds associated with lameness
• Wounds that are not healing

Flush with clean water, apply pressure if bleeding, and keep your horse calm until we arrive.

The Take-Home Message

When it comes to equine first aid, the golden rule is simple: call your vet early. While basic first aid can help keep your horse comfortable, timely veterinary care is the best way to ensure a positive outcome.

At Vets North, our equine team is here to support you and your horse 24/7. If you are ever in doubt – call us.

If you have stock in Auckland, you have likely dealt with the dilemma of when to drench. Parasite burdens are a significant issue in Auckland due to the region’s mild, wet climate, which creates ideal conditions for parasite eggs and larvae to survive and multiply on pastures. The warm temperatures and high humidity extend the life cycle of parasites, increasing the risk of infection for farm stock. Additionally, Auckland’s farming areas often experience higher stocking densities because of limited land availability, which facilitates the rapid spread of parasites among animals.

On lifestyle blocks we often see intensive grazing practices and limited pasture rotation further contribute to parasite build-up in the environment. On top of this, frequent and sometimes unstrategic use of drenches has led to drug-resistant parasites, making control efforts more challenging for Auckland farmers. Together, these factors make parasite management a particularly pressing issue in the region.

The thing to remember is that farm stock will always have worms, and the fastest way to get worm resistance is to try and have no worms. You need to farm your worms, just as you farm your stock. The trick is to have enough worms for you stock to build up their immunity but not too many to cause ill health. Sounds simple, right?

All individuals are different when it comes to worm burden. A small proportion of the mob carry most of the worms. In commercial sized mobs it is too hard to find the infested individual and treat them, so everybody is treated. However, with small groups you can faecal sample individuals and drench according to the results. This is best practice on lifestyle blocks, contact the clinic on 0800 VTS NTH to find out how to faecal egg count your stock or lifestyle pets.

Different classes of stock have different background levels of immunity to worms. Adult sheep and cattle do not need intensive drenching. Lambs and goats are more susceptible to worms so need more care.

The stocking rate of your property has a huge impact on the amount of parasitism in the stock. Heavily stocked properties with short grass cover will get a lot more worm problems. Our Lifestyle Vet team are here to help create a tailored health management plan for your lifestyle block, including how to best manage your pasture.

Having multiple different types of stock on a property (cattle, sheep, horses) will help control worms as they will clean up after each other. This is often referred to as cross grazing, the idea is that many parasites are species-specific, meaning the worms and parasites that infect sheep won’t survive or develop in cattle, and vice versa. By moving different types of animals onto the same pasture one after the other, you break the parasite life cycle. Cross grazing can be an effective natural strategy to manage parasite burdens, improve pasture health, and support livestock immunity.

Drench resistance (the ability of a worm to survive a drench treatment) is now unfortunately quite common. The only way to know if the drench that you gave has worked is to do a faecal egg count 10 to 14 days after the drench. The best way to prevent drench resistance developing is to not use drenches unnecessarily or excessively and faecal egg counting can give you the information needed to know when to drench.

Ready to take control of parasites the smart way? Don’t guess—know your farm’s parasite levels with a faecal egg count. It’s the key to effective, targeted drenching that protects your stock and helps prevent resistance. Contact us on 0800 VTS NTH to schedule your faecal egg counting service and keep your animals healthy and productive!

Dental Disease in Pets

Ready to Sink Your Teeth into this month’s blog post?! Let’s talk about your pets’ gnashers!

Who says dental hygiene is just for humans? Your pets’ pearly whites need love too!

Did you know dental disease is one of the most common conditions vets see in dogs, cats and pet rabbits? Yep, a whopping 70% of cats and 80% of dogs will have some form of dental disease by the time they’re just 2 years old! It is estimated that up to 60% of pet rabbits world-wide also suffer from dental problems, and while we don’t have stats for the NZ bunny brigade, we do know dental issues are rampant in our hoppers too. The good news? Most dental diseases are preventable with a little TLC and regular check-ups.  It’s super important – and super easy – to learn how to recognize dental problems in your pet and proactively work to keep gum disease and tooth decay at bay – and hopefully reduce the need for general anaesthesia (for dental treatment) as your pet gets older.

What IS Dental Disease?

“Dental Disease” is a broad term that covers a bunch of gnarly conditions in pet species:

• Periodontal Disease – this is by far the most common type of dental disease seen in pet doggos and kitties. It refers to infection and inflammation of the periodontium (the tissues that surround and bolster the teeth, essentially anchoring them in place – gums, periodontal ligament, cementum and a special part of the jaw bone). . If left unchecked, it can ultimately result in tooth loss (yikes) as the infection reaches the tooth socket in the bone. Most dogs and cats with periodontal will continue eating even dry food, though sometimes you may notice they’re chewing on one side only, dropping their food while chewing, or preferentially eating soft food. Regular check ups help identify disease earlier so we can treat it before it becomes too painful or results in tooth loss.
• Gingivtis – This is the precursor to periodontal disease. It is the inflammation of the gums because of bacterial plaque. The inflamed gums look red or even purplish close to gumline (where the gums meets the tooth) and can appear swollen. Those poor inflamed gums will bleed easily and often cause bad breath too. Proper tooth cleaning can help reverse gingivitis, however if untreated it will often progress to periodontal disease.

Because cats are cats :-p they can suffer from a specific form of gingivitis which is caused by a viral infection (usually contracted from their mum) or by their own immune system attacking the gum tissue. This form of gingivitis is usually quite severe – ouch! Proper hygiene is crucial in these guys to keep the plaque party in check, and these kitties may also need additional treatment  (antiviral medication, pain killers and dental treatment to clean beneath the gums and remove affected teeth).

• Fractured Teeth – Chomping down on hard objects (we’re looking at you, bones and antlers!) or rough play can chip or fracture teeth, as can trauma from falls, accidents or fighting. Fractured teeth maybe painful, discoloured or wobbly, though some pets won’t show any symptoms but fractures expose vulnerable parts of the tooth, which means infection could be around the corner In most cases extraction of fractured teeth is recommended, or referral to a dental specialist for a root canal procedure may be advised.
• Tooth Decay and Resorptive Lesions – : While tooth decay like we humans get is rare, it can happen, especially after a tooth is fractured. Cats, however, are more prone to resorptive lesions where the tooth literally starts crumbling away, causing pain and ultimately tooth loss.Extraction time!
• Overcrowding and Improper Bite – Smaller breed dogs and flat-faced breeds (dogs and cats) often have too many teeth crammed into a mouth that’s too small! Crowded teeth trap food and plaque which leads to infection. If the teeth aren’t aligning as they should, they can pinch the gums or lips making them sore over time. Regular cleaning and corrective treatment if indicated is the key to keeping these little mouths happy.

How Is Dental Disease Diagnosed And Treated?

A regular dental check-up with your vet team is key to catching problems early. Sometimes your pet will need dental X-rays and an examination under anesthesia to get the full picture (and scrub those hard-to-reach areas).

Unless the dental disease is at the early stages (such as minimal plaque and early gingivitis), most pets will require dental treatment under general anaesthetic to ensure we do a proper job. Yes, we know, anaesthesia sounds scary, but don’t worry,  the vet will discuss everything we do to make it as safe as possible.

How Do I Prevent Dental Disease in My Pet?

As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure!

It is best to start preventative measures early on when your pup or kitten is still young, so that they get accustomed to having their teeth cleaned at home and also to give them the best chance of avoiding dental disease in the future. Equally, if your pet has ended up needing dental treatment, it is imperitive to start a preventative regime ASAP so that we don’t end up in the same situation again – recurrence after treatment is super common because the plaque starts building up pretty much straight away – just like we still have to regularly brush and floss our teeth after a trip to the dental hygienist!

BRUSHING is the best way to keep your pets mouth healthy. Don’t panic – it’s easier than you think! . [Click here] for a handy guide on brushing your pet’s teeth.

Dental diets, wipes, and water additives can help, but nothing beats the trusty toothbrush! Click [here] to find out more about these products.

Remember, regular vet check-ups are just as important. Annual exams are ideal, but pets at higher risk (older pets, those with dental history, or overcrowded teeth) should be seen every 4-6 months.

Bonus: We’re offering FREE dental exams with our nurses for dogs and cats— Book Now!

A Bit About Buns!

Did you know your rabbit’s teeth never stop growing? They definitely can get long in the tooth as they age! Jokes aside, dental disease is one of the most common problems we encounter in pet rabbits. If they don’t get enough fiber, it can lead to dental chaos. Rabbits need course fibre (found in the good stuff such as Meadow or Timothy hay) to grind down their constantly growing teeth, otherwise they get two main dental issues:

• Overgrown incisors which make it difficult to grasp food to eat
• The molars wear down unevenly resulting in sharp points that injure the tongue and inner cheek, and in severe cases grow over the tongue like a cage trapping it inside. These bunnies can then no longer eat.

Eating regularly and eating sufficient amount of fibre is essential for bunny’s digestive tract to work properly – if this balance is upset their guts literally stop working (gut stasis) which is a life threatening condition.

Like with dogs and cats, prevention is best!  And it’s super easy! Ensure you’re feeding your bunnies a good diet: a diet mainly composed of unlimited supply of good quality hay, supplemented by a small amount of fresh greens (e.g. kale, romain lettuce, broccoli greens) and limited amount of high fibre pellets, with only occasional treats in small quantities (such as piece of carrot or apple). . Oh, and don’t forget to schedule regular vet check-ups to keep an eye on those teeth and their general health!